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Books in the National Media
September 2026 |
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The Disappearers by Marlon JamesIn 1988, eight men in Kingston, Jamaica, begin rehearsals for a play. The men are strangers to one another and each has a different reason for being involved. But they all share one inescapable truth: All of them are gay-a 'batty man' in Jamaican argot--and all of them must contend with the dangers that such a truth lays bare. One night a mob savagely attacks them, killing one of the men. For the survivors, their recovery is as much emotional as it is physical. As their bodies heal, each man grapples with the violence, the hatred, and the rage that the attack made plain. Some try to ignore what the attack has unearthed, while others double down on retribution. Featured on All Things Considered.
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The Most Dangerous Gamesby MrBeastIn a world on the brink of collapse, one hundred players face off in a ruthless, high-stakes competition with everything on the line. The reward? The chance to save humanity -- and one billion dollars. The stakes couldn't be higher. Across brutal environments and relentless challenges, players are pushed beyond every limit as the stakes escalate -- and survival becomes the only rule. Featured on Good Morning America.
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Taipei Story by R. F. KuangCollege freshman Lily Chen is off to spend the summer in Taipei at an intensive language program like so many Chinese American students before her, hoping to connect with the culture she inherited but never fully understood. But a promising start quickly unravels. Her classes are grueling, her roommate is driving her insane, and a reckless trip to the hot springs with a guy she barely knows soon has her classmates viciously gossiping. She feels adrift, a foreigner in a country she thought would feel like home. Then shocking news arrives: Lily's grandfather has passed away. The loss forces her to grapple with now-unanswerable questions about her family history. As Lily grieves, she's drawn into a journey of self-discovery--piecing together memories, stories, and silences over a series of hilarious and devastating attempts at connection. Taipei Story asks: What if the diaspora fantasy of homecoming never comes true? What if learning a language can't bring you any closer to the people you're trying to reach? What if you search for your family's history, but your family doesn't want to share? What if you wait too long to ask the right questions? As Lily struggles for answers, her summer becomes a poignant search for understanding--of herself, her family, and the meaning of home. Featured on Here & Now.
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The Husky and Handsome Guide to Grillingby Anthony AndersonFor both Anthony Anderson and Cedric The Entertainer, two of the biggest names in comedy of all time, barbeque is more than just food--it's a way of life. Recipes are passed down through generations at backyard cookouts, and pitmasters around the country carry on those traditions at their restaurants. That's what the television show Kings of BBQ on A&E (and now streaming on Hulu) captured as Anthony and Cedric traveled the country with the goal of launching their own spice and BBQ sauce product lines. Their AC Barbeque product line is now carried thousands of stores nationwide, and fans are clamoring for this cookbook to go with them. Organized by regions of the country to best capture the soul of the food including St. Louis, Memphis, and the Carolinas, AC Barbecue showcases the charm of these brilliant actors and comics both in the writing and bold photography. Recipes range from pork belly burnt ends to dry rub beef brisket to jerk ribs, and other favorites like macaroni salad, baked beans, fried catfish, and hush puppies are included as well. There are even snacks and desserts like fried pickles and peach cobbler, and maybe best of all, a whole chapter of sauces and rubs. Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or just firing up your backyard grill, this book is a celebration of the rich traditions, bold flavors, and undeniable joy of barbequing. Packed with mouthwatering recipes, stunning photography, and Anthony and Cendric's infectious personalities, this cookbook is a must-have for anyone looking to bring soul and flavor to their own backyard gatherings. Featured on The View.
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Food Is a Feeling: Recipes & Stories, with Love by Carla LalliCarla has been writing about food, family, and feelings for many years, and she's always known that her recipes were about more than sustenance. The 65 recipes and 30 essays in Food Is a Feeling are a powerful reminder of the nurturing, fulfilling, and joyful role that food plays in all of our lives, a very human account of beauty and challenges balancing each other like butter and salt. For her, cooking is an expression of love. That core belief was put to the test the year she got divorced. As Carla started figuring out who she was going to be on the other side of a 24-year marriage, she took note of the cravings she was having and the meals she wanted to make, and honored those desires by making herself something to eat: Lemony Chickpea Stew with Rice; Personal Pot of Beans and Greens; Salad Sandwich, to name a few. She was flooded with delicious memories--her mom's Saturday Night Alfredo, the Extremely Floofy Vanilla Pancakes she makes for her children, and the Crispy-Skinned Fish with Olives and Lemons and Burnt Caramel Rhubarb Compote she learned on the line in some of New York City's most demanding restaurant kitchens. Over time, she realizes the creative, transformative work that happens in the kitchen is a potent antidote for the hurdles she has yet to overcome. The food, the passage of time, and the lessons gained--all of it became perfectly intertwined. In writing that is revealing, relatable, and funny, Carla uses rich context from her own life to make the case that food is so much more than just fuel, and yes, we should eat our feelings. After all, they're delicious. Featured on Good Morning America.
