Scribner

Marshall has used his experience as a war correspondent and leading authority on foreign affairs to produce a most marvelous and timely collection of maps of ten critical countries, regions and continents. His description of the natural geologic boundaries of the continents and how they have either safeguarded people or left them unprotected, and how leaders used them in strategic ways is fascinating. This geopolitical landscape helps one to recognize current events and why decisions are made. I can’t leave it alone and keep referring back to it to help explain the news of the day. It will rest on my bookshelf next to Guns, Germs and Steel and Why Nations Fail. – Sue Fleming

A collection of ghost stories perfect for dark winter nights, Ghostly features haunted houses, haunted cottages, paintings that move, magic and cats—to name just a few ghastly details, all told by masters of the genre including Poe, M.R James, Kelly Link, Neil Gaiman, P.G. Wodehouse, Saki and Niffenegger herself. Whether you want that sense of creeping unease, full-on scares or a laugh or two there’s something for everyone here. – Paula Longhurst

For those fascinated with Edsel’s Monuments Men, Simon Goodman presents a dramatic story of his family’s loss of precious art, first to Hitler and then, once it was recovered by Allied Forces, to European governments. Simon grew up in London with only a vague knowledge of his grandparents, who had come from German-Jewish banking dynasties and had perished in concentration camps—or of their fabulous collection of works by Degas, Renoir, Botticelli, Guardi, among others. Nor was he aware of the subsequent efforts to locate the missing art—until receiving some old papers following his father’s death. Over 20 years, Simon, with the help of his family, initiated the first Nazi looting case to be settled in the U.S. They also brought about the first major restitution in the Netherlands since the post-war era. An unforgettable read. – Sue Fleming