Harford County Public Library: Books in the National Media: February 2025

Fiction

Yellowface
by R. F. Kuang

After witnessing the sudden death of Athena Liu, struggling author June Hayward steals Athena's novel about Chinese laborers in World War I, rebranding herself as a diverse author, but as her fraudulent success mounts, June finds herself haunted by Athena's legacy and unraveling secrets. Featured on Good Morning America.

Stone Yard Devotional
by Charlotte Wood

Burnt out and in need of retreat, a middle-aged woman leaves Sydney to return to the place she grew up, taking refuge in a small religious community hidden away on the stark plains of rural Australia. She doesn't believe in God, or know what prayer is, and finds herself living this strange, reclusive existence almost by accident. But disquiet interrupts this secluded life with three visitations. First comes a terrible mouse plague, each day signaling a new battle against the rising infestation. Second is the return of the skeletal remains of a sister who disappeared decades before, presumed murdered. And finally, a troubling visitor plunges the narrator further back into her past. Featured on All Things Considered.

Saturday Morning at the 'Shop
by Keenan Jones

Spend Saturday morning in the barbershop, which is a sound booth; an art gallery; a playground; a classroom; and a place for artistry, comradery and community, in an upbeat picture book celebrating a place that brings communities together. Featured on CBS Mornings.

This Is A Love Story: A Novel
by Jessica Soffer

As Jane faces the end of her life, her husband Abe reflects on their 50 years together—revisiting their courtship, careers, family challenges, and estranged son, Max—while Central Park, a constant witness to their relationship, holds their memories in this tribute to love, loss and New York City. Featured on The Today Show.

Frankie: A Novel
by Graham Norton

Always on the periphery, looking on, young Frankie Howe was never quite sure enough of herself to take center stage--after all, life had already judged her harshly. Now old, Frankie finds it easier to forget the life that came before. Then Damian, a young Irish caretaker, arrives at her London flat, there to keep an eye on her as she recovers from a fall. A memory is sparked, and the past crackles into life as Damian listens to the story Frankie has kept stored away all these years. Traveling from post-war Ireland to 1960s New York, a city full of art, larger-than-life characters and turmoil, Frankie shares a world in which friendship and chance encounters collide. A place where, for a while, life blazes with an intensity that can't last but will perhaps live on in other ways and in other people. Featured on Late Night with Seth Myers.

Nonfiction

Food for Thought: Essays & Ruminations
by Alton Brown

A collection of personal essays blends humorous and insightful anecdotes from the renowned culinary figure's diverse career, sharing behind-the-scenes stories, reflections on food culture and memorable experiences from his work on television and in the kitchen. Featured on CBS Mornings.

Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering
by Malcolm Gladwell

Twenty-five years after the publication of his bestselling first book, the author returns with a brand-new volume that reframes the lessons of The Tipping Point in a startling and revealing light. Featured on The Drew Barrymore Show.

Compassion in the Court: Life-Changing Stories from America's Nicest Judge
by Frank Caprio

A beloved municipal judge shares transformative stories from nearly four decades on the bench, highlighting the power of compassion, dignity and second chances while offering life lessons on truth, empathy and the importance of believing in others. Featured on Good Morning America.

How to Win at Travel
by Brian Kelly

A travel expert offers a comprehensive guide full of practical advice on everything from leveraging points to managing travel anxiety, helping travelers of all kinds plan stress-free trips and turn their travel dreams into reality. Featured on Live with Kelly and Mark.

The White Peril: A Family Memoir
by Omo Moses

A multigenerational memoir that blends the author's personal journey of discovering his identity as a Black man in America with his great-grandfather's sermons and the civil rights work of his father, Bob Moses, as it recounts his path from a basketball player to an educator dedicated to racial justice and liberation. Featured on Book TV.

Source Code: My Beginnings
by Bill Gates

The software giant explores his personal journey, recounting his early influences, friendships, family and first steps in computing that paved the way for his revolutionary career and later philanthropic focus, offering an intimate look at the experiences that shaped him. Featured on The View.

The Myth of American Idealism: How U.S. Foreign Policy Endangers the World
by Noam Chomsky

Presents an urgent warning of the threat that U.S. power poses to humanity's future as well as a sharp indictment of both American foreign policy and the national myths that support it. Featured on Book TV.

The miraculous from the material : understanding the wonders of nature
by Alan P. Lightman

A gorgeously illustrated exploration of the science behind the universe's most stunning natural phenomena--from atoms and unicellular life to rainbows, snowflakes, spider webs, the rings of Saturn, galaxies, and more. Featured on Book TV.

Sideshow: Living With Loss and Moving Forward With Faith
by Rickey Smiley

As he sits with his trauma, leans into therapy and relies heavily on his faith and Scripture, the legendary comedian shares how he dealt with losing both his father and son to overdoses by finding moments of peace and practicing how to hold the good with the grief in the “sideshow” he's living. Featured on Tamron Hall.

Wiseguys and the White House: Gangsters, Presidents, and the Deals They Made
by Eric Dezenhall

Explores the intricate and often hidden connections between organized crime and U.S. presidents. Highlighting key historical moments, the book reveals how mobsters have influenced political power, from FDR's dealings with Lucky Luciano to Trump's ties with gambling cartels, illustrating the complex interplay of crime and governance. Featured on Book TV.

John Lewis: A Life
by David Greenberg

Based on interviews and previously unreleased FBI files, a professor of history at Rutgers University presents the definitive biography of John Lewis's journey from rural Alabama poverty to becoming a pivotal Civil Rights leader and "conscience of Congress". Featured on Book TV.

Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause
by Naomi Watts

The actress known for 21 Grams and Mulholland Drive blends personal stories with expert advice to demystify menopause, offering women a candid, supportive guide to managing symptoms, tackling aging and embracing this transformative phase of life with confidence. Featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

From These Roots: My Fight with Harvard to Reclaim My Legacy
by Tamara Lanier

A woman's quest to trace her lineage leads to the discovery of a daguerreotype of her enslaved ancestor, igniting a decade-long legal battle against Harvard over the rightful ownership of historical artifacts and stories tied to America's painful past. Featured on Book TV.

Lincoln vs. Davis: The War of the Presidents
by Nigel Hamilton

From a New York Times bestselling presidential biographer comes an untold story of the Civil War: how the American president and the leader of the Confederacy faced off as the fate of the United States hung in the balance—and how Abraham Lincoln came to embrace emancipation as the last, best chance to save the Union. Featured on Book TV.

Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want To Run The World
by Anne Applebaum

The Pulitzer-prize winning New York Times best-selling author looks at how autocratic countries such as China, Russia and Iran undermine Western democracies through a complex network of kleptocratic financial structures. Featured on Fresh Air.