The mysterious Voynich manuscript and its meaning have been the subject of speculation ever since its discovery in a Jesuit library near Rome in 1912 by an antiquarian book dealer, after whom it is named. It was originally the property of Emperor Rudolf II of...

Andrei Romanov’s book, Masters of the Ocean Sea, is a massive deep dive into how Portugal basically redrew the world map during the Age of Discovery. It avoids being just a dry list of dates, instead focusing on the lives of people like Prince Henry...

Are We Having Fun Still? by Joseph Blackhurst hits on a question that feels relevant in 2026: why does our downtime suddenly feel like a chore? The author starts with a simple conversation in a Target checkout line that spirals into a full-blown autopsy of...

In the hilarious and high-energy pages of The Dad Jokes Haggadah by Martin Bodek, the Passover Seder gets a much-needed injection of humor. This isn’t just your standard religious text; it’s a full-on celebration of the classic, pun-heavy "dad joke" style applied to the entire...

Nuna Anodm by David Elkins is an unconventional, highly structured work that presents a series of conceptual designs, diagrams, and descriptive entries organized across multiple volumes. Rather than following a traditional narrative, the book introduces readers to a wide range of imagined systems, objects, and...

Walk a Lonely Mile by Brian Paige is a reflective memoir that follows the author’s experiences with friendship, ambition, relationships, and the unpredictable turns that shape a life. The book begins with his memories from adolescence, including the awkward and impulsive behaviors of his early...

Tortured Soles by Fran Weinstein is a memoir from her childhood to retirement. Growing up in New York in a dysfunctional family, she was frequently subjected to her parents’ constant fights. Her mother, a refugee from Europe, suffered bouts of depression, and her father was...

Have you tried true Japanese cuisine? Have you wondered about its simplicity? In fact, as Aurelian Marchesi explains in The Logic of Japanese Cuisine, it’s actually refined, possibly described as minimalist. When presented with the fine makings of Japanese cuisine, one might feel the quantity...

In Hans Brunner’s Forever Day, Felix Joseph–Maria Fuchs leaves his family’s Swiss hotel and boards a liner bound for Australia, expecting a season abroad yet encountering a decision that will not release him. On the voyage, he meets Janine, a schoolteacher returning to Victoria, and...

Chance: Beginnings by Roberts Essex follows Chance from birth through adulthood, hitting plenty of highs and lows along the journey. Faith plays a big role in Chance’s life, but it’s messy and real, not sugar-coated or preachy. One such portrayal of this family’s faith is...