The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst

Set in 1937/38 the book follows the exploits of Colonel Mercier, a French army officer stationed in Warsaw and a French agent. This story captures the essence of the times and is historically exact. It seems to be a fairly low key story at the start but the author quickly draws the reader in and I found it an engrossing story as I tried to guess how the various plot lines would play out. Very enjoyable. Highly recommended

Empire of Illusions - The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle by Chris Hedges

Another very interesting book where the author shows how the US is becoming dominated by ‘spectacle’, celebrity culture and is losing the ability to apply critical thinking. He looks to professional wrestling, the pornographic film industry and positive psychology as examples of this.
He also takes aim at corporate America whom he asserts is dumbing down the nation as well as being a major influence on political decision making. It’s a grim look at a possible future of the US.
Stimulating and thought-provoking stuff. (Not for the general shelf as the section on pornographic is fairly graphic, and the language as well).
Highly recommended.