Read Minnesota 2023 // Holiday Book Sale

New and classic books in Minnesota history, environment, memoir, children's picture books, cookbooks, nonfiction, Scandinavia, travel guides, and more. Highlights include a celebration of the Northern Waters Smokehaus's singular contribution to food preservation, Smoke on the Waterfront; the first English translations of the original Godzilla novellas; new fiction from Linda LeGarde Grover; the final installment in Sigrid Undset's Olav Audunssøn tetralogy; a delightful, beautifully illustrated children's picture book on cultural clashes at the dinner table; a witty tribute to the sometimes profane, sometimes profound world of waiting tables; and Michael Schumacher's latest on Great Lakes shipwrecks. 30% off with code MN90520, good through Jan. 15, 2024.

READ MINNESOTA 2023: 30% OFF BOOKS FROM UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA PRESS

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New and classic books in Minnesota history, environment, memoir, children's picture books, cookbooks, nonfiction, Scandinavia, travel guides, and more. Highlights include a celebration of the Northern Waters Smokehaus's singular contribution to food preservation, Smoke on the Waterfront; the first English translations of the original Godzilla novellas; new fiction from Linda LeGarde Grover; the final installment in Sigrid Undset's Olav Audunssøn tetralogy; a delightful, beautifully illustrated children's picture book on cultural clashes at the dinner table; a witty tribute to the sometimes profane, sometimes profound world of waiting tables; and Michael Schumacher's latest on Great Lakes shipwrecks.

All books below are 30% off with code MN90520, good through Jan. 15, 2024.

BROWSE BOOKS:

NATURAL HISTORY // ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE WRITING // FICTION

NONFICTION AND MEMOIR // MINNESOTA HISTORY // MUSIC & ARTS

CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOKS AND MIDDLE-GRADE FICTION

NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE AND HISTORY // SCANDINAVIA

RACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE // MYSTERY AND YOUNG ADULT FICTION

