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.

“I am almost finished with Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. I picked it up on a whim from The Next Chapter in Omaha earlier this year and am glad that I did. The epic novel is beautifully written, and each character is deep, complex, and entertaining to spend time with. Themes of family, friendship, and the fragility of life add to the feel of authenticity and all I can think is that I wish I had read it sooner!” -Shannyn McEntee

“I just picked up Good Omens by Sir Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. I love both of their work – particularly the Discworld series, which I am slowly but surely making my way through – and have heard nothing but good things! I also recently finished Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, which has quite a few differences with the movie! (I may even like it better than the movie…)” -Taylor Martin

“My favorite recent read was The Lost Sons of Omaha by Joe Sexton. Detailing a local tragedy in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing, The Lost Sons of Omaha tells the in-depth story of Jake Gardner, the US Marine veteran who killed James Scurlock, a black rights activist at an Omaha protest. It explores the lives of the two men involved, the impacts on their loved ones and the community, and Jake Gardner’s eventual suicide as he faced his surrender to a grand jury indictment. The writing is thoughtful and comprehensive, covering difficult and timely subject matter. I highly recommend it.” -Lacey Losh

“I’ve been reading a wonderful collection of David Quammen’s essays, The Heartbeat of the Wild: Dispatches from Landscapes of Wonder, Peril, and Hope. As always in his works, Quammen reminds us of the social and environmental importance of wild places. The travel stories range from Africa to Kamchatka, and all are compelling reminders of the significance of protecting wild places, even if we never plan on traveling to them.” -Clark Whitehorn

“This month, I’ve read another one of Mignon G. Eberhart’s books, From This Dark Stairway, which follows Nurse Sarah Keate as she’s working at a hospital when a doctor is murdered and one of her patients goes missing.  Next up on my list is The Poetry of Strangers by Brian Sonia-Wallace! A good friend of mine was in town earlier this month, and this was one of the books included in our little book swap.” -Sarah Kee

“I’m reading Billy Summers by Stephen King to close out the summer. It’s not your typical King novel but I’m enjoying it. It reminds me of the show Barry created by Alec Berg and Bill Hader. I’d recommend both actually if hit-man dramas are your thing.” -Rosemary Sekora

“I am slowly making my way through Kindest Regards by Ted Kooser. I figured an anthology would be the best way to jump into a poet with such a large body of work—and give me some background before I really start on Cotton Candy later in winter (I’m going to need reminders of the sweetness of summer). The poems are achingly tender (to the person beside me on the plane while I read this, whose shoulder I kept bumping against to surreptitiously wipe away tears, please grab a copy. If you read “Four Secretaries” or “Sparklers”, it will all make sense). This collection of poems is electric, turning the mundane to anything but.” -Rebecca Jefferson

“Not much I can say since I have not read far enough into the last of the One Book One Lincoln finalists in my list, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, but her previous books have impressed me—and this is likely to be no exception. I can say for certain the new colorized edition certainly impressed me as well!” -Nathan Putens