The story of the last Russian tsar and his family, with their palaces, intrigues, and pastimes, is woven through with first-person accounts of ordinary Russian children from the same time period, for a well-rounded and compelling portrait of the Russian Revolution that adults will enjoy as much as younger readers.
Sarah
If you're looking for a gift for a curious, creative, out-of-the-box thinker, this may very well be the perfect one. From the Tinkering Studio at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, it’s chock-full of jumping-off points for tinkering adventures, suggestions for tools and materials, and wonderful stories of tinkering adventures. Complete with a hackable cover with conductive ink, this book is sure to amaze, delight and inspire.
Dina
Author Tilar Mazzeo brings to life the magic of the Hotel Ritz, the glorious luxury hotel in the heart of Paris, during the Occupation. Despite the raging war, the hotel carries on becoming the headquarters for Hermann Goring and home to the rich and famous, including Coco Chanel. Rich in atmosphere and intrigue, The Hotel on Place Vendome is a fascinating portrait of Paris, World War II and a hotel that somehow survived it all and continues to thriveto this day.
Nathan
It's a feel-good story- inner-city high school students learn to build robots and in a national competition on a shoestring budget, defeating teams from Caltech and MIT -- with a twist: most of the students are undocumented immigrants from Mexico, living in a time of increasing deportations, and their undocumented status means that college, jobs, and the other elements of a happy ending are just out of each.
Sarah
Unlike anything you've ever read, Thrown is a philosophical exploration of what it means to be alive through the lens of Mixed Martial Arts. The work of an intense intellect, Thrown uses the lives of two fighters to struggle with the biggest questions of experience, very directly fighting for meaning and significance in our chaotic and confusing world. A major work by a major mind.
Josh
Lots of historo-intellectual fun for Antiquity enthusiasts. In her well-wrought essays Beard brings refreshing insight and deep scholarship to this flavorful collection covering most of the Ancient World Hit Parade from Homer to Asterix. Paging through it is like visiting old (ancient, in fact) friends.
Gary