Forsyth County Public Library: History and Current Events: February 2026

Recent Releases

The Great Resistance: The 400-Year Fight to End Slavery in the Americas
by Carrie Gibson

Historian Carrie Gibson's (El Norte: The Epic and Forgotten Story of Hispanic North America) sweeping history illuminates four centuries of enslaved people's resistance to the Atlantic slave trade and "insists on the primacy of the enslaved themselves as agents of their own liberation"(Kirkus Reviews). Further reading: Daring to Be Free: Rebellion and Resistance of the Enslaved in the Atlantic World by Sudhir Hazareesingh.

Polar War: Submarines, Spies, and the Struggle for Power in a Melting Arctic
by Kenneth R. Rosen

Journalist Kenneth R. Rosen's compelling debut blends science writing, travelogue, and geopolitical analysis to detail how the Arctic could become the site of a new cold war, with Russia, China, and America all vying for control of the complex region. For further reading: The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China, and the Next World War by Jim Sciutto.

Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America's New Age of Disaster
by Jacob Soboroff

MSNBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff's urgent and affecting chronicle of the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires blends personal reflections (Soboroff's childhood home was destroyed) with accounts from meteorologists, firefighters, politicians, and area residents. For fans of: The State of Fire: Why California Burns by Obi Kaufmann.

Faeries: A History in Art, Verse, and Lore
by Nikki Van De Car

In this striking book, author Nikki Van De Car introduces readers to faeries of all stripes--helpful and unhelpful, related to the four elements, animal and shape-shifting--as well as some of the most famous figures from history, lore, and literature (from Puck to Ariel). Arranged through wonderous paintings and illustrations by legendary artists including Ruben, Turner, Rodin, Blake, and Millais, this guide features the beautiful evidence of fairies' influence on our world. Try this next: Hunt for the Shadow Wolf: The Lost History of Wolves in Britain: And the Myths and Stories that Surround Them by Derek Gow.

Focus on: Black History Month

Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore
by Char Adams

Longtime NBC News reporter Char Adams writes a deeply compelling and rigorously reported history of Black political movements told through the lens of Black-owned bookstores, which have been centers for organizing from abolition to the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter. As Adams makes clear, in an time of increasing repression, Black bookstores are needed now more than ever. Try this next: Read Until You Understand: The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature by Farah Jasmine Griffin.

When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America's Black Botanical Legacy
by Beronda L. Montgomery

Award-winning plant biologist, Beronda L. Montgomery presents this stunning cultural and personal reclamation of Black history and Black botanical mastery offers up lessons from the natural world shared through the stories of long-lived trees. Combining the wisdom of science and history with stories from her own path to botany, Montgomery talks to majestic trees, and in this unique and compelling narrative, they answer. For fans of: Sharks Don't Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist by Jasmin Graham.

My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music's Black Past, Present, and Future
by Alice Randall

In her impassioned and insightful blend of history and memoir, Nashville-based songwriter and producer Alice Randall (the first Black woman to co-write a number one country song) spotlights trailblazing yet forgotten Black country musicians whose artistry has influenced the genre. Try this next: Before Elvis: The African American Musicians Who Made the King by Preston Lauterbach.

HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience
by Ayesha Rascoe (editor)

Edited by NPR's Ayesha Rascoe, this inspiring essay collection features 16 pieces penned by graduates of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), detailing how their college experiences shaped them. Further reading: The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions: A Conversation About Education, Parenting, and Race by Timothy L. Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown.

Contact your librarian for more great books!