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From Minnesota authors to BookTok recommendations, our staff has a ranging taste for their favorite read of the year. Note: Not all of these books were released this year. We instead opened submissions to include any book a staffer read this year.

‘A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them’ by Timothy Egan

Egan has written a gripping narrative that captures how powerful the Klan became in the Midwest in the 1920s. I knew something about the Klan’s history of hate in the Midwest, but I didn’t realize the scale and scope of its influence in the region for much of that turbulent decade. 

The author pins much of the collapse of the Klan in the region on the conviction of its Indiana-based leader for his sadistic sexual attack and murder of Madge Oberholtzer. There’s more to the story than that, of course, but it’s a history well told.

Chris Farrell, senior economics contributor

‘Paradise Falls: The True Story of an Environmental Catastrophe’ by Keith O’Brien

This is THE book that tells the story of Love Canal, through the eyes, noses and fears of people who lived there. The Niagara Falls, N.Y., neighborhood was a high-profile environmental disaster in the 1970s, but the pollution dated back decades. 

O’Brien has written a deeply reported and vivid book focused on the heroic efforts of the neighborhood’s residents in the face of less laudable corporate and government action and inaction. You’ll get caught up in it like a good novel. 

— Tom Crann, host of All Things Considered 

‘The High Sierra: A Love Story’ by Kim Stanley Robinson

Kim Stanley Robinson is known as a fantastic science fiction writer, but in this book, he combines real-life science, history and personal stories to paint a mind-blowing portrait of one of the most beautiful places on earth. 

Reading it was an escape into a rare ecosystem and inspired me to observe my surroundings here in Minnesota more. It’s part nostalgia for past adventures, part musing on land and politics. 10/10!

— Ellen Finn, associate producer for Minnesota Now

The author of this book is a well-respected therapist who I have interviewed twice on my talk show. 2023 was all about healing for me, both physically and mentally. And actively chasing joy. Managing unhealthy family relationships played a role in that.

— Angela Davis, host of MPR News with Angela Davis

‘Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life’ by Dacher Keltner

My favorite non-fiction books of the year center around the theme of awe. Dacher Keltner’s book “Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life” explores the science of this oft-overlooked emotion. 

Keltner is a great storyteller, so his research is interwoven with examples and his own history. It’s like a TED Talk in book form. For a more romantic take, pick up Katherine May’s “Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age.” May is a lyrical writer. Her musings on awe light the way. I will be seeking more awe in 2024.

— Kelly Gordon, producer of Big Books and Bold Ideas and North Star Journey Live

‘How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures’ by Sabrina Imbler

I’m nervous in the water and embarrassingly jumpy when it comes to ocean life. But this book gave me a chance to learn about the strange, fascinating animals of the deep sea from a safe distance. 

It’s also a gorgeous memoir that shows the surprising ways humans are connected to these creatures and what we can learn from their lives.

— Alanna Elder, producer for Minnesota Now

This book burrowed into my brain and keeps popping up at the oddest of moments like a barnacle grabbing for food.

It’s a collection of essays about creatures often living in the remote, hostile parts of the ocean. It’s laced with wild facts about the lives of these wondrous beings and how different their reality is from our own. 

I mean, octopuses who will starve for years while watching over their eggs? That there really is such a thing as marine snow, and it's an important part of the ecosystem — and wait till you learn about whalefalls.

But what makes these essays sing even more are Imbler’s reflections of the similarities between the sea creatures and their own life. As a queer, mixed-race writer Imbler has clearly spent a lot of time in deep self-examination, and their writing is filled with moments of joy, sadness and understanding. 

They invite the reader into the sea creatures’ world, as well as the Sabrina Imbler world. Both are fascinating and thought-provoking. Reading this left me with a profound sense of gratitude for Imbler's talent.

One of my reading resolutions this year is to build a “To be read again” section on my bookshelf. “How Far The Light Reaches” sits there already.  

‘Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life’ by Bill Perkins

This book changed my perspective a bit on how to balance saving for retirement without missing out on the present. 

‘Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia’ by Sabrina Strings

I wouldn’t call myself an avid nonfiction reader. I’m glad I gave this one a try. It’s a fantastic companion piece to podcasts like “Maintenance Phase,” or for anyone looking for the “why” behind the odd societal obsession and stereotypes surrounding our bodies. I’m relatively tuned into the topic, but I learned a lot. And in a new world where Ozempic is king, it’s even more interesting.

— Gretchen Brown, interim senior producer for MPR News with Angela Davis

As the host of Ask a Bookseller, I hear recommendations for awesome books from indie booksellers every week, which means my to-read list is generally about as long as my arm. Here are two of my favorite novels so far from this year’s list of recommendations.

This is a gorgeous, sweeping historical novel about race and horse racing in the Civil War era through today. I don’t particularly care about horse racing, but this book made me care, and I simply couldn’t put it down.

— Emily Bright, newscaster, host of Art Hounds and Ask a Bookseller

'Horse'

It’s a fantastic combination of literary fiction — gorgeous writing, deeply drawn characters — and heart-pounding thriller. It’s written from the alternating viewpoints of three characters, with three easily distinguishable voices. I listened to this one as an audio book for the added bonus of hearing the Irish accents.

Tune into for a new book recommendation on Ask a Bookseller every Saturday morning on MPR News or follow the “Ask a Bookseller” podcast. One book, 2 minutes, every week.

