The 43 best books MPR News staff read in 2025

From an Indigenous romance in Oklahoma to an emotional, personal narrative on life and basketball, our staff has wide-ranging taste for their favorite books they read in 2025. Check out the following suggestions. 

Note: Not all of these books were released this year. We instead opened submissions to include any book a staffer read this year.

Minnesota authors

‘Say You’ll Remember Me’ by Abby Jimenez

The Minnesota author’s romance novels are some of my favorites, so of course I went to Magers & Quinn Booksellers in Minneapolis the day it was released. The book’s main plotline is a love story between veterinarian Xavier and mustard marketer and kitten rescuer Samantha.

But like all of Jimenez’s books in the Abby-verse, it’s so much more than just a love story. It explores parent-child relationships and the sacrifices caretakers — both parents and their adult children — make. Jimenez’s ability to dive deep into all forms of love is what makes her books so irresistible.

— Lisa Ryan, editor

‘Sensational: The Hidden History of America’s Girl Stunt Reporters — Nellie Bly and the Women Who Changed Journalism Forever’ by Kim Todd

I’d heard of Nelly Bly’s journalistic exploits, such as faking her way into an insane asylum to report first-hand on its inhumane conditions or traveling around the world in 72 days. What I didn’t know what that Bly was one of many.

There was a movement in the late 1800s of bold women breaking into reporter roles by going undercover, sometimes into dangerous situations, often to report on the working conditions and health care of women.

I enjoyed reading about their bold, then-gender norm-defying work as well as the real improvements their writing sparked. Kim Todd, who teaches in the MFA program at the U of M, has written a smart, thoughtful and utterly engaging book.

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

Shockman’s own debut

I wrote and published a book this year: “Behind the Red Velvet Curtain: An American Ballerina in Russia.” It’s the memoir of the first American ballerina to join the Bolshoi Ballet Theater. I love how memoirs give you an inside look at places you’d otherwise never have access to.

This book takes you backstage to Russian dressing rooms filled with cutthroat dancers, Moscow hospitals, Siberian stages and performances for dictators at international diplomatic summits. Kerri Miller interviewed my co-author if you want to hear more.  

— Elizabeth Shockman, education reporter

Adult nonfiction

‘There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension’ by Hanif Abdurraqib

A man recommended this book to me, which is not to say I didn’t think I’d like it, but that I thought it might not be for me. I’m a newer basketball fan and don’t have the background on the NBA some do. That doesn’t really matter, not when you’re reading Hanif Abdurraquib, because basketball is more a vehicle for prose than anything.

I finished the book convinced Abdurraquib is quite possibly the best writer of our time. What a gorgeous piece of writing.

— Gretchen Brown, producer

‘Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America’ by Beth Macy

This is a book in the vein of JD Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy — only better. Macy grew up in central Ohio in the 1970s and ‘80s. Her family was working class, with a mother who worked in a factory and a father who struggled with alcoholism. She too is grateful for the financial aid she received for college and the community that supported her with things like car rides or lunches.

She went back to Urbana, Ohio, for two years, following people and their struggles to break the cycle of poverty. Macy also talks about her own family and how different political views alienated her from her siblings and how they found their way back to each other. A really insightful book about communities being left behind.

— Kelly Bleyer, newscaster

‘A Truce That Is Not Peace’ by Miriam Toews

This book captures a strange, uneasy middle of things. And Miriam Toews, author of “Women Talking” and seven other novels, does so with a sharp, funny eye. This grief memoir is clear-eyed without being grim, and it digs into memory, loss and the creative process.

Toews wrestles with the suicides of both her father and sister alongside the question, “Why do you write?” For those who are up for this exploration, Toews weaves through these questions — offering insights on grief, guilt and silence.

— Annie Russell, editor

‘Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit’ by Brené Brown

This year, my favorite read has been “Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit” by Brené Brown.

