This week’s Newsmax Rising Bestsellers will highlight an honest appraisal of someone who’s long been an icon of the Democratic Party and a clarion call for men to embrace their masculine selves. There is also a breakdown of what led to the Golden State’s decline, and the examination of one of the most brutal, abhorrent murder cases of the late 20th century, one that has recently re-entered the courtroom and the headlines. But first the novel of the week is the latest offering by New York Times bestselling author Gillian McAllister.
“Famous Last Words: A Suspenseful Domestic Thriller,” by Gillian McAllister (William Morrow)
In this latest tale by Gillian McAllister, a young mother’s life turns upside down on the morning she’s set to return to work after her maternity leave. Instead of awakening alongside her husband, her eyes open to a cryptic note he’d left for her. Then the police arrive to tell her that he’s involved in a hostage situation — not as a victim but as the hostage-taker. Only she knows what her husband’s note said, what his “famous last words” were in this thriller penned by a novelist with a reputation as “the best at putting her characters in impossible situations…” “This is almost literally un-put-downable,” wrote Meg L. in her Amazon review. The characters are richly drawn. The plot and writing suck you in, and the ending is both satisfying and a surprise. Don't miss this one!” [Fiction]
“Debunking FDR: The Man and the Myths,” by Mary Grabar (Regnery History)
After debunking “The 1619 Project” and Howard Zinn, Mary Grabar is now taking on the Big Kahuna, the patron saint of the Democratic Party — Franklin Delano Roosevelt. To hear Democrats tell it, FDR was the champion to the downtrodden, a savior of democracy, and single-handedly pulled America out of the Great Depression. The truth is something altogether different as Grabar explains. Raised in a family of wealth and privilege, FDR was a lazy, indifferent student and rose in politics despite his mediocre talents. Once ensconced into the White House, he did everything he could to retain and increase power, and his policies actually extended the Great Depression. After reading this fresh, unvarnished look at the man, you’ll never think of him the same again. [Nonfiction]
“Embrace Masculinity: Lifting Men up in a World That Pushes Them Down,” by Braeden Sorbo (Independently published)
Masculinity has become a dirty word, so much so that it’s almost always preceded by the adjective “toxic.” “Nonsense,” argues the author, the son of actor Kevin Sorbo.
Strength and leadership, the hallmarks of masculinity, lead to a strong work ethic, a feeling of responsibility, and ultimately self-reliance. But these are all giving way to progressivism and its use of entitlement and victimhood as a means to success. Sorbo argues that in order for society to succeed, it should embrace masculinity and its qualities that shaped the founding of America and its expansion westward. “If you actually care about being the man your wife, your kids, and the people around you need you to be, this is the book for you,” wrote Jonas Alves for Amazon. “If you’re tired of the media telling you to sit in your corner and shut up, this is a guidebook on how to get back on top!” [Nonfiction]
“Failed State: A Portrait of California in the Twilight of Empire,” by Christopher Moritz (Skyhorse)
Sixty years ago, California was America’s “Promised Land,” the place to which everyone wanted to make their own Exodus. It was the world of sun, sand and surf, about which the Ventures, Jan & Dean, and the Beach Boys sang their siren songs, where everyone drove a “woodie” and there were two girls for every boy. And the people came, they enjoyed, and then they ruined it all by electing progressive politicians that destroyed this modern American paradise. What resulted was epitomized by the 2025 Palisades fire, made all the worse by a lack of forestry management, and uncontrollable by poor water management. “Christopher Moritz captures California in a horrifying yet breathtakingly real portrait of collapse,” said Gary Alcock for Amazon. “Moritz meticulously dissects how policy negligence, ideological madness, and sheer incompetence have unraveled one of America’s crown jewels into chaos and ruin.” [Nonfiction]
“THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS STORY: A look at the murders, the trials and the efforts to free them,” by James D. John (Independently published)
The startling case and famous trial of two brothers, Lyle and Erik Menendez, who murdered their parents inside their Beverly Hills mansion, shocked the nation 36 years ago. They’re once again in the nation’s headlines as they seek resentencing for their crime. Why did they pick up a shotgun and brutally take the lives of their own parents, Jose and Kitty, on that August 1989 night? Did they do it for financial gain, or was their motive rooted in something else — years of unspeakable abuse by their father as their mother looked on? [Nonfiction]
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