14 books with ties to Kansas City, from Rob Riggle to Patty Prewitt
The memoir of a funny former Marine tops the list of options if you’re looking for new books with Kansas City connections that might make fun Christmas presents.
Comedian and actor Rob Riggle, who found fame and fortune in show business after attending Shawnee Mission South High School and the University of Kansas then serving 23 years in the Marines, has written “Grit, Spit, and Never Quit: A Marine’s Guide to Comedy and Life.”
Riggle has appeared in movies (“The Hangover,” “21 Jump Street”) and on television (“Saturday Night Live,” “The Daily Show”), and he is a co-founder and co-host of the Big Slick charity weekend in Kansas City.
Here are details on “Grit, Spit, and Never Quit” and 13 other books with local ties that might pique your interest.
14 books with ties to Kansas City
“Grit, Spit, and Never Quit: A Marine’s Guide to Comedy and Life” by Rob Riggle (Grand Central Publishing, released Nov. 11). Riggle has written a memoir about how his time as a Marine, during which he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel, prepared him for life. $30 from hachettebookgroup.com
“Trip” by Amie Barrodale (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, released Sept. 2). The New York Times calls it “brilliantly strange, funny and moving” and Publishers Weekly describes it as a “wild and quirky debut novel” from Barrodale, who lives in midtown KC with her author/husband Clancy Martin. $28 from us.macmillan.com
“Trying to Catch Lightning in a Jar: Letters from Prison” by Patty Prewitt (Some People Press, released May 7). Prewitt, who lives in Greenwood, was released in December 2024 at the age of 75 after having spent 38 years in Missouri prisons for a murder she says she didn’t commit. $20 from somepeoplepress.com
“Laid-Back Luxe: How to Create Aspirational and Attainable Living Spaces” by Tamara Day (Countryman Press, released Nov. 18). The Leawood resident and host of the Magnolia Network’s “Bargain Mansions” reveals the secrets to transforming your home according to your own style. $40 from wwnorton.com
“Heartland Masala: An Indian Cookbook from an American Kitchen” by Jyoti Mukharji and Auyon Mukharji (The Collective Book Studio, released Sept. 9). A Kansas City-area mother and son recreate 99 recipes from Indian cooking. $37.50 from thecollectivebook.studio
“Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder” by Rachel McCarthy James (St. Martin’s Press, released May 13). The Lawrence author also co-wrote “The Man From the Train” with her father, baseball statistics guru Bill James. $28 from us.macmillan.com
“How to Say Goodbye in Cuban” by Daniel Miyares (Anne Schwartz Books, released Sept. 30). This graphic novel from the Lenexa picture-book author and illustrator is based on the experiences of his father, who fled Communist Cuba. $21.99 from penguinrandomhouse.com
“Urban Education: Kansas City’s Central High School and the Enduring Legacy of Racism” by Bradley W. Poos (Mission Point Press, released Nov. 11). Poos is a professor at UMKC and associate director at the school’s Institute for Urban Education. $29.95 from missionpointpress.com
“Oldest Kansas City: A Guide to Historic Treasures” by Katy Schamberger (Reedy Press, released Sept. 1). Discover historical firsts, oldest places, longest-running businesses and more from Kansas City’s past and present. $22.50 from reedypress.com
“Step Up for Seconds, Kansas City!: A Feast of More Local Legends and Legacies” by Mary Don Beachy (Mission Point Press, released Nov. 1). This is the sequel to Beachy’s “Step Up to the Plate, Kansas City!,” which profiled nearly eighty prominent Kansas Citians and their favorite recipes. $39.95 from missionpointpress.com
“Stories From the Phog: Forty Years of Kansas Basketball” by Chelan David (University Press of Kansas, released Oct. 14). The Lawrence native and lifelong Jayhawks fan relives his experiences with KU basketball, starting with his first game in 1982. $24.99 from kansaspress.ku.edu
“The Team That History Forgot: The 1960s Kansas City Chiefs” by Rick Gosselin (University of Nebraska Press, released Nov. 1). Coach Andy Reid wrote the foreword to this recollection of the Chiefs’ early success, which included trips to two of the first four Super Bowls. $34.95 from nebraskapress.unl.edu
“Day After the Waste Land” by Will Averill with artwork by Kent Smith (Amacara Press, released Nov. 14). A reimagining of T.S. Eliot’s classic poem “The Waste Land” in the author’s hometown of Lawrence. $29.99. anamcara-press.com
“The Once and Future Queen: Deluxe Limited Edition (The Lives of Guinevere)” by Paula Lafferty (Erewhon Books, to be released Dec. 16). The Kansas City, Kansas, author wrote “La Vie De Guinevere,” which has been published in 10 countries and translated into eight languages. $32 from penguinrandomhouse.com
