Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Wednesday, December 24, 2025 — The Year in Native books
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Wednesday, December 24, 2025 — The Year in Native books
New York Times best-selling author Angeline Boulley (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) made a number of best-of-2025 lists with the third book in her series centered in the Ojibwe community, Sugar Island, titled “Sisters in the Wind.” Another favorite comes from young adult author and editor, Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee), who challenged more than a dozen other Native authors to imagine a Native future where a frybread eatery holds community and culture in the “Legendary Frybread Drive-In.” And renowned Potawatomi botanist and writer, Robin Wall Kimmerer tapped into the curiosity of young readers with her first children’s book “Bud Finds Her Gift.” They are among the Native works highlighted by our distinguished panel of reading enthusiasts. You can find their lists of favorite books of the year below.
GUESTS
Allison Waukau (Menominee and Navajo), American Indian Library Association member -at-large
Amber McCrary (Diné), writer and poet
Stacy Wells (Choctaw Nation), author and librarian
Allison Waukau’s favorite books:
“I Am on Indigenous Land” by Katrina M. Phillips
“We Survived the Night” by Julian Brave Noisecat *featured on NAC in October
“Sisters in the Wind” by Angeline Boulley *featured on NAC in September
“Across the Ice: How We Saved the Ojibwe Horse” by Darcy Whitecrow and Heather O’Connor
“Moon Song” by Michaela Goade
“Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones *featured on NAC in October
“Bud Finds Her Gift” by Robin Wall Kimmerer *featured on NAC in September
“Ishkode: A Story of Fire” by Evan Larson and Nisogaabokwe Melonee Montano and illustrated by Moira Villiard
Minnesota Lives series
Stacy Wells’ favorite books:
“The Others” by Cheryl Issacs (sequel to “The Unfinished”)
“Legendary Frybread Drive-In” edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith *featured on The Menu in August
“Faye and the Dangerous Journey: An Ojibwe Removal Survival Story” by Kim Sigafus
“The Summer of the Bone Horses” by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve *featured on NAC in July
Amber McCrary’s favorite books:
“The Museum of Unnatural Histories” by Annie Wenstrup
“Mele” by Kalehua Kim
“Beyond the Glittering World: an Anthology of Indigenous Feminisms and Futurisms” edited by Stacie Shannon Denetsosie, Kinsale Drake and Darcie Little Badger
“Soft as Bones” by Chyana Marie Sage
Shawn Spruce’s favorite books:
“Hole in the Sky” by Daniel H. Wilson *featured on NAC in October
“Sisters in the Wind” by Angeline Boulley *featured on NAC in September
“We Survived the Night” by Julian Brave Noisecat *featured on NAC in October
“Stick Houses” by Matthew Fletcher *featured on NAC in June
Andi Murphy’s (NAC producer) favorite books:
“Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones *featured on NAC in October
“Punished” by Ann-Helén Laestadius *featured on NAC in February
“Broken Fields” by Marcie R. Rendon *featured on NAC in March
“Big Chief” by Jon Hickey
“Love is a War Song” by Danica Nava
“The Whistler” by Nick Medina *featured on NAC in October
“Hole in the Sky” by Daniel H. Wilson *featured on NAC in October
“Surviva: A Future Ancestral Field Guide” by Cannupa H. Luger *featured on NAC in October
Break 1 Music: 12 Days of Christmas (song) Carol Adams (artist) Heartbeat of the Holiday Season (album)
Break 2 Music: Coventry Carol (song) PIQSIQ (artist) Coventry Carol (album)
View all episodes
By Koahnic
4.8
156156 ratings
New York Times best-selling author Angeline Boulley (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) made a number of best-of-2025 lists with the third book in her series centered in the Ojibwe community, Sugar Island, titled “Sisters in the Wind.” Another favorite comes from young adult author and editor, Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee), who challenged more than a dozen other Native authors to imagine a Native future where a frybread eatery holds community and culture in the “Legendary Frybread Drive-In.” And renowned Potawatomi botanist and writer, Robin Wall Kimmerer tapped into the curiosity of young readers with her first children’s book “Bud Finds Her Gift.” They are among the Native works highlighted by our distinguished panel of reading enthusiasts. You can find their lists of favorite books of the year below.
GUESTS
Allison Waukau (Menominee and Navajo), American Indian Library Association member -at-large
Amber McCrary (Diné), writer and poet
Stacy Wells (Choctaw Nation), author and librarian
Allison Waukau’s favorite books:
“I Am on Indigenous Land” by Katrina M. Phillips
“We Survived the Night” by Julian Brave Noisecat *featured on NAC in October
“Sisters in the Wind” by Angeline Boulley *featured on NAC in September
“Across the Ice: How We Saved the Ojibwe Horse” by Darcy Whitecrow and Heather O’Connor
“Moon Song” by Michaela Goade
“Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones *featured on NAC in October
“Bud Finds Her Gift” by Robin Wall Kimmerer *featured on NAC in September
“Ishkode: A Story of Fire” by Evan Larson and Nisogaabokwe Melonee Montano and illustrated by Moira Villiard
Minnesota Lives series
Stacy Wells’ favorite books:
“The Others” by Cheryl Issacs (sequel to “The Unfinished”)
“Legendary Frybread Drive-In” edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith *featured on The Menu in August
“Faye and the Dangerous Journey: An Ojibwe Removal Survival Story” by Kim Sigafus
“The Summer of the Bone Horses” by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve *featured on NAC in July
Amber McCrary’s favorite books:
“The Museum of Unnatural Histories” by Annie Wenstrup
“Mele” by Kalehua Kim
“Beyond the Glittering World: an Anthology of Indigenous Feminisms and Futurisms” edited by Stacie Shannon Denetsosie, Kinsale Drake and Darcie Little Badger
“Soft as Bones” by Chyana Marie Sage
Shawn Spruce’s favorite books:
“Hole in the Sky” by Daniel H. Wilson *featured on NAC in October
“Sisters in the Wind” by Angeline Boulley *featured on NAC in September
“We Survived the Night” by Julian Brave Noisecat *featured on NAC in October
“Stick Houses” by Matthew Fletcher *featured on NAC in June
Andi Murphy’s (NAC producer) favorite books:
“Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones *featured on NAC in October
“Punished” by Ann-Helén Laestadius *featured on NAC in February
“Broken Fields” by Marcie R. Rendon *featured on NAC in March
“Big Chief” by Jon Hickey
“Love is a War Song” by Danica Nava
“The Whistler” by Nick Medina *featured on NAC in October
“Hole in the Sky” by Daniel H. Wilson *featured on NAC in October
“Surviva: A Future Ancestral Field Guide” by Cannupa H. Luger *featured on NAC in October
Break 1 Music: 12 Days of Christmas (song) Carol Adams (artist) Heartbeat of the Holiday Season (album)
Break 2 Music: Coventry Carol (song) PIQSIQ (artist) Coventry Carol (album)
More shows like Native America Calling
View all
Radiolab
43,837 Listeners
Freakonomics Radio
32,246 Listeners
The New Yorker Radio Hour
6,881 Listeners
Hidden Brain
43,687 Listeners
On the Media
9,238 Listeners
Democracy Now! Audio
5,825 Listeners
Reveal
8,471 Listeners
Here & Now Anytime
1,020 Listeners
On Being with Krista Tippett
10,387 Listeners
Code Switch
14,655 Listeners
Unreserved
125 Listeners
Emergence Magazine Podcast
507 Listeners
All My Relations Podcast
2,992 Listeners
The Red Nation Podcast
1,012 Listeners
Headlines From The Times
539 Listeners