Newsmax Rising Bestsellers this week highlight how a Big Ten college football team reimagined itself to become a national champion, and three others all about breaking chains.

There is how President Donald Trump broke the chains binding America to China's corruption, another about escaping the control of liberal mothers, and the how the battle of two of America's founders broke tyranny's chains and secured liberty.

Then there is the novel of the week, which answers the question: What if one of those urban legends we heard about in our youth came true?

"Buckeye Brotherhood: How Ohio State Navigated a New World to Win a National Championship," by Bill Rabinowitz (Triumph Books)

If you're a Michigan fan or graduate who sometimes chants, "Oh how I hate Ohio State," this may not be the book for you.

But if you're otherwise a college football fanatic, this description of the Buckeyes' 2024 championship season is a fascinating read.

In a tumultuous year of college football, especially in the Big Ten, with conference realignments, NIL — name-image-likeness — deals, and a new playoff format, Ohio State ran through a gantlet.

"Buckeye Brotherhood" chronicles in detail how the players galvanized when it counted most — the playoffs.

"Great read if you are a Buckeyes fan!" wrote Roger Imhoff for Amazon. "It was especially insightful to read what the (Ryan) Day family had to deal with behind the scenes. It really does show what a quality people the players and Coach Ryan Day are!"  [Nonfiction]


"The China Matrix: The Epic Story of How Donald Trump Shattered a Deadly Pact," by Lee Smith Center Street)

When President Richard Nixon and his top foreign affairs aide, Henry Kissinger, opened diplomatic and economic trade relations with China a half century ago, they set into motion the ability for American business titans, especially in the tech industry, to become wealthier by selling out American interests to the Chinese Communist Party.

U.S. politicians contributed to what became a web of corruption and betrayal, and legacy media gave them cover, says author Lee Smith.

American universities also played a role by promoting the admission of Chinese students and faculty, who proved to be members of Beijing's espionage network.

When Donald Trump appeared on the scene, he ripped off China's mask to reveal the predator underneath and addressed the issues, "from trade wars to TikTok, fentanyl to finance."

"In 'The China Matrix,' Lee Smith delivers a searing expose of the most dangerous alliance of our time: America's ruling class and the Chinese Communist Party.

"Smith shows how President Trump shattered the fantasy of a harmless China — and forced the establishment to reckon with the cost of their own corruption," said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. "This is a vital, urgent read."  [Nonfiction]


"Progressive Prejudice: Exposing the Devouring Mother," by Leslie Corbly (Bombardier Books)

Author Leslie Corbly explains that a fundamental problem with a typical affluent white female liberal (AWFL) is that she has replaced God with self-love and hides behind euphemisms such as "choice," "equity," "empowerment," and "reproductive healthcare."

And Corbly knows what she's talking about — she survived maternal abuse by a liberal mother.

She reveals that her own "Devouring Mother" told her that her life was a mistake, that she was "half-aborted."

But she was one of the lucky ones who was able to break free of those chains and become the lawyer, the poet, and the author she is today.

"Every pastor, every Christian parent, every young woman questioning the lies of the culture should read this book," wrote Bill Martinez for PJ Media. "It is a raw and redemptive witness — a testament to the truth that even in a world that kills its children, life still triumphs."  [Nonfiction]


"The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America," by Jeffrey Rosen (Simon & Schuster)

Throughout the course of our nearly 250-year history, the clashing constitutional visions of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton have defined the United States.

The debate of these two founders over how best to balance liberty and power is a debate that continues to define America.

"Rosen's clearly organized synthesis of American life and history, along with well-placed references to the musical Hamilton, offers a useful context for his assessment of Hamiltonian and Jeffersonian influences on the Supreme Court," wrote Booklist. "And his biographical sketches of justices past and present are detailed and vivid, bringing the law to life."  [Nonfiction]


"Alchemy of Secrets: A Novel," by Stephanie Garber (Flatiron Books)

This instant New York Times bestseller asks us to imagine that at least some of those urban legends we'd heard about, especially in our youth, turned out to be the real deal.

In this, a woman known as "the professor" teaches a class called Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths in an old movie theater.

The Watch Man is one of those legends, and he's reputed to be able to tell a person when he or she will die.

Most of the students believe the legends are poppycock — except one, who tracks the Watch Man down.

She's devastated, however, when he tells her that she'll die tomorrow at midnight unless she can locate something called the Alchemical Heart.

When the Watch Man agrees to help, it becomes a race against time.

"EASILY one of my favorite books of the year!" wrote Susan Catolynn for GoodReads. "And the plot twist after plot twist ... I couldn't get enough. If there's one book you read this fall, make it 'Alchemy of Secrets!'"  [Fiction]