The 1U Common Read book group creates community for learning and reflection. When we do a 1U Common Read together, we share in reflection, learning, and action. This can take us on a powerful journey into what it means to be human and accountable in a world filled with both pain and joy.

Group participants suggest titles to be read and discussed, which have been mostly non-fiction books so far. The group meets on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays of the month, 7:30-9:00pm, discussing the same title at both sessions. All are welcome to participate.

Zoom Info

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83691815170
Password: uuread

February

Giving Up is Unforgivable – a Manual for Keeping a Democracy [Part 2]

We invite you to join us for Part 2 of the discussion on Thursday, February 5 at 7:30pm on Zoom. We’ll talk about the entire book, with special emphasis on the last chapter: “We are the Calvary”, the conclusion and postscript. It’s hopeful and pragmatic.

At our next meeting, on February 19, participants are asked to bring a recommendation for our next read to share with the group.

January

Giving Up is Unforgivable – a Manual for Keeping a Democracy

This book is a clarion call to action, putting our current crisis in historical context and sketching out a vision for where we go next. Vance’s message is hopeful at its heart, even as it acknowledges the daunting challenges that lie ahead. The author is the constitutional law professor you never knew you needed, explaining the legal context and the political history— and why the rule of the law still matters. At the same time, she empowers the reader to do something, both as individuals and collectively.

December

Almost Everything – Notes on Hope.  by Anne Lamott

In this profound and funny book, Lamott calls for each of us to rediscover the nuggets of hope and wisdom that are buried within us that can make life sweeter than we ever imagined. Divided into short chapters that explore life’s essential truths, Almost Everything pinpoints these moments of insight as it shines an encouraging light forward.

October

A Hidden Wholeness – The Journey Towards An Undivided Life  by Parker Palmer

A Hidden Wholeness has helped people in every walk of life rise to the challenge of living “divided no more.” What leads us to live divided lives that defy our own sense of identity and integrity? When we do, what price do we and the world pay? How can we recover the wholeness that is our birthright gift? Palmer examines the forces that deflect us from the soul’s true north and gives us the tools we need to regain our bearings.

Mapping an inner journey to be taken in solitude and community, Palmer explores perspectives and practices that can help us embody integrity in a world where it often feels risky to be who we are. As we learn how to be present to others in spaces where it’s safe for the soul to speak (aka “circles of trust”), we find ways to rejoin soul and role in our personal, vocational, and public lives.

Click on the book cover to scroll through books we will be reading soon, and books we’ve previously read.

August

Beyond Welcome: Building Communities of Love edited by Linnea Nelson

How do we go beyond welcome to build compassionate, authentic, and equitable communities? In Beyond Welcome: Building Communities of Love, editor Linnea Nelson and contributors dream of a future Unitarian Universalism that upholds abundant love and universal justice within every community.

July

Say the Right Thing: How to Talk About Identity, Diversity, and Justice by Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow

Research-backed, accessible, and uplifting, Say the Right Thing charts a pathway out of cancel culture toward more meaningful and empathetic dialogue on issues of identity. It also gives us the practical tools to do good in our spheres of influence.