For nearly 30 years, the Michigan Notable Books (MNB) program annually selects twenty books published the previous calendar year that highlights and pays tribute to the many people, places, and things that identify Michigan life as unique and vibrant. Diverse selections include a variety of genres, both fiction and nonfiction, across all reading levels, that appeal to many audiences and explore topics and issues close to the hearts of Michigan residents.

The Night for Notables Reception, which takes place on the fourth Saturday in April at the Library of Michigan, is an annual celebration of the books selected as well as Michigan’s best writers. This year’s event celebrates this year’s notable books and authors, features notable author Curtis Chin as our keynote speaker, and is not to be missed!

Your support and generous donation to the Library of Michigan Foundation help assure rich literary programs like MNB continue to thrive, that Michiganders are exposed to high-quality books published about our home state, and residents see reading as a significant family experience. Please join us for this annual event celebrating Notable Books and Authors.

Notable Books Winners 2025

Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr.: Citizen Printer by Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. – Letterform Archive Books

Detroit-based letterpress printer Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. is celebrated for his type-driven messages of social justice and Black power, emblazoned in rhythmically layered and boldly inked posters made for the masses. Citizen Printer features 800 reproductions representing the breadth of Kennedy’s posters and prints. It highlights Kennedy’s inspiring story and contextualizes his important work―and offers readers tools for lifting their voices, too.

The Black Utopians: Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America by Aaron Robertson – Farrar, Straus and Giroux

 How do the disillusioned, the forgotten, and the persecuted not merely hold on to life but expand its possibilities and preserve its beauty? What, in other words, does utopia look like in black? These questions animate Aaron Robertson’s exploration of Black Americans' efforts to remake the conditions of their lives. Robertson reflects on a diverse array of Black utopian visions, from the Reconstruction era through the countercultural fervor of the 1960s and 1970s and into the present day. By doing so, Robertson showcases the enduring quest of collectives and individuals for a world beyond the constraints of systemic racism.

A Cast Away in Montana by Tim Schulz – Lyons Press

 Upper Peninsula native and passionate angler Tim Schulz uses his first fishing trip to Montana to embark on a profoundly personal exploration of life, loss, and self-discovery. Through humorous, insightful, and reflective storytelling, this compelling narrative resonates with fly-fishing enthusiasts and those seeking a meaningful connection to nature as it weaves together engaging tales of adventure, friendship, regional history, and reflection.

Funny Story: A Novel by Emily Henry – Berkley

 Daphne's life takes an unexpected turn after her fiancé, Peter, falls in love with his childhood friend Petra, leaving her heartbroken. Stranded in Waning Bay, Michigan, with a new job as a children's librarian and no close friends, she agrees to share an apartment with Petra’s ex, Miles, until she figures things out. As they bond over their mutual heartache, they concoct a plan to fake a perfect summer together, but the lines between pretend and real emotions start to blur, leaving Daphne questioning if she’s falling for the last person she ever expected.

Good Dress by Brittany Rogers – Tin House Books

 Good Dress documents the extravagant beauty and audacity of Black Detroit, Black womanhood, community, class, luxury, materialism, and matrilineage. A nontraditional coming of age, this collection witnesses a speaker coming into her own autonomy and selfhood as a young adult, reflecting on formative experiences. With care and incandescent energy, the poems engage with memory, time, interiority, and community. They also nudge tenderly toward curiosity: What does it mean to belong to a person, to a city? Can intimacy and romance be found outside the heteronormative confines of partnership? And in what ways can the pursuit of pleasure be an anchor that returns us to ourselves?

I Cheerfully Refuse: A Novel by Leif Enger – Grove Press

 Set in a not-too-distant America, I Cheerfully Refuse is the tale of a bereaved and pursued musician embarking under sail on a sentient Lake Superior in search of his departed, deeply beloved, bookselling wife. Rainy, an endearing bear of an Orphean narrator, seeks refuge in the harbors, fogs, and remote islands of the inland sea.

The Lady with the Dark Hair by Erin Bartels – Revell

 Esther's family has always believed they were descended from a great, though scandalously underappreciated Impressionist-era artist. But when questions arise about her ancestor's greatest work--The Lady with the Dark Hair--her once-solid family history rests on shaky ground as a search for the truth begins.

The Lions Finally Roar: The Ford Family, the Detroit Lions, and the Road to Redemption in the NFL by Bill Morris – Pegasus Books

 In 1963, William Clay Ford purchased the Detroit Lions for $6 million, marking the start of a tumultuous era of mediocrity for the team. Despite a legacy of legendary players like Bobby Layne, Joe Schmidt, Calvin Johnson, and the iconic Barry Sanders, the Lions struggled with poor management and missed opportunities for decades. However, under the leadership of Bill Ford’s daughter, Sheila Ford Hamp, and key hires like GM Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell, the team has finally found success, signaling a hopeful new chapter in both their history and Detroit’s transformation.

Listening to Workers: Oral Histories of Metro Detroit Autoworkers in the 1950s by Daniel J. Clark – University of Illinois Press

 Using interviews and archival research, Listening to Workers uncovers the personal and often overlooked lives of Detroit-area autoworkers in the 1950s. The book explores the complexities of their experiences, addressing issues like poverty, divorce, workplace dangers, and personal struggles, challenging the notion of the 1950s as a time of widespread prosperity. Offering a humanizing perspective, it presents workers as multidimensional individuals, with rich, personal stories that go beyond traditional labor history.

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry by Anna Rose Johnson – Holiday House

 After losing her father at sea, spirited French-Ojibwe orphan Lucy is sent to live with the Martins, a large Anishinaabe family living on a lighthouse in the middle of stormy Lake Superior, where she hopes to find the legendary necklace her father spent his life seeking.

