News & Events

What Librarians Read Over Winter Break

As the fall semester winds down and we look forward to a new year, we asked UDC librarians one question: “What’s on your reading list this Winter Break?”

Our colleagues shared the titles on their to-read list, including books that have long lingered on their bedside stands as well as new finds that have piqued their interest.

Where possible, we’ve linked each title to the UDC Library catalog. For books not held at UDC Library or at one of our partner libraries in the Washington Research Library Consortium, we’ve included links to the DC Public Library catalog so you can still find them easily nearby. Don’t have a DC Public Library card yet? Sign up for free online (all current UDC students, staff, and faculty are eligible) and find a public library near you!

After Glen Benedict (Access Services Librarian) finishes The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, the last book in his 2025 Reading Challenge, he plans to read…

• O Pioneers! by Willa Cather - Available at UDC Library. This 1913 classic follows Swedish-American immigrants on the Nebraska prairie as they try to transform barren land into a thriving homestead.
• A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab - Available at DC Public Library. Set across four parallel versions of London, this fantasy novel is about a magician who must confront the dangers of a dark relic that could destroy all worlds.

Tricia Clarke (Community College Engagement Librarian) is planning to read…

• A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna - Available at DC Public Library. From one of Tricia’s favorite authors, this book is a perfect cozy read for a cold day! Packed with whimsy and heart, it follows a once-powerful witch now managing a magical inn filled with misfits and a cursed fox.
• Chocolate City by Chris Myers Asch and George Derek Musgrove - Available as an ebook through UDC Library. This four‑century chronicle of Washington, DC traces the capital’s journey from a plantation hub to a majority‑Black metropolis. It’s a must-read for all DC residents and students!

Jacob Hopkins (Information Literacy Librarian) is planning to read…

• Lost in the City by Edward P. Jones -Available at UDC Library. Written by a local DC author and nominated for the National Book Award, this short-story collection paints an authentic portrait of Black life in DC throughout the 20th century. 
• Endling by Maria Reva - Available at DC Public Library. This genre-blending novel is about three Ukrainian women (including one snail conservationist!) whose plans to kidnap foreign bachelors for a stunt is upended when the Russo-Ukrainian war erupts.

Meghan Kowalski (Outreach and Reference Librarian) is planning to read…

• Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins - Available at DC Public Library. Read it before you see it! The fifth installment in the beloved young adult dystopian series, this book recounts the high-stakes events of the 50th Hunger Games.
• The Way Things Work: Newly Revised Edition by David Macaulay - Available at UDC Library through the Consortium Loan Service. Take a tour of the mechanics behind everyday machines. With vivid illustrations, this book makes learning about machines fun for readers of all ages—Meghan can’t wait to read it alongside her child!

Cathy Meals (Assessment and Reference Librarian) is planning to read…

• Algospeak by Adam Aleksic - Available at UDC Library through the Consortium Loan Service. Learn more about how the internet is transforming human language, from emojis and memes to coded slang and entirely new speech patterns.
• Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson - Available at DC Public Library. When a centuries-old heirloom reappears, Ebby Freeman must confront a multigenerational legacy of loss to save her family’s future. Cathy plans to sink into this historical saga while on vacation at the beach!

We hope these librarian-selected picks add some inspiration to your own Winter Break reading plans!

And if you’re looking for a book you can keep and call your own, stop by the Firebird Book Nook or the Lamond-Riggs Little-ish Free Library!

On the Van Ness Campus, the Firebird Book Nook is in Building 38 on Level B, past the Media Services Desk. At the Lamond-Riggs Community College, the Little-ish Free Library is in the library (Room 225) on the 2nd floor.

These are our versions of a little free library where you’re welcome to take a book, leave a book, or trade a book you no longer need. It’s a great way to send an old book off to a new home or discover your next great read without needing to check out a library copy. For example, librarian Cathy Meals recently got a free copy of The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters from the Firebird Book Nook (also available to check out at DC Public Library). Stop by to see what interests you!