This week, we feature a fun mystery that’s a great beach read and a foundational work on economics that everyone can benefit from.
Mystery
‘A Death on Corfu’
By Emily Sullivan
It’s the turn of the 20th century. Minnie Harper is an English widow who lives on the Greek island of Corfu with her two children. They moved there when her late husband retired from the British foreign service. To make ends meet, she does occasional secretarial work. When mystery writer Stephen Dorian arrives to finish his latest bestseller, he hires Minnie to type the manuscript. Then, a local girl turns up murdered. Minnie and Dorian set out to find the killer in this cozy mystery.
Kensington, 2025, 288 pages
European History
‘The Shortest History of France: From Roman Gaul to Revolution and Cultural Radiance—A Global Story for Our Times’
By Colin Jones
Planning a vacation to Europe? Perhaps France? If so, this is a fanatic read before you hop on the plane. With so much history dating back thousands of years, this book will provide introductions to much of France—at least the most important parts. Learn about the first king, Clovis; the rise of Charlemagne; the influence of Christianity; the results of the French Revolution, and the impact of Napoleon; and how wars in the 20th century altered the country. Perfect for not looking like a tourist.
The Experiment, 2025, 304 pages
Nonfiction
‘The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World’
By Christine Rosen
Digital technology critics have made the case for the damage screens inflict on the young. Here Rosen expands that critique to the rest of the population. Through data and examples, she reveals the harm being done as we increasingly inhabit a digitalized, disembodied world. She offers solutions as well, stressing that individuals must deliberately choose to balance their screen time with real life. An excellent and timely call to become masters of our technology rather than its slaves.
W.W. Norton & Company, 2024, 272 pages
Economics
‘Basic Economics’
By Thomas Sowell
Economics studies scarcity. That makes understanding basic economics critically important, and makes this book invaluable. Sowell explains economics so an average person can understand, in plain English, without mathematics. There are no equations, charts, or graphs in the book. It’s a comprehensive yet understandable explanation of how economics works—and why so many disagreements exist over what should be a straightforward subject. This is a citizen’s guide to economics that everyone should read.
Basic Books, 2014, 704 pages
Classics
‘Notes From Underground’
By Fyodor Dostoevsky
The nameless narrator in this 1864 novella is a bitter, retired civil servant. He takes to pen and paper to record his disillusionment with modernity and progress, and his alienation from other people. This classic remains invaluable today in part because many of the piece’s sardonic complaints apply to our own age of advanced technology and materialism. Through his character, Dostoevsky also forecasts the utopian ideas, radical social changes, and consequent bloodshed that marked the 20th century.
Vintage, 1994, 136 pages
For Kids
‘Seabird’
By Holling C. Holling
First published in 1948, bursting with fantastic storytelling, beautifully descriptive language, wondrous details, and vivid illustrations, “Seabird” features a young boy named Ezra. He’s aboard a whaling boat, where he carves a seabird companion out of a walrus tusk. Characteristic of Holling, the margins are brimming with interesting information and diagrams pertaining to the story.
Clarion Books, 1978, 64 pages
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