nonfiction
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How to Stitch an American Dream by Jenny Doan
Talk to any quilter and there’s a good chance Jenny Doan’s name will come up. As the founder of Missouri Star Quilt Company, she’s helped popularize pre-cut quilting and a host of other techniques through both her physical shop and YouTube, where she’s featured hundreds of tutorials. No doubt, she’s one of the biggest and… Continue reading
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How Magicians Think by Joshua Jay
Growing up, I had a little obsession with magic. Making flowers appear with the wave of a hand, sawing an assistant in half, pulling a rabbit out of a hat—anytime a magician popped up on TV, I was riveted. Well, the animal acts generally made me uncomfortable, but the rest of it—bending the rules of… Continue reading
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A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear by Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling
What do you get when you cross a group of libertarians intent on eliminating government, a small New Hampshire town with seemingly plenty of space for new residents, a steadily increasing bear population, and doughnuts? One of the best books of the year. Continue reading
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The Magic of Terry Pratchett by Marc Burrows
Marketed as “the first full biography of Sir Terry Pratchett”, The Magic of Terry Pratchett explores the wondrous life and career of one of the most famous fantasy authors of all time. With over 85 million copies of over 60 books sold by the time of his death in 2015, Pratchett was as prolific as… Continue reading
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Staging Wars by Grace Topping
Laura Bishop’s home staging business is finally taking off, no thanks to a few crises that sure feel like someone’s attempt at sabotage. While she doesn’t have any definitive proof, she suspects the culprit might be her longtime nemesis Monica Heller. However, after she discovers Monica in a compromising position at the scene of a… Continue reading
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#VERYFAT #VERYBRAVE by Nicole Byer and Kim Newmoney
When Nicole Byer first posted a photo of herself wearing a bikini on Instagram, she knew she was being #verybrave—mostly because that’s what everyone kept telling her. After all, according to the outside world, merely showing a little skin while fat is incredibly #brave. So now she’s written a book sharing her brave hints, tricks,… Continue reading
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Major Misconduct: The Human Cost of Fighting in Hockey by Jeremy Allingham
Run a cursory search for hockey online and it won’t take much effort to come across the sport’s complicated relationship with fighting. For some fans, it’s as much a part of the game as the puck or the ice. Watch video of almost any brawl during a match, professional or otherwise, and witness the crowd… Continue reading
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The Economists’ Hour: False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Society by Binyamin Appelbaum
It’s not that everything was perfect before American politicians began paying attention to economists, but things sure were different. Between 1969 and 2008, author Binyamin Appelbaum argues that economists rose from the deepest depths of academia to rest in positions like secretary of the treasury and chairs of the Federal Reserve and, more broadly, as… Continue reading
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Still Here: The Madcap, Nervy, Singular Life of Elaine Stritch by Alexandra Jacobs
On November 17, 2014, a who’s who of theatre professionals trekked to the Al Hirschfield Theater to pay tribute to Elaine Stritch. After a career spanning nearly seventy years, the actress had “left the building”, as she preferred to frame it, the previous July. But while there were plenty of tears as performers ranging from… Continue reading
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Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church by Megan Phelps-Roper
The Westboro Baptist Church has been a staple of Topeka, Kansas—and the American religious landscape—for decades. The inflammatory rhetoric of its congregants, who spread condemnation and cheer on tragedy, has brought them both worldwide fame and notoriety. Megan Phelps-Roper, as a granddaughter of the church’s founder, grew up with this as her backdrop, where protesting… Continue reading
Plucked from the Stacks 