Bookshelf

(Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2022).
This book tells the untold stories of ordinary people who did extraordinary things in defense of liberty and freedom. “On D-Day, when transport planes dropped paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions hopelessly off-target into marshy waters in northwestern France, the 900 villagers of Graignes welcomed them with open arms,” notes the publisher. “These villagers — predominantly women — provided food, gathered intelligence, and navigated the floods to retrieve the paratroopers' equipment at great risk to themselves. When the attack by German forces on 11 June forced the overwhelmed paratroopers to withdraw, many made it to safety thanks to the help and resistance of the villagers.” This book is the author/historian’s 13th and is especially close to his heart. His father was one of the D-Day paratroopers.

(Lake Mary, Fla.: Impact Publishing, 2022).
In this powerful memoir, Bressler reveals the devastating secrets of his childhood that range from surviving sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, to escaping the addiction to which he succumbed at a young age. “Through a transformational story that emphasizes the importance of dismantling the victim mentality, Bressler challenges his readers to venture through the pain of their past so that they might take radical responsibility for their future,” notes the publisher.

(New York: SelectBooks, 2022).
Global warming, gun violence, political animosity, economic insecurity, COVID-19. Given these uncertain and troubling times, it’s no surprise that anxiety levels are high. In his latest book, Meade offers a solution — the Transcendental Meditation program as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. “This may at first seem like a novel approach to the issue, but studies on the effects of Transcendental Meditation on the mental states of its practitioners have been ongoing for over 50 years, and the findings are conclusive: Transcendental Meditation can have a real and powerful positive impact on our mental health, especially in terms of mitigating anxiety, stress, and depression,” notes the author, who has taught the practice to thousands in places ranging from his Los Angeles home to Tanzania, South Korea, and Nepal.

(Albuquerque, N.M.: High Road Books/University of New Mexico Press, 2022).
From the publisher: “I Got Mine: Confessions of a Midlist Writer is the memoir of Nichols’ extraordinary life, as seen through the lens of his writing. Everything that went into making him a writer and eventually found an outlet in his work — his education, family, wives, children, friends, enemies, politics, and place — is told from the point of view of his daily practice of writing. Beginning with his first novel, The Sterile Cuckoo, published in 1965 when he was just 24, Nichols shares his highs and lows: his ambivalent relationship with money; his growing disenchantment with the hypocrisy of capitalism; and his love-hate relationship with Hollywood — including the years-long struggle of working with director Robert Redford on the film version of The Milagro Beanfield War, which was filmed around Truchas and featured many of Nichols’ northern New Mexico neighbors. Throughout I Got Mine Nichols spins a shining thread connecting his lifelong engagement with progressive political causes, his passionate interest in and identification with ordinary people, and his deep connection to the land.”

(Chicago: Why Not Books, 2022).
After his daughter’s accused murderer is found not guilty, Bart Steele decides to seek justice his own way … but at what cost? “In this tale of revenge, justice, denial, and redemption, Bart moves into his new life as an avenger,” the publisher notes. “An ever-faithful follower of local crime news, he dedicates himself to righting other wrongs, giving other families the closure he so craved.” In this fast-paced thriller with a surprise ending, Bart faces pressure from the police and criminals alike as he navigates his vigilante lifestyle.

(New York: Knopf/Penguin Random House, 2021).
Named a “book to read” by Fortune magazine, this book explores not only the future of where we work, but how we work. “Based on groundbreaking reporting and interviews with workers and managers around the world, Out of Office illuminates the key values and questions that should be driving this conversation: trust, fairness, flexibility, inclusive workplaces, equity, and work-life balance,” the publisher notes. “Above all, they argue that companies need to listen to their employees – and that this will promote, rather than impede, productivity and profitability.” Warzel writes the newsletter “Galaxy Brain” for The Atlantic, where he is a contributing writer.

(New York: Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins, 2022).
From the author of the Case Closed series and three other books for young readers comes the first in a new middle-grade fantasy series. “Full of action, adventure, and friendship, a team of five girls must stop a powerful villain by finding their mythical familiars,” notes the publisher. Beautifully illustrated by Mirelle Ortega, this book invites readers to join these dynamic girls with mysterious powers as they fight to earn their “Mythies” and save their home, Terrafamiliar.

(Boston: Beacon Press, 2022).
Meet Sadia, a bright, spirited Somali Bantu teenager who rebels against her formidable mother; Ali, an Iraqi translator who creates a home with a divorced American woman but is still traumatized by war; and Mersiha, a hard-working Bosnian who dreams of opening a café.

(Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press/Random House: 2021).

Throw out that long grocery list. This cookbook, named one of the best of the year by The Washington Post, features 60 recipes that deliver mouth-watering results “in five, four, three … or, yep, even two ingredients,” notes the publisher.

(Villanova, Pa.: Connelly Press, 2022).

This book of two novellas offers what one reviewer describes as ”poignant portraits of aging men, their fears and strengths, and earned love. Groome is all about the narrative.” Set in the Adirondacks, “Giant of the Valley” is a tale of a family struggling with the encroaching dementia of its aging patriarch. “The Witness” is the story of Jusuf Kurtovic, who pays a horrendous price to protect his Muslim granddaughters during the Bosnian War.