Mary Roach is an expert in demystifying taboos and, in Stiff, the first of her seven popular science books, she pulls back the operating room curtain on what happens to our bodies after we die. With chapters covering everything from extremely realistic crash-test dummies to beating-heart cadavers (exactly what it sounds like), this book is a journey through our ingrained discomfort with death and a survey of the practical, emotional, and medical considerations that surround the disposal and preservation of human remains.
For those attempting to tackle Pratchett’s enormous Discworld oeuvre who are unsure where to begin, try Small Gods! It follows Brutha, the slow but well-meaning Chosen One of the Great God Om, on a mission to prevent a holy war between the rigid theocracy of Omnia and its laid-back philosophical neighbor, Ephebe. The least of Brutha’s problems is that Om is trapped in the body of a tortoise and can’t persuade anyone to do as he says. Beloved by die-hard fans and casual readers alike, the novel takes on religion, ethics, and belief in Pratchett’s classic irreverent style.
Seventeenth-century Salem gets a neon update in Barry’s novel about the meteoric rise of the 1989 Danvers High School Women's Varsity Field Hockey Team to championship material—after they make a pact with the devil. In this case, the devil’s book is a spiral notebook with Emilio Estevez grinning up from the cover. Following each member of the team as they win matches and go to increasing lengths to gain Emilio’s favor, We Ride Upon Sticks is chock full of '80s lingo and nostalgia and both darker and sweeter than expected.
