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’ve been reading John G. Neihardt’s Black Elk Speaks, a biography of the Oglala Lakota visionary and healer Nicholas Black Elk (1863–1950). I’m also planning on purchasing a copy of R.F. Kuang’s latest book, Katabasis, (and will be bumping it to the top of the TBR.)” – Sarah Kee

“This month, I’ve been reading the Fourth Wing series for a bit of literary escapism; I’m currently reading Iron Flame, the second book of the series. I’m also reading Karen Brown’s Little Sinners, and Other Stories as part of my ongoing quest to read more UNP books!” -Katrina Vassallo

“I’m rereading Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson, a novel that follows a young girl and her family as yellow fever wipes out Philadelphia during George Washington’s second term as president. I read this when I was eleven years old and after all these years, it’s still a very engaging, well-written read! I’m also listening to One Day Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This by Omar El Akkad on audio. This is one of those books that you’ll get the most out of by listening to the author narrate it—it’s a critical perspective on how Western nations respond to war, using October 7, 2023 and the Hamas attack on Gaza as its framework.” -Taylor Gilreath

“I recently finished The Names by Florence Knapp. It’s rare that I immediately reread a book, but I decided to with this one. I find the concept of the book fascinating, that the trajectory of the characters’ lives could change, influenced only by the decision of what to name their baby. The second read helped me untangle the storylines and better distinguishing each sequence of events in my mind. The stories are well written and the characters in each separate timeline are well developed. It begs the question of which decisions shape our lives, and what influences us to become who we are.” -Lacey Losh

“I just started reading Mary Roach’s Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law. We often joke about our ‘critters that kill’ publishing list, so I thought I’d check out a title that looks at ways that the natural world often conflicts with even our best laid plans and schemes for it.” -Clark Whitehorn

“I finished Villette by Charlotte Brontë this month and absolutely adored it. Jane Eyre will always be my favorite Brontë novel for nostalgic reasons, but Villette was incredible in its own right. I underlined passages on practically every page, and I already look forward to my eventual reread(s).” -Madison Wigley