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  Fool - In Search of Henry VIII's...

  Peter K. Andersson

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  In some portraits of Henry VIII there appears another figure—a gaunt and morose-looking man with a shaved head. This is William or "Will" Somer, the king's fool, a celebrated wit who reportedly could raise Henry's spirits and spent many hours with him. Was Somer an "artificial fool," a cunning comic who could speak freely in front of the king, or a "natural fool," someone with intellectual disabilities, like many other members of the profession? Fool is the first biography of Somer—and perhaps the first of a Renaissance fool. 
   
   
   
  After his death, Somer disappeared, and historians struggled to separate myth from reality. Unearthing as many facts as possible, Peter K. Andersson pieces together the fullest picture yet of an enigmatic and unusual man with a strange job. Somer's story provides new insights into how fools lived and what they did for a living, how monarchs and courtiers related to commoners and people with disabilities, and whether aspects of the Renaissance fool live on in the modern comedian. But most of all, we learn how a commoner without property or education managed to become the court's chief mascot and a continuous presence at the center of Tudor power. 
   
   
   
  Fool reveals a little-known world, surprising and disturbing, when comedy was something crueler and more unpleasant than we like to think.

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  The American Film Institute's 5...

  Editors Charles River

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  In 1999, the American Film Institute released its list of the 50 greatest Hollywood stars of the 20th century, and selecting the best actors out of the bunch was certainly a tall task. The competition was so stacked that men like Gary Cooper and John Wayne were not even among the Top 10. So who were the Top 5 men selected by the AFI? 
  One man has long been considered the greatest male star. From the time he first became a leading man, Humphrey Bogart’s screen image has resonated with viewers more than perhaps any other actor. His persona as a tough guy who manages to maintain his sense of virtue no matter how compromising the situation features in some of the most famous films ever made, including Casablanca (1942), The Maltese Falcon (1941), and Key Largo (1949). 
  Movie stars are revered for their ability to captivate audiences, and perhaps no actor has done it as well as Cary Grant, the epitome of the suave, debonair actor who may have been rivaled only by dancer extraordinaire Fred Astaire. The films in which Astaire acted may not be especially famous in their own right, but Astaire’s dancing prowess left a lasting impact. 
  If the list was reconstructed today, it is entirely possible that Jimmy Stewart would rank first. Not only have movies such as It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and Vertigo (1958) continued to gain in popularity even into the 21st century, but Stewart has come to embody an accessible image of American values that is easy for everyone to embrace. 
  Over the course of his long, prolific career, Marlon Brando was considered perhaps the greatest actor of the 20th century as well as one of the most complicated and misunderstood. Uniquely able to be both emotionally charged and technically constrained in the same performance, he single-handedly changed the direction of not only the American style of acting, influencing successors such as Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and even Johnny Depp, but the acting profession on a global scale.

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  My Walk With God

  Timothy Wayne Trivett

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  "My Walk With God" by Timothy Trivett fearlessly records the rugged venture of struggle, where pain advances into every life, leaving no one untouched by its distinct states – be it physical suffering or the quiet, unseen ache of the soul. It points out the isolating essence of loneliness, where one can be surrounded by people yet feel utterly alone, and the disorienting sensation of being lost, walking through life without a clear direction. This book addresses the reality of human struggle. It acknowledges that no one is exempt from life's burdens. Yet, amidst this rawness, a way forward arises, a light, even in the shadiest of areas, as the author undergoes personal battles with addiction, the shattering loss of a brother, and the complications of a family in crisis. Ultimately, Trivett attests to the power of conviction. He depicts how living by faith is not a singular event but a constant, ongoing method. It is a daily choice to embrace 'God's law' over the momentary promises of the world. Moreover, it's a journey characterized by moments of surrender and the realization that redemption is always possible, even in brokenness.

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  A Darker Shade of Blue - A...

  Keith Merith

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  A transparent first-hand account of a Black officer maneuvering through three terrifying yet rewarding decades of policing, all while seeking reform in law enforcement
  		 
  When 16-year-old Keith Merith finds himself pulled over, berated, and degraded by a white police officer, he’s outraged. He’s done nothing wrong. But the officer has the power, and he doesn’t. From that day on, he vows to join a police service and effect change from within.
  		 
  Twelve years and a multitude of infuriating applications later, Merith is finally hired by York Regional Police. Subjected to unfair treatment and constant microaggressions, he perseveres and gradually rises through the ranks, his goal of systemic change carrying him through. After a stellar career, Merith retires at the rank of superintendent, but his desire for sustained and equitable reform is stronger than ever.
  		 
  In A Darker Shade of Blue, Merith shares both his gut-wrenching and heart-warming experiences and advocates for immediate police reform in a balanced and level-headed manner. He praises the people in blue, but he also knows on a visceral level that there are deep issues that need to be rectified — starting with recruitment. He knows that law enforcement agencies should reflect the communities they serve and protect, and that all citizens should be treated equally. Entrusted with the duty to serve, Merith delivers an evocative perspective of policing by providing the opportunity to walk in his shoes, as a Black man, and as a police officer on the front lines.

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  Face Down - The Disappearance of...

  David Blake Knox

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  On 27 December 1973 the nightmare began: late that night German businessman Thomas Niedermayer was kidnapped from his home in Belfast. Never seen alive again by his friends or family, he became one of the 'disappeared' and it seemed that no one knew what had happened to him.
  His wife, Ingeborg, and his daughters, Renate and Gabriele, spent the next seven years not knowing if Thomas were alive or dead. In 1980, an IRA informant led police to recover his body. But the trauma for Thomas's family was far from over: there were further devastating consequences for all of them.
  Five decades on, FACE DOWN sets out to discover what really happened in Belfast all those years ago.
  Now in its second, updated edition and the subject of an IFTA nominated feature-length documentary, this astonishing story of one family's generational trauma undermines any attempt to glamorise or minimise the effects of political violence.

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  Bright Galaxies Dark Matter and...

  Ashley Jean Yeager

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  We now know that the universe is mostly dark, made up of particles and forces that are undetectable even by our most powerful telescopes. The discovery of the possible existence of dark matter and dark energy signaled a Copernican-like revolution in astronomy: not only are we not the center of the universe, neither is the stuff of which we're made. Astronomer Vera Rubin (1928–2016) played a pivotal role in this discovery. By showing that some astronomical objects seem to defy gravity's grip, Rubin helped convince the scientific community of the possibility of dark matter. In Bright Galaxies, Dark Matter, and Beyond, Ashley Jean Yeager tells the story of Rubin's life and work, recounting her persistence despite early dismissals of her work and widespread sexism in science. 
   
   
   
  Yeager describes Rubin's childhood fascination with stars, her education at Vassar and Cornell, and her marriage to a fellow scientist. At first, Rubin wasn't taken seriously; she was a rarity, a woman in science, and her findings seemed almost incredible. Still, she continued her groundbreaking work, driving a scientific revolution. She received the National Medal of Science in 1993, and has since been memorialized with a ridge on Mars, an asteroid, a galaxy, and most recently, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory—the first national observatory named after a woman.

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