
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea (Spiegel & Grau) is a fascinating look at the life of North Koreans told through the stories of six defectors. Reporter Barbara Demick captures the details of life in a totalitarian regime with a compassionate eye. Not a light read, but highly recommended.

Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood (Seal) is the funny and moving tale of a young girl caught between two cultures when her mother leaves her father for a Latina woman. Writer Melissa Hart describes navigating disparate worlds and the comfort she finds in Latino culture. (Check out the fabulous cover!)