I’ve been a huge fan of Brown’s work since I stumbled upon her first book, “The Gifts of Imperfection,” when she was still an unknown academic. That was years ago, before Brené Brown’s TED Talk on vulnerability went viral, propelling her onto Oprah’s TV show and a global stardom.

— Erin Warhol, assistant program director

‘We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People’ by Nemonte Nenquimo

This is the memoir of Nemonte Nenquimo, a Waorani woman, native to the Amazonian region of Ecuador. Her book recounts her childhood and her and her family’s relationship to the forest.

It also details her family’s encounter with exploitative and abusive evangelical Christian missionaries and the ways in which oil companies took and polluted their land. The last part of the book tells the story of how Nemonte and her community fought for and won legal protection for their land.

It’s beautifully written, and, as someone who grew up in the evangelical church, reading and hearing stories about Jim Elliot, Elisabeth Elliot and the Saint family’s activity in Ecuador, I appreciated hearing the perspective from Nemonte on the devastating impact those missionaries had on her people and lands. Gorgeous and inspiring.

Here’s a quote I liked: “(Ask them) not what they need … if we ask them what they need, they will talk about money and things. That’s what the companies and the governments have taught them … but if we ask them about their dreams, about their visions for their communities, then they will tell us about what is sacred. They will tell us about what they love.”

— Elizabeth Shockman, education reporter

‘Lost & Found: A Memoir’ by Kathryn Schulz

It’s a memoir about losing her father and falling in love with her wife. I read a library copy and then bought the book because I knew I needed it on my bookshelf, to refer to when the losses I know are coming eventually arrive. The book is full of beautiful lines.

One that I remember (but can’t quote directly because I noted it by bending back the page in my library copy!) is about how one can find contentment and happiness amid broader pain. I think about that a lot. Feel kind of guilty about it. But then just acknowledge, gratefully, that it can be true.

— Emily Hanford, host of Sold a Story

‘A Legacy’ by Sybille Bedford

It’s a 1956 semi-autobiographical novel by the German-British writer that follows two families in Kaiser-era Germany — one Catholic, one Jewish — whose fates become intertwined as the country marches toward fascism. It’s a tragedy, yes, but it’s also often darkly funny, as Bedford turns her harsh, satirical eye on her hapless bourgeois characters.

— Stephanie Curtis, programming director

‘Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind’ by Yuval Noah Harari

The book traces the history of humankind as we know it, starting about 70,000 years ago. And it has really helped me put the different conflicts and achievements of the current historical moment into a bigger context. I’m especially intrigued by Harari's argument that contradictions are the “engines of cultural development.”

He uses that logic when looking at the tension between the American ideals of equality and individual freedom. Harari says the tension between those values is not resolvable, and that's not bad. He writes, “A human being who belongs to any particular culture must hold contradictory beliefs.”

— Annie Baxter, regional editor

‘On Air: The Triumph & Tumult of NPR’ by Steve Oney

Great, dishy book on the history of NPR. Author Steve Oney outlines how NPR came about and offers insight into some of its biggest stars, from Bob Edwards, Susan Stamberg, Ira Glass and Cokie Roberts.

He also talks a lot about Minnesota’s own Bill Kling, the former President of MPR/APM. He was a founding director of NPR and created American Public Media. A great and honest read about the highs and lows of NPR.

— Kelly Bleyer, newscaster

‘Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life’ by William Finnegan

Although skeptical, I picked up the book on a friend’s recommendation. My doubts reflected my ignorance about surfing, and I’m not particularly drawn to memoirs.

Yet in this beautifully written and tightly structured book, Finnegan brings the art, mechanics and seascape of surfing alive for his readers in Hawaii, Australia, Asia, Africa, the South Pacific, New York and San Francisco, a nearly impossible task considering surfing stories are more suitable for video than print. (Think Endless Summer and Riding Giants).

