The Minnesota Book Award finalists have been chosen, with the winners to be announced on April 28, 2020.

The Minnesota Book Awards consider books by Minnesota authors with the finalists chosen by judges from all over Minnesota. You can take a look at all the finalists in the various categories by going to https://thefriends.org/minnesota-book-awards/minnesota-book-awards-winners/. New Ulm Public Library owns three of the finalists in the nonfiction category in our collection.

“Consider the Platypus: Evolution through Biology’s Most Baffling Beasts” by Maggie Ryan Sandford (Young Adult 590 Sandfor). According to Amazon, it “wittily tackles mind-bending concepts about how evolution, biology, and genetics work.”

“The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from1890 to the Present” by David Treurer (970.00497 Treuer). You may think you know Native American history, but David Treurer has a different narrative for you to consider.

“Closing Time: Saloons, Taverns, Dives, and Watering Holes of the Twin Cities” by Bill Lindeke (647.9577 Lindeke). Bill Lindeke will take you on a tour of memorable bars throughout the history of the Twin Cities and introduce you to the characters that made them famous. Many of the establishments are still going strong, if you want to stop and check some of them out next time you’re in the Twin Cities.

In other nonfiction award news, the winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction for 2020 is “Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster” by Adam Higginbotham (363.1799 Higginb). This book shares never before published details of the events of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster which occurred on April 25, 1986.

In Grammy news…Michelle Obama won a Grammy for the Best Spoken Word Album for her biography “Becoming.” Read by Michelle Obama, this audiobook traces her life from growing up on the South Side of Chicago to becoming first lady of the United States.

Are you wondering what to read next? They might not be award winners…yet, but library staff is always willing to talk about books they’ve read — just ask! You can also find staff recommendations in a few other places; you will find a couple of interesting choices on either side of the Service Desk next to a sign that says, “Hey! Check This Out!” And if you pay attention to the TV screen near the Service Desk, there are staff recommendations scrolling there. Favorite books are often listed in New Ulm Public Library posts on Facebook and on our library website (www.newulmlibrary.org). “Wowbrary” is an e-newsletter that showcases the newest arrivals at the library. You can access it on the library website. You can also subscribe to library newsletters, including Wowbrary, and you will get them in your email. Just scroll down a little to the bottom of the library webpage and click on “signup for e-newsletters.” Another great place to check for interesting reads is all the various displays throughout the library.

So, whether you are looking for the latest award winning book or just suggestions for your next read, the library is the place to go!