UNP staff members are always reading new books, both within our list and outside of what we publish. Here are some of the titles where our noses have been buried.
April Staff Reading List
Tara Westover
“I just finished Westover’s memoir of growing up essentially off the grid and without an education. I thought it was very good but had some suspicions about whether it’s a bit exaggerated, given that she is one of three of her siblings who now have PhDs.” —Donna Shear
Daryl Gregory
“My niece is reading it for her Illness & Health in Literature class and recommended it to me—she knows how much I love zombies!” —Jana Faust
Zadie Smith
“This book has been on my ‘to read’ list for a while. I placed a hold on a library copy and when I went to pick it up I discovered that it’s the most well-worn paperback I have ever checked out of the library! I expect it’s a testament to the quality of writing and the storyline. I’m about 120 pages into it’s 400 and really enjoying it so far.” —Lacy Losh
Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power
Anna Merlan
“I picked this up after reading an interview with the author and it’s fascinating stuff, tracing the origins and influences of well-known modern conspiracies, such as mass shooting truthers, as well as the wildly weird ones, like the religious undertones of Flat Earth believers and inter-party infighting between UFO obsessives. It’s timely and extremely entertaining.” —Jackson Adams
Wallace Stegner
“This book has been recommended to me many times, and I’m finally getting around to it. It was a rough go at first (I was warned of this), but I’m nearly a hundred pages in and picking up steam.” —Bridget Barry
Dara Horn
“The premise really caught my attention—a woman has been alive for two millennia. Rachel has been the mother of hundreds of children, wife of countless husbands, and the witness to major changes in world history. More intriguing, a lover who tracks her across time, convinced that they should spend their unending lives on Earth together. I took my time with this book, digesting Rachel’s evolving story and dilemmas on what makes life worth living.” —Heather Stauffer
The Expanse, Book 8
James S. A. Corey
“I have been reading science fiction for over thirty years and these are some of the best books I have read. There are a lot of characters to follow over the series and all of them are well rounded and interesting. The story just keeps getting better with each new book. I highly recommend these books to any fan of science fiction.” —Rob Buchanan
Tracy Kidder
“It’s the true story of a medical student, Deo, who barely escaped the genocidal war in Burundi in 1994. The story of Deo’s escape from genocide, new start in New York City, and eventual return to Burundi where he starts to build a medical clinic is fascinating. I needed a bracing story and this has not disappointed.” —Tish Fobben
It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work
By Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson
“Quick and breezy bus reading that’s helping me re-evaluate how I organize my work day.” —Anna Weir
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