Editors’ Picks 

Sierra Muehlbauer: 

Messages from Frank's Landing: A Story of Salmon, Treaties, and the Indian Way by Charles F. Wilkinson

This book is short but provides an excellent summary of not only the Fish Wars, but the conservation efforts since the historic Boldt decision. It includes many fantastic pictures of the Indigenous activists involved in the movement and provides historical learners with an accessible presentation of this incredible piece of history. I would recommend this as a great starting point for anyone who has not learned about the Fish Wars before! 

Patrick Gillespie: 

The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to the Civil War by Joanne Freeman

It touches on the duels, fights, anger, and explosive politics that characterized the antebellum period in US Congress. It is incredible to hear the anecdotes and stories of the time period and how they parallel today's partisan politics. It expertly weaves narrative into historical research, crafting an argument that shows the slow crumbling of the Union. I would recommend to anyone interested in American politics or the Civil War. It’s good to know what happened, lest we repeat it again.

Brenna Garrison: 

Blood of the Celts: The New Ancestral Story by Jean Manco

This book illustrates the lineage of Celtic tribes, linking Western European heritage to steppe cultures of old Eurasia. Manco primarily uses scientific evidence and archaeological discoveries, so it's definitely more of an informative book rather than a light read. That being said, it's very enlightening for people interested in the origins of Germanic society or Europe/west Asia before the Roman conquest

Lillian Williamson: 

Factfulness by Hans Rosling

This book uses statistics to illustrate global trends throughout history for human rights and welfare. It provides a unique perspective on why, when looking back at the global past, we should feel optimistic about our future.

Makenna Page: 

Ghosts: A Natural History: 500 Years of Searching for Proof by Roger Clarke

 Historical analysis told in the genre of a ghost story, this book explores the history of how modern perceptions of the supernatural have evolved over the course of centuries of recorded encounters. Reading as both a thriller and a compelling scholarly contribution, it belongs as much to the realm of bedside novels as to the growing field of supernatural studies. Framed by a vivid narrative style and drawing heavily on primary sources, it presents a real history arguably more terrifying than the nostalgic traditions of folktales it indulges. Unpacking the concept of the supernatural as a human construction through frameworks including gender, class, and technology, this book nonetheless embraces ghosts on their own terms, leaving it to the reader to decide if they believe in the world beyond.

Hallie Jones:

Indigenous Peoples History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. 

This book is an intriguing and eye-opening book about the centuries-long genocidal project of the US state to eliminate indigenous peoples from US history. It puts first the narrative of indigenous groups when discussing US history and unveils many realities about  indigenous history that you probably never heard in a class before. For anyone interested in the some 15 million people who lived on the land we now inhabit, this is a perfect start to understanding how the US empire started and continues to perpetuate the genocide of indigenous peoples.

Amber Pilgreen: 

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

O Farrell's book follows the brief life and untimely death of Lucrezia de Medici. The book provides a historically sound portrait of what life could have looked like for a young woman of noble status in Renaissance Tuscany and empathetically charts Lucrezia’s brief arranged marriage to an older man followed by her death, which many historians theorize was caused by her husband. The book provides an excellent perspective on how vulnerable women were to the men around them during this time period, even if they were nominally protected by status or wealth. Descriptionally lush, it's easy for readers to identify with and root for Lucrezia, hoping for a different outcome even though we know her death is imminent. This would be a great pick for someone who loves historical fiction, well-rounded female characters, and is interested in lush descriptions that will transport you to Renaissance-era Italy. 

Asa Madarang:

Land of Open Graves by Jason De Leon

This book takes an anthropological view on the experiences of migrants crossing the US border into Arizona and specifically focuses on challenges, abuses of power, and the danger that comes with making such a journey. I found the book’s analysis of the situation really insightful. It presents a serious and hard-hitting topic in a way that does not trivialize or exploit the stories it's telling and instead makes its points factually and respectfully. It’s an incredibly interesting book that  I would recommend to anyone looking to learn more about the topic.

Claire Jacobs: 

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

In this mystery set in a 14th century Italian monastery, an English Franciscan friar William of Baskerville tutors his assistant, the Benedictine novice Adso of Melk, in the finer points of philosophy, Roger Bacon's empiricism, and logic while attempting to solve a murder. As the body count rises, William and Adso find themselves drawn to the forbidden, labyrinthine library -- a point of connection between all of the victims. Written by Eco, a professor of semiotics and a famed Italian medievalist, the book is a fully immersive experience into the philosophical discourses and political intrigue of the late medieval Roman Catholic Church, centered around a Sherlock and Watson-esque duo.