COOKBOOKS // GARDENING // SPORTS AND FISHING // ARCHITECTURE

TRAVEL STORIES // TRAVEL GUIDES // RAILROADS // SHIPWRECKS

WINTER // FOLKLORE

Minnesota’s Geologist The Life of Newton Horace Winchell Sue Leaf 2020 Spring: The story of the scientist who first mapped Minnesota’s geology, set against the backdrop of early scientific inquiry in the state
Degrees of Freedom The Origins of Civil Rights in Minnesota, 1865–1912 William D. Green 2020 Spring: The true story, and the black citizens, behind the evolution of racial equality in Minnesota
Birds in Minnesota Revised and Expanded Edition Robert B. Janssen 2019 Fall: A comprehensive update of the classic from the state’s foremost expert
Walking the Old Road A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe Staci Lola Drouillard 2019 Fall: The story of a once vibrant, now vanished off-reservation Ojibwe village—and a vital chapter of the history of the North Shore
Tony Oliva The Life and Times of a Minnesota Twins Legend Thom Henninger 2020 Spring: The astounding success and personal struggle of the Twins’ beloved outfielder and batting champion—from his arrival from Cuba at age twenty-two to the present
The Trial of the Edmund Fitzgerald Eyewitness Accounts from the U.S. Coast Guard Hearings 2019 Fall: A documentary drawn from testimony at the Coast Guard’s official inquiry looks anew at one of the most storied, and mysterious, shipwrecks in American history
Professor Berman The Last Lecture of Minnesota’s Greatest Public Historian Hy Berman 2019 Fall: Behind the scenes of Minnesota history, by way of the engaging life story of the state’s best-known and beloved political observer
The Lost Brothers A Family’s Decades-Long Search Jack El-Hai 2019 Fall: The dread, the drama, and the hope of a break in one of the country’s oldest active missing-child investigations
What God Is Honored Here? Writings on Miscarriage and Infant Loss by and for Native Women and Women of Color Shannon Gibney and Kao Kalia Yang, Editors 2019 Fall: Native women and women of color poignantly share their pain, revelations, and hope after experiencing the traumas of miscarriage and infant loss
Jack and the Ghost Chan Poling 2019 Fall: A gothic, lyrical evocation of a shipwreck, ghosts, and lost—and found—love in a North Shore town
Laurentian Divide A Novel Sarah Stonich 2019 Fall: Poignant portrayals of life on the edge in northern Minnesota border country—now in paper
The Complete and Original Norwegian Folktales of Asbjørnsen and Moe Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe 2019 Fall: A new, definitive English translation of the celebrated story collection regarded as a landmark of Norwegian literature and culture
Gunflint Burning Fire in the Boundary Waters Cary J. Griffith 2019 Spring: The story of the Ham Lake fire, at the time the most destructive wildfire in modern Minnesota history—the blaze, the firefighters’ battle, the human toll
Sweet Nature A Cook's Guide to Using Honey and Maple Syrup Beth Dooley and Mette Nielsen 2019 Spring: A beautiful, delicious celebration of two natural sweeteners in irresistible recipes
The Lost Forest Phyllis Root 2019 Spring: The story of a forest “lost” by a surveying error—and all the flora and fauna to be found there
No Horizon Is So Far Two Women and Their Historic Journey across Antarctica Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft 2019 Spring: The extraordinary story of the first two women to cross Antarctica
Gichi Bitobig, Grand Marais Early Accounts of the Anishinaabeg and the North Shore Fur Trade Timothy Cochrane 2018 Fall: The journals of two clerks of the American Fur Company recall a lost moment in the history of the fur trade and the Anishinaabeg along Lake Superior’s North Shore
Torn in Two The Sinking of the Daniel J. Morrell and One Man’s Survival on the Open Sea Michael Schumacher 2018 Fall: A gripping tale of one of the worst shipwrecks in Great Lakes history and of remarkable survival against all odds
Hush Hush, Forest Mary Casanova 2018 Fall: Lyrical words and elegant woodcuts capture the quiet beauty of the forest as day fades to night and autumn gives way to the North Woods winter
The Great Minnesota Cookie Book Award-Winning Recipes from the Star Tribune’s Holiday Cookie Contest Lee Svitak Dean and Rick Nelson 2018 Fall: Eighty delicious, imaginative recipes from the Star Tribune’s beloved annual cookie contest, with mouth-watering pictures and bakers’ stories
A Field Guide to the Natural World of the Twin Cities John J. Moriarty 2018 Fall: An illustrated guide to the natural habitats and rich diversity of wildlife in the greater Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area
Sedges and Rushes of Minnesota The Complete Guide to Species Identification Welby R. Smith 2018 Spring: The first comprehensive, fully illustrated field guide to Minnesota’s nearly 250 species of sedges and rushes
