WAYNE F. MILLER: PHOTOGRAPHS 1942-1958
PowerHouse; $55
A long-overdue tribute to a Chicago-born photographer whose images of Bronzeville families and 1940s reefer parties leap from the page with as much gusto as his action shots from the Second World War. Edited by the Chicago gallerist Stephen Daiter

MILES FROM NOWHERE
Riverhead; $21.95
A debut novel from Nami Mun, a promising new arrival on Chicago’s literary scene. (She recently moved to Chicago to teach at Columbia College.) The book centers on a teenage protagonist, who, emotionally abandoned by her Korean parents, seeks solace by joining New York’s drug-addled runaway culture.

THE THIN BLACK LINE
Forge; $25.95
Before his death, the novelist Hugh Holton, a 29-year Chicago Police Department veteran, interviewed fellow African American police officers and turned their observations into a book. Released for the first time in honor of Black History Month, the collection of captivating accounts from 28 male and female officers (11 from Chicago) made us laugh, cry, gasp, cringe, and—above all—reflect on their struggles and dedication.  

Photography: Michael Boone Photography