What We Are Reading Today: Sparks Like Stars

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Updated 11 January 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: Sparks Like Stars

Author: Nadia Hashimi

If you need a story that is thought-provoking and emotional, give ‘Sparks Like Stars’ a try. Or if you love historical fiction, because it’s about an actual event — a Soviet-backed coup against the president of Afghanistan.

The story starts with getting to know Sitara. She is a privileged 10-year-old whose father is a diplomat and close friend of the country’s president; she spends many days running around the presidential palace. That is until the soldiers kill her entire family, and she sees it all happening, forever changing her.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Ghost Sharks’

Updated 18 January 2026
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Ghost Sharks’

Authors: David A. Ebert, Jenny M. Kemper, Brittany Finucci, Dominique A. Didier, and Marc Dando

Ghost sharks, also known as chimaeras, are cartilaginous fish related to sharks and rays sharing a common ancestor dating back some 400 million years.

These extraordinary fish are found in virtually every ocean on the planet, and while a few inhabit coastal waters, most live at depths that can make them incredibly difficult to study and observe.

This comprehensive reference book covers every known species of chimaera to date.