— Emily Bright, newscaster, host of Art Hounds and Ask A Bookseller

'Kala' is a rip-roaring thriller

A sweeping and intimate story about immigration, the “settling” of the American West, the aching caused by the passage of time, and, most importantly, friendship. Willa Cather’s prose feels crisp and warm, like linens fresh out of the dryer.

— Alex V. Cipolle, senior arts reporter and critic

‘The Woman in the Window’ by A.J. Finn

Could it be I read the book even faster than the film’s run time? What a velvety, sinister, I’m-afraid-to-turn-the-page book with themes of mental health, home and memory. It’s been years since I’ve devoured pages like this.

— Amy Felegy, associate digital producer

It is an audacious critique of the art world and a mind-boggling alternative history of the United States. Simply one of the greatest novels I have ever read. Funny and brilliant in equal measures. Don’t skip the footnotes. 

‘The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England’ by Brandon Sanderson

I had a lot of fun reading “The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England” by Brandon Sanderson, one of four novels Sanderson released through a record-setting Kickstarter fundraiser. 

It mixes in some fantasy elements that Sanderson is known for but with a sci-fi twist mixed with some corporate and “legalese” satire. Simply put, if a business advertises “your own personal medieval pocket dimension,” you might want to check the fine print.

‘Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow’ by Gabrielle Zevin

“Life is very long, unless it’s not.” 

“Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin provided me with a form of escapism; I read it at my dad’s house as he died of cancer. I think he would have agreed with this quote from the book: “It isn’t a sadness, but a joy, that we don’t do the same things for the length of our lives.”

My very short summary of the book: three friends make a video game together, and the book follows their paths and their friendship after that fateful decision. I think some people might skip over this book if they aren’t a gamer, but you don’t need to play video games to appreciate Zevin’s worldbuilding and complex characters. 

‘The Whalebone Theatre’ by Joanna Quinn

I can’t stop thinking about “The Whalebone Theatre” written by Joanna Quinn. This historical fiction is set in a Downtown Abbey-esque family in England that is grappling with seismic societal changes at the tail end of World War I. 

The adults are self-absorbed and tragic, so this story is told through the eyes of the children. Three-year-old Cristabel takes the spotlight and orchestrates adventures and dramas for herself and her half-sister Florrie and close-in-age nephew, Digby. 

As the children grow up, they are pushed onto the stage of World War II, where their imaginary exploits become dangerous reality. The history is real and sobering, the characters are captivating. I was charmed and then engrossed.

‘Demon Copperhead’ by Barbara Kingsolver

I was spellbound by the writing and the main character’s adventures/misadventures, plus what it all had to say about Appalachia and America and what we value. So good!

— Elizabeth Shockman, education reporter

‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Taylor Jenkins Reid works in the era of old-Hollywood glamour while depicting multiple strong representations of minority communities. The focus on feminism, the LGBTQIA+ community, and the fact that some of the characters were actually quite unlikeable at times made the entire novel feel incredibly real to me; the protagonist’s continual claim of being “a bad person” was striking and at times valid. 

While the book is structured to be representative of Evelyn’s experience with seven husbands, it was also able to capture nearly every social concern a woman might face throughout her life.

‘Lady Tan’s Circle of Women’ by Lisa See

This powerful, researched and, at times, unsettling book was an eye-opening introduction into the world of traditional Chinese women's medicine and the girls and women who keep these traditions alive. 

The book was both a story of familial duty, love and self-reflection and a story of ancient medical advancements and the plights of women in 15th-century China. I’m really looking forward to reading more of Lisa See's books!

Honorable mentions of books I read this year so, far: “None of This is True” by Lisa Jewell and “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin. Both books I'm not sure I

 but I CAN say I couldn’t put them down while reading and they are undeniably well-written.

‘The Dictionary of Lost Words’ by Pip Williams

This fictionalized account of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary honors the real women who labored on the massive project in obscurity. The protagonist rescues “lost” words – often women’s words – that are not deemed worthy of inclusion in the dictionary. The story reminds us of the power of words to oppress or liberate.  

‘The Covenant of Water’ by Abraham Verghese

Vivid and immersive, Abraham Verghese has a way of hurtling us into another space and time, and I simply didn’t want this novel to end!

— Kerri Miller, host of Big Books and Bold Ideas and Talking Volumes

Everyone in my book club groaned when we realized the book we wanted to read was a whopper with more than 700 dense pages. But no one was complaining once we dug in. This gorgeous, tragic, multi-generational story about a family curse is full of unexpected twists. I blubbered like a baby about a dozen times while reading it. Verghese himself started crying about one of his characters when he was talking to Oprah about the book. That’s how good it is. 

‘In the Time of Our History’ by Susanne Pari

I have read over 100 books this year and it was my job to bother everyone in the newsroom for their favorite read, so this is a hard question for me. The books I enjoyed the most were contemporary novels that followed the ebb and flow of womanhood. “In the Time of Our History” by Susanne Pari delivers that and more.

It is a beautiful story about mothers and daughters set to the background of Iranian culture. I think it can be really easy to forget that older people in our life, such as our mothers, were once just girls like us. 

‘Brotherless Night’ by V.V. Ganeshananthan

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From Minnesota authors to BookTok recommendations, our staff has a ranging taste for their favorite read of the year. Here are the best books that members of the MPR News newsroom read in 2023.

The 39 best books MPR News staff read this year

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