The book is more than a travelogue and reflections on a lifelong passion for surfing, too. “Barbarian Days” is about the conflicting pressures of growing up, the search for and finding a career, an appreciative ode to friends and friendships, the delight in ideas and, eventually, finding purpose(s) and meaning. (I found the book was a little too long for my taste toward the end, yet I also returned to it to learn from his careful craft in creating the story.)

— Chris Farrell, senior economics contributor

‘Mother, Nature: A 5,000-Mile Journey to Discover if a Mother and Son Can Survive Their Differences’ by Jedidiah Jenkins

I’m only about halfway through this book currently, but it has become one of my absolute favorites of the year. Travel writer Jedidiah Jenkins and his mother Barbara — who is also a travel writer — embark on a cross-country road trip. But like all parents and children, there are a lot of nuances to their relations, including how different their world views are.

Barbara is a deeply religious Trump supporter, and Jedidiah is an openly gay progressive. What follows is a brilliant portrayal of two people who love each other very much, trying to figure out this new era in their relationship, which is at times painful and fraught — with some of America’s most memorable landscapes as the backdrop.  

— Jacob Aloi, arts reporter

‘Notes on Being a Man’ by Scott Galloway

I’m a huge fan of Scott Galloway and his common-sense advice. He’s written a new book on the challenges facing so many of our young men. At a time when young women are thriving, many young men are struggling.

He spells out what he feels it means to be a well-balanced man. He was raised by a single mother after his father left and gives credit to those who offered him a hand up, whether it be through a Pell Grant or as a mentor. A lot of food for thought in this book. Well worth reading.

— Kelly Bleyer, newscaster

‘The Devil in the White City’ by Erik Larson 

Simultaneously a time-machine, history lesson and critique of U.S. culture, this tells the stories of Daniel H. Burnham, the architect of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer who capitalized on the fair to attract his victims.

Lining up their lives side by side (or chapter by chapter) draws parallels of the darkness of the era that came from the rise of industrialization and continued inequities. Larson weaves together the stories so thrillingly you won’t believe it’s nonfiction.  

— Anika Besst, digital producer

Adult fiction

‘Hello Beautiful’ by Ann Napolitano

This book was one of my first reads of the year. In this “Little Women” inspired tale, the four Italian-Catholic Padavano sisters live in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. When the oldest sister Julia moves to Evanston and goes to Northwestern for college, she meets William, her boyfriend who is enamored by her close-knit family.

I lived in in Chicago for a few years, and the ways Napolitano shows adoration and tenderness to the city is prominent while reading. Napolitano also doesn’t shy away from mental health conversations and how they weigh over relationships.

As things unravel, the sisters age and grow apart. They must figure out if their childhood closeness can bring them back together when they need it the most. My heart was full as I finished and my eyes cloudy with tears.

— Sam Stroozas, digital producer

‘The Buffalo Hunter Hunter’ by Stephen Graham Jones

My favorite read this year was “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones. While a novel involving vampires set during the death throes of the American Wild West, might be off-putting to some, Jones reimagines the genre so masterfully Bram Stoker would be impressed.

— Mathew Holding Eagle III, regional reporter

‘Bog Queen’ by Anna North

First, I loved Anna North’s “Outlawed,” so I knew I would love “Bog Queen.” Second, I’m all in on any novel that features a female scientist with a particularly eccentric and brilliant point of view. 

— Kerri Miller, host of Big Books & Bold Ideas

‘Moon of the Crusted Snow’ by Waubgeshig Rice 

I’m a new Minnesota transplant, which means I’m experiencing my very first northern winter. As if the real thing didn’t terrify me enough, I decided to dive into a book about an Anishinaabe community in Northern Canada that’s lost its entire power supply.

Winter is looming, temperatures are dropping, and there's no word on whether help is on the way. In a world increasingly reliant on electricity, what happens when everything everywhere goes dark? How long would it take for you to turn on your neighbors when food and your own sanity are running out?

— Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval, regional reporter

‘Station Eleven’ by Emily St. John Mandel

Intercutting between before and after a global pandemic that causes a societal collapse, Mandel demonstrates how wildly different people and circumstances are still bound to each other by unexpected tethers. 

As a fan of dystopian settings, I appreciated how Mandel approached her form of dystopia as a world lost to time with potential to grow, rather than a desolate landscape. While the story tackles so much, it’s this idea of a world and its characters held together by faint memories of what life used to be that makes the reader appreciate the tiny pieces of a functioning society we typically take for granted.

And, considering that Mandel had written these six years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, you gain a deeper appreciation in remembering the things you lost (or still miss) from your life before 2020. 

She meditates on themes related to memory and collective human experiences, and how art can string the two together. From centering a Shakespearean theatre troupe to following the impact of an unpublished graphic novel, Mandel demonstrates how human stories can transcend time and circumstance. 

Mandel’s subtle and predictive prose make the world of “Station Eleven” feel like a separate reality we could’ve lived today.

— Lukas Levin, producer

‘Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil: A Novel,’ by Oliver Darkshire

A whimsical fantasy with just a touch of macabre, it’s about a woman living a dull life on a failing farm with a good-for-nothing husband, who stumbles upon a powerful abandoned spell book and decides to try to unlock its magical properties.

Next thing she knows, her donkey and pot of basil start to talk, goblins are starting a Ponzi scheme with forbidden fruit, and she doesn’t realize the weight of responsibility she now has. Also, love the footnotes that add a touch of humorous observations from this medieval fantasy world.

— Matt Mikus, digital producer

‘The Antidote: A Novel’ by Karen Russell

I can’t recommend this one enough. Shortlisted for the National Book Award, “The Antidote” is historical fiction with a dash of magical realism. Set during the Dust Bowl, the novel follows several characters, including a Prairie Witch, known as The Antidote, whom the townspeople pay to store their memories for safekeeping.

Think of all the reasons a person might choose to forget a memory — or abuse the power of making others forget — and you have a sense of the twists in this novel. Another character, a New Deal photographer, finds herself with a camera that captures past and future images of landscapes.

What happens when we forget where we have come from and who has lived on this land before us — and what do we do when we remember? Russell crafts gorgeous sentences. I still remember the line, "the mind of a mob swings like a fist." After this, I went back and read her debut novel, “Swamplandia,” which I also recommend.

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

‘Creation Lake’ by Rachel Kushner

The narrator of “Creation Lake” is a spy, but the enemy isn’t another government. Rather, it’s a rag-tag group of radicals in the Guyenne region of southern France. She’s been hired by murky, unnamed business interests to keep an eye on their revolutionary activities.

Her cover: She’s the girlfriend of a leftist filmmaker and is visiting the group while he finishes a movie. She holes up alone, makes attempts to befriend women, flirt with men and secretly reads insider emails. She also drinks too much and was fired from a previous job.

Kushner writes well about flawed women like the “Creation Lake” protagonist. In “The Mars Room,” her lead character is a San Francisco drug addict who turns to exotic dancing to pay for dope. A customer becomes obsessed, stalks her, she kills him, then mostly rots in prison for the rest of the novel. In “Creation Lake,” this narrator is similarly trapped by past mistakes she’s trying to undo.

— Todd Melby, editor

‘The Last Tiger’ by Julia Riew and Bradley Riew

The Last Tiger is a YA fantasy novel about two people who fall in love after developing a friendship from two opposing sides — Choi Eunji, a noble girl who defies tradition, and Lee Seung, a servant who wants freedom for his people. These star-crossed teens join forces to try and reshape their destiny amid a colonized land where tigers are being hunted and an ancient magic is awakened.

I loved how the authors weave in the inspiration of their grandparents own love story during one of the darkest times in Korean history. It sets the stage for the fight to give back power to those who have been silenced.

