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From Haiti to the Arctic, May鈥檚 best reads transportHistorical anniversaries share space with satisfying mysteries and far-flung, imagination-stretching novels in our roundup of May鈥檚 best reads.
Astute 鈥楾ranscription鈥� asks readers, 鈥楧o you copy?鈥�Ben Lerner鈥檚 noteworthy novel explores tech鈥檚 impositions on memory, history, and relationships.
鈥楾he Sheep Detectives鈥� is a tender fable wrapped in a murder mystery"The Sheep Detectives" could have been just a funny fable about sheep searching for their shepherd's killer. Our reviewer says tenderness and melancholy elevate it.
When revolutionary news traveled at the speed of horsebackHow did the American colonists separate fact from fiction? It wasn鈥檛 easy, explains Emily Sneff in 鈥淲hen the Declaration of Independence Was News.鈥�
The American frontier story left out key playersMen like Kit Carson captured fame, but the West was also shaped by Black men, Chinese and Hispanic women, and a Cheyenne chief.
Jayne Anne Phillips: 鈥榃riting words against the erasure of things and lives鈥�In 鈥淪mall Town Girls,鈥� Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jayne Anne Phillips taps her deep connection to West Virginia and the rural life that infuses her writing.
Spring forecast: Showers of great books for the month of AprilApril鈥檚 top nonfiction titles include a revelatory take on Lewis and Clark鈥檚 expedition, while fiction favorites cover the latest from Tana French and Ben Lerner.
Legendary creator of 鈥楽aturday Night Live鈥� remains an enigma in 鈥楲orne鈥�Lorne Michaels, the creator and longtime producer of 鈥淪aturday Night Live,鈥� is the subject of a new documentary promising unprecedented access.
Malian photographer ushered in a 鈥榲isual revolution鈥�Self-taught portraitist Seydou Ke茂ta introduced聽鈥渢he African gaze鈥� during a time of transition for聽the continent. A catalog celebrates his artistry.- Malian photographer ushered in a 鈥榲isual revolution鈥�Self-taught portraitist Seydou Ke茂ta introduced聽鈥渢he African gaze鈥� during a time of transition for聽the continent. A catalog celebrates his artistry.
A soothsaying servant girl, an unstable king, and the modern-day scholars on their trailHailed as a prophet, Elizabeth Barton railed against King Henry VIII and his plan to break with the pope in Rome and form his own church.
The evolution of Lincoln鈥檚 immigration ideals: A historian assesses his legacyPresident Abraham Lincoln had a mixed record on immigration, but championed newcomers鈥� 鈥渞ight to rise.鈥�
Are you there, readers? It鈥檚 a Judy Blume biography.A new book illuminates the prolific author鈥檚 life, work, and fame. Her frankness made her a lightning rod.
Alice Coltrane drew on gospel music of her youthThe groundbreaking musician Alice Coltrane gets her first comprehensive biography, thanks to author Andy Beta.
Can logging be reshaped by forest regeneration? Suzanne Simard says yes.Forest ecologist Suzanne Simard, the child of loggers,聽makes聽an impassioned argument for preserving forests and helping them to regenerate.
Audrey Spillman鈥檚 musical and spiritual journey led her to peace, and inspirationAmericana singer-songwriter Audrey Spillman says her third album, 鈥淣ightingale,鈥� is the 鈥渕ost important record鈥� of her life.
鈥楾iny Gardens Everywhere鈥� take root in urban plotsEnvironmental history professor Kate Brown鈥檚 latest book, underscores the resilience and power of urban gardening.
In 鈥楽on of Nobody,鈥� Yann Martel wraps an Everyman and a scholar in an epic tale鈥淪on of Nobody鈥� by Yann Martel twins the life of a foot soldier in ancient Greece with a modern-day man of letters.聽
March reading madness: Ring in spring with the season鈥檚 best booksOur reviewers鈥� March picks travel the globe and beyond, from India and Eritrea to Egypt and, eventually, Europa.
Aliens and UFOs still fascinate. 鈥楶roject Hail Mary,鈥� 鈥楧isclosure Day鈥� are proof.Movies like "Disclosure Day" and "Project Hail Mary" renew our fascination with extraterrestrials and the idea that humankind is not alone in the universe.
