By Karen and Erica

We have been very busy with new initiatives about which you will soon hear more. But of course we still read. And have plans to read more.

Five books we enjoyed:

• The Coldest Warrior, by Paul Vidich. Wonderfully written spy tale based on actual events. Washington is a strange place where spies and ethics collide.

• Countdown 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days That Changed the World, by Chris Wallace and Mitch Weiss. Some time ago we recommended The Accidental President, by A.J. Baime, the story of the the amazing path by which Truman rose to become the president who succeeded FDR, and then had to make the decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan. This book is a fictionalized version of how the bomb was invented, the decision taken, and the delivery made, and how the people involved acted and reacted. Vivid, absorbing, riveting.

• The Storyteller of Casablanca, by Fiona Valpy. Takes you to another time and another world—Casablanca after the Second World War. Engrossing.

• Zemindar, by Valerie Fitzgerald. Apparently we are a little late to this one! Evokes the intensity of India at a time of trauma—and weaves in an improbable but enjoyable romance.

• Billion Dollar Whale, by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope. Remember Jho Low, the fugitive financier? A fraudster so brazen his existence is hard to believe. Why are such fraudsters so fascinating—in a sick sort of way? Partly because we try to put ourselves in their minds and we just can’t.

Five on our to-read-soon list:

• Red Famine: Stalin’s War On Ukraine, by Anne Applebaum. Ms. Applebaum is a fascinating, learned and intelligent writer and speaker, and we need to know more than we do about Ukraine and Russia.

• The Christie Affair, by Nina de Gramont. Because we grew up on Agatha Christie, and have read every book several times. This novel is based on a strange interlude in her life.

• The Guarded Gate, by Danny Okrent. Okrent is a fine author—Great Fortune, about the building of Rockefeller Center, is fabulous. This history sounds compelling, and timely.

• The Queen of Paris: A Novel of Coco Chanel, by Pamela Binnings Ewen. A fascinating woman who changed fashion and whose influence is felt today. And, of course, we love fashion and style.

• The Candy House, by Jennifer Egan. We haven’t read A Visit From The Goon Squad but we loved Manhattan Beach.

What are you reading?