A Death in Brazil, by Peter Robb

The author, who seems to be from Sicily, became fascinated with Brazil and has taken a number of journeys there over the years.  His travelogue depictions are interspersed with a kind of journalistic reporting of the history of the country from the time of the Portuguese explorers to the present, from a cultural and political viewpoint.  As there were not enough natives to enslave on the sugar plantations, they were imported from Africa by the millions (hence Brazil’s population is a heavy mix of African,  local Indian, and European, and I learned my favorite Brazilian dish Moqueca has African origins).  Much of the book covers Brazil’s corrupt political history.  Interesting stuff, and his style fits the material well.  Give it a B.

Lies My Mother Never Told Me, by Kaylie Jones

A wonderful memoir, beautifully written, brutally honest, and speckled with fascinating anecdotes of the creme of literati, and I say that not just because the author is my cousin.