This week, we feature a superb, intimate portrayal of Alexander the Great and a mysterious Victorian mystery reminiscent of Dickens.
Biography
‘Alexander: God, King, Man’
By Edmund Richardson
This new biography of Alexander the Great uses recent archaeological discoveries to provide an intimate and revealing look at the Macedonian conqueror. The book relies on many new first-person accounts of the man. It presents Alexander’s early life, showing how he rose to be king of Macedonia and conquered Greece and follows his subsequent conquests. It offers immersion into Alexander’s life and the times in which he lived, showing how pre-Christian ancient times differ from today. Highly, highly recommended.
St. Martin’s Press, 2026, 480 pages
Fiction
‘The Quincunx’
By Charles Palliser
Grand truths are often shrouded in great mystery. This is the case for John Huffam, who is brought up in Victorian England by a very protective single mother. But what is she protecting her son from? In this sprawling Dickensian debut novel, readers are introduced to a bygone era, colorful characters, family secrets, and the divisions between the English classes. It’s a multi-plot tale of revenge in pursuit of personal justice. Palliser’s debut work has become a modern day classic.
Ballantine Books, 1991, 800 pages
Mystery
‘Murder on the Orient Express’
By Agatha Christie
Belgian private investigator Hercule Poirot is traveling to Paris aboard the Orient Express. That night, the train gets snowbound in the Yugoslavian countryside. In the morning, millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett is found dead with a dozen stab wounds. His compartment is locked from the inside. One of 14 people aboard the railcar killed him, but who? And how, with the door locked from the inside? Hercule Poirot sets out to solve the crime in one of Agatha Christie’s most famous mysteries.
William Morrow Paperbacks, 2024, 288 pages
Nonfiction
‘The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust and Threatens Us All—but There Is a Solution’
By Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott
Packed with data, news headlines, behind-the-scenes stories, and personal anecdotes, “Canceling” demonstrates the great harm done to the American republic when labels, social media mobs, and outright bans drive free speech from the public square. The authors detail what cancel culture means, how it works, and most needed of all, how to defeat it. The many stories, the measured criticism, the emphasis on free speech principles, and the call to argue like adults make this a valuable read.
Simon & Schuster, 2025, 480 pages
Classics
‘Favorite Poems’
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Edited and with a short introduction by Stanley Appelbaum, this collection includes well-known poems like “Paul Revere’s Ride,” “The Children’s Hour,” and “The Courtship of Miles Standish.” Poems once popular with Longfellow’s 19th-century audience appear as well, like “The Village Blacksmith,” “The Wreck of the Hesperus,” and “The Arrow and the Song.” Here’s a volume which can be read in solitude, but which offers great fun as a read-aloud for the family, as so many did in those distant days.
Dover Thrift Edition, 1992, 96 pages
For Kids
‘A Very Thankful Prayer’
By Bonnie Rickner Jensen
Cheerful animal illustrations and simple verse bring to life this adorable picture book for the younger set, encouraging a heart full of gratitude for things like “a cozy coat and hat,” family, and more. A great addition to the Thanksgiving bookshelf, this faith-filled board book teaches little ones to give thanks for life’s blessings.
Tommy Nelson, 2017, 24 pages
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