Thriller/Mystery
The Land Grant, by Carlos Cisneros.
There’s litigation happening in Brownsville, Texas — a land-grant case pitting the heirs of a Spanish landowner against the Catholic Church. Thrills ensue.
Death’s Door, by James R. Benn.
An American monsignor is murdered in the Vatican during World War II. Can Lieutenant Billy Boyle make his way through enemy territory to crack the case?
The Cocktail Waitress, by James M. Cain.
Billed as “the lost novel” by Cain, who also wrote “Mildred Pierce” and “The Postman Always Rings Twice.”
American Studies
The American Dream, by Lawrence R. Samuel.
Think it’s always been a house, a car and two kids? Think again. The “American Dream” has been a fluid concept for centuries.
All in the Family, by Robert O. Self.
Civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights — the neoliberal movement has long roots, and Self digs through them thoroughly.
Ike’s Bluff, by Evan Thomas.
Was Eisenhower a lovable grandfather type — or a cold-hearted manipulator? Thomas makes a case for the latter.
Rock and Roll
How Music Works, by David Byrne.
The Talking Heads frontman and all-around cultural intellectual writes on music and what it means.
Rearview Mirror, by Alana Stewart.
The ex-wife of Rod Stewart (and George Hamilton, but who’s counting?) looks back on a life of struggle and triumph.
Up All Night, by Carol Miller.
She’s been on the air in New York for decades…she’s even in the Rock and Roll hall of fame. Here, she kisses, tells and spills juicy details.
Physiology
The Spark of Life, by Frances Ashcroft.
What role does electricity play in your body? A bigger one than you think.
The Science of Human Perfection, by Nathaniel Comfort.
How did genes move to the front of the line in medical research? Comfort explains.
