Nonfiction
‘The Novel, Who Needs It?’
By Joseph Epstein
Packed into this short book are musings on serious novels, their history, and their enormous influence on the human mind and heart, as well as a fine analysis of today’s enemies of fiction, including our digital distractions and our therapeutic age of happiness and self-esteem. The author of numerous books and hundreds of essays—many of them about literature—the 86-year-old Epstein brings us his usual fine writing, insights, and wit. As to his question, the short answer is that we all do, especially now.
Classics
Some of these stories, such as “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” and “What Men Live By,” may be familiar to readers, but others are gems awaiting discovery. Many reflect Tolstoy’s interest in the Christian faith and the Russian peasant. His tight, crisp language delights the eye and ear, and though his people and places are far removed from our own time, their thinking and emotions are part of all of us. As in his novels, he pierces beneath the exterior of society deep into the human heart.
History
‘Taking Flight: The Foundations of American Commercial Aviation, 1918–1938’
By M. Houston Johnson V
Today, secure that we will arrive swiftly and safely, we go to the airport, hop a jet, and fly anywhere in the nation. In 1919, commercial air travel involved constant fear because of the danger of a violent death. This book explores how—between the end of World War I and the start of World War II—commercial aviation began its transition to a safe, effective mode of transportation with an infrastructure still used today. The author offers a fascinating look at the infancy of American aviation.
Fiction
‘Miracles’
By John Coleman
Jaime Halasz is a young, ambitious reporter working for a newspaper in Atlanta. The city experiences a series of strange, seemingly natural phenomena that leave people awestruck and puzzled. Coverage gets more complicated when a boy is saved from drowning by a man who walked on water. As the unexplained happenings continue, Halasz’s job is to track down the “miracle man” behind them. Skepticism and spirituality are explored as what is inconceivable becomes real. What will it take to believe?
Biography
‘President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier’
By C.W. Goodyear
Who knew? James A. Garfield was arguably the most accomplished president in American history. Of course, it wasn’t his presidency that was great, as it was cut tragically short by an assassin’s bullet. It was Garfield’s rise from absolute poverty to the highest office in the land that is so incomparable. This is a work that journeys through the oft-forgotten political landscape of the Gilded Age. Goodyear has written an eloquent and thoroughly researched biography of a truly great American.
For Kids
A chronological exploration of the history of Britain provides an outline of some of the most familiar and significant events and characters in history. This storybook-like collection offers a good jumping-off point to understanding the context and influence of this important region. The gorgeous illustrations by P.J. Lynch make it a must have.
