Research Guides
Recommended Reads for Equity: Top Hits Reading List
Why Reading Lists?
These reading lists are meant to help you look at books within the Recommended Reads for Equity collection that have a shared topic or theme.
Top Hits
These twenty books are the current most popular books in the collection.
Check out what other Huskies are reading!
Recommended by: Carolyn Martin, Staff UW Seattle, Health Sciences Library
"This is a memoir of the author's, Ellen Forney, experience of bipolar disorder. It gives the reader some insight to what a person with bipolar experiences during episodes of mania and depression. Along with that, the author also includes aspects such as finding the right combination of medications and therapy, the effect on her personal and work life, and the financial burden associated with taking care of herself. Forney's book not only brings awareness but also acts as a health literacy tool in her education of bipolar disorder to the general reader as well as to the health professional.
Forney is a local artist who also served as guest curator for the National Library of Medicine traveling exhibit, "Graphic Medicine: Ill Conceived, Well-Drawn" which the Health Sciences Library will be hosting starting November 5. Marbles has also been chosen as the Health Sciences Common Book for 2018-2019."
Forney is a local artist who also served as guest curator for the National Library of Medicine traveling exhibit, "Graphic Medicine: Ill Conceived, Well-Drawn" which the Health Sciences Library will be hosting starting November 5. Marbles has also been chosen as the Health Sciences Common Book for 2018-2019."
Recommended by: Holly Williams, Staff UW Seattle, Bioengineering
"This is a fictional story about generational trauma that stems from the Atlantic Slave Trade and slavery in America. It shows how racism manifests within individuals throughout time, which I think is important for understanding the experience for people of color, specifically Black Americans, in society today."
Recommended by: Becky Howsmon, Staff UW Seattle, Robinson Center
"This provides a longitudinal insight into slavery - what it means and its impact - from the slave trade in the Gold Coast to current times"
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by ISBN: 9781442408920Publication Date: 2012-02-21
Recommended by: Jose D Sanchez Frugone, Student UW Seattle, Bioengineering
"This book is a very personal, honest coming to age novel about teenage love. At moments poetic and romantic, at moments messy and starkly real. With a backdrop of lgbt and minority themes which add context but do not overpower the beautifully written experiences of a character in conflict with himself; this book explores identity, family relations, friendship, and love in a way that is relevant to all."
Recommended by: Anonymous, Student UW Seattle, College of Engineering
" I would recommend this book to others because it possesses a predominant theme which is “love is becoming closer with your best friend.” Two individuals explore their sexuality to find out that regardless of their gender, love can still be attained. If not that, I recommend this book because it is relatable in a sense that regardless of who we are, we face a common struggle of confusion in our life; whether it be sexuality, finding a sense of self, or not knowing what our future hold - enduring these periods of uncertainty and facing adversity can bring us closer to embracing who we are."
- E-BOOK AVAILABLE UW Libraries has a separate listing of this book as an e-book. Click the link to see if the book is currently available online.
Recommended by: Melissa, Staff UW Bothell, Library
"Thi Bui painstakingly interviewed members of her family, and researched their past, so that she could tell their stories spanning three generations (or more) in Vietnam, their experience as refugees, and citizens in America."
Recommended by: Anonymous, Student UW Seattle, Public Health-Global Health
" The book gives important insight to the real lived experiences of one's family who had to flee South Vietnam after the Vietnam war. The author being able to learn about her family history helped her to understand herself and her parents more, and have grounded her in her new journey as a mother."
- E-BOOK AVAILABLE UW Libraries has a separate listing of this book as an e-book. Click the link to see if the book is currently available online.
Recommended by: Thomas Walker, Student UW Seattle, English
"This book offers a number of concrete, poignant examples to illustrate systemic injustice. Even for those already familiar with racial inequality, this book will offer new insight and Cacho's trenchant supporting analysis is thoroughly researched and relentlessly compelling."
- E-BOOK AVAILABLE UW Libraries has a separate listing of this book as an e-book. Click the link to see if the book is currently available online.
Recommended by: Gabriella Dahlin, Student UW Seattle, UW Libraries and iSchool
"This book is written by an incredible local activist. Her book is framed in an approachable way, and is welcoming for folks who are new, but open, to talking about race. I personally found it helpful for framing my own conversations with other people who might not be as deeply interested involved in social justice. It's honest and direct and really, really great."
Recommended by: Judith Wood, Staff UW Seattle, Continuum College
"Oluo is a brilliant and incisive observer, analyst, and writer around issues pertaining to race, equity, and intersectionality. She is local and would make for a lively author event."
Recommended by: Kate Orville, Staff UW Seattle, Center on Human Development and Disability- Clinical Training Unit
"The author's purpose with this book was to enable people to talk about race and to have the tools to be able to do so. The author starts each chapter with a personal story illustrating the topic she's going to talk about, then talks about why it's important, data and studies behind it and how and why it is important. As a person who's white and wants to more directly engage in learning about racial discrimination and what I can do about it, this book helped me feel better prepared to have conversations about race. I do not want to ask friends of color to give me the 101 version of things I should take the time to learn on my own first."
