“I have a strong urge to write something that will change people. I want to create a piece so moving that people are in disbelief. And I want it to be like handing people a pair of glasses, giving them a way of seeing something they didn’t even realize they weren’t seeing.” —Mallory Smith   Salt

 Penguin Random House Author Events at the 38th Annual First-Year Experience® Conference Las Vegas, NV, February 16-19, 2019 Click Here to RSVP Interested in hosting one of these authors at your school? Click their name below to learn more! Clemantine Wamariya Casey Gerald Abdi Nor Iftin Scott Harrison Zachary Wood

Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy has a powerful message and is a frequent choice for first year and community-wide reading programs. In his book, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative delves deep into the broken U.S. justice system, detailing his many challenges and efforts as a lawyer and social advocate, especially on behalf of America’s

Karan Mahajan, author of THE ASSOCIATION OF SMALL BOMBS, discusses his idol, what inspires him, the first book he loved, and his biggest fear as a writer.

Women’s history is still under-discussed and undervalued, doubly so when it comes to the history of women of color.  We’re highlighting some of our recent favorite titles, bringing these women’s stories and perspectives to the forefront.

Zachary Wood explains why he invites white supremacy apologists to his campus in this selection from UNCENSORED, excerpted at The Guardian.

Tara Westover speaks to students and teachers at the Academy of American Studies in Long island City, NY, about her memoir, EDUCATED.

Common Reads presents a list of classic and contemporary dystopian fiction with offerings for all-ages, ideal for use in both first-year and community reads.

Watch Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe in the new BOY ERASED trailer. Written for the screen and directed by Joel Edgerton, the film is based on Garrard Conley’s memoir.

With the fall semester fast approaching, colleges and universities around the country have announced their Common Reading books for the upcoming 2018-19 academic year.  We’ve compiled a list of over 415 programs and their title selections.

On February 9, 2018, the Penguin Random House First-Year Reading Advisory Board convened for their annual summit the day before The First-Year Experience® Conference exhibit and sessions commenced. The Board members, representing a variety of public and private higher education institutions of varying sizes, came together to exchange ideas, and provide feedback and guidance. Our seven board members, along with staff

We’re pleased to share videos from the First-Year Experience® Conference held in San Antonio, TX this past February. If you weren’t able to join us for our author events at the conference, or would simply like to hear the talks again, please take a moment to view the clips below.   Penguin Random House Author