— Hannah Yang, regional reporter

‘Cursed Daughters’ by Oyinkan Braithwaite

 If you don’t believe in curses, do they still come true?

That’s the question at the heart of my favorite book for 2025. “Cursed Daughters” is the second novel from Oyinkan Braithwaite, who topped the charts in 2018 with her comedic thriller, “My Sister, the Serial Killer.” Like her debut, “Cursed Daughters” is wickedly funny, filled with characters you can’t forget.

Generations ago, a curse was placed on the Faludon family: “No man will call your house his home. And if they try, they will not have peace...” And it’s proved true. The Faludon women live in a compound together, with their own stories of heartbreak and betrayal passed down from mother to daughter. But young Eniiyi refuses to accept it. Could the curse really be a type of self-fulfilling prophecy, a type of generational trauma? Eniiyi is determined to break it.

I quite literally could not put this book down. I picked it up one Saturday morning and read straight through to the explosive end. Fantastic story with ideas that will live in your psyche long after the book ends.

— Kelly Gordon, producer

‘Red Rising’ by Pierce Brown

To think my favorite books of 2025 would be a dystopian science fiction series written by a man that takes place in space. 2025 sure threw a lot of curveballs! 

In all seriousness, this entire series was fantastic. It takes place hundreds of years in the future, where civilization has expanded from Earth into the solar system and is ruled by the “society,” a caste system where humans are broken down into 14 different colors with specialized roles.

Darrow is a red, the lowest status of society, working in the mines of Mars when he gets connected with a rebel group that wants him to infiltrate the society as a gold, the most powerful, ruling class of the society. 

Author Pierce Brown writes characters with so much complexity and depth. It’s been a long time since I’ve sat up in bed and gasped from a plot twist. And that happened, here multiple times. 

I can’t recommend this entire series (which only gets better as you keep reading) enough. You don’t like dystopian? You should read it. You don’t like science fiction? Still read it. Just trust me, you’ll like it. 

— Ellie Roth, reporter

‘Wreck’ by Catherine Newman

 I read and loved Catherine Newman’s bestseller “Sandwich” last year. So I was delighted to learn she’d written a sequel, “Wreck,” that revisits the same East Coast family two years later.

At its center is Rocky, an anxious, sharp-witted and sometimes neurotic woman trying to navigate middle age, marriage, parenting grown children and caring for her aging father. Newman’s writing captures the uncertainty of middle age and the messiness of families with laugh-out-loud humor and, at times, aching sadness. I didn’t want it to end.

— Kirsti Marohn, regional reporter

‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ by Suzanne Collins

I picked “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” as my summer vacation read. I witnessed a young Coriolanus Snow struggle for acceptance among his peers while navigating atrocities committed by a post-war Panem. He wrestled between love and power, vulnerability and upholding family legacy. As society falls further into dystopia, who falls with it?

— Leah Lemm, Native News editor

‘There is Happiness: New and Selected Stories,’ by Brad Watson 

It’s a posthumous collection of new and selected short stories written by Brad Watson who died in 2020. The stories in this collection approach sadness, grief and empathy with a sharp sense of humor and some pretty odd characters.

Every sentence in a short story carries a little more weight and Watson was a master at sucking readers into his southern literary style, even on a few pages. Look no further than the melancholy realism on display in “Crazy Horse.” The book notes the story was still in progress at the time of Watson’s death. I returned to this story a few times throughout the year and found it resonates in its incompleteness.

— Clay Masters, host of All Things Considered

‘Get in Trouble’ by Kelly Link

Kelly Link is doing some wildly impressive storytelling gymnastics here. These short stories take you strange places: a superhero convention double-booked with a dentist convention; a potentially haunted spaceship; alternate-universe Florida.

For all the weird worldbuilding and horror-ish sci-fi-ish twists, though, I also found these stories really moving. Link’s writing is truly unlike anything else I've ever read, and for that it’s my favorite read this year.