Searching for Minnesota’s Native Wildflowers A Guide for Beginners, Botanists, and Everyone in Between Phyllis Root 2018 Spring: A beautifully illustrated, family-friendly guide to Minnesota’s native wildflowers and how to find them
Breakfast with Beatrice 250 Recipes from Sweet Cream Waffles to Swedish Farmer’s Omelets Beatrice Ojakangas 2018 Spring: Time-tested recipes for delectable breakfasts from around the world, especially Scandinavia
The Infamous Harry Hayward A True Account of Murder and Mesmerism in Gilded Age Minneapolis Shawn Francis Peters 2018 Spring: A fascinating tale of seduction, murder, fraud, coercion—and the trial of the “Minneapolis Monster”
Homemade Finnish Rye, Feed Sack Fashion, and Other Simple Ingredients from My Life in Food Beatrice Ojakangas 2018 Spring: A celebrated cook’s recipes and reflections on growing up in a big Finnish family in northern Minnesota
Fawn Island Douglas Wood 2018 Spring: Join the beloved author of Old Turtle as he embarks on journeys large and small
The Great Lakes at Ten Miles an Hour One Cyclist’s Journey along the Shores of the Inland Seas Thomas Shevory 2017 Fall: A chronicle of travels by bicycle around the Great Lakes, combining personal observations with reflections on the geology, ecology, history, and culture of the region
The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen Sean Sherman 2017 Fall: Award-winning recipes, stories, and wisdom from the celebrated indigenous chef and his team
Onigamiising Seasons of an Ojibwe Year Linda LeGarde Grover 2017 Fall: Fifty short essays evoke the four seasons of the year, and of life, for the Ojibwe in northeastern Minnesota
We Know How This Ends Living while Dying Bruce H. Kramer 2017 Fall: Surprising lessons in finding joy and personal growth in the last months of life
Voices of Rondo Oral Histories of Saint Paul’s Historic Black Community 2017 Fall: A look at the historic Rondo neighborhood of Saint Paul through the eyes of thirty-three former residents—back in print
F. Scott Fitzgerald in Minnesota The Writer and His Friends at Home Dave Page 2017 Spring: A look at the life of the Great American Novelist in St. Paul
Savory Sweet Simple Preserves from a Northern Kitchen Beth Dooley and Mette Nielsen 2017 Spring: Not your grandmother’s canning cookbook
Deep Woods, Wild Waters A Memoir Douglas Wood 2017 Spring: The author of Old Turtle and a longtime wilderness guide charts a journey through the wilds of nature and the twists and turns of daily life
It Won’t Be Easy An Exceedingly Honest (and Slightly Unprofessional) Love Letter to Teaching Tom Rademacher 2017 Spring: A frank and funny behind-the-scenes look at teaching from a hard-working and highly entertaining Teacher of the Year
Flying Funny My Life without a Net Dudley Riggs 2017 Spring: The fun of storytelling with the wry insights and observations of growing up in show business
Creekfinding A True Story Jacqueline Briggs Martin 2017 Spring: An enchanting picture book about restoring a creek, with all the wildlife it once hosted, in a farm field in Iowa. Ages 4-9.
Gold Experience Following Prince in the ’90s Jim Walsh 2017 Spring: Rare interviews, live reviews, little known stories, and close encounters: Prince in a time of crazy brilliant music and life
Fresh from the Garden An Organic Guide to Growing Vegetables, Berries, and Herbs in Cold Climates John Whitman 2016 Fall: Grow your own vegetables, berries, and herbs with the fourth book in the best-selling cold climate gardening series
The Ford Century in Minnesota Brian McMahon 2016 Fall: How the Ford Motor Company transformed Minnesota over the past 100 years
Canoes A Natural History in North America Mark Neuzil and Norman Sims 2016 Fall: A natural history of one of North America’s most enduring cultural artifacts
Bar Yarns and Manic-Depressive Mixtapes Jim Walsh on Music from Minneapolis to the Outer Limits Jim Walsh 2016 Fall: Thirty years of pop, funk, rock and roll, up close and personal, from veteran Twin Cities journalist Jim Walsh
The War Came Home with Him A Daughter’s Memoir Catherine Madison 2016 Fall: A poignant look at the suppressed grief and thwarted love that forever alter a family when a soldier brings his war home
The Senator Next Door A Memoir from the Heartland Amy Klobuchar 2017 Spring: "The Senator Next Door is both a desperately needed wake-up call to our politicians and a delightful memoir that will inspire everyone. Buy one for yourself and give one to an elected official."—Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs and Benjamin Franklin
One North Star A Counting Book Phyllis Root 2016 Fall: Who lives here under one north star?
Let’s Go Fishing! Fish Tales from the North Woods Eric Dregni 2016 Spring: An illustrated compendium of the lore and legacy of fishing in the northland
Wake Up, Island Mary Casanova 2016 Spring: In a picture book for all ages, lyrical language and elegant woodcuts celebrate the waking natural world on a North Woods island
