Fiction
Love and Insanity in North Korea
‘The Orphan Master’s Son’ By Adam JohnsonBasing his novel on his months of experience in North Korea and his knowledge of the Kim dynasty’s obsession with film, Adam Johnson created an unforgettable and Pulitzer Prize-winning tale about love and sacrifice within the cruel and insane world that is North Korea.
Looking for Love and Proof of God
‘The Second Coming’ By Walker PercyTold with Percy’s unique take on our modern absurdities, this novel features Will Barrett, a widower living in North Carolina, who’s so depressed that he no longer wants to live. After a long night of the soul spent in a cave, Will is rescued by Allison, a fugitive from a mental hospital who has recently come into his life. The two soon find that they can help each other. There’s more here than a love story: Themes of alienation, mental illness, and theology are delivered with a great, goofy sense of humor.
History
Pioneering Allied Airborne Operations
‘Churchill’s Shadow Raiders: The Race to Develop Radar, World War II’s Invisible Secret Weapon’ By Damien LewisThe British developed airborne forces in 1940. Lewis offers an exciting tale about the first two combat operations by British paratroopers. It combines these stories with a look at the “Wizard War,” the battle between Britain and Germany for electronics superiority. The first operation attempted to destroy an aqueduct in Italy. The other destroyed a German radar station and secretly carried off the radar for intelligence analysis, a mission that certainly changed the course of the war.
Science
Landing on Their Feet
‘Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics’ By Gregory J. GburDo cats always land on their feet? While not universally true, this saying proves generally so. But why? The cat-owner/scientist answers the question. He blends whimsy with the history of technology, the development of physics, and cat curiosities to explain why cats land on their feet. This is a fun book, as much about scientific research and the multitudinous implications of the cat-righting reflex as it is about falling cats.
Espionage
Unmasking China’s Secret Intent
‘Spies and Lies: How China’s Greatest Covert Operations Fooled the World’ By Alex JoskeDecades ago, Western governments were lulled into a false sense of security when it came to China. China appeared open to reform, eager to explore economic opportunities, exchange cultural ideas, and encourage business collaborations. Patiently, China has been cleverly changing attitudes and becoming a master at the influence game.
Classics
Great Things, Small Packages
‘Great Short Poems: Selections by Shakespeare, Burns, Wordsworth, Shelley, Whitman, Dickinson, Frost, Dunbar and Many Others’ Edited by Paul NegriFor a bargain basement price, Negri gives us more than 150 masterpieces of English and American verse, all of them 24 lines or less, and most much shorter. These poems by the likes of Shakespeare, Richard Lovelace, Robert and Elizabeth Browning, and Langston Hughes have appeared in countless anthologies, but here they are gathered into a single, short collection. This is the perfect little book to keep in the den for a quick burst of inspiration, or give to a lit-smitten teenager for a stocking-stuffer or graduation gift.
For Kids
Helping Your Child Eat Veggies
‘I Can’t Eat This Stuff: How to Get Your Toddler to Eat Their Vegetables’ By Liz FletcherLouie is a little elephant who’s not a fan of vegetables. But when the vegetables explain that they’re the fuel of superheroes, he tries them out and feels their superpowers working on him. Illustrated by Greg Bishop. Grades K–2.
Charming Tall Tales
‘McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm’ By Sid FleischmanJosh McBroom thinks his 80-acre farm was a bargain until he discovers each acre is stacked atop one another at the bottom of a pond. When the soil’s richness reveals itself, a fantastical story sprouts, leaving readers in stitches.
