Liv Arnesen’s inspiring memoir "Skiing into the Bright Open" is about her expedition as the first woman to ski solo to the South Pole. With clarity and an understated tone,... Read More

Antoine Volodine’s superb post-exotic novel "Solo Viola" imagines a society that’s one step removed from reality. With a narrative spiced up by absurdity and a dead serious... Read More

In "For the Love of Cod", Eric Dregni goes on a quest to discover why Norway—with its long, dark winters, reserved citizens, and no native word for “happy”—often tops... Read More

In Mary Casanova’s evocative novel "Waterfall", a young artist readjusts to life after a harrowing stay at a mental institution. Set in 1922, amid the lush Minnesota... Read More

A farmer turned religious leader prepares for the rapture in Lin Enger’s novel "American Gospel". Amid the uncertainty and turmoil of President Nixon’s resignation, Enoch... Read More

Shoulders slumped and arms crossed, a sullen girl embarks on a wordless outdoor adventure with her parents. Inspired by Owens’s fond memories of exploring the Boundary Waters... Read More

Allen Ginsberg’s intimate and passionate "South American Journals" ranges from sublime and spiritual to earthy and grungy and reflects the angst of his life and times.... Read More

Video gamers as environmental activists? Alenda Y. Chang doesn’t think it’s as counterintuitive as it sounds. In her trenchant and wide-ranging "Playing Nature", she... Read More

Jack El-Hai’s true crime story "The Lost Brothers" focuses on the disappearance of three young Minneapolis boys in November of 1951. Kenneth, David, and Danny Klein went to... Read More

In "Sweet Nature", Beth Dooley makes a persuasive case for replacing sugar with honey and maple syrup. She argues that natural sweeteners are not only better nutritional choices... Read More

Linda LeGarde Grover’s poignant "In the Night of Memory" explores loss and belonging among an Ojibwe family in northern Minnesota. It’s 1977, and two... Read More

The continued debates about the science of climate change are spirited, but those on either side are unlikely to see much humor in the exchanges. As it turns out, climate change... Read More