What are you reading this summer?
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Have you picked up a new cookbook or craft book recently? You’re not alone.
More people are gravitating toward how-to and hobby books that get them off digital devices and away from their worries.
And summer is the perfect time to dive into a good book — whether you’re reading in a hammock, on your porch or listening on the go.
MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two booksellers about their recommendations and what Minnesotans are reading — from local nonfiction and “romantasy,” to stories that deliver courage and hope.
Guests:
Kristin Nilsen is a bookseller at Big Hill Books in Minneapolis and a former children’s librarian. She co-hosts the podcast, “Pop Culture Preservation Society.” She also wrote two middle grade novels, “Worldwide Crush” and “The Scott Fenwick Diaries.”
Jasmine Baker is a bookseller at Black Garnet Books in St. Paul. She is also a marketing and communications strategist and has worked as an organizer on college campuses in Wisconsin.
These books were recommended during the show:
“Big in Sweden” by Sally Franson
“The Burning” series by Evan Winter
“A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides” by Gisèle Pelicot
“Meet the Newmans” by Jennifer Niven
“The Wild Robot” series by Peter Brown
“The Amari” series by B. B. Alston
Graphic novel versions of: “The Diary of Anne Frank”, “The Hobbit” and “Tuck Everlasting”
“A Year Without Home” by V. T. Bidania
“The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration” by Isabel Wilkerson
“My Convoluted Life” by Narciso M. Salas
“Score” by Kennedy Ryan
“Bromantasy” by Máire Roche
“The Murderbot Diaries” by Martha Wells
“The Missed Connection” by Tia Williams
“The Things We Never Say” by Elizabeth Strout
“Beard” by Kelly Foster Lundquist
“The Girl with a Thousand Faces” by Sunyi Dean
“The Cruelty of Nice Folks: Why Minneapolis Is the Story of America” by Justin Ellis
“I Cheerfully Refuse” by Leif Enger
“When the Rain Came” by Matthew Eicheldinger
"Doorman Wanted” by Glenn R. Miller
“This Tender Land” by William Kent Krueger
“Revolutionaries Are Made of Love” by Mélina Mangal and Sun Yung Shin
“The Vorkosigan Saga” series and “The World of the Five Gods” series by Lois McMaster Bujold
“The Women of Wild Hill” by Kirsten Miller
“The Change” by Kirsten Miller
“Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books” by Kirsten Miller
“Die For Me” by Amy Plum
“Alex Six” by Vince Taplin
“The High Mountain Court” part of the The Five Crowns of Okrith series by A.K. Mulford
“Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt
“Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir
“All About Love” by bell hooks
“Kin” by Tayari Jones
“Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke
“Swordbird” by Nancy Yi Fan
Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
