The Barbarous Years: The Peopling of British North America--The Conflict of Civilizations, 1600-1675   Bernard Bailyn
Stupendously informative history of the social, religious, political, and even personal construction of the British colonies on the eastern shores of North America. Everything about the struggle to create and sustain them was unbelievably brutal and savage, from external and internal forces. Beautifully written so the incredible detail never becomes burdensome. Excellent.

Cottonwood   Scott Phillips
Interesting, well-written novel about the infamous Bender murders in late 19^th-century Kansas. Bawdy, brutal, and at times touching. Liked the characters, especially the narration of the Bill Ogden character. Really enjoyed it.

Devils in Exile   Chuck Hogan
Entertaining thriller about Iraq war vets who rob drug dealers, destroy the drugs and keep the money. Of course, there’s more going to it under the surface, and everything is complicated by love. Fun, quick read.

The Cairo Affair   Olen Steinhauer
Novel about the Arab spring in Libya and Egypt form the CIA point-of-view. I’ve really liked all of Steinhauer’s other books, even the early eastern Europe cop novels, and especially the Milo Weaver series. But I grew weary of the betrayals, infidelities, and, I guess, the characters, in general, of this one.

The Reluctant Mr. Darwin: An Intimate Portrait of Charles Darwin and the Making of His Theory of Evolution   David Quammen
Lovely, well-written intellectual history on Darwin’s development of the idea of natural selection. Begins with Darwin’s return from the Beagle voyage and goes to his death. It is indeed intimate and very engaging and informative. Really, really liked it.