Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for Nov. 17–23

Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for Nov. 17–23
Dustin Bass
Jeff Minick
Anita L. Sherman
Barbara Danza
Updated:
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This week, we feature an uplifting collection of micro-stories to help you start your day and a “he-ARRR-ty” anthology of swashbuckling pirate adventures.

Essays

When Vaghese Mathai first began teaching, his college asked student volunteers to open the class with a devotional, a brief statement to set the stage for the class. Students were reluctant to volunteer. Mr. Mathai began giving it. His openings were so fascinating that students took his classes to hear his opening statements. This book collects 101 of his micro-stories in a short volume. It is a collection of meditations on the human condition. Each is a gem worth reading, rereading, and pondering.

Pippa Rann Books, 2022, 296 pages

Nonfiction

In 2014, Sarah Ogilvie was visiting the Oxford Dictionary Archives when she discovered James Murray’s black book wherein this intrepid editor had recorded the names and addresses of thousands of volunteer contributors to the greatest English dictionary ever written. Ms. Ogilvie then spent years tracking down the histories of these often eccentric “unsung heroes.” The result is this sparkling, witty collection of their stories. Logophiles especially will delight in this remarkable saga.

Knopf, 2023, 384 pages

History

1066. The Battle of Hastings. William the Conqueror. The time, place. and person may be familiar to us, but how did all three ultimately converge to bring about a history-altering and world-shaping moment? In Mr. Hollway’s latest work, he guides the reader through nearly a century of history where Vikings, Normans, and Anglo-Saxons fight for England’s throne. Exhaustively researched, easy to follow, adding descriptions of violence and tinges of humor, this is how history books should be written.

Osprey Publishing, 2023, 432 pages

Historical Fiction

The Little Wartime LibraryBy Kate Thompson

Based on the true story of a library created in London during World War II, the novel tells of the Bethnal Green tube station, which was turned into the country’s only underground library. Feisty branch librarian Clara Button creates a safe place where factory workers and children can find solace as the bombs fall aboveground. She and her incorrigible best friend Ruby Munroe pledge to remain strong in the face of adversity, and they’re sorely tested when the lives of their loved ones are imperiled.

Forever, 2023, 480 pages

Classics

If you see yourself as a seagoing swashbuckler or if you simply enjoy the old-time tales of corsairs and buried doubloons, you’ve come to the right book. Besides “Treasure Island,” you’ll find Jack London’s “Tales of the Fish Patrol,” J.M. Barrie’s “Peter and Wendy,” Bret Hart’s “The Queen of Pirate Isle,” and seven other classic adventures of freebooters and buccaneers. Heads up, shipmates: Daniel Defoe’s 1720 “The King of the Pirates” appears in the syntax and spelling of his day. Arrrr!

Independently Published, 2020, 742 pages

For Kids

Earl the SquirrelBy Don Freeman

From the author of “Corduroy,” “Earl the Squirrel” is an adventuresome delight. Earl’s mother thinks it’s high time he learns to gather his own acorns. So, Earl sets out to show his mom he can do it, facing ups and downs along the way. Light-hearted and fun, it’s just right for this time of year when squirrels are likely just outside the window.

Puffin Books, 2007, 48 pages
Dustin Bass is an author and co-host of The Sons of History podcast. He also writes two weekly series for The Epoch Times: Profiles in History and This Week in History.
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