Recent books
Dershowitz. Trials of the Twentieth Century (audio)
Now I know who Leopold & Loeb were, also Sacco & Vincetti. I am looking for transcripts of the Scopes trial to rectify some of the injustices done by "Inherit the Wind". Most of the lectures--Dershowitz is a professor and practicing trial attorney--were pretty objective, but he let his own views come out in the last few, notably in Bush vs. Gore. That also bears some direct examination as well as alternative viewpoints. This is the kind of book that sends me off reading other books I would not have sought otherwise.
Caldwell. The Rule of Four.
This was recommended to me as being in the vein of The DaVinci Code, but I found it inferior in every way. It did not treat upon a known subject--obscurity is the essence of the plot, in fact--so it was neither immediate nor relevant to a modern reader. The characters were introduced faster than they were developed, and the pacing--Brown's special expertise--was in awkward mixed meter. The mystery, while clever, was kept vague, removed from the reader by dealing in the abstraction of an item the reader never sees and thus revealing only the character's insights. Overall, an adequate novel, but there are better waiting for me in my pile.
Benford. Tides of Light.
Fourth in the Galactic Center sextet, it continues to expand on the ideology, the future history, the setting, and the characters. The picture is not yet complete, but on the way, Benford gets everything right.
Ibsen. Peer Gynt.
An oddity among plays, this is a set of loosely related fables. The attempt at the end to tie them together meets with questionable success. However, the ending also contains the best language and the most lasting images. I liked it far more than the Ibsen I read in school; but having absorbed some more sophisticated criticism, I think I ought to give Hedda Gabler another go.
Hal Morgan and Kerry Tucker. More Rumor!
Although it fancies itself in the family of the Brunvand books, it reads much more like snopes.com. This book, written in 1987, makes no attempt at organization and thus is excellent for browsing. There's nothing here you can't find online today, but it's a physical book and cites its sources.
Ron Luciano. The Fall of the Roman Umpire.
This book is not by Luciano. It's a collection of chapters by various ballplayers describing their more entertaining adventures. His ghost writer, David Fisher, undoubtedly did the editing. Luciano provides an introduction to each contributor, but there's something suspiciously consistent about the style of each chapter. Maybe ballplayers just talk that way. Regardless, it was as much fun to read as The Umpire Strikes Back, so I'm not complaining.
Matthew Stover. Star Wars: Shatterpoint.
Stover did a great job with the novelization of Episode III, and this also was a fine book. It's a side adventure starring Mace Windu, set between Episodes II and III. He has an excellent grasp of the characters, and his exploration of how each Jedi (and presumably Sith) has a unique relationship with the Force is rooted in the personalities and histories.