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Phases: A Memoirby BrandyFrom the moment she first sang at church in McComb, Mississippi, Brandy knew her voice was special. At fourteen she landed her first record deal. At fifteen her first album went platinum. At sixteen she was starring in the hit sitcom Moesha and became the first Black actress to play Cinderella on screen alongside fairy godmother, Whitney Houston. Yet as the accolades piled up, so too did the pressure to maintain a flawless image. To onlookers, she had crafted the blueprint for the teenage it girl. But behind closed doors The Vocal Bible as she was known, was struggling. In this piercing, revelatory memoir, Brandy shares: the inside stories behind her most iconic songs and albums; her star-studded connections with Whitney Houston and Diana Ross; the affirmation of friends and family, including her brother Ray J, that helped her through challenging times; and so much more. Delving into the humble roots of her decades-spanning career, her early struggles with bullies and insecurities as a high schooler, and finally her inspirational journey to reclaim her sense of self and her autonomy as a woman in Hollywood and in music, this memoir is an insightful meditation on Brandy's life and how she rose to become the woman she is today. Featured on The Jennifer Hudson Show.
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Kennedy's Coup: A White House Plot, a Saigon Murder, and America's Descent Into Vietnam by Jack CheeversThe brutal assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem by his own generals--which capped weeks of bitter White House infighting amid JFK's wavering--led to dreadful consequences for the United States, opening the door to nine years of costly and futile warfare in Vietnam. A meticulous researcher and fluid writer, Jack Cheevers etches unforgettable portraits of the people behind this fascinating drama: the kindly, philosophy-loving American ambassador who tried to save Diem; the powerful Pentagon and State Department figures who battled for JFK's ear; the hard-driving young American journalists in Saigon who braved police beatings and death threats to dig out the story; the adder-tongued Madame Nhu, Diem's beautiful sister-in-law, who enraged critics with outrageous insults; the scheming South Vietnamese generals who slowly tightened a noose around their commander in chief; the hard-drinking CIA agent who carried secret US messages to the generals; and Diem and his Machiavellian brother Nhu, head of the feared secret police, who tried but failed to outwit both the Americans and their traitorous generals. While many Vietnam books mention Diem's murder in passing, this gripping account delves into the participants' personalities, motives, and actions in greater detail than ever before. The definitive history of one of the most catastrophic decisions ever made by a US president, shedding new light on events that altered the world, Kennedy's Coup will be a work of lasting importance. Featured on Book TV.
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Dad Brain: The New Science of Fatherhood and How It Shapes Men's Livesby Darby SaxbeOver the last decade, we've learned more about the transformative power of parenthood--biologically, psychologically, and socially--than ever before. But while the experience of motherhood has attracted well-deserved attention, fatherhood has remained overlooked and, often, misunderstood. Now, in Dad Brain, field-leading psychologist Darby Saxbe, PhD, explains how becoming a father changes men, from their bodies and brain architecture to their hormones and sense of purpose. Inspired by her relationship with her dad, Saxbe has studied fathers and families for over twenty years. In her first book, she takes readers behind the scenes of her new research and around the world, from hunter-gatherers in the Congo to contemporary suburban dads, and into her pioneering studies of how parenthood shapes men's brains and lives. Readers may be surprised to learn that, in addition to altering a dad's hormones and health (yes, men experience postpartum depression, and dad bod is real), parenthood can also benefit men. Dads who spend time with their kids sharpen their paternal instincts and even show more youthful brains in later life. Dads' unique approach to play makes kids more resilient, and fathers bring new insights to workplaces and build better societies. Ultimately, fatherhood can help men discover a richer, more connected, and more meaningful life. Featured on Book TV.
