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.

“This month I read Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, which tells the story of Pecola, a young African American girl, who grew up in Lorain, Ohio following the Great Depression. I bought my copy from Half Priced Books, a used bookstore in Omaha, a while ago along with a few of Morrison’s other books, Beloved and Jazz, that I’m hoping to also read soon.” -Sarah Kee

“I just started a new novel someone gave me at Christmas, Monica Wood’s How to Read a Book. My stack of physical books I’ve been meaning to read now reaches from the floor to just past the top of the desk, so the title of this one seemed to be the universe sending me a message on how to lower the stack. The story centers on an ex-con, a widower, and a woman who runs the prison book club, and the story celebrates our connections to books and the power of forgiveness. My goal is to forgive myself for reading too slowly (seemingly!).” -Clark Whitehorn

“I chose The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann to satisfy my reading challenge’s ‘book about nature and the environment.’ Grann writes about his experience following the movements of legendary British explorer Percy Fawcett and his quest to find an undiscovered, ancient civilization deep in the Amazon rainforest. It’s a compelling read for those who love history and high-stakes survival, and I’ve enjoyed following the transition between Fawcett’s exploration (and his ultimate demise) and Grann’s attempt to retrace his steps many years later.” -Taylor Gilreath

“The kiddo and I have been reading The Wild Robot by Peter Brown together. We got our copy from Tish and it’s become essential bedtime reading. I really love the story because it illustrates the love possible in a nontraditional family and includes themes of community cooperation.” -Lacey Losh

“I am currently reading Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano, which is the story of how a young boy, Edward, is the sole survivor of a major plane crash and how he mourns the loss of his beloved family. It’s a book club selection, and I’m having a hard time getting into it because it is absolutely heartbreaking. This novel also hits home due to the multiple plane crashes that have recently occurred throughout the country. I do plan to finish the book and assume I will need to have a box of tissues at the ready.” -Emily Casillas

“I just picked up H.G. Well’s The Invisible Man. I read one of his other books, The Island of Dr. Moreau, at the end of last year and really enjoyed it. I’m a little less than halfway through and am pretty interested to see where the dangerous and violent Invisible Man ends up; it’s somewhat reminiscent of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, however, the scientific transformation into a condition of permanent invisibility was established early on rather than as a twist.” -Taylor Martin