Holiday Book Swap


November 28, 2017

What's better than digging into a good book as the fall semester comes to an end and winter starts to creep in? Not much if you ask us. If you're looking for a recommendation, we asked Milken Institute School of Public Health faculty and staff what they're planning to read this winter, and they answered. We then turned it over to students to find out what they'll be reading over the winter break. Students who reached out via Instagram or email were eligible to win a selection from the faculty/staff list.

Check out the full list of book recommendations below. Whether you prefer classics like those by Charles Dickens, books on current events, or long, engaging novels, there's something for everyone among the suggestions.

2017 Faculty and Staff Recommendations

No One Cares About Crazy People: The Chaos and Heartbreak of Mental Health in America by Ron Powers

Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity by Jennifer Weiss-Wolf

The War on Kids by Cara Drinan

Homecoming by Yaa Gyasi

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

The Nix by Nathan Hill

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

Big Chicken by Maryn McKenna

What Happened by Hillary Clinton

The Life of Langston Huges, Volume 1 by Arnold Rampersad

No Good Men Among the Living by Anand Gopal

Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown

What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen by Kate Fagan

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

2017 Student Recommendations

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons

The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters

The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder 

Autumn: A Novel by Ali Smith

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard Thaler

What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell

The New Jim Crow: Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

Find Me Unafraid by Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner

Trust No Aunty by Maria Qamar