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Labor: One Woman's Work by Mary Fariba AfsariIn Labor: One Woman's Work, Dr. Mary Afsari takes us on a deeply personal and transformative journey through her life as an ob-gyn. Set against the vivid backdrops of Portland, Oregon, and Shiraz, Iran, this powerful memoir intertwines the complexities of her professional life with the hidden truths of her family's past, exploring the intersection of medicine, identity, and the enduring search for agency. The story begins in the bustling corridors of an Oregon hospital, where Mary dedicates herself wholeheartedly to her patients--often at great personal cost. At the same time, Mary uncovers a long-buried family secret: the tragic story of her grandmother Mehry's death in 1950s Iran. This revelation propels her on a quest to untangle the threads of her family's history while confronting the forces that have shaped her identity and her professional mission. As Mary struggles with the oppressive realities of the medical-industrial complex and the growing attacks on women's reproductive rights, she chooses a path of bold defiance. Inspired by her grandmother's legacy and her own commitment to compassionate care, she decides to take her work out of the hospital and on the road: she converts an RV into a mobile women's health clinic. This innovative act allows her to deliver personalized, critical reproductive health care services across the Pacific Northwest, creating community and enduring friendships along the way. When women don't have a choice, bad things happen, Mary writes. Labor is an intimate, immersive personal story, a rallying cry in a post-Roe world, and an inspiring example of what women can do when they do have a choice. Rich with the voices of her patients and the vibrant cultural threads of her Iranian heritage, Mary's story challenges us to rethink the boundaries of health care and reclaim the autonomy of women's bodies and lives. Featured on Book TV.
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How to Rule the World: An Education in Power at Stanford Universityby Theo BakerSlush funds. Shell companies. Yacht parties. This is life for Silicon Valley's favored teenagers. Seventeen-year-old Theo Baker showed up for freshman year at Stanford University as a tech-obsessed coder. It seemed like paradise. There were Rodin sculptures next to nuclear laboratories and inventors lounging with Olympians. But Baker soon discovered a culture that embraced corner-cutting, that vested infinite excess and access in the hands of kids with few safeguards to catch bad behavior. Stanford, he realized, was less a school than a business. Its annual budget was nearly twice that of Harvard or Yale and higher than those of 116 countries. The product? Students. Especially those special few identified as the next trillion-dollar startup founders. For them, there were secret societies, pre-idea funding offers, and social calls from billionaires, all with the expectation that these geniuses would soon join the ruling elite. At the helm of this business was Marc Tessier-Lavigne, a superstar neuroscientist and wealthy biotech executive. But when Baker joined the student newspaper and started poking around the Stanford president's record, he discovered never-reported allegations of research misconduct in studies published across two decades bearing Tessier-Lavigne's name. Only one month into college and thousands of miles from home, Baker began receiving anonymous letters, going on stakeouts, and tracking down confidential sources. High-powered lawyers and public relations teams were hired to attack his reporting. Stanford opened an investigation into its own leader. And by the end of the year, Tessier-Lavigne was out as president. This is the incredible journey of a reluctant teenage reporter who uncovered a story that shook the scientific world and became front-page news across the country. It is also an unprecedented inside view of the students learning to rule the world--and what they're learning from those who already do. Featured on Book TV.
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Plot Twist: Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft: A Memoir on Writing by Harlan CobenWith 100 million books in print world-wide and over twenty blockbuster television and film adaptations of his work, Harlan Coben has much to teach us about the creative process. Part deeply personal memoir, part masterclass in storytelling, Plot Twist is a refreshingly honest look at the life of a writer whose stories have thrilled us for decades. Plumbing memories from his suburban childhood and his early years trying to break into publishing, Coben tells his own story for the first time, revealing the real-world inspirations for some of his most beloved characters as well as the innovative plots that drive his propulsive novels. Filled with useful tips and techniques on the creative process, Coben does away with the traditional categories of writing--characters, plot, setting, etc--and looks at the process holistically. Plot Twist is a masterclass on the act of being a writer, and everything that comes with it: the self-doubt, the hubris, the contradictions, the passion and dedication. At the end of the day, his calculus is a simple one: If it helps me produce pages, good. If it doesn't, bad. This book will help every aspiring writer produce pages. Honest, funny, insightful, and at times deeply moving, this is both a captivating memoir and an essential guide for anyone looking to master the art of storytelling from one of our most beloved authors. Featured on Good Morning America.
