Globe and Mail/Ben McNally Brunch

The Butterfly Mosque by G. Willow Wilson

The extraordinary story of a young North American's conversion to Islam and her ensuing romance with an Egyptian man, The Butterfly Mosque is a stunning articulation of a Westerner embracing the Muslim world.

Wilson weaves this engaging personal story with deep insights into faith in a fractured world, and gives westerners rare insight into an important young reform movement. The Butterfly Mosque is an inspiring account of an unlikely cross-cultural love, and the moving story of two young people working within the boundaries of contemporary religion and culture to forge a life together against the odds.

Globish: How the English Language Became the World's Language by Robert McCrum

In this provocative and compelling new look at the course of empire, Robert McCrum, coauthor of the best-selling book and television series The Story of English, shows how the language of the Anglo-American imperium has become the world’s lingua franca. In fascinating detail he describes the ever-accelerating changes wrought on the language by the far-flung cultures claiming citizenship in the new hegemony. "In the twenty-first century," writes the author, "English + Microsoft = Globish."

Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent

Daniel Okrent's Last Call is a narrative history of Prohibition. It explains how Prohibition happened in the United States, what life under it was like, and what it did to the country.

Daniel Okrent was the first public editor of The New York Times, editor-at-large of Time, Inc., and managing editor of Life magazine. He is also author of four books, one of which, Great Fortune, was a finalist for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in history.

Wide Awake: A Memoir of Insomnia by Patricia Morrisroe

A mesmerizing mix of personal insight, science and social observation, Wide Awake examines the role of sleep in our increasingly hyperactive culture. For the millions who suffer from sleepless nights and hazy caffeine-filled days, this humorous, thought-provoking and ultimately hopeful book is an essential bedtime companion. It does, however, come with a warning: Reading it will promote wakefulness.