Greater St. Cloud is home to many fantastic chefs, musicians, artists, business owners, and even book authors! Check out this list of local reads by St. Cloud area authors, plus some that take place right here!
The Quarry Girls
Author: Set in the Greater St. Cloud Area, The Quarry Girls is an unforgettable novel from the popular Minnesota author, Jess Lourey.
Synopsis from Amazon: Killers hiding in plain sight. Small-town secrets. A girl who knows too much. From the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Unspeakable Things and Bloodline comes a nerve-twisting novel inspired by a shocking true crime.
Minnesota, 1977. For the teens of one close-knit community, summer means late-night swimming parties at the quarry, the county fair, and venturing into the tunnels beneath the city. But for two best friends, it’s not all fun and games.
Heather and Brenda have a secret. Something they saw in the dark. Something they can’t forget. They’ve decided to never tell a soul. But their vow is tested when their friend disappears—the second girl to vanish in a week. And yet the authorities are reluctant to investigate.
Heather is terrified that the missing girls are connected to what she and Brenda stumbled upon that night. Desperately searching for answers on her own, she learns that no one in her community is who they seem to be. Not the police, not the boys she met at the quarry, not even her parents. But she can’t stop digging because she knows those girls are in danger.
She also knows she’s next.
Purchase on Amazon here.
Slavery’s Reach: Southern Slaveholders in the North Star State
Author: Christopher P. Lehman is a professor of Ethnic Studies at St. Cloud State University. Slavery’s Reach is a nonfiction book set in Minnesota.
Synopsis from Amazon: From the 1840s through the end of the Civil War, leading Minnesotans invited slaveholders and their wealth into the free territory and free state of Minnesota, enriching the area’s communities and residents. Dozens of southern slaveholders and 
people raised in slaveholding families purchased land and backed Minnesota businesses. Slaveholders’ wealth was invested in some of the state’s most significant institutions and provided a financial foundation for several towns and counties. And the money generated by Minnesota investments flowed both ways, supporting some of the South’s largest plantations.
Minnesotans eagerly catered to this source of investment. Politicians and officeholders like Henry Sibley, Henry Rice, and Sylvanus Lowry worked for a slaveholder; the latter two recruited wealthy southern slaveholders to invest in property. Six hundred residents of the new state of Minnesota petitioned the legislature to make slavery legal for vacationing southerners who brought with them enslaved men and women “as body servants, for their comfort and convenience” while they escaped the summer heat of the South.
Through careful research in obscure records, censuses, newspapers, and archival collections, Christopher Lehman has brought to light this hidden history of northern complicity in building slaveholder wealth.
Purchase on Amazon here.
Nice Girls and Other Stories
Author: Cezarija Abartis is a professor at St. Cloud State University where she teaches English and specializes in Greek and Roman literature and fiction writing.
Synopsis from Amazon: Here are stories about girls and women–children, students, teachers, wives, mothers, and daughters—navigating cultural and romantic minefields. Told with humor and insight, many stories take place in the 1950s and 1960s and are filled with rich details from those eras.
Purchase on Amazon here.
Sharp Women: Embrace Your Intuition, Build Your Situational Awareness, and Live Life Unafraid
Author: Kelly Sayre lives in St. Cloud with her family and Great Dane.
Synopsis from Amazon: For years, women’s self-defense courses have focused on handling physical altercations, while domestic violence advocacy has circled around helping women who are already in abusive relationships. Meanwhile, the statistics on violence committed against women have remained stagnant for decades. It’s time to make a change. 
As a woman, you have unbelievable intuition skills. You notice when a loved one is “off.” You feel the vibe or energy of a place. Your amazing instincts help you take care of others. What if you could use these natural abilities to build your situational awareness and avoid a physical
fight? What if you could learn to recognize the red-flag behaviors and get safe before the violence starts?
Now, you can! In Sharp Women, Kelly Sayre breaks down ways for women to deal with everyday situations using their best self-defense weapon—their intuition. In this book, you’ll discover how to sharpen your natural skills, build a solid plan to protect yourself, and move forward through your life with confidence.
Purchase on Amazon here.
