May Staff Reading List

UNP staff members are always reading new books, both within our list and outside of what we publish. Here are some of the books where our noses have been buried.

 

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

Neil de Grasse Tyson

“Since I’m married to someone with a fascination with physics and the education to match, I thought it was time to put a little effort into understanding the basics. Besides, what can’t Neil deGrasse Tyson make interesting and fun?” —Joyce Gettman

Fake Fruit Factory

Patrick Wensink

“This is a perfect summer read with a crazy cast of characters in a small town in Ohio that may or may not be soon destroyed by an errant satellite.” —Bridget Barry

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore

Robin Sloan

“A modern adventure story with secret societies, codes, book people, Google, and the search for immortality.  A good mix of wit, mystery, and modern technology—I’ve been enjoying it.” —Heather Stauffer

The Wonder

J. D. Beresford

“My fellow marketers speak so highly of our Bison Frontiers of Imagination series, I’ve been meaning to dive in for a while. The introduction intrigued me and something about it keeps me reading, even through paragraphs of cricket terminology. This is… new for me, but I like it.” —Anna Weir

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

J. K. Rowling

“It’s my second time reading it but my first time reading the whole series!” —Rosemary Vestal Sekora

Buffering

Hanna Hart

“I found her My Drunk Kitchen videos on You Tube a number of years ago and thought she was terribly funny. She has since expanded her content, while maintaining her inebriated cooking, and seems to be one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. Buffering is her memoir and it is very moving and entertaining. I would recommend it to anyone.” —Rob Buchanan

Lonesome Dreamer

Timothy G. Anderson

“My dad introduced me to Black Elk Speaks when I was growing up. It remains a family favorite to this day, and we reread this cherished text and quote from it often. Naturally, we’re both interested in Neihardt’s life story and now that my dad is finished, he lent me his copy so we can share and discuss.” —Lacey Losh

The Hearts of Men

Nickolas Butler

“I’m reading it because I read and really liked Butler’s Shotgun Lovesongs, and this is equally engrossing. It’s about three generations of boys who attend a summer boy scout camp in Wisconsin during their teens and what happens to them after, beginning in the early 1960s through two years from now. It’s a great story. I can’t wait to see how it ends.” —Alison Rold

Difficult Women

Roxane Gay

“I really liked most of the stories and Gay is a brilliant writer but you can definitely tell it’s a collection of her previously published short stories. The subject matter is mostly harrowing and so real that it makes you angry and upset—which makes the book a bit exhausting. It’s like binge watching Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. I don’t know if these stories should have been collected, even though they’re great.” —Alicia Christensen

Pond

Claire-Louise Bennett

“To be honest, I picked this book up because of the lovely cover. Bennett’s experimental writing took some getting used to, but this book is proving far more interesting than I anticipated. Think: interiority and the minute examination and translation of everyday thoughts and activities.” —Natalie O’Neal