Hump Day Recommendations Oct. 22, 2024

Read: “Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman's Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue,” by Sonia Purnell. Imagine being a young English woman with the respected ear of Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War II. Then you go on to know, love, and frolic (often) and work with powerful men involved in nearly every pivotal geopolitical moment and scandal until your death five decades later. Was Harriman scandalous? You bet. A brilliant feminist? Jury’s still out. A cunning political operative? You decide. I loved this book, and I think you might too. — Tracy

Watch: “The Apprentice.”This Donald Trump biopic came out just weeks before Election Day. It’s an attempt to examine the forces and experiences that molded the former president as we know him today, particularly Roy Cohn, the influential lawyer who mentored Trump when he was younger. While some aspects of the movie are based on actual events, it’s still a fictional depiction of Trump at the end of the day. Trump has made it clear he’s not happy about the movie, calling the people who made it “HUMAN SCUM.” Though reviews are mixed, this film definitely has people talking, and I’d say it’s worth two hours of your time. — John

Read: “Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire” by Judith Herrin. Quick, when did the Roman Empire fall? All of you who said 476 CE need to read this magnificently accessible and thrilling history of the Eastern Roman (aka Byzantine) Empire, which outlasted its Western twin by a millennium. Herrin takes a unique approach, cutting through the… well, the Byzantine nature of the history of the emperors in the east and forgoing chronological order to focus on specific themes. You’ll learn about the establishment of great Constantinople, the rise of Christianity as the state religion, its intensely violent iconoclastic conflict, and the empire’s many near-death experiences with Muslim invaders and civil wars. Pick it up today! — Matt