Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen

Enjoyed this story about a close-knit New York City block as the main character. The other main characters are a couple settled into married life with their two children on this block who are busy with careers and gradually grow apart even as the city block also develops a fission and residents begin to leave.

Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

A masterful biography that reveals nuances of Leonardo da Vinci's unquestioned "genius". The author has studied Leonardo da Vinci's extensive journals to provide readers with incredible detail about this man's life, constant scientific investigations, thoughts, beliefs, and artistic accomplishments.

How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt

Toleration and Forbearance. Can we restore these to our civic life? If not, our country is in deadly danger of deteriorating into an Authoritarian Nation. The authors of this eye-opening book explain clearly that although we have some powerful Ideals set forth by the Founding Fathers, essential norms of behavior and interactions that have enabled the endurance of our Democracy have slowly eroded over the past three decades, and it is imperative that these norms be restored and indeed spread throughout our increasingly diverse society if we are to preserve our foundering Democracy. Fascinating historical details support reasoned arguments. I hope many people will read this book.