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I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie: A Memoirby Jaclyn SmithWhen the pilot aired to instant success in 1976, Charlie's Angels ushered in a TV revolution--for the first time, a network show featured three single female detectives whose stories revolved around fighting crime, not around supporting men. Jaclyn Smith, as Kelly Garrett (the only Angel to lead all five seasons of the show), was propelled into international fame and became an icon to girls and women everywhere. Now, for the first time, she shares the behind-the-scenes story of the origin and making of the iconic show, along with her longtime friendships with her co-stars including Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Cheryl Ladd. But, as Smith writes, she wasn't born the first day she put on Kelly Garrett's tiny white bikini. Before Charlie's, she was a dancer on Broadway from Texas and a prolific commercial actress. After Charlie's, she channeled her childhood love of design when she pioneered the concept of celebrity-branded clothing lines with a mega-successful K-Mart partnership. She now sells her clothing lines as a commercial branding partner on HSN. While balancing acting and entrepreneurship, and bravely facing breast cancer, she also found love and raised two beloved children. Featured on Good Morning America.
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You Are the Parent: Move from Overparenting to Balanced Parenting and Become the Leader Your Child Needs by Siggie CohenDo you feel like you're stuck in a power struggle with your little one and he might be winning? If so, you're not alone. Modern parenting has become a quagmire of good intentions gone wrong--too many of us are over-accommodating, over-explaining, over-negotiating, over-emphasizing, and over-fixing. This trend of over-parenting is leaving our children without strong coping skills and trapping us in never-ending tug-of-wars for control. It's time for a more balanced approach. It's time for parents to trust themselves again. Bringing decades of experience in early childhood education and developmental psychology--with millions of social media fans who swear by her advice--Dr. Siggie Cohen is here to cut through the noise and reassure you that parenting doesn't have to be this hard or this complicated. You can become the calm, confident leader your family needs, while still parenting with empathy and prioritizing essential connection. Dr. Siggie's Emotional/Behavioral Proficiency (EBP) method offers a simple, yet groundbreaking framework to understand the root cause of your child's behavior, so you can effectively manage common challenges while raising a more resilient and confident kid. Through relatable, real-life examples and actionable strategies, you will learn to see past the problem behaviors to the unmet needs beneath. With advice for true parenting pain points, like: - Discipline--and why it's not what you think it is- Little kids, big tornadoes--handling tantrums and outbursts- Navigating transitions and change- Dealing with lying, stealing, and bragging- Whhyyyyyy kids whine, and how to help them stop. Featured on CBS Mornings.
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The Last Free Women: A Daring Escape from Afghanistan and Coming of Age in Americaby Rebecca BlumensteinKabul; August 15, 2021. It was supposed to be Marwa's first day back at medical school. After more than a year of the pandemic's isolation, here, at last, was a cause for celebration. She set out her books and ironed the dress specially chosen for the occasion. But when she awoke that morning, giddy anticipation quickly gave way to panic and fear. The streets were thronged with desperate crowds, everyone pressing in the same direction. The Taliban were coming. They had only hours to get out. On the radio, an announcer intoned the names of the provinces that had already fallen. Marwa had gone to bed the night before with a vision of a whole future ahead of her. Now she had only minutes to pack, wondering how she could condense everything she'd ever known into a single backpack. Efforts to evacuate the group were taking place as Rebecca Blumenstein was driving her son cross-country to college. As a top editor of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, she had been deeply involved in managing the foreign correspondents the paper sent to war zones. Now, as the lives of their Afghan Bureau employees and their families were imperiled by the Taliban's swift resurgence, she played a pivotal role in coordinating their evacuation, in the end securing the relocation from Afghanistan of more than 200 people, 124 to the US--the largest privately sponsored group of refugees in modern American history. She then led their resettlement into their new life in the U.S. Though each is navigating different circumstances and dreams, these four brave, remarkable women--Marwa, Mursal, Maryam, Samira-- are united in their desire to make the most of the opportunity they have been given. Featured on Today.
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The Forever Paycheck: The New Retirement Strategy to Spend More, Worry Less, and Never Run Out of Money by Jean ChatzkyYou've been saving for retirement for decades. But what happens when you get to the end of your earning years? How do you take the money you've amassed and not only make it last as long as you do, but do it in a way that brings you the most fulfillment and the least amount of stress? This is something that you simply cannot afford to get wrong. If you do, you'll either run out of money before you run out of time, or you'll discover years too late that you didn't use your money as much as you could have to enjoy your life. The solution is right here. It's a paycheck that lasts for the rest of your life: a Forever Paycheck. With the power of a Forever Paycheck comes a simple, revelatory truth: you can spend more, and do more, than you think you can. The data shows that people entering retirement often can't bring themselves to spend. But when their money comes as a steady monthly paycheck, they feel much more confident in using it to live life to the fullest. Many find they can spend double with no risk of running out. New research shows that a Forever Paycheck is even associated with better health, lower chances of disability, and a substantially longer lifespan. Featured on Today.
