On the Oregon Trail

May 22: America’s “Great Migration” westward began on this day in 1843, some 1,000 heading west in the first pioneer exodus over the Oregon Trail.

The Dylanologists

Detectives on the trail of a musical enigma, Bob Dylan’s most tenacious fans prove nearly as intriguing as the elusive artist they revere. A study in the rewards of devotion and the price of obsession from Pulitzer-winning journalist David Kinney.

Joshua Ferris

The author of To Rise Again at a Decent Hour on “shaggy romps,” G.I. Joe, and the poetic life of the Hubble Telescope.

Little Demon in the City of Light

Steven Levingston digs up a doozy of a case, involving mesmeric murderess Gabrielle Bompard, an international manhunt, and a cast of Gallic sleuths, criminals and shocked citizens. A Discover Great New Writers selection.