Delving into Other Worlds

The Devil in Oxford

“The Devil in Oxford” is the third book in the Ruby Vaughn Mystery series by USA Today best-selling, New Orleans author, Jess Armstrong. Armstrong follows the adventures of Ruby Vaughn, who works for Mr. Owen, owner of a rare used bookstore. When a controversial Egyptologist is found murdered at his own exhibition of rare artifacts, Ruby and her pellar, Ruan Kivell, find themselves diving into the secretive world of antiquities to unravel the mystery.  “The Devil in Oxford” is part murder mystery, part story of the occult and part love letter to books. 336 pages, $28

American Scare: Florida’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives

Robert W. Fieseler tackles the long, sordid history of the Florida government’s bigotry toward Black and queer people. Through extensive research, Fieseler reveals the systemic oppression in Florida and turns it personal by giving each of these erased and harassed communities their stories back. In the preface, Fieseler writes about his journey during the aftermath of Hurricane Ida to acquire the secret records that the Florida government didn’t know existed about how they systemically oppressed Black and queer people within the state. As Fieseler writes, the Florida government has never mentioned this period in its history, for “why say sorry to a ghost?” 496 pages, $34

Seeing into The Life of Things

“Seeing into the Life of Things” is a spiritual cousin to Kamenetz’s nominal early work, “The Jew in the Lotus.” In that book, Kamenetz shared the story of the Dalai Lama’s conversations with rabbis. In this book, Seeing Into the Life of Things, Kamenetz connects the day-to-day with the spiritual, connects his experience with the rhythm of New Orleans music, to the history that he has so deeply studied. Written in the poetic voice that he has mastered, but with the density of so much knowledge and understanding, “Seeing into the Life of Things” is a book for those seeking to find some spiritual solace in our contemptuous items. 224 pages, $24.99

The American Alligator: Abused, Protected, Restored

Follow the history of the conservation efforts to protect the endangered species within the United States. For over a century, the population of the alligator greatly declined in the American South, due to overhunting and destruction of the wetlands. Robert W. Hastings is a conservationist who was a marine biologist. This book works as not just a comprehensive history of the American alligator, but also as an easy entry point for the layperson about not just this crocodilian creature, but also about the conservation efforts that helped save this species. 106 pages, $19.95