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The Great Refusal: A New Vision of Resistanceby Casey GeraldMost afternoons for the past three years, Casey Gerald took a walk. He would pass the compound that Elon Musk was building in his neighborhood; the burned-down Freedman's church; the little house where he and his lover Jack had seen a shooting star. He knew the world was crumbling, but he didn't fret. He had been promised: When it breaks, you'll be ready. There is a great unfolding going on, Gerald writes, and all the clues for what's to come are planted in the people. In this quietly redemptive and lyrical book, Gerald shares his map for finding those clues, finding each other, and finding our way out of this dark and wearied time. On the other side of No, Gerald insists, there is a Yes--an embrace of what we really want, what we might finally claim once we refuse. Calling forth a kaleidoscopic cast, from Odysseus to D'Angelo, Sun Tzu to Simone Biles, Black literati and desert mystics, Gerald implores us to take our power back and to remake the world together, on our terms. Featured on Fresh Air.
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Going Further: The Incomparable Clarence Thomas by Ted CruzFor over three decades, Clarence Thomas has stood at the center of American law, enduring withering criticism and personal attacks while writing some of the most brilliant, accessible, transformational opinions in the Supreme Court's history. His insistence that the Constitution, not merely judicial precedent, is the highest authority has reshaped American jurisprudence, and his lasting impact on the trajectory of constitutional law is undeniable. In this powerful and timely book, Senator Ted Cruz draws on his own Supreme Court clerkship, on his many years as a Supreme Court advocate, and on his now decades-long friendship with Justice Thomas to paint a portrait of one of the most consequential--and misunderstood--Americans in our nation's history. Drawing on nine hours of exclusive, wide-ranging, and deeply personal one-on-one interviews with the Justice, Cruz reveals how Thomas's most formative early experiences--like growing up in crushing poverty in segregated Georgia, his early encounters with extreme racism, and his brief stint in radical left-wing politics--forged a lifelong commitment to independence, self-reliance, and truth. Featured on The View.
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The Amazing Generation: Your Guide to Fun and Freedom in a Screen-Filled Worldby Jonathan HaidtJonathan Haidt's blockbuster book, The Anxious Generation, has sparked a global conversation about the effects of smartphones and social media on young people's development, and has inspired millions of parents, teachers, and leaders to take action. Now, Haidt and Catherine Price, author of the bestselling How to Break Up with Your Phone, have teamed up to create a new book that speaks directly to kids and early teens. Their goal? To empower young people to stand up for themselves by choosing a life not dominated by screens. Written for nine- to twelve-year-olds--and relevant whether or not they already have smartphones or social media accounts--this engaging guide is packed with surprising facts, a graphic novel, interactive challenges, secrets that tech leaders don't want kids to know, and real-life anecdotes from young adults who regret getting smartphones at a young age and want to help the next generation avoid making the same mistakes. But this isn't just a book about what not to do. It's a bold, optimistic, and practical guide to growing into your most authentic, confident, and adventurous self. Readers won't just discover how to avoid becoming the next Anxious Generation. They'll learn how to become amazing. Featured on Tamron Hall.
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Simplify: Do 50 Percent More with 50 Percent Less by Jim VandeheiWith AI upending work and life, the founders of Axios and bestselling authors of Smart Brevity offer a one-stop survival guide to dramatically improving your life, work, and happiness. Toxic complexity clogs our meetings, inboxes, calendars--even in our daily habits. We can do so much more, but first we need to do less. Simplify shows you how. It's a step-by-step playbook for spending most of your time doing things that make you feel and perform better. This urgent manual lets you take control of what is essential in a world where AI might simplify you out of a job. Maximize success by simplifying every aspect of your life. Ruthlessly distill what really matters to you, then clear the space to focus on what you do best. Simplify will help anyone thrive, from interns to CEOs. The authors draw on lessons from founding two hot startups--Axios and Politico--and their years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies. Featured on CBS Mornings.
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Harford County Public Library
1221-A Brass Mill Rd Belcamp, Maryland 21017 410-273-5600
hcplonline.org
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