Why We Swim

By Bonnie Tsui

Why We Swim

An entertaining look at humans’ affinity for moving through water.

Bird Summons: A Novel

By Leila Aboulela

Bird Summons: A Novel

This moving meditation on gender, religion, and culture is overwhelmed by bloated magical realism.

Pelosi

By Molly Ball

Pelosi

How “No Nonsense Nancy” became the most powerful woman in Washington.

Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America

An incisive historical examination of how ideological purity has hurt our nation.

Furious Hours

By Casey Cep

Furious Hours

Recounting how the famed author tried — and failed — to turn a riveting courtroom drama into a second book.

White Elephant

By Julie Langsdorf

White Elephant

The underside of suburban politics is given dimension in this absorbing debut.

Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life

A wide-ranging search for meaning in the face of an uncaring universe.

Your Ad Could Go Here: Stories

With some excavating, these tales yield up various nuggets of wisdom.