In South of Pico: African American Artists in Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s, Kellie Jones, MacArthur Fellow, illuminates the historic forces and migrations that gave rise to the groundbreaking black artists and artistic communities... Read More

Fat is not the antithesis of health, as this insightful book shows. "The Secret Life of Fat" by Sylvia Tara takes a fresh look at a taboo. The word “fat” is so often associated with succinct, negative labels like bad and gross. But... Read More

Anthony Aveni’s "Apocalyptic Anxiety" is an astute and engaging guide to the many themes and variations of apocalyptic thinking in American history. Whether the end is envisioned as a religious second coming or the realization of a... Read More

Frank Soos points his lance at the windmills of the human condition and offers some solace. In "Unpleasantries", Frank Soos presents a self-consciously messy collection of essays—essays being, he says, a naturally messy form of... Read More

Passion for his Italian heritage and its food routed Bill Abruzzo out of his lawyer’s suits and into chef’s whites. He has traveled widely and often to the Italian peninsula, retracing the youthful foodcentric vacations he shared... Read More

Characters in fantastical settings teach preteen readers about the value of forging your own way in life. Steve Michael Reedy offers fables and fairy tales that are at once timeless and contemporary in his story collection Tales for Your... Read More

Conquistador Voices is an interesting and wide-ranging look at a critical period in history. In a two-volume work, Kevin H. Siepel offers a comprehensive look at the Spanish conquest of the Americas through the eyes of those who... Read More

Set during a pivotal time in Europe, this thriller is a vivid mix of political intrigue, religious fanaticism, and cold-blooded murder. The sixth book in Sam Eastland’s Inspector Pekkala crime series moves deftly back and forth between... Read More