- Christopher Hitchens, Why Orwell Matters. A look at Orwell in the context of his time, and how and why he holds up so well. What struck me is what Hitchens calls Orwell’s “power of facing,” in other words, the ability to look directly at unpleasant facts.
- Charlie Jane Anders, The City in the Middle of the Night. I didn’t much care for her previous work, All the Birds in the Sky. This one is a great read. It also has a great title.
- Walter Miller, A Canticle for Leibowitz. A classic.
- Daniel Todman, Britain’s War: A New World, 1942-1947. Covers a lot of ground that previous books I’ve read about WWII haven’t. War is very costly.