We are thrilled once again to provide the books for a signing event for local author Marc Leepson's new book, Desperate Engagement: How a Little Known Civil War Battle Saved Washington, D.C. and Changed American History. The event will take place at the Middleburg Library on Monday, July 30, at 7 p.m.

Marc has done his usual thorough research, taking a complicated and complex topic and transforming it into an exciting, interesting and compelling saga. Civil War buffs or anyone who loves history, especially Virginia history, will want a signed copy of this book.

Another wonderful Civil War-era book is Reading the Man: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee Through His Private Letters by Elizabeth Brown Pryor. Through her comprehensive research into Lee's personal correspondence, we get to know the flesh-and-blood man behind the icon.

Are you a naturally curious person, but you just don't have the time to find out about everything that interests you? Then the new Oxford University Short Introduction series is perfect for you. These small but concise and well-thought-out books cover a wide range of topics, from architecture to animal rights to global warming to cryptography to Islam, evolution, particle physics and the Vikings. These small books are straightforward, accessible and very entertaining.

If you found Confessions of an Economic Hit Man both fascinating and alarming, you'll feel the same way about The Secret History of the American Empire: Economic Hit Men, Jackals and the Truth About Global Corruption by John Perkins. As with his previous book, Perkins is unflinching when it comes to revealing the dark side of our nation's economic conquests.

In our fiction section, there are some interesting new books, as well as previous titles now appearing in paper. Just out is Secrets of a Fire King by Kim Edwards, author of The Memory Keeper's Daughter. This is a story collection featuring characters who are just a bit outside the mainstream—thus making them that much more interesting.

The Rug Merchant by Meg Mullins gives a new perspective on immigration, in the form of a beautifully written novel about a successful but isolated Iranian in the midst of a devastating loss who finds unexpected love in an improbable place—the terminal at JFK Airport in New York.

The American Girl phenomenon has arrived in Middleburg, with a wide variety of books, both fiction and nonfiction, now available. The American Girl Library Series features everything from a cookbook to a school planner to the charming stories that lie behind the popular dolls. This is a terrific series that really lives up to its designation as a "library series." There are books on just about every topic imaginable, and it's all well done, entertaining and educational.

Now we have one last book to mention, and we've saved it for the end because it's one that just can't be easily classified: Somebody Is Going to Die if Lilly Beth Doesn't Catch That Bouquet: The Official Southern Ladies' Guide to Hosting the Perfect Wedding. This is by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays, who brought you Being Dead Is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral. Their second "Southern Ladies" book should come with a warning label about the dangers of too much laughing. These Southern ladies are unique, although they would tell you they are just like everybody else, honey, only more so.