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History and Current Events
April 2026

Recent Releases
The Price of Mercy: Unfair Trials, a Violent System, and a Public Defender's Search for...
by Emily Galvin Almanza

Co-founder and executive director of Partners for Justice and former public defender Emily Galvin Almanza presents a thought-provoking and incisive examination of the failures of the American criminal justice system and offers solutions for reform. For fans of: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander; Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.
Kennedy's Coup: A White House Plot, a Saigon Murder, and America's Descent Into Vietnam
by Jack Cheevers

In his richly detailed latest, political reporter Jack Cheevers (Act of War) utilizes previously unavailable government documents to chronicle the Kennedy administration's role in the 1963 ousting and assassination of South Vietnam president Ngo Dinh Diem. Try this next: All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror by Stephen Kinzer.
Mafia: A Global History
by Ryan Gingeras

Historian Ryan Gingeras' (The Last Days of the Ottoman Empire) sweeping account surveys the origins and exploits of organized crime syndicates throughout the world, including the Mafia, yakuza, triad, and more. Try this next: Naples 1343: The Unexpected Origins of the Mafia by Amedeo Feniello.
Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth
by Daisy Hernández

Blending memoir and cultural criticism, Daisy Hernández's moving and incisive book explores the racialization and politicization of American citizenship, exploring how refugees and their descendants have difficulty obtaining citizenship. Further reading: Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America by Laila Lalami; The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You by Dina Nayeri.
The Death of Trotsky: The True Story of the Plot to Kill Stalin's Greatest Enemy
by Josh Ireland

Writer and editor Josh Ireland's fast-paced and compelling history details Soviet espionage efforts during World War II, focusing on the 1940 assassination of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky. For fans of: The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War by Ben Macintyre.
American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union...
by Jon Meacham (editor)

Edited by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham and spanning 1619 to the present, this thought-provoking anthology explores the promises and failures of American democracy, featuring primary sources including speeches, letters, poems, and more. Try this next: Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past, edited by Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer.
We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America
by Norah O'Donnell with Kate Andersen Brower

Emmy Award-wining journalist Norah O'Donnell's sweeping and inspiring book surveys women's contributions throughout American history via 35 biographical profiles. Further reading: The American Women's Almanac: 500 Years of Making History by Deborah G. Felder.
The Blood Countess: Murder, Betrayal, and the Making of a Monster
by Shelley Puhak

Writer and poet Shelley Puhak's (The Dark Queens) nuanced and demythologizing latest examines the life and exploits of 16th-century Hungarian noblewoman Elizabeth Báthory, whose conviction of (and imprisonment for) torturing and murdering 80 girls and women was the result of a smear campaign. It's "a stunning feminist reconsideration of one of history's most reviled villainesses" (Publishers Weekly).
El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory
by Jazmine Ulloa

In her richly detailed debut, New York Times reporter Jazmine Ulloa spotlights the border town of El Paso, Texas, known as "the new Ellis Island," revealing over a century of its history through the experiences of five families who have shaped the area. Further reading: The Crossing: El Paso, the Southwest, and America's Forgotten Origin Story by Richard Parker.
Transgender History, Third Edition: A Resource for Today's Struggle--And Tomorrow's by Susan Stryker
Transgender History, Third Edition: A Resource for Today's Struggle--And Tomorrow's
by Susan Stryker

Transgender History is the modern classic on transgender life in America since the nineteenth century, encompassing the major movements, writings, and events that shape today's gender revolution. Susan Stryker's sweeping, intersectional account charts more than a century of history, showing how rising acceptance in the 1960s and 2010s was met with waves of bigotry and intolerance that began in the '70s and continue today. Through her explanation of central concepts and terms, informative sidebars, and brief biographies of trans pioneers, Stryker reminds readers of one crucial truth: Transgender people have always been here.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Related Programs and Events
Celebrate National Library Week!
Celebrate National Library Week with us! Discover what brings you joy at the library and explore the exciting programs we're hosting! Click the link to view our events!
National Library Week Film Screening: The Librarians
Saturday, April 25, 1:00 PM
Main Library
901 Civic Campus Way
Council Chambers, 1st Floor

When Texas lawmakers seek to review a list of books, librarians find themselves on the frontlines of a national battle. Across the U.S., librarians face the impact of uniting against library collection standards that include restrictions on race-related and LGBTQIA+ content. Drawing on historical context, The Librarians explores the broader implications for education and public life. Filmmakers: Kim A. Snyder (director/producer), Janique L. Robillard (producer), Maria Cuomo Cole (producer), and Jana Edelbaum (producer). Film run time is 86 minutes. This documentary is not rated.
Includes email address ssfpladm@plsinfo.org and website for both SSF Main and Grand Avenue Library