This week, we feature a love story that influenced America’s founding and a foray into the oft-overlooked shipbuilder for the Great Lakes waterways that developed so much of the American heartland.
Maritime History
‘The Great Lakes Ships of Frank E. Kirby: America’s Greatest Naval Architect’
By Richard Gebhart
The North American Great Lakes form one of the world’s most important commercial waterways. From the 1800s on, especially after the Civil War, it was the highway that fed America’s industrial heartland. From the 1880s through 1910s, the most important and innovative ships designed and built on the Lakes sprang from the mind of self-taught naval architect Frank E. Kirby. This book provides a biography of the man, the history of his ships, and the impact his innovations had on shipping worldwide.
Michigan State University Press, 2026, 232 pages
Mystery
‘A Deadly Episode’
By Anthony Horowitz
When the actor playing detective Daniel Hawthorne in the film adaptation of “The Word is Murder,” is murdered on the set, the real Hawthorne is present. He is serving as an advisor for the movie of the true crime tale he co-wrote with a fictional version of the book’s author, Horowitz. Hawthorne decides to investigate, with Horowitz reluctantly assisting. The actor, David Caine, had accumulated many enemies, but his murder may have been an accident with Hawthorne being the real target. A fun, twisty mystery.
Harper, 2026, 384 pages
Philosophy
‘The Rise and Fall of Rational Control: The History of Modern Political Philosophy’
By Harvey C. Mansfield
When did modern political philosophy begin? Mansfield claims it began in the 16th century with Machiavelli. He argues that this school of philosophy has continued to evolve through groundbreaking works of revolutionary thinkers. Following this multi-century school, he presents the ideas of eight philosophers, ending with Nietzsche. The book asks probing questions, like are we more moral now? What is the next step in this modern school? And should we return to the philosophy of the ancients?
Belknap, 2026, 336 pages
Nonfiction
‘The Gratitude Diaries: How a Year Looking on the Bright Side Can Transform Your Life ’
By Janice Kaplan
One New Year’s Eve, the author assigned herself a project: to live the year intentionally practicing gratitude. In her book she divides that year by seasons and themes, with winter, for instance, devoted to marriage, love, and family. Kaplan gives her readers stories, not studies and statistics, about herself, work, family, and friends. Add in her warmth and sense of humor, and the diaries are a great guide for your own journey into “how a year looking on the bright side can transform your life.”
Dutton, 2016, 336 pages
Classics
‘Selected Letters of Abigail and John Adams’
Edited by Michael Croland
From one of the most remarkable marital correspondences in American history, editor Michael Croland has assembled 81 letters written between March 1776 and March 1777. It’s just a fraction of their more than 1,100 preserved letters. Topics discussed range from Abigail’s impression of nearby cannon fire and John’s accounts of crucial events in Philadelphia to Abigail’s arrangement of smallpox inoculations for herself and their children. Watch the Revolution unfold through the eyes of its most renowned couple.
Dover Publications, 2021, 176 pages
For Kids
‘Drummer Hoff’
By Barbara and Ed Emberley
This vibrant, rhythmic picture book brings to life a cumulative folk tale about soldiers’ assembly of a colorful cannon. With bold illustrations by Ed Emberley, the story builds anticipation until the final “KAH-BAH-BLOOM!” Children will enjoy the repetitive, melodic text and the bright, detailed artwork that earned this book the Caldecott Medal.
Aladdin, 1972, 32 pages
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