True-crime writer Robert Dudley meanders through the dark side of the Chippewa Valley’s past in Cold Cases of West-Central Wisconsin, which poll participants named the best local book released in 2018. In A History of Eau Claire, Wisconsin —  Volume 1: The Lumbering Era, Brian Blakeley takes readers on a journey through the early history of our fair city. Third place went to author B.J. Hollars for his quest to elevate the stories of those who lived through a pivotal moment of the Civil Rights Movement in The Road South: Personal Stories of the Freedom Riders. All of these excellent works can be found at the Local Store, so don’t forget to support your local writers! — Katy Hackworthy