When I fill in for Trish or Dave on Blog for Iowa I post about what I am reading. In part, I do so to share books I felt were worthwhile. In part to encourage people to read actual books in any format. The sad state of American reading is hard to ignore. 40 percent of Americans read no books in the last year, with a majority reading four or fewer, according to recent statistics. If you only read four this year, here are some recommendations.
Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Each spring I re-read one of my favorites. It has been 50 years since I first opened Slaughterhouse-Five at university, the same university Vonnegut taught at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He famously wrote this book at 800 North Van Buren St. in Iowa City and was a presence throughout downtown when he was here. I wrote about this in 2021. I appreciate the cameo appearance of a local Sears and Roebuck warehouse in the book. The story itself holds up well and its unique narrative is constantly engaging. In a time when fiction seems formulaic, Vonnegut is a refresher in what it means to be alive.
Sarah Smarsh’s strongest work to date is in Bone of the Bone: Essays on America by a Daughter of the Working Class. Her first book, Heartland, was a sensation; her second, She Come By It Naturally, fell flat for me. Smarsh’s strengths are well suited to the type of short essays in Bone of the Bone. It left me wanting to read more. I reviewed it here.
Hannah Ritchie is the kind of data head I would like to be and her new book, Clearing the Air: A Hopeful Guide to Solving Climate Change in 50 Questions and Answers is part of the reason. In it, she explains aspects of solving the climate crisis using data to back up her statements. This one is worth reading. I reviewed it here.
People don’t know about Lance M. Foster’s The Indians of Iowa and I seek to remedy that. Foster studied anthropology and holds an advanced degree from Iowa State University. The University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist wrote a tribute to him on the occasion of his 2025 death. Find it here. We so often trace Iowa’s lineage to the Black Hawk War in 1832, but Foster takes it deeper in simple, straight-forward language. There is a bibliography, tour guide, and notes for further reading. It is an entry point into native culture in Iowa.
So there are four books to read this year. Please drop a comment and share what you are reading this spring.
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