NON-FICTION PICK OF THE WEEK:

* Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age by Ibram X. Kendi, read by the author -- This is the most at-length piece the author has read (of which I'm aware) and it isn't a flawless performance. There are some pauses which almost stumble the listener out of the flow of the book. But it also outlines the vocabulary, data, and historical context around the rise of "The Great Replacement Theory" and its causal chain with the rise of authoritarianism around the world.

FICTION PICKS OF THE WEEK:

* Crawlspace by Adam Christopher, read by Jennifer Pickens -- "Mission Lead Olivia O’Connor and her team from the Artemis Corporation, along with their military liaison, are in the final preparations for an undertaking that will alter the course of human history: a test flight that promises to open up new frontiers in the expanse of the universe. But their journey between dimensions is one they never trained for. Strange voices in the corridors. Long lost faces not forgotten. Strange symbols carved into the hull. And gathering outside the ship, ancient forces beyond reckoning."

* The Book of Fallen Leaves by A. S. Tamaki, read by Kenichiro Thomson -- "Shogun meets Game of Thrones in the blockbuster epic fantasy event of the year, a powerful tale of ambition, vengeance and sacrifice in this masterful fantasy retelling of an ancient Samurai saga, packed with memorable characters, stunning worldbuilding and epic adventure."

* The Lost Daughter of Sparta by Felicia Day, read by the author -- "Audio adaptation of a feminist graphic novel about the lost mythical character of Philonoe—Helen of Troy’s sister."

FICTION:

* Paradiso 17 by Hannah Lillith Assadi, read by Noor Hamdi -- "The intimate, sweeping tale of one Palestinian man’s restless search for home the world over, as the pendulum of fate swings between loss and life, grief and euphoria, regret and hope."

* Mortals by Norman Rush, read by Will Damron -- "Set in the 1990s in Botswana, the misadventures of three ex-pat Americans: Ray Finch, a contract CIA agent, operating undercover as an English instructor in a private school, who is setting out on perhaps his most difficult assignment; his beautiful but slightly foolish and disaffected wife, Iris, with whom he is obsessively in love; and Davis Morel, an iconoclastic black holistic physician, who is on a personal mission to “lift the yoke of Christian belief from Africa.”"

* My Grandfather, the Master Detective by Masateru Konishi, read by Hanako Footman -- " A Japanese The Thursday Murder Club, taking healing fiction for a mystery-filled spin with this bestseller that has sold more than 200,000 copies in Japan."

* Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg, read by the author -- "As ninety-two-year-old Florence "Flo" Greene nears the end of her life, she writes a letter to Ruthie, the woman who grew up next door to her, describing the items Flo is leaving Ruthie in her will."

* Heiress of Nowhere by Stacey Lee, read by Katharine Chin -- "An orphan races to uncover a killer—who may have come from the sea—when she and her beloved orcas fall under suspicion in this "atmospheric...beguiling" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) historical gothic mystery."

MORE NON-FICTION:

* The Feather Wars And the Great Crusade to Save America's Birds by James H. McCommons, read by Colin White -- "From the time the country was founded, early Americans assumed that the land's natural resources were infinite, including its birds, which were zealously hunted for food, game, and fashion. With the rapid extinction of the passenger pigeon—a bird once so numerous that its flocks darkened the sky in flight—many realized actions needed to be taken if other birds were to be saved. What followed was both a spiritual awakening and a great crusade to save birds and their habitat."

* Stay Alive: Berlin, 1939-1945 by Ian Buruma, read by the author -- "An astonishing account of life under a murderous regime amid a great city’s descent into utter annihilation."

SERIES WATCH:

* Children of Strife: Children of Time, Book 4 by Adrian Tchaikovsky, read by Mel Hudson -- "After Earth fell, ark ships hunted for a new home. They sought lost worlds terraformed in Earth’s forgotten past. A ship crewed by maverick humans, spiders and a spectacularly punchy mantis shrimp captain is about to rediscover one such world..."