Learn Something New

A good book can open the mind and teach new things about a profession, our diet or even the mood.

With lazy holiday days starting for some, the time is perfect for diving into books full of discovery.

This year, the editors of The Atlantic have selected fictions and non -fictions that match all the mood.

We gathered the highlights between readings for those who want to learn something totally new.

I Capture the Castle
By Dodie Smith

Cassandra Mortmain, 17, lives in a medieval ruined castle in England of the 1930s. She narrates her eccentric family life and romantic hopes while seeking to write a romance to change her family's fate.

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Wandering Stars
By Tommy Orange

The book explores the story of generations of an urban family in Oakland, starting with an 1864 Sand Cree massacre survivor and culminating in the challenges and complexity of the descendants' contemporary lives.

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Someone Like Us
By Dinaw Mengestu

Mamush, an Ethiopian-French journalist, reflects on his identity and experiences while traveling through Chicago after a tragedy, exploring themes of belonging and memory.

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The Secret Life of Groceries
By Benjamin Lorr

Lorr dives behind the scenes of American supermarkets, revealing the complexity and global impact of these spaces through workers' stories and insights on food consumption and production.

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Becoming Earth
By Ferris Jabr

Jabr challenges traditional concepts of life by exploring how living beings shape the earth, traveling through natural landscapes and arguing that life is a continuous process of transformation.

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Daybook
By Anne Truitt

Truitt's diaries offer an intimate view of his life as a mother and artist, reflecting on his artistic practice, motherhood and the complexities of everyday life.

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Delmore Schwartz: The Life of an American Poet
By James Atlas

Atlas portrays the tumultuous life and brilliant talent of poet Delmore Schwartz, exploring his genius, cognitive challenges, and his impact on New York's literary scenario.

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At the Edge of Empire
By Edward Wong

Wong combines personal history and family memory to explore his father's life as a soldier in China's popular liberation army, offering a look at the complexities of Chinese history.

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Kristin Lavransdatter
By Sigrid Undset

This trilogy follows Kristin's life in the 14th century Norway, exploring his growth, faith and personal challenges in a rich and deep historical narrative.

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The Bee Sting
By Paul Murray

The family saga of Dickie and Imelda Barnes and her children, Cass and PJ, in an Ireland affected by the 2008 crisis, revealing their economic and emotional struggles amid cycles of financial difficulties.