The Road Back to Sweetgrass A Novel Linda LeGarde Grover 2016 Spring: A powerful debut novel of love, hardship, and family bonds on an American Indian reservation—from the author of the award-winning short story collection The Dance Boots
Tracks in the Wild Betsy Bowen 2015 Fall: A beautiful children’s book detailing Minnesota’s northwoods animals and their tracks
Everybody’s Heard about the Bird The True Story of 1960s Rock ’n’ Roll in Minnesota Rick Shefchik 2015 Fall: The first comprehensive history to trace the evolution of Minnesota 1960s rock and roll
Minnesota Modern Architecture and Life at Midcentury Larry Millett 2015 Fall: An expert, illustrated guide through the style that defined midcentury Minnesota
Portage A Family, a Canoe, and the Search for the Good Life Sue Leaf 2015 Fall: North American waterways by canoe: a memoir of family and nature, history and culture, along the rivers
The Meaning of Wilderness Essential Articles and Speeches Sigurd F. Olson David Backes, Editor 2015 Fall: An indispensable collection of Olson’s rarest writings—at last in paperback
Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have to Do Is Ask Anishinaabe Botanical Teachings Mary Siisip Geniusz 2015 Spring: The first complete resource for the practical use of plants in the Anishinaabe culture and the stories that surround them
North Shore A Natural History of Minnesota’s Superior Coast Chel Anderson and Adelheid Fischer 2015 Spring: The environmental history of Minnesota’s spectacular North Shore
Water and What We Know Following the Roots of a Northern Life Karen Babine 2015 Spring: Personal essays exploring the link between natural history and memory, landscape and identity, place and meaning
By the Waters of Minnetonka Eric Dregni 2014 Fall: Come explore the unruly and fascinating history of Lake Minnetonka—Minnesota’s most famous lake
Leif the Lucky Ingri d’Aulaire and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire 2014 Fall: A delightful tale of the young Viking explorer Leif Erikson—the first European to set foot on America, 500 years before Columbus
November’s Fury The Deadly Great Lakes Hurricane of 1913 Michael Schumacher 2014 Fall: The first complete—and fully illustrated—account of the deadliest storm in Great Lakes history
Goodnight Loon Abe Sauer 2015 Spring: A charming retelling of a children's classic in a distinctly northwoods voice
Amphibians and Reptiles in Minnesota John J. Moriarty and Carol D. Hall 2014 Spring: The most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to Minnesota’s reptiles and amphibians
The Bohemian Flats A Novel Mary Relindes Ellis 2014 Spring: The story of a man caught up in the immigrant culture of a river village in Minnesota, and in the throes of World War I
Plant a Pocket of Prairie Phyllis Root 2014 Spring: An inspiring children’s book about the endangered prairie ecosystem and how we can help restore it
The Three-Minute Outdoorsman Wild Science from Magnetic Deer to Mumbling Carp Robert M. Zink 2014 Spring: Curious facts and fascinating insights into nature from scientist outdoorsman Bob Zink
No Saints around Here A Caregiver’s Days Susan Allen Toth 2014 Spring: A moment-by-moment memoir of the difficulty and dedication of caregiving
Blackwater Ben William Durbin 2014 Spring: A young boy discovers harsh realities, secrets, and adventure at a northern Minnesota logging camp in 1898
Ola Edgar Parin d’Aulaire and Ingri d’Aulaire 2013 Fall: A classic that sparked the illustrious careers of two Caldecott-honored authors and illustrators
A Slave’s Tale Erik Christian Haugaard 2013 Fall: The dynamic sequel to Hakon of Rogen’s Saga
Hakon of Rogen’s Saga Erik Christian Haugaard 2013 Fall: A widely acclaimed work of historical fiction—back in print
The Thoughtbook of F. Scott Fitzgerald A Secret Boyhood Diary F. Scott Fitzgerald 2013 Fall: Brings to light F. Scott Fitzgerald’s boyhood St. Paul diary
Wolf Shadows Mary Casanova 2013 Fall: In this sequel to Moose Tracks, Seth’s mixed feelings about a debate in his northern Minnesota town over the growing wolf packs puts him at odds with his friend Matt. When he sees Matt commit a horrible act of violence, Seth angrily abandons him, unaware that a blizzard is on the way, and now must try to rescue his friend.
Moose Tracks Mary Casanova 2013 Fall: One boy’s thrilling adventure in Minnesota’s north woods
Turn Here Sweet Corn Organic Farming Works Atina Diffley 2013 Fall: A master class in organic farming, a lesson in entrepreneurship, a love story, and a legal thriller
Minneapolis Madams The Lost History of Prostitution on the Riverfront Penny A. Petersen 2013 Spring: A real-life detective story uncovering the history of brothels in nineteenth-century Minneapolis
Survival Schools The American Indian Movement and Community Education in the Twin Cities Julie L. Davis 2013 Spring: The first history of two alternative schools founded by AIM in the Twin Cities in 1972—and their role in revitalizing Native culture and community
