This week, we feature a masterful, academic debunking of old wives’ tales and a deeper look into the genius mind of England’s most famous playwright.
Folklore
‘Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids’
By Ken Jennings
Remember stuff your parents told you that you now pass on to your own children? Things like cracking your knuckles causes arthritis, don’t sit too close to the TV, and swimming within 30 minutes of eating causes cramps? Did you ever wonder how true that advice was? This book explores those myths and many more, revealing whether they are true or false. Using scientific studies, medical case histories, and even experiments on himself and his family, Jennings reveals the truth behind the warnings.
Scribner, 2013, 272 pages
Nonfiction
‘The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in An Age of Emptiness’
By Arthur C. Brooks
Brooks is known as the “Professor of Happiness” for his longtime research in that subject. Here he connects happiness with knowing the meaning of your life. He covers topics that help build this profile of meaning, like pushing aside obsession with the self, seeking a vocation, and loving beauty. In what he calls our age of emptiness, he maps out ways to find purpose in our lives. His prose and mix of personal examples with data and studies make for a great read, especially for young adults.
Portfolio, 2026, 304 pages
Literary Analysis
‘Thinking Through Shakespeare’
By David Womersley
There is no debate about the literary genius of William Shakespeare. As brilliant as his writing was, Womersley suggests he was even more brilliant than we give him credit for. In this grand analysis of Shakespeare’s plays—specifically “Othello,” “Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” and “King Lear”—the author delves into the moral, political, and social context behind these literary masterpieces, proving that reading Shakespeare enables one to plumb the philosophies of both the ancient and modern world.
Princeton University Press, 2026, 432 pages
Science Fiction
‘Colt Ostergaard: A Man With A Gun’
By Rick Cutler
This novel is a science fiction version of the classic Western. Fenris is a low-population frontier planet. It recently won independence in a bitter war. Its economy is based on ranching, farming, and mining. Displaced by that war, and hunted by a powerful foundation, Colt Ostergaard is forced to become a wanderer seeking peace he knows he will never find. His presence is dangerous to those he loves. Deeply nuanced, it explores questions about how to be a man who follows an honorable path.
Raconteur Press, 2026, 424 pages
Classics
‘The Odyssey’
By Homer
Here’s hoping the commotion over Christopher Nolan’s new film “The Odyssey” will send viewers in search of Homer’s tale of Odysseus and his crew and their grand adventures. This epic with its companion “The Iliad” shaped ancient Greek culture, setting standards for behavior and virtue. Critics have long acclaimed Robert Fagles’s translation for its energy, sense of drama, and easy readability. A fine text for readers to make their own odyssey through this great work of our civilization.
Penguin Classics, 1999, 541 pages
For Kids
‘A Visit to William Blake’s Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers’
By Nancy Willard and Alice and Martin Provensen
Inspired by William Blake’s “Songs of Innocence” and “Songs of Experience,” this imaginative collection of poems invites readers into a whimsical inn where extraordinary adventures await. This award-winning book, featuring charming illustrations and rhythmic poems about angels, dragons, cats, cows, and other animals, is a magical, literary delight.
Clarion Books, 1982, 48 pages
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