Mary Riley Styles Public Library: History and Current Events: April 2026

Recent Releases

Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution
by Jonathan Turley

On the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, law professor, legal analyst, and bestselling author of The Indispensable Right Jonathan Turley explores how the unique origins of American democracy set it apart from other revolutions, whether it can survive and thrive in the 21st century, and how the unfinished story of the revolution will play out in a rapidly changing world. T

Kennedy's Coup: A White House Plot, a Saigon Murder, and America's Descent Into Vietnam
by Jack Cheevers

In his richly detailed latest, political reporter Jack Cheevers (Act of War) utilizes previously unavailable government documents to chronicle the Kennedy administration's role in the 1963 ousting and assassination of South Vietnam president Ngo Dinh Diem. Try this next: All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror by Stephen Kinzer.

Mafia: A Global History
by Ryan Gingeras

Historian Ryan Gingeras' (The Last Days of the Ottoman Empire) sweeping account surveys the origins and exploits of organized crime syndicates throughout the world, including the Mafia, yakuza, triad, and more. Try this next: Naples 1343: The Unexpected Origins of the Mafia by Amedeo Feniello.

Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth
by Daisy Hernández

Blending memoir and cultural criticism, Daisy Hernández's moving and incisive book explores the racialization and politicization of American citizenship, exploring how refugees and their descendants have difficulty obtaining citizenship. Further reading: Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America by Laila Lalami; The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You by Dina Nayeri.

The Free and the Dead: The Untold Story of the Black Seminole Chief, the Indigenous Rebel, and America's Forgotten War
by Jamie Holmes

The page-turning and revelatory true story of America's disastrous 1835 attack on the Seminoles in pre-statehood Florida, and the two men--a Black American and a renowned Indigenous warrior--who fought back for their homes and freedom, from the author of the eye-opening marvel of a book (Alexander Rose, New York Times bestselling author) 12 Seconds of Silence.

The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon
by Peter Schweizer

Every day, ICE is arresting hundreds of illegal immigrants with a criminal record. They didn't just come here. They were sent here.Our debates about immigration revolve around what happens with immigrants once they arrive. We need to start talking about who is sending them and why. For decades, establishment elites sold us the story of immigration as a compassionate renewal of the American Dream within a harmonious melting pot.But beneath that narrative lies a different reality: Mass migration has morphed into the most powerful political weapon ever aimed at the United States, one engineered by elites at home and aided by adversaries abroad.

We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America
by Norah O'Donnell

A vivid portrait of the unsung American women from 1776 to today who changed the course of history in their fight for freedom and helped shape a more perfect union. This terrific book reveals the central, though often hidden role that women have played at every stage of our country's history.

The Blood Countess: Murder, Betrayal, and the Making of a Monster
by Shelley Puhak

Writer and poet Shelley Puhak's (The Dark Queens) nuanced and demythologizing latest examines the life and exploits of 16th-century Hungarian noblewoman Elizabeth Báthory, whose conviction of (and imprisonment for) torturing and murdering 80 girls and women was the result of a smear campaign. It's "a stunning feminist reconsideration of one of history's most reviled villainesses" (Publishers Weekly). Try this next: When Women Kill: Four Crimes Retold by Alia Trabucco Zerán.

El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory
by Jazmine Ulloa

In her richly detailed debut, New York Times reporter Jazmine Ulloa spotlights the border town of El Paso, Texas, known as "the new Ellis Island," revealing over a century of its history through the experiences of five families who have shaped the area. Further reading: The Crossing: El Paso, the Southwest, and America's Forgotten Origin Story by Richard Parker.

Contact your librarian for more great books!