Our Community Reads brings members of the Santa Cruz County community together exploring one book that sparks connection, conversation, and inspiration. From late January to early March, the community is invited to read one book and attend upwards of 12 events focused on its themes and content. This year’s planning process is already underway.
Denise Ward, chair of the Our Community Reads Committee brought the program to the Aptos Library Friends in 2017 after drawing inspiration from a library in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The program has grown to include the participation of every branch of the Friends.
Events during the season have varied from expert panels, films, art, book discussions, writing workshops, and more. Ward cites the core events and activities as part of what makes the program so successful and appealing to community members from all around the county.
“What’s so fun is that from the beginning to the end, you see the same people and spark conversations,” Ward said. “The goal of bringing people together around the book is met, and not only are you meeting new people, but you’re getting so much out of that reading experience. We approach our events so that they strike a lot of different interests, from history to scientific research, that type of thing. There’s something there for everyone.”
Attendees of this year’s selection parties will view presentations from a shortlist of 4 books (see below), and be able to vote for their favorite. The overall winner will be the 2026 book, and events will begin in January. “We have a lot of confidence that people who come to the selection parties end up picking the perfect book. We always ask them to think about how the themes of the book will resonate with the community.”
Join us for the Book Selection Party on September 25th at 6:00 p.m. where you’ll enjoy brief presentations on all four book choices followed by voting. Your vote counts!
Spare Parts by Joshua Davis
Four undocumented Latino high-school students build an underwater robot on a shoestring budget, challenging college engineer teams in a NASA-sponsored robotics competition. [True story]
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Follow an international team of six astronauts aboard a cramped space station as they circle the globe for a single day, witnessing 16 sunrises and sunsets, and meditating on our place in the cosmos.
All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley
A museum guard shares insider knowledge of the inner workings of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art in this thoughtful memoir about art, beauty, and finding a path through grief.
Many Things Under a Rock by David Scheel
Dive into the deep with a world-renowned marine biologist as he reveals the science of how octopuses experience our world.
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