“Amity: A Novel” by Nathan Harris: Even if Harris hadn’t added Oliver, a hardy little spark plug of a mutt that accompanies a small band of misbegotten travelers, I would’ve relished this terrific story.
The trusty Oliver together with Florence, daughter of a Louisiana slaver, and Coleman, a freed man still too wary of his independence to strike out on his own, embark on a perilous quest to reunite with Coleman’s vanished sister.
“Dream State” by Eric Puchner
: A novel that begins on the eve of a wedding and veers, as life does, into some unexpected places.
I savored the ruminations on friendship and marriage. Find my interview with Puchner on the Big Books, Bold Ideas podcast.
“Bog Queen” by Anna North: The story swings between the present-day discovery of a body in a Scottish bog and the Iron Age life of the young woman who ended up there.
Give me an inquisitive scientist and the superstitious customs of an ancient people and I’ll follow you anywhere. Find my interview with Anna North on the Big Books, Bold Ideas podcast.
MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with the co-founder of Wisconsin’s BIPOC Birding Club, who is also the author of a new book, “Birds of the Great Lakes.”
As her fans celebrate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, they'd like you to know it's a mistake to simply dismiss her work as light, frothy romances. It's full of intricate plots, class satire and biting wit, along with all the timeless drama of human foibles, frailties and resolve.
If you have kids in your life who are ready to broaden their book horizons we have recommendations for you! Here you’ll find tried-and-true picture books, chapter books, and YA, all published in 2025.
