Since 2020 is an election year, now would be a good time to check out a few books about politics, history, and government.

If that doesn’t appeal to you, we have a few new releases and some Halloween fare.

OMG WTF Does the Constitution Actually Say? A Non-Boring Guide to How Our Democracy is Supposed to Work (April 2020) by Ben Sheehan is a no-nonsense guide to understanding our Constitution. It has been vetted for accuracy by experts in the field of constitutional law. Sheehan provides readers with clear notes and graphics on everything from presidential powers to Supreme Court nominations and the hidden loopholes often exploited by presidents and members of Congress. This work covers the entire Constitution from its preamble to its final amendment plus the Declaration of Independence and puts the Constitution in modern-day English so that it can be understood.

What You Should Know About Politics . . . But Don't, Fourth Edition: A Nonpartisan Guide to the Issues That Matter (January 21, 2020) By Jessamyn Conrad with an introduction by Martin Garbus – an unbiased guide to the issues we face today, who stands for what, and why—whether it’s the economy, income inequality, Obamacare, foreign policy, education, immigration, or climate change. Whatever your political affiliation, this book will help you understand the often-contradictory world of American politics.

Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America's Highest Court (September 22, 2020) by Ilya Shapiro – Shapiro exams how our country and its government have expanded and how politics has worked its way into the selection of Supreme Court justices. How can we restore the integrity of our courts?

Columbus: The Four Voyages, 1492-1504 (September 25, 2012) by Laurence Bergreen – While exploring the four voyages made by Columbus in his quest to find a trade route to China, Bergreen examines Columbus’s ambitions and his willingness to explore the unknown. Along with his successes, Columbus’ legacy must include the cruel treatment of the Indigenous peoples he encountered and enslaved.

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States (REVISIONING HISTORY) (August 11, 2015) by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz – I’ve recommended this book before and I own this book. It’s not a “sit down and read from cover to cover book;” you should read it in segments and go back to the history books we studied in school to see how the facts differ. We can’t change history, but we can change who should be our heroes and villains and who qualifies as a little of both. American History belongs to all of us.

The Better of the Bad by J.J. Hensley – In the fourth edition of the Trevor Galloway Thriller series, former Pittsburgh narcotics detective Trevor Galloway and new P.I. Bethany Nolan are hired to investigate the case of the 9-1-1 Killer. Their investigation takes an unexpected turn when Galloway determines the murderer may be a first responder.

The Sentinel: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child and Andrew Child – Lee Child teams up with his brother Andrew for the 25th installment of the Jack Reacher Series.  In Pleasantville, Tennessee, Reacher intervenes when he sees a man being ambushed by a group of thugs. The man turns out to be the IT manager, Rusty Rutherford who was recently fired after a cyber attack locked up the town’s data, records, and information. Secrets have come out and people are angry, but Rusty maintains his innocence. Can he persuade Reacher to help him clear his name?

The Last Monument by Michael C. Grumley – A man receives a letter that was mailed 60 years ago and sets out on a mysterious flight in adverse weather conditions only to crash and die outside Denver, Colorado. NTSB investigator Joe Rickards is tasked with finding out why the pilot would agree to take off in such dangerous weather and how this accident happened. The man’s only living relative insists her grandfather would never agree to get into a small plane much less insist on taking off in bad weather. Rickards is about to learn a 60-year-old secret has the potential to change the world.

If It Bleeds by Stephen King – Four scary novellas by the master of fright, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of Chuck, Rat, and If It Bleeds.