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History and Current Events January 2023 |
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| Tracers in the Dark: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency by Andy GreenbergWhat it's about: how law enforcement agencies and private contractors around the world trace crypto-funded criminal exploits.
Why you might like it: Technology journalist Andy Greenberg's dramatic true crime tale offers a colorful cast of characters, twists and turns aplenty, and pulse-pounding suspense.
Book buzz: A documentary, podcast, and scripted adaptation of Tracers in the Dark are all currently in development. |
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| The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in an American Family by Kerri K. GreenidgeWhat it's about: the complicated legacy of the Quaker abolitionist Grimke family, whose public calls for equality belied their own hypocrisy, self-righteousness, classism, and racism.
For fans of: The Other Madisons: The Lost History of a President's Black Family by Bettye Kearse.
Reviewers say: "A sobering and timely look at how self-centered benevolence can become complicity" (Booklist). |
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| The Forever Witness: How DNA and Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder by Edward Humes1987: Young Canadian couple Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook were murdered during a road trip to Seattle; their killer was never found.
2018: Snohomish County, WA detective Jim Scharf and genetic genealogist CeCe Moore worked together to solve the crime; their efforts led to the arrest and conviction of Seattle trucker Bill Talbott, whose case is headed to the Washington State Supreme Court.
Read it for: a thought-provoking discussion on the ethics of utilizing ancestry DNA databases for criminal investigations. |
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| Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the... by Roseanne MontilloWhat it's about: In 1955, New York socialite Ann Woodward shot and killed her husband; 20 years later, author Truman Capote exploited the scandal in his Esquire short story "La Côte Basque, 1965."
What's inside: a well-researched account of the pair's ill-fated connection, which reportedly spurred Woodward's suicide and led to Capote's disgrace.
Try this next: For more books detailing how famous authors found literary inspiration in murder cases, check out Casey Cep's Furious Hours or Sarah Churchwell's Careless People. |
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| Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers by Emma SmithWhat it is: a fast-paced and engaging history of the book that reveals the written word's impact on technology, culture, and politics.
Author alert: Emma Smith is Professor of Shakespeare Studies at the University of Oxford and the author of This Is Shakespeare.
What's in a name? The title of this book comes from the Stephen King quote: "Books are a uniquely portable magic." |
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| Requiem for the Massacre: A Black History on the Conflict, Hope, and Fallout of the 1921... by R.J. YoungWhat it's about: the history and legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in Tulsa, OK.
Author alert: FOX sports analyst and Tulsa native R.J. Young (Let It Bang) blends evocative history with impassioned personal reflections in this well-researched reckoning of systemic racism in America.
Try this next: For another compelling book exploring a pivotal event in Black history, check out Annette Gordon-Reed's On Juneteenth. |
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Visit Arlington Public Library and discover more great books! |
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