From the publisher: "On the morning of April 28, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. Investigators descended on the scene, but more than thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library—and if so, who? Weaving her lifelong love of books and reading into an investigation of the fire, award-winning author Susan Orlean chronicles the LAPL fire and its aftermath to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives; delves into the evolution of libraries; brings each department of the library to vivid life; studies arson and attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; and reexamines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the LAPL more than thirty years ago. Susan Orlean';s thrilling journey through the stacks reveals how these beloved institutions provide much more than just books—and why they remain an essential part of the heart, mind, and soul of our country."

From the publisher: "Between the world wars, no sport was more popular, or more dangerous, than airplane racing. The pilots themselves were hailed as dashing heroes who cheerfully stared death in the face. Fly Girls recounts how a cadre of women banded together to break the original glass ceiling: the entrenched prejudice that conspired to keep them out of the sky. O'Brien weaves together the stories of five remarkable women: Florence Klingensmith, a high school dropout who worked for a dry cleaner in Fargo, North Dakota; Ruth Elder, an Alabama divorcee; Amelia Earhart, the most famous, but not necessarily the most skilled; Ruth Nichols, who chafed at the constraints of her blue blood family's expectations; and Louise Thaden, the mother of two young kids who got her start selling coal in Wichita. Together, they fought for the chance to race against the men - and in 1936 one of them would triumph in the toughest race of all."

This is a fascinating deep-dive into the unbelievable history of Wonder Woman, an iconic superhero whose origins are completely bonkers. A complicated family story lies beneath the history of the famous comic book character, and it all starts with the invention of the lie-detector machine. I don't want to give away any more than that—just know that the surprising backstory is full of twists, turns, and shocking connections across history and culture. Lepore's reporting is engaging and detailed.

An in-depth account of the devastating Chernobyl disaster, and its reverberating effects. Higginbotham combines piles of research with interviews and firsthand accounts in this compulsively readable report. Starting at the beginning, in the nuclear power plant control room, the reader follows the tragedy from early mistakes, to government lies, to worldwide disaster response. The political, social, and scientific implications of this event are fascinating and terrifying. This is a must-read for any history-lover or nonfiction fan.

"She is the most dangerous of all Allied spies. We must find and destroy her." The spy in question? Virginia Hall, an American socialite and secret operative for the Allies. She worked her way onto Churchill’s exclusive “Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” and completed missions behind enemy lines, as a woman - with a prosthetic leg. She set up spy networks, escaped death more than once, and saved countless lives. This extraordinary account of her exploits is a must-read for fans of The Alice Network.