Did you miss National Read a Book Day on September 6? It’s okay—every day is Read a Book Day for us! In case you need a little help deciding what book to pick up next, here are some recommendations for our award-winning books and authors—we think you’ll love them!
Even the Terrible Things Seem Beautiful to Me Now
By Mary Schmich
Award-winning journalist Mary Schmich’s collection of columns from the Chicago Tribune, including the 10 that won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for commentary. Slyly humorous, deeply moving, or tough, her writing addresses subjects as varied as family love, sexual harassment, long friendships, poverty, and Chicago violence.
Burn the Place
By Iliana Regan
A singular, powerfully expressive debut memoir that chronicles chef Iliana Regan’s journey from foraging on the family farm to running her Michelin-starred restaurant, Elizabeth. Longlisted for the 2019 National Book Award.
The Color of Love
By Marra B. Gad
An unforgettable memoir about a mixed-race Jewish woman who, after fifteen years of estrangement from her racist great-aunt, helps bring her home when Alzheimer’s strikes. Winner of the 2020 Midwest Book Award in Autobiography/Memoir.
State: A Team, a Triumph, a Transformation
By Melissa Isaacson
With the intimate insights of the girl who lived it, the pacing of a born storyteller, and the painstaking reporting of a veteran sports journalist, award-winning sportswriter and author Melissa Isaacson chronicles one high school team’s journey to the state championship.
The Last Thing You Surrender
By Leonard Pitts, Jr.
The fourth novel from Pulitzer-winning journalist Leonard Pitts, Jr. is a powerful exploration of war, race, and what it takes for a nation to move forward. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the novel follows three characters from the Jim Crow South as they navigate a deeply divided and rapidly-evolving America.