Titanic

Many historical fiction novels that take place on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the R.M.S. Titanic try to re-create James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster hit of the same name. There’s usually a love story between two young adults that often ends in tragedy, and lots of clichéd romance. After a while, these tired old conventions become boring for fans of historical fiction.

However, David Dyer’s novel The Midnight Watch abandons those conventions, and weaves a heartbreaking story about how more of the doomed passengers could have been saved.

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Whether you enjoy collecting vintage photographs or love reading about history, Green-Wood Cemetery by Alexandra Kathryn Mosca is sure to hit the spot.

Mosca, who is an author and funeral director, uses vintage photographs to allow readers to tour the history of this picturesque cemetery throughout the years. Green-Wood has long been considered an integral part of New York’s cultural history and has a fascinating cast of characters buried beneath its 478 acres. Some of the people buried there are Dorothy Annan Harder and George Harder, two survivors of the R.M.S. Titanic disaster, Samuel Morse, F.A.O Schwartz, and Charles L. Tiffany.

As one of the city’s largest open green spaces, the cemetery used to be a hot spot for a wide variety of social outings, like picnics and cultural events. Through her pictorial evidence in the book, Mosca showcases the ever-changing funeral traditions of both New York City and Brooklyn as a whole.

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