MC5: An Oral Biography of Rock’s Most Revolutionary Band by Brad Tolinski, Jaan Uhelszki, and Ben Edmonds – Da Capo

 MC5, managed by radical figure John Sinclair, fused activism with art to become a revolutionary force in rock music, promoting causes like racial equality and cannabis legalization. Despite their fame, the band faced severe backlash, including violent threats, arrests, and betrayal by their record company, all while their music climbed the charts. MC5: An Oral Biography of Rock’s Most Revolutionary Band offers a candid and powerful portrait of the band, featuring interviews with band members and influential figures of the era, showcasing their legacy as both uncompromising musicians and cultural pioneers.

My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music's Black Past, Present, and Future by Alice Randall – Atria/Black Privilege Publishing

 Country music had brought Alice Randall and her activist mother together and even gave Randall a singular distinction in American music history: she is the first Black woman to cowrite a number one country hit, Trisha Yearwood's "XXX's and OOO's". Randall found inspiration and comfort in the sounds and history of the first family of Black country music: DeFord Bailey, Lil Hardin, Ray Charles, Charley Pride, and Herb Jeffries who, together, made up a community of Black Americans rising through hard times to create simple beauty, true joy, and sometimes profound eccentricity.

Old Time Hawkey's Recipes from the Cedar Swamp: A Cookbook by Old Time Hawkey – DK

 Old Time Hawkey's Recipes from the Cedar Swamp invites readers into the cozy world of comfort, with over 100 recipes inspired by Northern Michigan. The book features a mix of indoor, campfire, and companion recipes, including dishes like Pumpkin Pancakes and Dutch Oven Nachos, all evoking warmth and nostalgia. Through these recipes and stories, Old Time Hawkey, aka Fritz and his dogs Donnybrook and Kris Draper, brings you on an adventure inspired by three generations of campfires, deer camps, and family gatherings spent in Northern Michigan.

Sail, Steam, and Diesel: Moving Cargo on the Great Lakes by Eric Hirsimaki – Michigan State University Press

 Sail, Steam, and Diesel: Moving Cargo on the Great Lakes explores the evolution of ships in the Great Lakes region, from early birch-bark canoes to today's massive freighters. The book examines the economic impact of these vessels and their role in America's industrial rise, highlighting both the technological advancements and the human cost involved in the shipping trade. Through stories of industry leaders and sailors, it underscores the significant but often overlooked contribution of Great Lakes shipping to the economy and livelihoods of millions.

Searching for Van Gogh: A Novel by Donald Lystra – Omena Hills Press

 Searching for Van Gogh follows Nate, a young man who abandons his future in science to pursue painting, driven by the grief of his brother’s death. He meets Audrey Brubaker, a fiercely independent woman ostracized by her community, who becomes an unexpected mentor, guiding him through a journey of self-discovery and helping him confront the complexities of life. Together, they embark on a road trip to reclaim his brother’s body from a military cemetery in northern Michigan, uncovering deep emotional truths, only for Audrey to ultimately seek Nate’s emotional insight in a heartbreaking turn, forcing him to confront his deepest fears and learn the power of empathy and courage.

True Gretch: What I've Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between by Gretchen Whitmer – Simon & Schuster

 From Michigan governor and rising Democratic star Gretchen Whitmer comes a personal and humorous account of her life and career, full of insights that guided her through a global pandemic, showdowns with high-profile bullies and even a kidnapping and assassination plot.

The Waters: A Novel by Bonnie Jo Campbell – W.W. Norton & Company

 In the Great Massasauga Swamp near Whiteheart, Michigan, the eccentric herbalist Hermine “Herself” Zook has long been a healer, inspiring both awe and fear in the local community and her three estranged daughters. Her youngest daughter, Rose Thorn, abandons her eleven-year-old daughter, Dorothy "Donkey" Zook, who grows up isolated and searching for answers in nature and her math books. As tensions rise in the divided community, family secrets and violent men disrupt Donkey's childhood, with Rose Thorn acting as the only bridge between the two sides.

We Live Here: Detroit Eviction Defense and the Battle for Housing by Jeffrey Wilson and Bambi Kramer – Seven Stories Press

 We Live Here! is a graphic novel biography of the members of the local activist group Detroit Eviction Defense combatting--and beating--calls for their eviction. By illustrating the stories of families struggling against evictions, the book gives a voice to those who have remained in Detroit, showing the larger complexities at work in a beleaguered city. These are everyday people fighting back, organizing with others, going into the streets, and winning their homes back. What will Detroit look like in the future?

What Can the Matter Be? by Keith Taylor – Wayne State University Press

 Keith Taylor's What Can the Matter Be? is a collection that explores themes of aging, death, and place, offering reflections on both personal and global scales. Through poems and prose, Taylor showcases his keen observational skills and deep appreciation for nature, while balancing serious themes with moments of humor and joy. The work invites empathy and contemplation, urging readers to reflect on life's fleeting nature and the interconnectedness of all things.

When Detroit Played the Numbers: Gambling's History and Cultural Impact on the Motor City by Felicia B. George – Wayne State University Press

 Felicia B. George's account examines how numbers gambling, once an illegal activity, became a vital community resource and symbol of solidarity in Detroit's Black neighborhoods during times of racial and economic struggle. The book explores the lives of Detroit's numbers operators, who, despite facing poverty, racism, and exploitation, provided employment and financial support for their communities. Through vivid storytelling, George links this underground gambling scene to key moments in local history, shedding light on the complex relationship between race, politics, and community resilience in Detroit.

To see previous Notable Book winners, please click here.

To learn more about the 2024 Michigan Notable Book Program Night for Notables Celebration, click below