Books Your April 2026 Reads Stories You May Like Student-Run Farm Grows Crops—and Community Alum and Former Law School Dean Named President of Georgetown What’s Up with Weeds? This month’s featured titles include a mystery novel, poetry, and a comprehensive look at the psychology of tipping For more titles by Big Red authors, peruse our previous round-ups. Have you published a book you'd like to submit? Scroll down for details! And did you know that Cornell has an online book club? Check it out! Pinky Swear Danielle Girard ’92 In what Library Journal calls a “fast-paced thriller with a unique focus on motherhood and pregnancy,” the Arts & Sciences alum focuses her latest mystery novel on the relationship between a woman and her gestational surrogate. The protagonist, Lexi, is reunited with her childhood bestie when the former friend, Mara, turns up looking for help after fleeing an abusive marriage. Lexi not only takes her in, but ultimately accepts her offer to serve as a surrogate for the child that Lexi—whose infertility struggles contributed to a marital separation—has longed for. It seems like an ideal arrangement—until Mara vanishes just before the baby is due. A prolific author who has appeared on the Amazon and USA Today bestseller lists, the former government major has penned several mystery series and numerous standalone novels. The Doom Loop Eswar Prasad Prasad, the Tolani Senior Professor of International Trade Policy in the Dyson School, previously published The Future of Money. Here, he explores (in the words of the subtitle) “why the world economic order is spiraling into disorder.” As he writes, this increasingly dire situation is due to a “feedback loop between economics, domestic politics, and geopolitics”—as the uneven benefits of globalization have led to financial crises in developing countries and to the collapse of manufacturing sectors in advanced economies. “The ensuing populist backlash,” he writes, “has put in power leaders who have undermined democratic institutions and are hostile to globalization. … And the system of rules that underpinned the post-World War II world order is at risk of decay or, worse, irrelevance.” The book earned praise from the Financial Times, which opined: “Prasad is engaging and clear and provides an excellent survey of some of the most important issues in international affairs today.” Is Is Enough Lauren Mukamal Camp ’88 Camp’s eight previous collections of poetry include In Old Sky, which came out of her term as astronomer-in-residence at Grand Canyon National Park. Her latest is published by Texas Review Press as part of its 21st Century Poets series. “Is Is Enough begins in heritage and harmony, then breaks apart into the strange world and tautly stretched emotions that accompany dementia,” states the publisher. “The collection flickers through and locates in distorted realities, loss, and gentling. By haunting the past, the author reweaves and reorients against a continual vanishing. Ordinary situations begin to seem like joy in reverse, a treatise on the honesty of the present.” As Camp writes in a poem titled Sanctuary: “I collect another phrase / for safekeeping. No need to do more / than hold his fragrance: egg, anger, each thick / river of rejoicing. On my fridge, a scrap / of my father, his perfect print / which held all the black of a day / and its losses. Now he learns the equation / for why I tell him this beginning.” Stories You May Like Student-Run Farm Grows Crops—and Community Alum and Former Law School Dean Named President of Georgetown The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals Larry Carbone ’78, BA ’80, DVM ’87, PhD ’00 “Recounting both heartening medical triumphs and heartrending stories of animal suffering, Carbone grapples with how to weigh scientific advancement against harms to our fellow sentient creatures—and how some of those harms can and should be avoided,” says the publisher, University of California Press. “With a scientist’s head and an animal lover’s heart, Carbone shows how addressing animals’ physical and emotional needs not only enhances their well-being but also leads to more robust scientific research.” The Arts & Sciences and CVM alum is the former director of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Program at UCSF; his previous book, What Animals Want, also explored issues around the welfare of laboratory testing subjects. Science magazine calls Carbone’s book “beautifully written,” going on to observe: “It is thought-provoking and provides a comprehensive view of animal research from the point of view of someone with a veterinary background and a passion for treating animals that have nonconsensually given their lives for us.” Ours Mandy Nalevanko Settembre ’99 Settembre wrote the text for this illustrated children’s book, which addresses the difficult topic of coping with the loss of a pregnancy. Aimed at kids aged 6–8, it tells the story of a little boy who’s excited to become a big brother, as his parents joyfully prepare for the birth of a new baby. He’s sad and confused at the sudden news that the new sibling is no longer coming; the following spring, the family plants a garden together as a way of coping with the loss and marking a new beginning. Kirkus calls the volume “affirming, moving, and healing,” noting: “Told with age-appropriate language and care, this story will be a balm to families coping with a similar loss.” Also a collage artist, Settembre has her own online art store. Ours is her literary debut. The Psychology of Tipping Michael Lynn Lynn, who’s the Michael D. Johnson and Family Professor of Services Marketing in the Nolan School, is one of the world’s leading experts on tipping—a subject that has become increasingly fraught in recent years. His book brings together years of his scholarship on the subject—some of it previously unpublished—for a general audience of customers and service professionals. It contemplates such topics as tipping’s origin, who tips (and who doesn’t) and why, and the types of people who tend to tip best and worst. It also addresses how tipping varies across geographic areas; why some occupations receive gratuities while others don’t; how factors like the age, gender, and perceived attractiveness of servers impact how much they receive; tactics that workers can employ to increase their earnings; and more. “Drawing on psychology, economics, and social research, Michael Lynn offers powerful insights for anyone interested in learning more about the emotionally charged topic of tipping,” famed restaurateur Danny Meyer says in a blurb. “This is a fascinating look at the hidden science of tipping, and why it matters for anyone who gives, receives, or leads in the hospitality and service industries.” To submit your book for consideration, email cornellians@cornell.edu. Please note that to be included, books must be recently published by a conventional publisher—not self published, pay-to-publish, publish on demand, partner-published, or similar—and be of interest to a general audience. Books not featured will be forwarded to Class Notes. Published April 13, 2026 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Cornelliana A Staple of Upstate BBQs, ‘Cornell Chicken’ is a Grilling Tradition Campus & Beyond Working to Reunite Families Fractured by Opioids Campus & Beyond The Scoop on Cornell Dairy Treats