This year's book is The Music of Bees, by Eileen Garvin, which tells the heartfelt story of three strangers who come together to improve each other and their community through a love of bees and beekeeping. It offers wonderful opportunities to discuss hopeful and uplifting themes relevant to our campus, including the importance of community-building, supporting mental health, and the role of sustainability. This book has received many awards including a Good Morning America BUZZ PICK, a Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick, and a LibraryReads Pick. The book is on many annual recommendation lists including those of People Magazine, The Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor, Nerd Daily, and more.

Members of the campus community are encouraged to read the book and attend a keynote by Garvin on October 22nd, 2024.

In addition to Garvin’s visit, the Common Book Program will sponsor a variety of events during the fall semester that highlight programs on campus that tie into the themes of the book, including celebrating different communities of campus, finding opportunities to support mental health, and showcasing the AU Bee Lab.

Auburn’s Common Book Program is designed to create a learning experience that is shared among the students, faculty, and staff and foster a sense of community by provoking intellectual discourse and engagement. Each year, a committee of students, faculty, and staff contribute to the selection process by reading potential works and engaging in thoughtful discussions before a final selection is made.

The Auburn Common Book Program is also proud to continue its partnership between the Office of the Provost and the Auburn Public Library. By creating a shared reading experience for students, faculty, staff and the broader Auburn community, the program seeks to provide insight into the human condition while developing lifelong habits of intellectual curiosity and engagement.