— Estelle Timar-Wilcox, reporter

‘The Road to Tender Hearts: A Novel’ by Annie Hartnett

I love to read, but 2025 was the year I really struck out. It felt like every book I picked up let me down — and these were all highly decorated, highly recommended books by authors I love. “What’s wrong me with me?” I thought. Turns out, I just needed the right read at the right time, and “The Road to Tender Hearts” is exactly that.

Imagine if the The Dude from “The Big Lebowski” unexpectedly finds himself in the care of two juvenile relatives and then takes them on an epic, hilarious, tear-inducing road trip across the United States. And he brings along a newly adopted cat named Pancakes who has an uncanny ability to predict who’s on death's doorstep.

This book made made me laugh countless times. But even more, it reminded me how much love there is in the world and how it can be found in the most unexpected places and moments.

— Catharine Richert, regional reporter

‘The Truth According to Ember’ by Danica Nava

Romance and comedy are two of my favorite genres, so when I spotted this book, I knew I had to read it. The story centers around a Chickasaw woman named Ember and how a white lie on a job application snowballs into a blizzard of trouble and complicates an office romance.

It explores themes of personal identity and learning from mistakes. It was a fun and refreshing read that went by way too quickly!

— Chandra Colvin, Report for America corps member

‘Orbital’ by Samantha Harvey

Imagine how much Earth would occupy your thoughts if you saw it every day from a window on the International Space Station. Samantha Harvey’s well-researched novel takes readers through 16 orbits with six international astronauts.

The frontier of space stretches endlessly around them, but it’s Earth and its inhabitants 250 miles below that occupy most of their thoughts. It’s a short book, just over 200 pages on my Kindle. I took my time reading it because Harvey’s beautiful writing is worth savoring.

— Lorna Benson, deputy managing editor

‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles: A Novel’ by Rufi Thorpe

This witty novel follows sharp-as-a-tack Margo who becomes a single mother at 19. She’s the daughter of a self-involved Hooters waitress and a supportive-but-troubled ex-pro wrestler. Plus, she’s got rent to pay. So she turns to OnlyFans to support herself and her baby. Hilarious and surprisingly tender, it’s a story of courage, hope and trusting yourself.

— Heidi Raschke, senior producer

‘Casualties of Truth’ by Lauren Francis-Sharma

A fantastic thriller that swerves back and forth between the Truth and Reconciliation hearings in South Africa in the ‘80s and a contemporary mystery that has its roots in the Apartheid era. 

— Kerri Miller, host of Big Books and Bold Ideas

Audiobook

‘Conclave’ by Robert Harris

My love of this book was undoubtedly influenced by how much I enjoyed the 2024 movie and the fervor around the 2025 conclave. Because of that, it’s hard to know if I would have enjoyed the book as much if I had read it before seeing the movie or without the timeliness of the Pope Leo’s election.

That all being said, I loved seeing the book play out in my mind with the characters that were so well established in the movie. It was a joy to compare and contrast the two versions, and I looked forward to going on walks and doing the dishes so I could keep listening to the audiobook.

Not only were the characters and settings richly described, but it was fascinating to learn more about the traditions and history of the conclave. If you enjoyed the movie, I highly recommend the book (especially the audiobook) as a well-written companion that allows you to go even deeper into the tradition of the conclave.

— Anne Guttridge, video producer

‘Inside Out: A Memoir’ by Demi Moore

I really enjoy listening to audiobook versions of memoirs. A friend of mine suggested I read “Inside Out: A Memoir” by Demi Moore. I thought the famous actress told her story with great vulnerability, and it was fascinating to hear stories behind some of the big cultural moments Moore has been part of over the decades.

I listened to the book months ago and still find myself thinking occasionally about some of Moore’s reflections on the wisdom and peace that come from both learning and unlearning throughout our lifetimes. 

