This week, we feature a compelling voice appealing for sanity in America’s universities and a stark warning against the dangers socialism poses to today’s youth.
Novel
‘The Girl From Venice’
By Martin Cruz Smith
Cenzo Vianello is a fisherman from Pellestrina, an island on the Venetian Lagoon. While fishing the lagoon on a late winter night in 1945, he discovers the floating body of a young girl. Thinking her dead, he hauls her on his boat. The girl, Giulia, is still alive and fleeing the Nazis. Rather than turn the girl over to them, he conceals her. Cenzo’s plan was to stay inconspicuous until the war was over, but the decision to protect her leads Cenzo and Giulia into a dark web of intrigue.
Simon & Schuster, 2017, 320 pages
Nonfiction
‘Where Harvard Went Wrong: Fifty Years of Commentary That Fell on Deaf Ears’
By Harvey C. Mansfield
This conservative professor and political philosopher taught at Harvard from 1962 to 2023. Collected here are his speeches and recommendations to students and faculty which, as he says, “fell on deaf ears.” He critiqued not only Harvard’s woke politics and policies, but also academic issues like grade inflation, the exchange of merit in the classroom for diversity, and on-campus self-censorship. An important diagnosis of the ills affecting many of America’s institutions of higher learning.
Encounter Books, 2026, 144 pages
Mystery
‘The Inklings Detective Agency’
By John R. Kelly
There was an actual group of famous writers at Oxford called The Inklings, which was composed of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Owen Barfield, and Charles Williams. This book utilizes the brilliant minds of these legendary authors to solve a murder case at the university. To add even more fun to the plot, the Oxford luminaries receive assistance from British mystery writers, Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie. A wonderful summertime mystery that proves to be an intriguing page-turner.
Waterbrook, 2026, 352 pages
History
‘San Antonio and Its Missions: Three Centuries of History, Memory, and Heritage’
By Joel Daniel Kitchens
San Antonio, Texas, was originally settled by the Spanish as a mission town, to convert the heathen. Today, it is home to five historic missions, an enduring and deeply rooted part of the city’s cultural legacy. UNESCO recognized the missions as World Heritages Sites in 2015. This book examines the history of the five missions and explores how and why the Spanish built them and their enduring legacy for San Antonio today. It will appeal to all interested in history, architecture, or culture.
Texas A&M University Press, 2026, 344 pages
Classics
‘The Road to Serfdom’
By Friedrich A. Hayek
In 1945, Hayek’s book warning against socialism, communism, and fascism gained an enormous audience in the United States when Reader’s Digest issued it in condensed form. Reprinted many times, this IEA edition contains the condensed version as well as his essay “The Intellectuals and Socialism,” illustrations, and commentary by Milton Friedman and others. It’s an excellent introduction, especially for the young, to Hayek’s philosophy and to the dangers of utopian ideals driven by totalitarian government.
IEA, 2005, 140 pages
For Kids
‘Angus and the Ducks’
By Marjorie Flack
Angus is a curious Scottish terrier who just can’t help following the mysterious “quack, quack” sound he hears from the other side of the hedge in the garden. The suspenseful yet gentle narrative captures the essence of a puppy’s world. Adorable illustrations perfectly accompany this simple story that children are sure to ask for again.
Square Fish, 1997, 32 pages
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