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History and Current Events August 2026 |
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| On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear by Julia Angwin and Ami Fields-MeyerPulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Julia Angwin and former White House senior advisor Ami Fields-Meyer expand on their The New Yorker essay "So You Want to Be a Dissident?" in this inspiring and accessible book featuring profiles of people throughout the globe who have resisted tyrannical governments. Further reading: Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy by Joyce Vance. |
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On Witness and Respair: Essays
by Jesmyn Ward
MacArthur Fellow Jesmyn Ward's reflective latest collects nearly two dozen essays, lectures, and other pieces published from 2008-2025, covering writing, film, literature, and her experiences as a Black woman. Try this next: To Free the Captives: A Plea for the American Soul by Tracy K. Smith.
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| Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast by Pamela ColloffJournalist Pamela Colloff's disturbing debut chronicles the exploits of con man Paul Skalnik, a jailhouse informant in 1980s Florida whose unreliable testimonies led to multiple wrongful convictions for his fellow inmates, including four men who wound up on death row. Try this next: Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida by Gilbert King. |
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| The Cruelty of Nice Folks: Why Minneapolis Is the Story of America by Justin EllisIn his sweeping debut that blends family history with exposé, journalist and Minnesota native Justin Ellis chronicles two centuries of anti-Black racism in Minneapolis, Minnesota, culminating in the 2020 murder of George Floyd. It's an "urgent critique of 'polite' racism that demands attention" (Kirkus Reviews). Further reading: Nice Racism: How Progressive White People Perpetuate Racial Harm by Robin DiAngelo. |
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| Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of War by Jane RogoyskaLonglisted for the Women's Prize for Nonfiction, historian Jane Rogoyska's evocative account surveys the evolution of Hotel Lutetia in Paris' Left Bank, which served various roles during and after World War II, including a gathering spot for anti-fascists, the headquarters of the Nazi intelligence service, and a refuge for Holocaust survivors. Try this next: The Red Hotel, Moscow 1941, the Metropol Hotel, and the Untold Story of Stalin's Propaganda War by Alan Philips. |
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| The Housewives Underground: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the JFK... by Kaitlyn TiffanyThe Atlantic staff writer Kaitlyn Tiffany's compelling and well-researched history details how three fearless American women became amateur detectives in the 1960s and '70s and antagonized the government to reveal the truth about John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s 1963 assassination. Try this next: The League of Wives: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the U.S. Government to Bring Their Husbands Home by Heath Hardage Lee. |
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| I Eat the Stars: How to Live Fully and Beautifully in a Collapsing World by Sarah WilsonIn her bracing follow-up to This One Wild and Precious Life: A Hopeful Path Forward in a Fractured World, bestselling author Sarah Wilson draws upon conversations with philosophers, poets, futurists, scientists, and more, offering insights on how to find joy amid humanity's uncertain future. Try this next: Goliath's Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse by Luke Kemp. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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