Happy Times in Norway Sigrid Undset 2013 Spring: Preserving a glorious picture of Norway before the Nazi occupation—from the 1928 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
St. Paul Union Depot 2013 Spring: A landmark history of St. Paul’s historic Union Depot and a tale of a bygone era when travel and adventure meant passenger trains
We’ll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down Memoir of a Gravedigger’s Daughter Rachael Hanel 2013 Spring: Growing up among cemeteries and finding faith and resilience amid sorrowful loss
Archaeology of Minnesota The Prehistory of the Upper Mississippi River Region Guy Gibbon 2012 Fall: A precontact history of Minnesota that reveals the relevance of archaeology to our understanding of the world today
Hawk Ridge Minnesota’s Birds of Prey Laura Erickson 2012 Fall: A guide to understanding the eagles, hawks, and falcons of Minnesota, by two of the state’s most beloved authors
The Disenchanted Budd Schulberg 2012 Fall: A moving, controversial novel that captured both the dazzling spirit and the bitter disenchantment of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age
Children of the Northlights Ingri d’Aulaire and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire 2012 Fall: A spellbinding evocation and celebration of Sami people and culture from two Caldecott-honored authors and illustrators
Thirty Rooms to Hide In Insanity, Addiction, and Rock ‘n’ Roll in the Shadow of the Mayo Clinic Luke Longstreet Sullivan 2014 Spring: The remarkable story of six brothers growing up in the ’50s and ’60s as their father—a highly respected Mayo Clinic surgeon—slowly goes insane
Mighty Fitz The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald Michael Schumacher 2012 Fall: A moving account of the legendary Great Lakes shipwreck
Northern Pike Ecology, Conservation, and Management History Rodney B. Pierce 2012 Fall: The definitive scientific resource on the ecology, history, and management of the northern pike
Minnesota Railroads A Photographic History, 1940–2012 Steve Glischinski 2012 Fall: A lavishly illustrated history of Minnesota railroads from the romance of steam locomotives and luxurious passenger travel to the prosperous engines of transportation today
From Fields to Fairways Classic Golf Clubs of Minnesota Rick Shefchik 2012 Spring: The first history of Minnesota’s celebrated golf clubs and courses, including rarely seen photographs and long-lost details about the game’s most famous architects
Sherlock Holmes and the Rune Stone Mystery Larry Millett 2012 Spring: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson come to Minnesota, on the trail of the famous Kensington Rune Stone
Twelve Owls Laura Erickson 2011 Fall: A gorgeous guide to the owls native to Minnesota, with descriptions and portraits by two of the state’s most beloved authors
Once There Were Castles Lost Mansions and Estates of the Twin Cities Larry Millett 2011 Fall: Take a tour of the lost mansions of the Twin Cities
Growing Shrubs and Small Trees in Cold Climates Revised and Updated Edition Debbie Lonnee, Nancy Rose, Don Selinger and John Whitman 2011 Fall: An all-in-one guide for northern gardeners seeking the perfect woody plants
In Cod We Trust Living the Norwegian Dream Eric Dregni 2011 Fall: A vivid portrayal of modern Norway through the eyes of a fourth-generation Norwegian American from Minnesota
The Fall of the King Johannes V. Jensen 2011 Fall: The masterpiece of one of Scandinavia’s preeminent literary figures and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
Styrbiorn the Strong E. R. Eddison 2011 Fall: E. R. Eddison’s classic saga novel now in paperback—includes for the first time Eddison’s remarkable letter of introduction and his unabridged closing note
Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders Larry Millett 2011 Spring: When one of St. Paul’s wealthiest scions loses his head—literally—it’s up to Holmes and Watson to track a cold-blooded killer
Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon Larry Millett 2011 Spring: The first novel in the series that brought Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John D. Watson to turn-of-the-century Minnesota
Song of Sampo Lake William Durbin 2011 Spring: A gripping depiction of frontier life on the Minnesota Iron Range
The Darkest Evening William Durbin 2011 Spring: An adventurous tale of one Finnish American family’s encounter with the “Red broom”
The Opposite of Cold The Northwoods Finnish Sauna Tradition Michael Nordskog 2010 Fall: A full-color history and celebration of Finnish sauna in the western Great Lakes
North Country The Making of Minnesota Mary Lethert Wingerd 2010 Spring: The untold history of how the land of the Dakota and Ojibwe became the State of Minnesota
Twilight Rails The Final Era of Railroad Building in the Midwest H. Roger Grant 2010 Spring: The first book to document the final wave of railroad construction in the Midwest, written by a preeminent railroad historian