LibraryAware September 2025

Recent Releases

Algospeak : how social media is transforming the future of language
by Adam Aleksic

An exploration of how the internet and social media are reshaping language, from viral slang to changing grammar, revealing how communication has evolved in response to algorithms, technology and cultural shifts in an era of unprecedented linguistic transformation. Illustrations.

King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution: A Story of Hubris, Delusion and Catastrophic...
by Scott Anderson

In his thought-provoking and unputdownable latest, journalist and New York Times bestselling author Scott Anderson (The Quiet Americans) chronicles the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which saw the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini and ushered in an era of religious nationalism that continues to this day. Further reading: The Fall of Heaven: The Pahlavis and the Final Days of Imperial Iran by Andrew Scott Cooper.

A Flower Traveled in My Blood: The Incredible True Story of the Grandmothers Who Fought...
by Haley Cohen Gilliland

Yale Journalism Initiative director Haley Cohen Gilliland’s compelling debut spotlights the Argentinian grandmothers who founded the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo in 1977 and stood up to their government’s military dictatorship to help locate their kidnapped grandchildren. Further reading: The Disappeared by Rebecca J. Sanford, a historical fiction novel about the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo.

Going nuclear : how atomic energy will save the world
by Tim Gregory

"In this visionary book, Dr. Tim Gregory challenges prevailing narratives around climate change, arguing that the goal of net zero is not simply to replace fossil fuels with renewables, but to power civilization using sources of energy that do not emit carbon dioxide. He unequivocally shows that only one emissions-free energy source can rise to that challenge: nuclear power. Going Nuclear calls for decarbonization to be the twenty-first century's Apollo program, illuminating the far-reaching potential ofthe atom beyond clean energy to advanced medicine, forensics, atomic gardening, and interplanetary exploration. By interweaving scientific optimism, myth-busting data, and ambitious policy, Gregory offers an alternative nuclear future that can meet the shared goal of environmental stewardship and continued human progress"

The Fort Bragg cartel : drug trafficking and murder in the Special Forces
by Seth Harp

Examines a double murder at Fort Bragg, uncovering a web of drug trafficking, corruption, and cover-ups within elite U.S. Special Forces units, revealing how addiction, criminal networks, and the fallout of endless war have destabilized the military's most secretive operations. Illustrations.

The undiscovered country : triumph, tragedy, and the shaping of the American West
by Paul Andrew Hutton

Revisits the American West of 1755 to 1890 through the lives of four frontiersmen and three Native leaders, examining the violent realities, cultural myths, and environmental costs behind the celebrated narrative of national expansion and identity. Illustrations. Maps.

Monopoly X: How Top-Secret World War II Operations Used the Game of Monopoly to...
by Philip E. Orbanes

Board game designer and author Philip E. Orbanes’ (Tortured Cardboard) cinematic World War II history details the lesser-known story of how Allied military intelligence concealed tools, money, and fake identification cards in Monopoly game pieces to help servicemen escape from German prisoner-of-war camps. Try this next: Rings of Fire: How an Unlikely Team of Scientists, Ex-Cons, Women, and Native Americans Helped Win World War II by Larry J. Hughes.

The great Chinese art heist : imperialism, organized crime, and the hidden story of China's stolen artistic treasures
by Ralph Pezzullo

Traces a string of high-profile museum heists targeting Chinese artifacts across Europe, linking them to the 1860 looting of Beijing's Old Summer Palace and exploring how colonial history, organized crime, and questions of cultural ownership converge in today's global art market. Illustrations.

The Sleep Room: A Sadistic Psychiatrist and the Women Who Survived Him
by Jon Stock

Journalist and spy novelist Jon Stock's disturbing true crime book utilizes medical records and firsthand accounts to detail the sinister exploits of revered British psychiatrist William Sargent (1907-1988), who preyed on his women patients by inducing comas without their consent at London’s Royal Waterloo Hospital. Try this next: The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream: The Hunt for a Victorian Era Serial Killer by Dean Jobb.

The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century
by Tim Weiner

Pulitzer Prize winner Tim Weiner follows up his National Book Award-winning Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA with a richly detailed exploration of the CIA’s shifting role in United States foreign policy following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, delivering a “singular triumph” that “should be required reading” (Kirkus Reviews). Further reading: Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence by Amy B. Zegart.

Contact your librarian for more great books!