Every year, the Library of Michigan and Library of Michigan Foundation (via a committee of librarians, retail booksellers, journalists, and readers) awards 20 books—both fiction and non-fiction—a place on the Michigan Notable Books list. This very special recognition goes to titles written about Michigan or the Great Lakes region by a Michigan author. We’re excited to announce that this year, the Zingerman’s Bakehouse book by Bakehouse co-managing partners Amy Emberling and Frank Carollo made the list!

“Frank and I were particularly pleased with this recognition,” says Amy. “It was a total surprise, and it felt good because it came from the local community. It’s meaningful for us!”

The 2018 list includes a wide range of books, from a biography of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie and history of the Detroit uprising of 1967 to a collection of poems inspired by Great Lakes shipwrecks and a coming-of-age novel. Zingerman’s Bakehouse was one of only two books centered on food and drink—the other was Brewed in Michigan: The Golden Age of Brewing in the Great Beer State by William Rapai. While the cookbook tells the story of the Bakehouse with over 60 of our most popular items, regional classics, like pasties and Detroit-style pizza (along with the Polish-American Midwestern favorite paczki), are also featured.

Announced earlier this year, the award winners were celebrated at the 2018 Night of Notables on April 9 at the Library of Michigan in Lansing.  The keynote presentation of the night was a discussion with Pulitzer Prize and Michigan Notable Book recipient Richard Ford, the author of 12 books, including Independence Day and Canada. Monica McFawn, also a Michigan Notable Book author, moderated the talk.

The experience was memorable for Amy, who says she felt extremely honored to be included in such an esteemed group of, as she joked, “real writers”. However, she says that the most exciting part of the award is that she and Frank have the opportunity to tour Michigan libraries—most recently the pair visited Parchment Community Library, and they’ll follow that up with appearances at Bellaire Public Library May 18, Dearborn’s Henry Ford Centennial Library May 22, and Saline District Library June 11.

Check out the video: