This week, we feature a scholarly dissection of a popular writer’s works and a charming children’s tale that looks at a Founding Father from a pet’s point of view.
Nonfiction
‘Agatha Christie and the Metaphysics of Murder’
By Theodore Dalrymple
Physician and writer Dalrymple brings his usual high style to an unusual project. He undertakes a study of Christie’s social, philosophical, and psychological interests, but realizes that time and age prevent him from reading all her books. He selects a single mystery, “They Do It With Mirrors,” then leads us through its pages while delivering commentary on the author and her era. Christie fans will enjoy the tour while others can savor the doctor’s delightful prose and asides.
Criterion Books, 2026, 168 pages
Historical Fiction
‘The Paris Express’
By Emma Donoghue
Based on an actual 1895 train disaster, this novel follows the Paris Express from Normandy to Paris on a fatal day. Mixing historical and fictional figures to populate the cast of passengers and crew, the author uses their interactions to build suspense throughout the book. The result is a story that draws the reader in, bringing Belle Epoque France to life. The author cleverly leads readers to draw false assumptions as to the ultimate cause of the catastrophe.
Summit Books, 2026, 288 pages
Military History
‘To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution’
By Michael O’Hanlon
How did America become the mightiest military power in history? Slowly, but surely. But as O’Hanlon demonstrates in his book, the process developed by way of westward expansion, through enduring a Civil War, during bouts of isolation, by collaborating with other powers, and by a determination to ensure global peace. This book is chock-full of information about America’s eras of defense strategies from its Revolution to the 21st century. A fascinating work.
Yale University Press, 2026, 352 pages
Memoir
‘An American Yankee in King Alfred’s Court’
By Dennis J. Turner
In the 1990s, law professor Dennis Turner sent his résumé to Northgate Chambers in Winchester, England to be considered as a pupil by a practicing barrister. Accepted by Giles Adam-Smyth, Turner took a sabbatical from the University of Dayton and moved with his family to Winchester for a year. This book relates his experiences that year, professionally and personally. A fascinating look at the British legal system and its differences from American law. It is also about friendship, loyalty, and family.
Dennis Turner, 2026, 324 pages
Classics
‘How to Live on 24 Hours a Day: Optimizing Time to Create a Life of Purpose and Fulfillment’
By Arnold Bennett
Taken from a series of newspaper articles, this early 20th-century self-help book was popular with a wide variety of people and still attracts readers. In the Preface, the author notes that some people had accused him of a “frivolity of tone,” which is accurate, but may also account for the book’s popularity. With a keen eye for human failings and some remedies to counter them, Bennett designs a short and to-the-point program of time management and self-improvement in the extra hours gained.
Sound Wisdom, 2025, 128 pages
For Kids
‘Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse Amos’
By Robert Lawson
A delightful introduction to American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, this chapter book for young readers gives a playful glimpse into where Franklin’s ideas may have originated, at least according to his mouse companion, Amos. Through various inventions and the beginnings of a nation, Amos’s perspective provides a fun window into history.
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 1988, 114 pages
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