Fiction
By Emily Wilson Hussem
Taking C.S. Lewis’s “The Screwtape Letters” as her model, Christian writer Hussem began this novel after becoming more aware of her own insecurities and fears. Here, two demons—one in charge, one a trainee—spiritually attack a woman, intent on procuring her submission to evil. Through them, Hussem examines why so many women today buy into the lies which bring discontent and insecurity rather than happiness. A banquet of food for thought, “Stoneheart” is an ideal choice for women’s book clubs.
Legal History
By Adam Cohen
In 1884, four men were shipwrecked in a lifeboat in the South Atlantic without food or water. To survive, two killed and ate the weakest. It was “the custom of the sea.” They expected to be hailed as heroes, when they returned to England. They were charged with murder instead. The case, Regina v. Dudley and Stephens, was a legal landmark. It established killing someone to preserve your own life, if they posed no threat to you, was murder. This book examines a legal repudiation of utilitarianism.
Historical Fiction
By Nicholas Monsarrat
A classic novel of war at sea, it follows the six-year Battle of the Atlantic through the eyes of two Royal Navy officers, George Ericson and Keith Lockhart. They serve together on the Flower-class corvette Compass Rose and the River-class frigate Saltash. It shows their view of the battle from the deck of two small antisubmarine warships, where the sea is as much of a foe as the Nazi enemy. Originally published in 1951, Monsarrat’s finest novel is a timeless story of men and the sea.
Nonfiction
By Georgios Varouxakis
Where did the idea of “the West” originate? The time and location is hardly as easy as suggesting the Ancient Greeks, which, according to Varouxakis, is a common refrain. The author actually indicates the idea is much more recent, evolving from the contrast between the Oriental and Occidental to being referred to as Europe, Western civilization, or even “the Atlantic Community.” Sorting through about 300 years of history and citing philosophers, writers, and leaders, “The West” proves an insightful work.
Classics
By John A. Lomax and Alan Lomax
Beginning in the 1930s, John Lomax and his son Alan embarked on a mission to discover and preserve American ballads and folksongs. This book contains their description of those efforts plus more than 200 of the songs they collected with notes on each. Some like “Down in the Valley” and “Old Joe Clark” are well-known, others obscure, but you can find the music to match the lyrics by searching online. Here’s an entertaining way for young and old to learn more about America’s colorful past.
For Kids
By Chris Van Dusen
When Mr. Magee and his little dog Dee head out one morning to learn to ski, it goes about as well as you might imagine. Impossible to read without smiling—from its perfectly composed verse, to its bright and joyful illustrations, to its collection of snow-covered mishaps—this comical tale would make a great addition to your child’s winter reading stack.
