The State Library of Kansas is proud to announce the 2023 Kansas Notable Books list. This year’s list of Kansas Notable Books continues the tradition of celebrating the rich stories and vibrant spirit of the state.
“The authors of the 2023 Kansas Notable Books not only help us gain a deeper understanding of our world but also encourage empathy for others and reflection on our own life experiences,” State Librarian Ray C. Walling said. “Written by Kansans or about Kansas and Kansans, these fifteen books explore wanderlust, transformative collaboration, hidden struggles, inspiring resilience, and the power of love.”
This is the 18th year for the program, which identifies 15 books published the previous calendar year highlighting Kansas literature, authors, and all things Kansas.
2023 Kansas Notable Books list
Cabby Potts, Duchess of Dirt by Kathleen Wilford, Blue Bronco Books
Easy Beauty: A Memoir by Chloe Cooper Jones, Simon & Schuster
Hell’s Half-acre: The Untold Story of the Benders by Susan Jonusas, Viking
Justa’s Escape: A Journey from WWII Ukraine by Justina Neufeld with Russell Binkley, Wipf and Stock
Kansas Speaks Out: Poems in the Age of Me, Too by Dennis Etzel, Jr and Jericho Hockett, An Actual Kansas Press
Letters to Martin: Meditations on Democracy by Randal Maurice Jelks, Lawrence Hill Books
The Monster’s Bones: The Discovery of T. Rex and How It Shook Our World by David K. Randall W. W. Norton & Company
Native American Stories for Kids: 12 Traditional Stories from Indigenous Tribes Across North America by Tom Pecore Weso, Rockridge Press
A New Guide to Kansas Mushrooms by Sherry Kay, Benjamin Sikes, and Caleb Morse, University Press of Kansas
Nothing but the Dirt: Stories from an American Farm Town by Kate Benz, University Press of Kansas
One Boy Watching by Grant Snider, Chronicle Books
River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard, Doubleday
The Undead Truth of Us by Britney S. Lewis, Hyperion
The Vagabond’s Way: 366 Meditations on Wanderlust, Discovery, and the Art of Travel by Rolf Potts, Random House
Winfield’s Walnut Valley Festival by Seth Bate, The History Press
