This week, we feature a humorous British fiction jaunt and an autumnal kids’ book with just the right amount of scary.
Humor
‘Psmith, Journalist’
By P. G. Wodehouse
The third of Wodehouse’s four Psmith (the P is silent) novels, it finds the eccentric ex-Etonian Rupert Psmith in early 1900s New York City, with his friend Mike Jackson, who is on a cricket tour. There he befriends Billy Windsor, temporary editor of a newspaper called Cosy Moments, and joins its staff. The two transform it into a crusading weekly, getting involved with tenement reform, New York City gangs, and prizefighting. A hilarious romp, it shows why Psmith was one of Wodehouse’s most beloved characters.
Warbler Classics, 2024, 173 pages
Nonfiction
‘Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking’
By Susan Cain
In a world of jabber and noise, Cain mixes anecdotes and academic studies to make the case that overlooking the shy or the introverted comes with a cost. Among other takeaways, we learn that many people are a mix of introvert and extrovert, that imagination and creativity can thrive in solitude, and that team projects, whether in school or at work, often produce worse results than those assigned to individuals. A fine guide to personality types and a reminder of the value of time spent alone.
Crown, 2013, 368 pages
History
‘Barbs, Bullets, and Blood: The 1880s Texas Barbed Wire Wars’
By Harold D. Jobes
Barbed wire fenced in the open range, transforming Texas ranching in the 1870s and 1880s. Yet transformation rarely goes smoothly. This book tells how barbed wire came to Texas, and explains how the fence-cutting wars erupted after its arrival. It opens with a high-level overview of Texas barbed wire history and then plunges in at the local level, examining individual fence wars in specific counties. Each war was similar, but with its own occasionally eccentric characters and occasionally odd outcomes.
University of North Texas Press, 2025, 448 pages
Espionage
‘The Secret War: Spies, Ciphers, and Guerillas, 1939–1945’
By Max Hastings
The greatest conflict in history required the greatest methods of deception. One of the finest living war historians covers the gamut of spies, ciphers, and guerrilla warfare throughout the years of 1939 to 1945. Focusing on the war’s major players—America, Great Britain, Japan, Germany, and the Soviet Union—Hastings intertwines his humor and excellent writing style with exhaustively researched detail and exhilarating stories. For espionage or World War II buffs, this is a satisfying read.
Harper Perennial, 2017, 672 pages
Classics
‘None Shall Look Back’
By Caroline Gordon
Published in 1937 and overshadowed by 1936’s “Gone with the Wind,” this novel focuses on a Kentucky family during the Civil War, the exploits of the audacious Nathan Bedford Forrest, and a close-up look at the life of a Southern soldier. At the center of the action is Rives Allard, a warrior intent on defending his family and his homeland against all comers, who rides with Forrest. This historically accurate novel should appeal to Civil War buffs and those who appreciate good writing.
J.S. Sanders Books, 1992, 400 pages
For Kids
‘The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything: A Halloween Book For Kids’
By Linda Williams and Megan Lloyd
Just right for Halloween, this fun picture book tells the tale of a spunky lady who doesn’t let fear get in her way—even when she encounters two shoes walking by themselves in the woods at night or a pair of pants going “Wiggle, Wiggle.” This delightful read-aloud builds on itself and handles well the subject of fear. A fun seasonal read!
HarperCollins, 2019, 32 pages
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