There are countless “best books” lists. I use them not only to guide library purchases, but also to shape my own reading list. I enjoy discovering why readers find certain books intriguing or meaningful, and different perspectives can add depth to any text. The following books, with descriptions from their publishers, may not appear on every “Best Books of 2026” list and based on circulation statistics, remain somewhat undiscovered at the New Ulm Public Library:

“Whidbey” by T Kira Madden. “Birdie Chang didn’t know anything about Whidbey Island when she chose it, only that it was about as far away as she could get from her own life. She’s a woman on the run, desperate for an escape from the headlines back home and the look of concern in her girlfriend’s eyes–and from Calvin Boyer.

“Natural Way of Things” by Charlotte McConaghy. “Originally published in 2016 and ever more relevant upon its 10th anniversary, this is a lucid and illusory fable and a brilliantly plotted novel of ideas that reminds us of humankind’s own vast contradictions–the capacity for savagery, selfishness, resilience, and redemption all contained by a single, vulnerable body.”

“Children of Strife” by Adrian Tchaikovsky. “After Earth fell, ark ships hunted for a new home. They sought lost worlds terraformed in Earth’s forgotten past. A ship crewed by maverick humans, spiders and a spectacularly punchy mantis shrimp captain is about to rediscover one such world, and an ark. Then human crewmate Alis wakes to discover that she, her captain and the ship’s intelligence are the only ones left on their ship. But what happened to those who left to explore the ark … and the world below?”

“Transcription” by Ben Lerner. “The narrator has traveled to Providence, Rhode Island, where he is to conduct what will be the final published interview with Thomas, his ninety-year-old mentor and the father of his college friend Max. Thomas is a giant in the arts who seems to hail from the future and the past simultaneously and who reenchants the air when he speaks. But the narrator drops his smartphone in the hotel sink. He arrives at Thomas’s house with no recording device, a fact he is mysteriously unable to confess. Ultimately, Transcription demonstrates what only a work of fiction can record.”

“Questions 27 and 28” by Karen Tei Yamashita. “In February 1942, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order authorizing the secretary of war to remove 120,000 Japanese Americans from their homes on the West Coast and corral them into inland concentration camps. To be considered for release, they were required to answer the so-called loyalty questionnaire. Answering these questions caused volatile divisions within the camps, tore families and friends apart, and had lasting repercussions in the decades postwar.”

“Discipline” by Larissa Pham. “Christine is on tour for her novel, a revenge fantasy based on a real-life relationship gone bad with an older professor ten years prior. Now on the road, she’s seeking answers–about how to live a good life and what it means to make art–through intimate conversations with strangers, past lovers, and friends. But when the antagonist of her novel–her old painting professor–reaches out in a series of sly communiques after years of silence to tell her he’s read her book, Christine must reckon with what it means to lose the reins of a narrative she wrote precisely to maintain control.

If any of these books caught your attention, visit www.newulmlibrary.org and choose Library Catalog to place your request. Or stop by the library or give us a call at 507-359-8331. Library staff are happy to assist you.

Library events happening soon, free and open to the public:

• History Book Club, July 21, 2026, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Join the History Book Club to discuss “Realm of Ice and Sky: Triumph, Tragedy, and History’s Greatest Arctic Rescue” by Buddy Levy.

• Teen Video Gaming Club, July 21, 2026, 2:00 p.m - 3:30 p.m. We’ll meet in the library meeting room to play games, eat snacks, and teach Ms. Kathryn how to play. This program is for teens in sixth through twelfth grade.

• Chess Club, July 21, 2026, 6:00 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. Be part of New Ulm’s Chess Club! The Chess Club has been going for over 3 years. Everyone is welcome whether you are a beginner or have been playing for years, if you’re 5 or 95, we’d love to have you join us!

• Pint-Sized Polka with Mike Schneider, July 23, 2026, 1:00 p.m.  - 1:45 p.m. Join us for a fun-filled concert with Mike Schneider as he leads us through a kid-friendly polka adventure.

The library is located at 17 N. Broadway and is open to the public Monday – Thursday from 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Friday – Saturday from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.