All Book Reviews
English painter John Constable captured the rhythms of rural lifeThe farms and fields of Constable鈥檚 native Suffolk county provided rich material and spiritual sustenance.
Shake off the chill with the best books of FebruaryMonitor reviewers鈥� choices this month ranged from a novel about a mine-collapse survivor to a history of Jewish entrepreneurs who changed the toy industry.
鈥楶laymakers鈥� underscores the serious business of making toysIn 鈥淧laymakers,鈥� Michael Kimmel unpacks the history of Jewish entrepreneurs who started name-brand toy companies 鈥� and redefined children鈥檚 playtime.
When she married, she declined to join her library with her husband鈥檚In 鈥淏ookish,鈥� author Lucy Mangan treats tomes like old friends, and zealously guards the precincts of her personal collection (10,000 books and counting.)
鈥楤efore my birth, cotton formed me鈥�: A story of family and struggleCristina Rivera Garza鈥檚 鈥淎utobiography of Cotton鈥� blends memory, history, and investigation into a beautifully written book about how stories are lost.
Snow day? No better time to dive into January鈥檚 10 best books.Our reviewers鈥� picks for this month include a tribute to winter, a police blotter鈥檚-worth of mysteries, and a real-life spy thriller involving the KGB.
What trees mean to Russia, through a history of war and peaceSophie Pinkham鈥檚 鈥淭he Oak and the Larch鈥� traces how Russian history and literature have shaped 鈥� and been shaped by 鈥� its deep forests.
One man held the keys to KGB records. He turned them over to MI6.鈥淭he Spy in the Archive鈥� by Gordon Corera spotlights a KGB archivist whose actions led to the biggest counterintelligence bonanza of the postwar period.
Does the modern world need a mindset shift on 鈥榩rogress鈥�?Samuel Miller McDonald unpacks centuries of conquest and expansion in 鈥淧rogress: How One Idea Built Civilization and Now Threatens To Destroy It.鈥�
Tennessee songbird: Dolly Parton鈥檚 rise to country music superstardom鈥淎in鈥檛 Nobody鈥檚 Fool鈥� by Martha Ackmann captures Dolly Parton鈥檚 talent, her decency, and her cultural significance.
When the captain鈥檚 wife took charge: The true story of Mary Ann PattenOver two months in 1856, Mary Ann Patten guided her husband鈥檚 clipper ship relying on celestial navigation, her wits, and the crew鈥檚 support.
鈥楿nabridged鈥�: A delightful look behind the making of a dictionaryHow do new words like 鈥渟afe space,鈥� 鈥渄ogpile,鈥� and 鈥渁lt-right鈥� make it into the dictionary? Journalist Stefan Fatsis finds out.
In winter, a murder mystery writer takes a break from cold casesScottish novelist Val McDermid takes a step back from 鈥渢artan noir鈥� to reminisce about her childhood and to revel in the frigid season.
Civil servant or fascist spy? Hunting for the truth about her Albanian grandmother.鈥淚ndignity: A Life Reimagined鈥� charts Lea Ypi鈥檚 attempts to locate information about her grandmother, Leman Ypi, in the declassified records of communist Albania鈥檚 secret police.
A smorgasbord of books enlivens the 10 best of DecemberWhile away the darkest days of the year solving mysteries, enjoying a holiday romance, and catching up with a country-music icon.
The top 25 books for 2025From mystery and history to fiction and memoir, these are the titles that captivated Monitor reviewers this year.
Opposed to slavery, but also against a war to end it鈥淭he Boston Way,鈥� examines a group of abolitionists who believed a civil war聽would not only result in bloodshed but also set back the cause of African American rights.聽
Four new cookbooks that will help you focus on 鈥楪ood Things鈥�In this roundup of cookbooks, authors like Jacques P茅pin and Samin Nosrat share how their personal creative processes in the kitchen can have a harmonizing, restorative effect.
鈥楢mity鈥� tells a triumphant tale set against Reconstruction鈥檚 harsh landscape鈥淎mity鈥� laces together separate tales of two Black siblings, searching for each other and for their true selves.
The leaves have turned, so turn a page. Here are November鈥檚 10 best.The 10 best books of November bring light to the shortest days, with new titles from Salman Rushdie, Sarah Hall, and Roy Wood Jr.聽
