All Book Reviews
Slave traders may not have been social outcasts after allHistorian Joshua Rothman uses the lives of three prosperous slave traders to explode myths about pre-Civil War American society.聽
Stacey Abrams concocts a twisty, suspenseful legal thrillerThe American politician and activist鈥檚 legal thriller, 鈥淲hile Justice Sleeps,鈥� explores themes of power and greed through colorful characters.聽
America was built with pamphlets, not musketsIn his compelling new book, 鈥淭he Words That Made Us,"聽Akhil Reed Amar聽traces how early Americans wrote 鈥� and rewrote 鈥� the country into existence.
鈥楾he Guncle鈥� proves that families come in all different shapesFollowing their mother鈥檚 death, two children spend the summer with 鈥淕ay Uncle Patrick鈥� in this heartfelt and entertaining novel by Steven Rowley.聽
Tiny seeds, magnified a thousandfoldLevon Biss, famous for his insect photographs, trains his lens on prized plant specimens from the collection of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Pilgrimage: A trip beyond travel, a purpose beyond pleasureIn his beautifully realized book, 鈥淧ilgrimage: Journeys of Meaning,鈥澛燩eter Stanford explores 12 ancient sites that attract searchers after wisdom.
Nancy Reagan 鈥榩layed the bad guy鈥� so the president could shineA new biography portrays Nancy Reagan as tougher and more politically astute than the president, and also deeply committed to his success.聽
She鈥檚 tried all the exercise fads. And then some.Cartoonist Alison Bechdel demonstrates 鈥淭he Secret to Superhuman Strength鈥� in a delightfully introspective graphic memoir.
What do plants and people have in common? More than you think.鈥淔inding the Mother Tree鈥� and 鈥淟essons From Plants鈥� explore how trees and plants communicate and form interdependent communities.
More quality time spent in the kitchen? Yes, please.Nigella Lawson鈥檚 鈥淐ook, Eat, Repeat鈥� and Roxana Jullapat鈥檚 鈥淢other Grains鈥� offer practical ideas and inspiration for taking cooking to new heights.聽聽聽
鈥楢 migrant in my own life鈥�: A playwright looks deep within.In 鈥淢y Broken Language,鈥� Tony聽award-winning playwright聽Quiara Alegr铆a Hudes explores Latino identity in聽a raw, honest, and loving memoir.聽
Surreal adventures abound in transporting novel 鈥楶eaces鈥�Onboard a mysterious sleeper train with no destination, a young couple discovers聽it can be hard to separate the surreal from the real.
Are more eyes better? How social media can worsen foreign crises.鈥淏ring Back Our Girls鈥澛爀xamines the unintended consequences of Western attention and highlights efforts to rescue schoolgirls taken by Boko Haram.聽
Jewish women spied, smuggled, and sabotaged under the Nazis鈥� nosesInside Poland鈥檚 ghettos, Jewish women played key roles in the resistance. They knew death was almost certain, yet they undermined their captors.
鈥楾he Elephant of Belfast鈥� explores love, loyalty, and tragedyThe World War II novel, based on true events, follows an orphaned elephant and a young zookeeper through struggles that demand courage and sacrifice.聽
Philip Roth biography emphasizes his unruly life over his celebrated novels鈥淧hilip Roth: The Biography鈥澛燼ims to 鈥渞ehabilitate鈥� its subject鈥檚 reputation, but succeeds only in making his excesses more apparent.聽
Extinction isn鈥檛 inevitable. 鈥楤eloved Beasts鈥� explains why.Past efforts to prevent extinction took a species-by-species approach. But now a more comprehensive plan is needed that looks at interconnections.聽聽
鈥楩irst Person Singular鈥� delves into lost love and strange happeningsJapanese writer Haruki Murakami offers a collection of imaginative short stories with skewed elements that his many fans are sure to applaud.
Harpies, sirens, and other 鈥榥asty鈥� women: Going beneath misogyny.Mythology is rife with female monsters. Essayist Jess Zimmerman sees their stories not as cautionary tales, but as inspiration for powerful women.
Marriages of long standing are tested in quiet, contained 鈥楪ood Company鈥�Long-time couples and old friendships come under scrutiny in Cynthia D鈥橝prix Sweeney鈥檚 highly anticipated second novel.