Recommended by: Anonymous
"As the title would suggest, a perfect introduction to diversity and inclusion that should be read by everyone. It is not written just for people who are still denying that racism exists in America today, but for people who know it does but don't necessarily know all the ways it manifests itself."
Recommended by Chloe Horning, Staff UW Bothell, UWB Library
Recommended by: Holly, Student UW Seattle, Speech & Hearing Science
"This book is so powerful. It discusses how culture, language, and national origin have an impact on health care (and vise-versa). It left me feeling outraged, contemplative, defeated, empowered, and ultimately grateful for the family that has shared their story so we may learn from it."
Recommended by: Anna Nakano-Baker, Student UW Seattle, iSchool
"This heartbreaking book has themes of war, immigration, assimilation and healthcare in the lives of Hmong Americans--it can be a great primer for Asian American Studies, and it is also beautifully written."
Recommended by: Dinah Aldrich, Staff UW Seattle, Family Medicine-Research
- E-BOOK AVAILABLE UW Libraries has a separate listing of this book as an e-book. Click the link to see if the book is currently available online.
Recommended by: Anonymous
"Most Americans don't understand how inaccessible housing is for lower-income people, and how crippling an eviction typically is for people's economic prospects, future housing opportunities and future employment. This highly readable journalistic account depicts the lives of lower-income Americans from several communities around the US and their often-desperate quest to keep a roof over their heads."
Recommended by: Theresa Hwee, Student UW Seattle, School of Public Health
" One of the best books I’ve ever read. It helped me understand not only the policies that cause housing insecurity and generational poverty, but also the lived experiences of real families impacted by those policies. It’s set in Milwaukee, which I learned has historically been the most segregated city in America, thanks to redlining. While it’s not focused on the history per se, Desmond provides the right amount of this historical context for the reader so we understand the why and how."
Recommended by: Susan Fitch, Staff UW Seattle, UW Libraries Special Collections
"It's a basic, non-judgmental introduction for white readers new to the concept of systemic racism."
Recommended by: Cherise Fuselier, Student UW Seattle, iSchool
"This YA series features an albino Nigerian-American teenage girl named Sunny. It takes place in Nigeria, and Sunny and her friends have magical powers and must fight evil. It's kind of like a more diverse Harry Potter, Nigerian-style. The author is a Nigerian-American woman."
- E-BOOK AVAILABLE UW Libraries has a separate listing of this book as an e-book. Click the link to see if the book is currently available online.
Recommended by: Chloe Horning, Staff UW Bothell, UWB Library
- E-BOOK AVAILABLE UW Libraries has a separate listing of this book as an e-book. Click the link to see if the book is currently available online.
- E-BOOK AVAILABLE UW Libraries has a separate listing of this book as an e-book. Click the link to see if the book is currently available online.
Recommended by: Chloe Horning, Staff UW Bothell, Library
- E-BOOK AVAILABLE UW Libraries has a separate listing of this book as an e-book. Click the link to see if the book is currently available online.
Recommended by: Sumyat Thu, Student UW Seattle, English
"Accessible interviews with a legend who provides so much insights into recent events such as Black Lives Matter and BDS movement for Palestine."
Recommended by: Aydin Kwan, Student UW Seattle, iSchool
"This intersectional feminist sci-fi satire depicts a near future dystopia in which women are incarcerated for "non-compliance," i.e., being too big, too old, too brown, too queer, too loud, and so on. It shines a light on aggressions experienced by specific populations of women, such as Black women and Asian-American women, as well as by women as a whole in a patriarchal society."
Recommended by: Melissa, Staff UW Bothell, Library
"It's a graphic novel set in late 19th century Paris, about a cross-dressing prince & a career-focused woman. Even though both main characters face obstacles, and that time period would have been friendly to neither of them, they are both able to create the life they want for themselves. It's a positive & hopefully message to anyone who identifies with either character."
Recommended by: Anonymous
"A smart history of how race and class have effected marginalized peoples as they mobilize to vote and how institutional forces have come down in order to stop them. Especially poignant as the mid-term elections start up, understanding how gerrymandering, voter ID, and restrictions on voter registration are damaging to our democracy today and throughout history is important as we continue to strive for equality and representation."
Recommended by: K Wheeler, Student UW Seattle
"This is an amazing book about racial diversity, equity, and police brutality."
- E-BOOK AVAILABLE UW Libraries has a separate listing of this book as an e-book. Click the link to see if the book is currently available online.
Recommended by: Nichole Gustavsen, UW Botthell, UWB / Cascadia College Library
"A memoir by a First Nations woman who grew up on a BC reservation. This author is local to the PNW! This book gets into intersections between Indigenous identity, womanhood, mental illness, addiction, and generational trauma. Certainly a tough read, but a necessary one."
