REQUIRED READING

Divided We Fall

David French (nonf iction, St. Martin’s Press)

The country is divided, and the polarity will only continue if left unchecked, says French, who presents a vision for how the country can come together again and embrace national unity.

These Violent Delights

Micah Nemerever (f iction, Harper)

Two college students meet on a college campus in early 1970s Pittsburgh and a close friendship forms. Julian is charismatic but cruel, and Paul will stop at nothing to prove himself worthy of their friendship. But the intimacy turns dark, all-consuming and violent.

The Awkward Black Man

Walter Mosley (f iction, Grove Press)

A collection of 17 nuanced short stories from the acclaimed author, each featuring a black male protagonist.

Fifty Words for Rain

Asha Lemmie (f iction, Dutton)

Nori is the daughter of a Japanese aristocrat and a black American GI. She is taken in by her Japanese grandparents, who then keep her hidden from a society that makes no room for her. She finds an unlikely ally in her older halfbrother Akira, heir to the family fortune.

The Evening and the Morning

Ken Follett (f iction, Viking)

A prequel to “The Pillars of the Earth,” set in 997 CE, as the Middle Ages begins. In turbulent times, three characters — a boatbuilder, a Norman noblewoman and a monk — find their lives intertwined.

The Invention of Sound

Chuck Palahniuk (f iction, Grand Central Publishing)

Gates Foster lost his daughter Lucy 17 years ago — but he’s never given up searching for her. Now he gets his first major clue in a long time and he’s determined to find her — even if doing so means upending the Hollywood status quo.