Dear esteemed librarians

Please feel free to share any or all of the events with your patrons, regardless of whether you are above or below the bridge!


Official Seal of the U.P. Notable BooksReading local authors has great informational and educational value and contributes toward cultural enrichment. Continuing into their 6th year of book selections, the U.P. Notable Books Club is hosting a series of discussions with authors of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to engage community members with local authors. All residents of Michigan are invited to participate with no cost or obligation. To date, 45 authors have already appeared in the program and their appearances can be replayed on the http://video.UPPAA.org channel.

U.P. Notable Books Book Club organizer Evelyn Gathu (Crystal Falls, MI) has this to say about the Year 6 Notables:  "This year's list of U.P. Notable Books looks really great.  I love Nikki Mitchell and Carol Schultz—they are two top-notch U.P. Children's authors, so I was thrilled when I saw their names on the list.  One of my favorite U.P. Notable Zoom chats is one we did a few years back with Raymond Luczak where he introduced me to ASL gloss, so I am so excited that he will be speaking with us again this year.  It is also very touching that this year our two U.P. Notable Classics: Lumberjack and A Face in the Rock will have the author's loved ones speaking with us, William S. Crowe's granddaughters and Loren Graham's wife. This year's line-up has everything from regional history, to poetry, to guidebooks, to stellar fiction, and some really famous authors.  I do hope you all join our book club!" 

From February 13th to December 11th, 2025 eleven new authors will do Zoom talks with readers (7:00 PM Eastern / 6:00 PM Central). During these events, authors will reveal new background details as well as answer live reader questions about their work. Readers can buy books in advance or check them out from their local library, or inter-library loan to discuss with the authors. Many are now available in eBook editions at the Great Lakes Digital Library thanks to the efforts of Superiorland Library Co-op. Authors and their books participating in the upcoming sixth year include: The complete event schedule is available online at www.UPNotable.com, click on the "Join Book Club" menu item.  

“What inspires me the most about our club is the positive feedback from local authors and patrons alike,” says Evelyn Gathu, Director of the Crystal Falls District Community Library, who is the creator and organizer of the club. “After every book club meeting we have, I get emails from patrons thanking me for creating the club.” She says that the library circulation has definitely increased because of the book club, indicating an increased love of reading the works of local authors in the community.
A few upcoming UP Notable Books Club 2025 authors:
Raymond Luczak, Nikki Mitchell, J.D. Auston (from left)

Why local authors are less read, on the whole, than those widely publicized in mainstream media seems a matter of presumption or prejudgment. And Gathu agrees: “I think some people do not believe that books written by local authors are as good as those produced nationally, and this book club is really helping to deflate that stigma!”

She says that she had read in the local paper that the first ever U.P. Notable Books List was created by the editors of the U.P. Reader and UPPAA (Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association) in January 2020. This led her to contact UPPAA President, Victor R. Volkman, and he was thrilled with the idea of local authors interacting with the readers in the community. More information about the U.P. Notable Book list, U.P. Book Review, and UPPAA can be found at www.UPNotable.com.
 
UPPAA Logo - click here to visitAbout the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA)
Established in 1998 to support authors and publishers who live in or write about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, UPPAA is a Michigan nonprofit association with more than 100 members, many of whose books are featured on the organization’s website at www.uppaa.org. UPPAA welcomes membership and participation from anyone with a UP connection who is interested in writing and publishing books.  

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Regards,

Victor R. Volkman, President
L H Press Inc.
www.LHPress.com