The Michigan Public Library will be bringing the spotlight to books about Michigan in 2023. That is why they have announced a list of books that focus on stories that focus on Michigan’s culture and history.
The library has created the 2023 Michigan Notable Book list that contains 20 books that focus on entire Great Lakes basin from the UP, to Detroit, to the lakeshore. The state has birthed famous celebrities such as Tim Allen, Eminem, and Serena Williams.
Every year, the library releases its picks for the most notable books released the prior year that focus on Michigan. The books can either be written by a Michigan author or take place in Michigan. I think this is a cool way to bring the spotlight to local authors and it helps people learn more about their state. As a New Yorker, I am always eager to learn new things about my own state.
Michigan Public Library’s Books About Michigan
- As Long as I Know You: The Mom Book by Anne-Marie Oomen
- Blood and Fire: The Unbelievable Real-Life Story of Wrestling’s Original Sheik by Brian R. Solomon
- Chevy in the Hole: A Novel by Kelsey Ronan
- Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm by Dan Charnas
- Ferne: a Detroit Story by Barbara Henning
- Guardians of Michigan: Architectural Sculpture of the Pleasant Peninsulas by Jeff Morrison
- Hadha Baladuna: Arab Ameri]0an Narratives of Boundary and Belonging edited by Ghassan Zeineddine, Nabeel Abraham, and Sally Howell
- I’ll Be There: My Life with the Four Tops by Duke Fakir with Kathleen McGhee-Anderson
- It’s Hard Being You: A Primer on Being Happy Anyway by Sharon Emery
- Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
- Magic Season: A Son’s Story by Wade Rouse
- The Peacekeeper: A Novel by B.L. Blanchard
- Satisfaction Guaranteed: How Zingerman’s Built a Corner Deli into a Global Food Community by Micheline Maynard
- Scarlet in Blue: A Novel by Jennifer Murphy
- Shapes, Lines, and Light: My Grandfather’s American Journey by Katie Yamasaki
- The Star That Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson
- The Turtle of Michigan: A Novel by Naomi Shihab Nye
- Uphill: A Memoir by Jemele Hill
- We Kept Our Towns Going: The Gossard Girls of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula by Phyllis Michael Wong
- What the Fireflies Knew: A Novel by Kai Harris
Conclusion
As someone that knows little about Michigan, I will be reading some of these books and maybe even visit in the near future! Which books stood out from the list? Let us know in the comments below.
What about Bruce Catton’s “Michigan”?