Fiction
An Analogous Thriller
‘River Rising’ By Athol DicksonPilotville, Louisiana, becomes a place of miracles when a stranger visits. But the stranger who performs miracles is searching for his earliest roots. He’s also helping to locate a missing young girl, and through her, the mysteries of the town will be revealed.
Trouble Is My Business
‘Raymond Chandler: The Library of America Edition’
By Raymond Chandler
Included in this grand collection of Chandler’s writings are all seven novels about Philip Marlowe, the hardboiled detective extraordinaire. There are also 13 short stories, the screenplay for “Double Indemnity,” and many of Chandler’s essays and letters. Marlowe is the guy you want when evil comes knocking and your world falls apart. He’s, as Chandler wrote in an essay, “a man of honor, by instinct, by inevitability, without thought of it.” Newcomers will delight in the tangled plots and diamond-sharp prose.
History
When Ancient Worlds Ended
‘1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed’ By Eric H. ClineJust after the 12th century B.C. started, every civilization around the Mediterranean Sea or Fertile Crescent—Minoans, Mycenaeans, Hittites, Mitanni, Assyrians, Babylonians—vanished. Egypt was plunged into chaos. Cline examines this upheaval, history’s first recorded dark age. The book is a short, comprehensive look at events leading up to the catastrophe. He uses the most recent archeological and historical evidence. While history, it reads like a mystery novel, revealing surprises throughout.
Economics
How the World Is Becoming Better
‘Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know: And Many Others You Will Find Interesting’ By Ronald Bailey and Marian L. TupyIs the world getting worse or better? Given the constant barrage of bad news, it’s easy to think things are going from bad to worse. You would be wrong, however, and this book explains why. Using objective data, it shows the ways the world is improving, especially over the past 72 years. This optimistic message bears examination by a wide audience, because even though we have problems, the authors identify areas we needn’t worry about.
Biography
Waiting for a Friend
‘Wednesdays With Wally: Adventures With the Old Man From the All-Night Restaurant’ By Claude E. HammondWally Carr was a fixture in and around the campus of the University of Kentucky in the early ’80s. He was elderly, and his appearance was disheveled. Perhaps he was a street person. Claude Hammond was a bright student about to graduate and enter the business world. Theirs was an unlikely friendship, but connecting was a gift to both.
Classics
‘As a Man Thinketh in His Heart So Is He’
‘As a Man Thinketh: The Original 1902 Edition’ By James AllenJames Allen’s treatise focuses on the power of our thoughts and how they can guide us toward perfection or toward “below the level of the beast.” He discusses the effects of our thinking on our character, circumstances, health, and purpose, and warns against the pursuit of money and worldly goods while neglecting the care of the spirit. He advocates for self-control, noble thoughts, and the pursuit of beauty and truth as the way to a good life. In his words, millions of readers have found hope, healing, and inspiration.
For Kids
Kid Versus Wilderness
‘Hatchet’ By Gary PaulsenBrian, 13 years old, survives a plane crash and faces the Canadian wilderness equipped only with the survival pack he discovers on the downed aircraft and the hatchet given to him by his mother. A great tale of adventure. Ages 9 and up.
Nature’s Miracles
‘To Be Like the Sun’ By Susan Marie SwansonA young girl nourishes a sunflower seed throughout its life cycle on its quest “to be like the sun.” Featuring simple illustrations, the young gardener’s diligence and appreciation for her seedling make this story a real standout.
