Forsyth County Public Library: History and Current Events: December 2025

Recent Releases

The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding
by Joseph J. Ellis

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Joseph J. Ellis follows up The Cause: The American Revolution and Its Discontents, 1773-1783 with an incisive exploration of how America's Founding Fathers were complicit in slavery and Indigenous dispossession despite their calls for universal freedom. Further reading: Liberty Is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution by Woody Holton.

The Traitors Circle: The True Story of a Secret Resistance Network in Nazi Germany...
by Jonathan Freedland

In this evocative and nail-biting account, journalist and bestselling author Jonathan Freedland (The Escape Artist) chronicles the lesser-known story of German resistance movements during World War II. Further reading: Defying Hitler: The Germans Who Resisted Nazi Rule by Gordon Thomas and Greg Lewis.

Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy
by Julia Ioffe

In this "pensive account of a revolution betrayed" (Kirkus Reviews), Moscow-born journalist Julia Ioffe's National Book Award finalist (as of publication time) explores a century of feminist history in Russia, revealing how women's freedoms after the Russian Revolution have devolved under the regime of Vladimir Putin. Try this next: To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement by Benjamin Nathans.

We Survived the Night
by Julian Brave NoiseCat

Blending elements of memoir and reportage with oral storytelling traditions, Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation filmmaker and activist Julian Brave NoiseCat spotlights contemporary Indigenous life in North America, highlighting the triumphs and travails of misrepresented communities. Try this next: Sugarcane, NoiseCat's documentary for which he became the first Indigenous American filmmaker nominated for an Academy Award; Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity by Joseph Lee.

Dead and Alive: Essays
by Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith's wide-ranging and witty latest, collects 30 essays and talks penned during the last ten years, offering the author's reflections on pop culture, politics, loss, aging, and more. For fans of: Like Love: Essays and Conversations by Maggie Nelson.

2025 Debuts

The Guide to Chinese Cooking: A Journey Through China's Favorite Dishes
by Handa Cheng

Handa Cheng introduces the diverse culinary traditions of China, blending regional specialties, cultural insights and 5,000 years of food history with step-by-step recipes, chef's tips and feature pages on key ingredients, techniques and traditions. Try this next: Setting a Place for Us: Recipes and Stories of Displacement, Resilience, and Community from Eight Countries Impacted by War by Hawa Hassan.

The Neck: A Natural and Cultural History
by Kent Dunlap

A 300-million-year tour of the prominent role of the neck in animal evolution and human culture. Humans give a lot of attention to the neck. We decorate it with jewelry and ties, kiss it passionately, and use it to express ourselves in word and song. Yet, at the neck, people have also shackled their prisoners, executed their opponents, and slain their victims. Beyond the drama of human culture, animals have evolved their necks into a staggering variety of shapes and uses vital to their lifestyles. Biologist Kent Dunlap delves into evolutionary time to solve a living paradox-why is our neck so central to our survival and culture, but so vulnerable to injury and disease? Try this next: Butts: A Backstory by Heather Radke.

I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of the Vampire Diaries
by Samantha Highfill

From Entertainment Weekly writer and debut author Samantha Highfill, a definitive and deliciously nostalgic look into the creation and legacy of the hit show The Vampire Diaries, as told by its cast, crew, and creators. In 2009, the CW released a show about grief, love, redemption, and, oh yeah, vampires. A graveyard meet-cute, a bit of fog, and one Hello, brother later, a cultural phenomenon was born, one that would last for 171 episodes across eight seasons and deliver two spin-off series. I Was Feeling Epic takes us back to Mystic Falls for every first kiss, decade dance, and unforgettable death. For fans of: Into Every Generation A Slayer is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts by Evan Ross Katz.

And After All: A Fan History of Oasis
by Melissa Locker

Through the lens of the fans who were there for all the songs, feuds, and incredible shows, journalist Melissa Locker examines the path Oasis charted as they cemented their place in modern rock history. Voices in this fan history include the band's earliest PR person, superfan memorabilia collectors, musicians who toured with Oasis in the early days, concertgoers from some of the band's most legendary performances, official Fan Club leadership, couples who met because of the band, the DJ who inspired Noel to dare Liam to call him and may have kick-started the reunion, among many others. Their personal stories about the music, the concerts, and the band come together in a mosaic that depicts Oasis's enduring legacy. Further reading: Supersonic: The Complete, Authorized, Uncut Interviews by Simon Halfon.

Hit Girls: Britney, Taylor, Beyoncé, and the Women Who Built Pop's Shiniest Decade
by Nora Princiotti

The Ringer staff writer and Every Single Album podcast host Nora Princiotti's nostalgic and upbeat account surveys the evolution of pop music in the early 2000s, when women artists upended industry expectations by dominating the charts and redefining pop stardom. For fans of: One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In by Kate Kennedy.

Contact your librarian for more great books!