If you're looking for some good end-of-year reading, look no further. Here are our staff members' favorite books of 2018:

"How Do We Look: The Body, the Divine, and the Question of Civilisation"
By Mary Beard

Who decides what's "primitive," or what's "civilized"? How do we decide to depict God — or not? In her new book, classics scholar Mary Beard shows that how we look at art is how we look at ourselves, each other and our world. — Lisa Williams, audience engagement editor

"Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968"
By Ryan H. Walsh

Walsh tells us the story of Boston in 1968, and Van Morrison’s time here and the events and recordings that led to the creation of the Morrison's album “Astral Weeks.” It is a well-researched and illuminating look at the Boston Underground scene, set against the backdrop of that tumultuous year. This is a great story of “a time and place” and the legends of the Boston Underground. “Astral Weeks” is not just a book about music, but also a history book, as told through the stories of some of the key characters of the time. — John Ryan, manager of business development

"The Browns of California: The Family Dynasty that Transformed a State and Shaped a Nation"
By Miriam Pawel

This is the story of one family’s journey from the time California was founded through its transformation into the world's fifth-largest economy. Former California Gov. Edmund G. “Pat” Brown and his son, current California Gov. Jerry Brown, serve as the book's protagonists, which reads more like Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” than Woodward’s “All the President’s Men.” While the usual cast of political characters like Ronald Reagan, the Kennedy brothers and Bill Clinton all make appearances, the book is notable for its departure from the hum-drum of Washington and gives readers a first-hand look at the inner workings of California politics and culture. The book manages to capture the spirit and tenor of the 1960s and '70s and also explains how California developed its famous, iconoclastic culture, which sometimes makes it feel more like another nation than a state in the union. — Arjun Singh, production assistant, Boston Public Radio

"The Escape Artist"
By Brad Meltzer

Brad is an amazing writer and a New York Times best-selling author, who had incredible access to the morgue at Dover Air Force Base when he wrote his newest thriller. Meltzer had me rooting for the two main characters, Nola Brown and mortician Jim "Zig" Zigarowski, right from the onset of this plot, which includes political intrigue and the mystery of Houdini. — Marilyn Schairier, radio producer

"Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World — and Why Things Are Better Than You Think"
By Hans Rosling

Rosling shatters the notion of the developed versus developing worlds by dividing humankind into a gradation of four income groups, each with their own distinct challenges. The book opens readers' eyes to positive global trends over the past several decades, including the stabilization of birth rates, an increase in life expectancy and a decrease in destitute poverty. The book’s optimistic hypothesis is a particularly strong antidote for anyone overwhelmed by a barrage of bad news. — Sam Brewer, assistant director of media relations

"Chasing Hillary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling"
By Amy Chozick

This is one of the most personal, perceptive, and penetrating political books published in recent years. Its intense subjectivity is its ultimate strength. As you get to know and trust Chozick, you develop a deep respect for her judgment. A double dose of tension energizes the book. The clash between Chozick’s professional and personal lives provide a counterpoint to the truly schizophrenic riptide that menaced the private and public Clinton. By the end of “Chasing Hillary,” you get a close-up view of the cut-throat world of political journalism and its even nastier corollary media manipulation. You will understand not just why but how Clinton lost and watch an ambitious young reporter teach herself how to become a national journalist of the first rank — without losing her soul. — Peter Kadzis, senior editor

"The Great Alone"
By Kristin Hannah

This book takes place in the wilds of Alaska and focuses on the story of a young girl whose tormented father relocates his family to a deserted part of the world in order to find peace. It’s an adventure tale, a story about family relationships and an insight into the beauty of and desolate nature of Alaska. — Linda Polach, director of the WGBH Studios at the Boston Public Library

"Blood & Ivy: The 1849 Murder That Scandalized Harvard"
By Paul Collins

I’m new to Boston so I have been enjoying reading up on Boston history and neighborhoods. So far, this has been my favorite. It reads like a murder mystery, which is really what it is. But it is also a fascinating look at Harvard in the 1800s and the primitive — even barbaric — roots of the medical school. The “vault” beneath the laboratory where dissected body parts are dumped for decomposition; the grisly trade in purloined cadavers; and the nation’s first criminal case to feature dental remains as evidence. (Trigger warning: people who get squeamish about mutilated human bodies may find some – or really nearly all—of this book distasteful). The book seems to peter out rather than end with a bang, but it was nevertheless a very enjoyable and well-told journey through time. — Paul Singer, investigations editor

"Buy Me, Boston: Local Ads & Flyers, 1960s-1980s"
Curated by Brian Coleman

This book features vintage advertisements, posters and fliers that will take any old Bostonian down memory lane and show newcomers what Boston was like during the hippie days of the 1960s, the punk rock of the '70s and the alternative rock of the '80s. The images have been scanned from original sources, and everything was compiled and curated by journalist Brian Coleman. — Henry Santoro, radio producer/announcer

"This Land: America, Lost and Found"
By Dan Barry

This collection of Barry's stories reminded me how much I’ve missed his "This Land" column in The New York Times. At a time when a lot of us get our news from Facebook and analysts talking to each other on screens on cable news, Barry reminds all of us that the best stories are found in the field, talking to people where they live and work. It also reminds us that Barry is one of the best writers and storytellers in the business. — Kirk Carapezza, managing editor, Higher Education

"The Strange Case of Dr. Couney: How a Mysterious European Showman Saved Thousands of Babies"
By Dawn Raffel

"The Strange Case of Dr. Couney: How a Mysterious European Showman Saved Thousands of Babies" dives into the history of how Dr. Couney (not actually a doctor) popularized neonatal incubators by putting premature babies on display in Coney Island and at World's Fairs. It was a fascinating historical non-fiction book that reads like novel, much like the style of Erik Larson's "Devil in the White City." — Marc Filippino, associate producer, Innovation Hub

"Motherhood"
By Sheila Heti

This is a novel exploring the meaning of parenting from the perspective of a late-30s narrator still unsure if she wants children. Heti brings together a group of women, a lover, and a self-aware narrator, who struggles with the cultural expectations of womanhood, the sacrifice tied to the word “mom,” and the loss of possibilities in both motherhood and childlessness. The novel is sharp and funny, while still being intimate and tender in its examination of what it means to be or not to be a mother. — Lauren Jo Alicandro, digital associate producer

For more coverage of great books, be sure to watch the numerous authors featured in the “Talks for Book Lovers” recorded by WGBH’s Forum Network, with recent additions from Nell Painter, Roxanne Gay, Gary Pomerantz, Chris Hedges, Laura van den Berg, Andrew Morton, Ted Rall, and many more.