The Angel Makers is a true-crime story like no other-a 1920s midwife who may have been the century's most prolific killer leading a murder ring of women responsible for the deaths of at least 160 men.
The horror occurred in a rustic farming enclave in modern-day Hungary. To look at the unlikely lineup of murderesses-village wives, mothers, and daughters-was to come to the shocking realization that this could have happened anywhere, and to anyone. At the center of it all was a sharp-minded village midwife, a "smiling Buddha" known as Auntie Suzy, who distilled arsenic from flypaper and distributed it…
'Truly extraordinary books are rare, and this is one of them' - Roddy Doyle, Booker Prize-winning author of Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha Ha
James by Percival Everett is a profound and ferociously funny meditation on identity, belonging and the sacrifices we make to protect the ones we love, which reimagines The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. From the author of The Trees, shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and Erasure, adapted into the Oscar-winning film American Fiction.
The Mississippi River, 1861. When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a new…
I love science and animals. Lucy Cooke, author, is a zoologist, author, and film director. She uncovers many falsehoods from leading scientists that were believed to be true at the time. These are theories from scientists such as Aristotle, Georges Curvier, and others from past centuries. For instance, scientists wondered what happened to birds in the winter. Curvier believed some bird species hibernated under water! The book is charming and quite funny.
Mary Roach meets Bill Bryson in this "surefire summer winner" (Janet Maslin, New York Times), an uproarious tour of the basest instincts and biggest mysteries of the animal world
Humans have gone to the Moon and discovered the Higgs boson, but when it comes to understanding animals, we've still got a long way to go. Whether we're seeing a viral video of romping baby pandas or a picture of penguins "holding hands," it's hard for us not to project our own values -- innocence, fidelity, temperance, hard work -- onto animals. So you've probably never considered if moose get drunk,…
In 1811, at age 12, Mary Anning discovered a lizard/fish-like creature from the Jurassic Period in her hometown of Lyme Regis in the U.K. Unfortunately, the men of the London Geological Society didn't believe her because Mary was female and had no formal education, and was poor.
But Mary didn’t let doubters or those in power stop her. It’s why I fell in love with her story. I hope others will enjoy learning about her.
