In a dusky, snowy forest close to town, the world seems quiet, but life still stirs. If you pay attention, the narrator knows, you’ll see the signs: follow the orange flash of the fox, jumping, tracking other burrowing creatures... Read More

Fred Scharmen’s "Space Forces" charts the history of ideas about space travel and living in outer space. What do interplanetary aspirations say about societies, and what ramifications does space exploration have back on Earth? From the... Read More

In Elif Shafak’s "The Island of Missing Trees", a father and daughter reconnect after years of secrecy and a devastating loss. Ada has only ever known her parents: her father, Kostas, and her mother, Defne, who died. Her other... Read More

The origins of the conspiracy theories that permeate modern American politics are revealed in Edward H. Miller’s biography of Robert Welch, "A Conspiratorial Life". Born into a family of North Carolina farmers who fought in the... Read More

A stunning example of wordless storytelling, this picture book follows a single act of kindness as it changes lives throughout a city—before coming back around. A distressed woman packs up her lunch and heads out to hang posters for... Read More

Don and Petie Kladstrup’s "Champagne Charlie" is the enjoyable biography of Charles Heidsieck, a dazzling, daring, and adroit French champagne merchant who risked his life and limbs to sell his esteemed bubbly to Americans in the... Read More

A. K. Brackob’s detailed biography chronicles the little-known life of Vlad Dracul—the father of Vlad the Impaler. The literary vampire Dracula has captured the imagination of generations of horror readers. Brackob reveals that Bram... Read More

Karen Walrond’s The Lightmaker’s Manifesto issues a rousing call to get involved in changing the world without destroying one’s self. Concerned with selflessness and sacrifice, this book also emphasizes self-care, which is vital... Read More