Three Cups of Tea
Author: Greg Mortenson of St. Cloud, MN
Synopsis from Amazon: Anyone who despairs of the individual’s power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson’s quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.
Purchase on Amazon here.
Resolute Heart, Murder in Wasilla, Escape to Alaska
Author: Mary Wasche of Sartell, MN
- “Escape to Alaska”: The perfect blend of crime thriller, love story, and uniquely Alaskan setting with cultural insights never before revealed in a story like this.
- “Murder in Wasilla”: A chilling tale of crime and romance in small town Alaska.
- “Resolute Heart”: Rich historical detail weaves throughout this Civil War era tale of romance, lost love, and suspense.
Found on Kindle or Amazon here.
The Children Remember by Sharon Schulte
Author: Sharon Schulte of St. Cloud, MN
Review from North Star Press: “Through photographs, interviews, and personal reflections, Sharon Schulte documents the moving and thought-provoking account of the brave children of Minnesota, who in their own way, served our country during World War II. Their stories demonstrate great resolve, sacrifice, and patriotism, helping illuminate the unique circumstances and struggles that have so keenly defined this great generation of Americans.” – Mary Pawlenty, Former First Lady of Minnesota
Purchase on Amazon here.
Minnesota 13: From Grain to Glass 
Author: Elaine Davis of St. Cloud, MN
Synopsis from Goodreads.com: Welcome to the quite wet Prohibition era of Stearns County- a highly fermented era when according to author Elaine Davis , Nearly 100% of the residents of some areas were involved in the illicit liquor trade, speakeasies reigned with the full support of local citizenry, and local Minnesota 13 brew enjoyed a national reputation. Intertwining insights ranging from ethnicity and religious faith to law enforcement, geography, farm economics and regional history , Davis provides a portrait of those whisky-fueled lawless days that offer both a cautionary tale and an entertaining history lesson. Davis even provides a convenient recipe for Minnesota 13 Moonshine just in case they decide to bring Prohibition back once again.
Find online to borrow at Great River Regional Library here.
From Somalia to Snow, What Color is my Hijab
Author: Hudda Ibrahim of St. Cloud
From Somalia to Snow (from huddaibrahim.com): At a time when United States citizens are being told to fear their Muslim neighbors, where does the truth lie? In this powerful book, Hudda Ibrahim unpacks the immigration narrative of Somali Americans and explains why nearly 20 percent have chosen to settle in Minnesota. From Somalia to Snow gives readers an invaluable insider’s look into the lives and culture of our Somali neighbors and the important challenges they face. Designed with a diverse audience in mind, this book is a must-read for students, health-care professionals, business owners, social service agencies, and anyone who wants to better understand Somali people in Minnesota.
What Color is my Hijab (from huddaibrahim.com): “What Color is My Hijab?” is a children’s book written to inspire young people to achieve great things. This book is about more than just the hijab, it’s about teaching children the importance of diversity. It is also about how young girls can wear the headscarf and be somebody—be creative, smart, professional women when they grow up.
Lula Wants to Wear a Badge (from huddaibrahim.com): On the first day of first grade, the teacher asks students what they want to be when they grow up. Lula proudly stands and says, “I want to be a cop.” She feels defeated when the kids laugh at the young, black Muslim girl and tell her girls can’t be police officers––but not for long! Find out how members of the local police department save the day in Lula Wants to Wear a Badge. 
Diverse Voices Press is a St. Cloud publishing company created by Hudda Ibrahim and her husband, Abdi Mahad. Diverse Voices Press is “an independent publishing company and social enterprise based in Minnesota, with a mission to publish inclusive books by underrepresented voices.” You can learn more about Diverse Voices Press here.
Read the MPR article about Diverse Voices Press here.
Purchase books here.
BONUS: Killing Time in St. Cloud by Judith Guest and Rebecca Hill
Synopsis from Amazon: Nick Uhler returns to St. Cloud after a lengthy absence, becomes ensnared with members of the prominent Carmody family, and soon three murders, family feuds, and dark secrets threaten the town’s very fabric.
Purchase from Amazon here.
Shop Local! Purchase gently used books from every genre you can think of at Books Revisited. They even have a section online for Minnesota authors! Check out their online shop here.