Fall Reads

A Dust Bowl Epic 

Fourteen years after releasing her last novel, Karen Russell ’03 is back with a bang. The Antidote is set in fictional Uz, Neb., and takes place between two real historical events: Black Sunday, a severe dust storm in spring 1935, and the flooding of the Republican River a month later. The main character of this magical realist work is a prairie witch — someone who acts as a bank vault for other people’s memories — known by her clients as “The Antidote.” When the Black Sunday storm seemingly bankrupts her store of memories, The Antidote tries to figure out what has happened to her while simultaneously hiding the bankruptcy from her clients. Along the way, her fate becomes entangled with several characters, including a farmer whose land was mysteriously unchanged by the dust storm and a scarecrow with some shocking secrets. 

It’s a Scream, Baby! 

Award-winning entertainment journalist Ashley Cullins ’11 MS dives into the making of an iconic horror franchise in Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror. The book is a historical overview of the Scream movies, covering everything from the first draft of the original screenplay through what we know so far about the series’ seventh installment, slated for release in February 2026 — 30 years after the original Scream. Cullins also includes interviews with the cast and crew and behind-the-scenes tidbits, as well as an analysis of Scream’s unique way of blending satire with classic slasher movie tropes. 

Owl in the Big Apple 

In February 2023 an unknown person liberated a Eurasian eagle-owl named Flaco from the Central Park Zoo. Flaco had spent 12 years in captivity, unable to fly, and zoo authorities were afraid he would never survive on his own. But Flaco had other plans. He taught himself how to fly and hunt and spent the next year delighting New York City. Though he eventually died, Flaco will not be forgotten. Flaco: The Owl Who Escaped Captivity and Won the Hearts of the World by Jonathan Hollingsworth ’00 documents the owl’s year of freedom through photos — taken by Flaco’s many fans — and other artworks dedicated to the remarkable owl. 

A Thrilling Conclusion 

Guide Me Home is the final book in the Highway 59 trilogy by Attica Locke ’95. The series of thrillers focuses on Black Texas Ranger Darren Matthews. In this last installment, Matthews comes out of retirement when he learns that a Black college student in a mostly white sorority has reportedly gone missing. Matthews gets involved in the investigation and discovers some strange things about Sera, the missing girl, and her hometown. The first book in Locke’s Highway 59 series, Bluebird, Bluebird, was an Edgar Award winner. 

Game Changer 

WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark has attracted record-breaking attention in recent years. Award-winning USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan ’80, ’81 MS explores Clark’s rise to fame in On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women’s Sports. Clark was selected as the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever after becoming the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer — among men and women — at the University of Iowa. Clark, who holds eight other Division I all-time scoring records, has boosted ticket sales and single-handedly brought millions of viewers to women’s basketball. Brennan examines what makes Clark such a great player and a captivating fan favorite.