BOOKSHELF: More Nonfiction Books for Summer Reading

Compiled by Jamie H. Vaught

--Uptown Girl: A Memoir  by Christie Brinkley with Sarah Toland (Harper Influence, $34) is an autobiography by a famous model who in 1974 was "discovered" outside a Paris phone booth. She was only 20 years old at the time. Brinkley's modeling career has landed her on the covers of hundreds of magazines and cemented her legacy as an All-American Icon. Although she’s lived more than 50 years in the public eye, the full story of her roller-coaster life has never been told. Now, for the first time, Brinkley shares what her life has been like, both in front of and behind the cameras, including her heartbreaking divorce from singer and pianist Billy Joel. Brinkley is a proud mom of three children.

--Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy by Christopher White (Loyola Press, $19.99) offers an essential look at the past, present, and future of a papacy that exerts a major influence on 1.4 billion Catholics and the world itself. A veteran Vatican correspondent, the author delivers an authoritative account of the conclave that shaped this momentous transition, the forces that propelled Pope Leo XIV to the papacy, and the vision he brings to the Church’s future. Drawing on exclusive reporting and expert analysis, White examines the potential impact of Pope Leo XIV's leadership on Catholicism’s governance, doctrine, and engagement with pressing global issues. As Pope Leo XIV steps onto the world stage, the first pontiff ever to hail from the United States inherits the throne of St. Peter, the legacy of Pope Francis, and the challenges of a rapidly changing Church.

--Leo XIV: Portrait of the First American Pope by Matthew Bunson (EWTN Publishing, $17.95)

offers the first authoritative portrait of the new Holy Father. With unmatched access, deep sources in Rome, and a reputation for integrity and insight, Bunson, a veteran Catholic journalist and historian, delivers a compelling, richly textured narrative of the new pope’s life, beliefs, and improbable journey to the Chair of St. Peter. The paperback is an essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the man inside the white cassock—and the moment in which he will reign.

--The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century by Tim Weiner (Mariner Books, $35) is a masterpiece of reporting based on-the-record interviews with six former CIA directors and scores of spies, station chiefs, and top operations officers. The 454-page hardcover is a gripping and revelatory history of the modern CIA, reaching from 9/11 through its covert operations in Afghanistan and Iraq to today’s secret battles with Russia and China, concluding with the Agency's own fight for survival under the current president of the United States. The author has won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on U.S. national security and the National Book Award for Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA.

--Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company by Patrick McGee (Scribner, $32) is a fascinating look at how Apple helped build China’s dominance in electronics assembly and manufacturing only to find itself trapped in a relationship with an authoritarian state making ever-increasing demands. After struggling to build its products on three continents, Apple was lured by China’s seemingly inexhaustible supply of cheap labor. Soon it was sending thousands of engineers across the Pacific, training millions of workers, and spending hundreds of billions of dollars to create the world’s most sophisticated supply chain. These capabilities enabled Apple to build the 21st century’s most iconic products — in staggering volume and for enormous profit. The 437-page hardcover draws on more than 200 interviews with former executives and engineers, supplementing their stories with unreported meetings held by Steve Jobs, emails between top executives, and internal memos regarding threats from Chinese competition. The book highlights the unknown characters who were instrumental in Apple’s ascent and who tried to forge a different path, including the Mormon missionary who established the Apple Store in China.

--2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America by Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager and Isaac Arnsdorf (Penguin Press, $32) brings us the definitive, inside story of the most tumultuous and consequential presidential campaign in U.S. history. Drawing on extraordinary access to the Trump, Biden, and Harris teams, 2024 takes readers beyond the speeches, rallies, and debates to reveal the innermost workings of the Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns. The 400-page hardcover reveals the explosive account of how Trump and his advisers overcame a dozen primary challengers, four indictments, two assassination attempts, and his own past mistakes to defeat the Democrats, and pave the way for a second term that would be far more aggressive and ruthless than the first.

--Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for American's Heartland by Salena Zito (Center Street, $29) is a gripping first-hand account of the near assassination of Donald Trump – and the inside story of Trump’s heartland-fueled victory.  As a local reporter with deep ties to the area in Pennsylvania, the author had been invited by the president to interview him at the Butler Farm Show Grounds. She was standing only four feet away from the presidential podium when the bullets started to fly. A campaign staffer tackled her to the ground. Throughout it all, Zito never stopped reporting the fascinating story of the battle for America’s heartland and the issues that actually motivate voters. She spoke by phone to Trump several times in the immediate aftermath and was granted access to community members, rally participants, family members and local law enforcement officials.

--Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America by Robert B. Reich (Knopf, $30) is a compelling memoir of growing up in a baby-boom America that made progress in certain areas, fell short in so many important ways, and still has lots of work to do. Reich is a professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley who has served under three presidents, including as Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration. Time Magazine named Reich one of the 10 most effective cabinet secretaries of the 20th century. "The reason I wrote this book is to share what I’ve learned about stopping bullies, at a time in American history when we’re dealing with an authoritarian bully who has encouraged bullying throughout the nation and the world. In the book I wrestle with being bullied as a kid," said the 4-foot-11 author. "I also wrestle with why a plurality of American voters chose Trump for president again in 2024. And why so many feel bullied today — bullied by people who are richer and more powerful than they are, who take delight in abusing their power to become even richer and even more powerful. It’s my story. It’s also the story of America. I hope you find it helpful for understanding how we combat the bullies in the years ahead. And why I believe so passionately that we will."

JFK: Public, Private, Secret by J. Randy Taraborrelli (St. Martin's Press, $35) is written by the same author who wrote Jackie: Public, Private, Secret and now he tells the other side of the story―the First Lady's husband. In this portrait of John Fitzgerald Kennedy―one of America’s most consequential and enigmatic presidents―J. Randy Taraborrelli delivers a deeply researched and authoritative biography. Drawing from hundreds of interviews conducted over 25 years―as well as candid, first-hand oral histories from the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Presidential Library, rare internal reports from the Secret Service, detailed files from the National Archives, and intelligence documents from both the CIA and FBI.

--The Bible, Simplified: Learn the Story, Live the Story by Zach Windahl (Thomas Nelson, $32.99) breaks down its entire storyline in The Bible, Simplified, making Scripture clear, accessible, and life-changing so you can gain confidence in your faith. You want to understand the Bible and feel a deeper connection to God, but busyness, relationships, and everyday distractions seem to crowd out Bible reading most days. Not to mention it’s hard to know where to start—and deep down, you might even wonder if the Bible is relevant to your modern life. It’s overwhelming. It’s confusing. And it’s easy to feel frustrated on your faith journey. If you’re feeling lost with Scripture, this book will be your guide. You no longer need to be confused, disconnected, and overwhelmed in your faith. Take the first step to understanding God’s story—and your remarkable role in it.

--Pardon of Innocence: An Inspiring Story of Faith and Freedom by Lt. Gen. (Ret) Michael T. Flynn (Bombardier Books, $28.99) recounts his journey from a coastal New England upbringing to the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, from the echelons of U.S. power to the depths of a corrupt justice system that sought to silence him for prioritizing America’s interests. Through his eyes, we see how the qualities that made him an exceptional soldier and leader also made him a target for adversaries like Barack Obama and Joe Biden, who saw his honesty and courage as direct threats to their flawed policies. Flynn is a retired three-star general, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the first National Security Advisor in the Donald Trump administration.

--Charles Sumner: Conscience of a Nation by Zaakir Tameez (Henry Holt and Company, $38.99) is a comprehensive biography of Sumner, the unsung hero of the U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction. The 630-page hardcover presents Sumner as one of America’s forgotten founding fathers, a constitutional visionary who helped to rewrite the post–Civil War Constitution and give birth to modern civil rights law. He is mainly known as the abolitionist statesman who suffered a brutal caning on the Senate floor by the proslavery congressman Preston Brooks in 1856. This violent episode has obscured Sumner’s status as the most passionate champion of equal rights and multiracial democracy of his time. A friend of Alexis de Tocqueville, an ally of Frederick Douglass, and an adviser to Abraham Lincoln, Sumner helped the Union win the Civil War and ordain the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th Amendment, the Freedmen’s Bureau, and the Civil Rights Act of 1875.