Five books guaranteed to make you sound brilliant

Alina Simone is a singer and writer based in Brooklyn. Her new novel is Note to Self.

At The Barnes & Noble Book Blog Simone highlighted "five books just bursting with facts that can make you the toast of your next dinner party, or at least a bit more interesting in a crowded elevator," including:The Bloody White Baron: The Extraordinary Story of the Russian Nobleman Who Became the Last Khan of