— Nina Moini, host of Minnesota Now

‘All About Love: New Visions’ by bell hooks

For me, 2025 was a year of changes and challenges that left me little to no time for reading. But the one book I did read, cover to cover, was a classic that came to me at just the right time: “All About Love: New Visions” by bell hooks.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by January LaVoy, chapter by chapter, journaling about my thoughts and takeaways from each one. bell hooks writes in a way that is so personal and direct that you can’t help but want to listen and reflect. It feels like you get to take a step into her world and experiences while she leaves you space to explore your own through her pages.

If you want a book that will challenge the way you think about loving yourself, your neighbors and your family, this is the one. Upon finishing it, I immediately wanted to read it again. I can honestly say this book has changed my perspective forever about what it means to experience love from myself and others.

— Kyra Miles, early education reporter

Comic books

‘Assorted Crisis Events’ by Deniz Camp, Eric Zawadzki, Jordie Bellaire and others

Deniz Camp had an absolutely banner year, but I cannot stop thinking about “Assorted Crisis Events,” an anthology about people navigating a world where time is … having a bit of a moment.

You might age in reverse on the sidewalk. You might step into your job of 10 years just to find they’ve never met you. As one protagonist puts it, “Next day or next week (it’s impossible to say which), I wake up to a fascist nightmare. But I still gotta go to work.” And that’s just the first issue.

Camp is, as always, delightfully un-subtle in his takes on the world. Penciller Eric Zawadzki is given space to bend and break his layouts as he sees fit, usually resulting in haunting imagery that’ll stick with you. (There’s something to be said about Camp’s willingness to let his collaborators run wild, like in DC Comics’ “Absolute Martian Manhunter,” which I nearly wrote about instead.)

“Assorted Crisis Events” is a heavy read, but it’s well worth carrying the weight.

— Payton Whaley, digital producer

Newspaper

The New York Review of Architecture

I know, I know, this is not a book. It’s an ancient text form known as a print broadsheet newspaper (and it’s a worker co-op at that!). You don’t need to be an architect or a New Yorker to appreciate NYRA, which comes out six times a year.

With wit, irreverence and a keen eye for the collective good, the paper delves into some of the world's toughest issues — climate change, late-stage capitalism, gentrification, housing, AI — through the lens of architecture and design.

There are also great thought pieces on everything from art, books and film to New York’s hubristic “supertall” skyscrapers. Other highlights? A hilarious classifieds section, and the paper’s mascot is a New York rat, who appears in rollicking illustrated glory on pretty much every page. NYRA recently expanded with the Los Angeles Review of Architecture — here’s hoping they come to the Midwest next.

— Alex V. Cipolle, arts reporter and critic

Graphic Novel

‘It Won't Always Be Like This’ by Malaka Gharib

I really enjoyed this graphic memoir as a diaspora kid. Gharib shares about growing up visiting family in Egypt each summer. It’s wholesome, even as it touches on some raw moments, and filled with love.

— Feven Gerezgiher, reporter

‘Parasitic City’ by Shintaro Kago

Manga artist Shintaro Kago’s work is immediately recognizable, often displaying neat human figures against an awesomely complex future city. And then there’s his signature: the humans are often strangely bisected, falling into distinct pieces like rows of noodles or plastic anatomical displays. His work is not for the easily disturbed, presenting upsetting imagery of all sorts.

“Parasitic City,” which is a series of graphic novels, is also his most narratively dense. It’s set in a science fiction metropolis in which sentient bugs act as public transportation, furniture is vat-grown and alive, and the whole world moves to the logic of Taoism — including its “three worms” that inhabit and spy on humans, affecting their karma.

A catastrophe has torn the city apart like peeling strips off an orange, and anyone caught in it is neatly carved in half, the separate portions going their own ways and having their own adventures. Somehow, the story is often also neo-noir, as the body parts get into considerable — and extraordinarily unsettling — mischief.

— Max Sparber, arts editor

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