Michigan Notable Books

Every year, the Library of Michigan selects up to twenty of the most notable books, either written by a Michigan resident or about Michigan or the Great Lakes. The selected books are honored in the year after their publication or copyright date. Each selected title speaks to our state's rich cultural, historical, and literary heritage and proves without a doubt that some of the greatest stories are found in the Great Lakes State.

More information at: michigan.gov/notablebooks

This list includes titles included on the 2025 and 2026 lists.

Updated January 27, 2026
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Dearborn Public Library
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Cooler than cool : the life and work of Elmore Leonard
Kushins, C. M.
Drawing on unprecedented archival and family access, Cooler Than Cool: The Life of Elmore Leonard, is the first comprehensive biography of the master American crime writer, author of witty, gritty bestsellers like Get Shorty and Raylan. Over...
The gales of November : the untold story of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Bacon, John U.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "A work of spectral beauty destined to be a classic. Readers of Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, Erik Larsen's Dead Wake, and Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea will love this deeply reported tale." --Hampton Sides...
Theater kid : a Broadway memoir
Seller, Jeffrey
Paper Book
A New Yorker, NPR, and Washington Independent Review Best Book of 2025 A coming-of-age tale from one of the most successful American producers of our time, Jeffrey Seller, who is the only producer to have mounted two Pulitzer Prize-winning musicals--Hamilton<...
Waterline : a novel
Mrjoian, Aram
Paper Book
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2025 BY ESQUIRE "A gripping journey through time, Mrjoian brings readers deep into the heart of the Armenian Genocide and its ripples across generations. . . . Waterline is a must-read--intense, moving, and unforgettable."--Morgan Talty, national...
The Black utopians : searching for paradise and the Promised Land in America
Robertson, Aaron
Paper Book
One of The New York Times's 100 Notable Books of 2024 One of the Washington Post's 50 Best Nonfiction Books of 2024 A Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for History Finalist for the Zora Award | Hooks National Book Award<...
Funny story
Henry, Emily
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ∙ A shimmering, joyful novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry. A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2024 Named a Must-Read Book of 2024 by...
I cheerfully refuse : a novel
Enger, Leif
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A BARNES & NOBLE BOOK CLUB PICK * A career defining tour-de-force from New York Times bestselling, award-winning and "formidably gifted" (Chicago Tribune) author of Peace Like a River Leif Enger. "A rare, remarkable book to be kept and...
The lady with the dark hair : a novel
Bartels, Erin
Paper Book
2025 Michigan Notable Book "Bartels perfectly meshes the stories of two women, both artists, living half a world and nearly a century-and-a-half apart. Bartels' settings and historical details are unusual and compelling; the dual time lines work perfectly, and this well-researched...
The Lions Finally Roar How the Ford Family and the Detroit Lions Broke the Oldest Curse in the N.F.L
Morris, Bill
Ebook
The epic and tumultuous story of the Lions, the Ford family, the city of Detroit--and how all three have come together on the cusp of a new era. On Nov. 22, 1963, William Clay Ford, the youngest grandson of auto pioneer Henry Ford, made a successful bid to buy the Detroit Lions...
The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry
Johnson, Anna Rose.
Paper Book
Lucy, a spirited French-Ojibwe orphan, is sent to the stormy waters of Lake Superior to live with a mysterious family of lighthouse-keepers--and, she hopes, to find the legendary necklace her father spent his life seeking... Selena Lucy Landry (named for a ship, as every sailor's...
Mc5: An Oral Biography of Rock's Most Revolutionary Band
Tolinski, Brad
Paper Book
A riveting oral biography of the proto-punk Detroit rockers MC5, based on original interviews with the band and key members of their inner circle   Few bands have dared to ignite a revolution through their fusion of activism and art like MC5. Managed by the...
My black country : a journey through country music's black past, present, and future
Randall, Alice
Paper Book
Alice Randall, award-winning professor, songwriter, and author presents "a celebration of all things country music" (Ken Burns) as she reflects on her search for the first family of Black country music. Country music had brought Alice Randall and her activist mother together and...
Old Time Hawkey's Recipes from the Cedar Swamp : A Cookbook
Old Time Hawkey.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Step into Old Time Hawkey's magical world with 100 comforting recipes and stories inspired by the beauty of Northern Michigan Well hello, buddy. In videos that have captured the hearts of millions online, Old Time Hawkey, aka Fritz...
True Gretch : what I've learned about life, leadership, and everything in between
Whitmer, Gretchen
Paper Book
From trailblazing Michigan governor, Democratic leader, and national advocate for women's rights, Gretchen Whitmer, comes an unconventional and deeply personal account of her life and career--"Not your nana's ponderous political memoir" (New York magazine)--offering insights into her...
The waters : a novel
Campbell, Bonnie Jo
Paper Book
On an island in the Great Massasauga Swamp--an area known as "The Waters" to the residents of nearby Whiteheart, Michigan--herbalist and eccentric Hermine "Herself" Zook has healed the local women of their ailments for generations. As stubborn as her tonics are powerful, Herself inspires...

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