In this dystopian version of contemporary America, the Civil War never happened and slavery continues in full force in four states in the Deep South, fueling its powerful economic engine. The Underground Airlines is the modern-day version of the underground railroad, through which an occasional slave might get away but thanks to people like "Victor," the protagonist, their freedom is short-lived. Victor has traded his freedom to become a bounty hunter, returning escapees to the South so he can live free in the North, or as "free" as his employers will let him. One particular case tests his conscience and propels him to travel to the Deep South to unravel the very secrets the Slave States are based on. The novel's pace is swift and cinematic but this comes at a cost: Explanations are made on the fly, at least initially. As Victor strikes various bargains to win his own freedom, it is also often unclear who is on which side of the fence. Nevertheless, Underground Airlines is a remarkable portrait of slavery taken to its horrific extreme -- it is a stark reminder of the excesses of capitalism. Whether it is a giant clothing goods corporation in Alabama or the many characters in this captivating novel, the primary motivator underlying most actions is invariably...greed.

Growing up is difficult enough. Battling teen angst is not for the faint of heart. Imagine navigating gender identity and a sense of self as an added bonus. Now picture working through all that with a manic single mother. This is precisely what the immensely talented iO Tillett Wright wrestles with on her path to adulthood. Peppered with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments, this is a raw peek at what growing up with fluid gender identity is all about all set against the backdrop of a vibrant New York City. iO stays true to her name (based on Jupiter's moon) and her prose is honest and fiery. It sometimes is a little too scorching, but this memoir is fierce and narrated in voice that is authentic enough to be a winner.

What do you do when you want the story of your entire country scripted down to the last detail and made available for ready consumption by the masses? If you are Kim Jong-Il, the now deceased Supreme Leader of North Korea, you turn to cinema.

An avid movie fanatic, the future dictator discovered the magic of the medium in his early twenties, when he was head of the Ministry of Propaganda, and realized it afforded an easy way of mass indoctrination. The problem is that the North Korean regime needed access: to industry talent and know-how.

Right across the border, movie director Shin Sang-Ok and actress Choi Eun-Ee were South Korea's "it" power couple, with the director's studio, Shin Film, producing hit after hit with his wife often as star. Their success had the unfortunate side effect of drawing Kim Jong-Il's attention, who subsequently arranged for them to be abducted and forced them to craft movies that served essentially as propaganda vehicles.

This tight journalistic account is a pulse-pounding, cinematic narration of not just the couple's abduction and their eventual escape -- but of the North Korea of the 70s and 80s, a surreal canvas for a truly bizarre story. Proving that life can sometimes be stranger than fiction, A Kim Jong-Il Production is a riveting ride.

The path from horse-drawn carriages in the late nineteenth century to electric subways was not always a linear solution, nor was it easy. Yet in Boston and New York, two of the country's early-growth cities, the need to relieve congestion was an absolutely imperative one. I find it interesting that today, any grander agenda for the expansion of subways -- or public transportation in general -- seems to have taken the back burner, superseded by Americans' love of the automobile. But Doug Most's chronicle of how the subways got their start in two of the most dynamic metropolises in the United States makes for riveting and compelling reading. The addition of pictures would have made for an even more complete look, but Most's writing definitely fills in the gaps smoothly. I was completely transported. Highly recommended, especially for history geeks.