All Book Reviews
Poet Ted Kooser鈥檚 鈥楻ed Stilts鈥�: Beauty in small momentsTed Kooser doesn't need much at all, really, to help you see vibrancy and joy. Muddy tire tracks and lumber with a lick of paint will do.
Lincoln brought strength of character 鈥� and backwoods wit 鈥� to governingThe 16th president faced daunting challenges during the Civil War. Two new biographies demonstrate that he was equal to the task.
Martin Amis delivers the 鈥業nside Story,鈥� a sprawling autobiographical novelThe British novelist writes from a position of gratitude 鈥� toward family, friends, and mentors 鈥� rather than from anger or self-pity.聽
Barbara Kingsolver鈥檚 poems gently mock how-to books鈥淗ow to Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons)鈥� offers delightful bits of wisdom and humor, a balm during the pandemic.聽
鈥楬omeland Elegies鈥� weaves together a Muslim family and politicsAyad Akhtar orchestrates a fictionalized spinoff of his life, full of digressions, commentary, and a critique of American culture.聽
Korean American experience resonates in 鈥楾he Prince of Mournful Thoughts鈥�The longing for connection, for belonging, is woven throughout a dozen short stories in Caroline Kim鈥檚 superlative debut collection.聽
His appetite was legendary, his influence on food was lastingJames Beard championed American cuisine, mentored chefs, wrote cookbooks. His personal life was a struggle, as biographer John Birdsall explores.聽
Don鈥檛 write off Big Oil: The geopolitics of energy and securityDaniel Yergin鈥檚 鈥淭he New Map鈥� provides a guide through the energy landscape, but gives short shrift to methane emissions and environmental activism.聽
The papyrus, the professor, and a scandal that ensnared Harvard Divinity SchoolJournalist Ariel Sabar explores the story of a respected Bible scholar who believed she had proof that Christ Jesus and Mary Magdalen were married.聽
Notre Dame cathedral survived fire, war, and Napoleon鈥檚 redecoratingIn 鈥淣otre-Dame: The Soul of Paris,鈥� Agn猫s Poirier聽charts the 800-year history of the cathedral, a symbol of hope and endurance around the world.
Displaced: 鈥楾he Last Million鈥� refugees to leave Europe after World War IIResettlement of refugees 鈥� among them 25,000 Jewish people 鈥� proceeded slowly, with many nations closing their doors.聽
鈥楾ranscendent Kingdom鈥� offers quiet hope in the face of racismIn Yaa Gyasi's second novel, the daughter of a troubled immigrant family finds a way to combine science and faith in her career as a neuroscientist.
Senior sleuths step in to solve the crime in 鈥楾he Thursday Murder Club鈥�With wry British humor, and a cast of intrepid retirees, Richard Osman鈥檚 delightful mystery caper offers surprising depth.聽 聽
How a tiny company paved the way for Big Tech 鈥撀燼nd big problemsHistorian Jill Lepore cracks open the world of the聽Simulmatics Corporation, which presaged the move toward predicting human behavior.
鈥楳onogamy鈥� reveals conflicted emotions over a long marriageSue Miller鈥檚 latest novel paints a vivid portrait of a woman struggling with the death of her husband, and with knowledge of his infidelity.聽
Kissinger evokes respect and vitriol in equal measureSome Americans see him as a canny statesman while others think he should be tried for war crimes. Is there a middle ground?
鈥楳oney鈥� tells the history of currency 鈥� with some digressionsWhat exactly is money? How have humans developed this concept over centuries? NPR鈥檚聽Jacob Goldstein tackles these questions.
Native American poetry anthology vibrates with powerful voicesU.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo serves as lead editor of this new collection, which showcases a range of poems as vast as the continent.聽
A grandmother and granddaughter swap lives in the charming novel 鈥楾he Switch鈥�A Yorkshire widow trades village life for a London flat and online dating in Beth O鈥橪eary鈥檚 gently humorous and kindhearted story.
False smiles and lush locations pervade 鈥楾he Glass Kingdom鈥�A confidence woman鈥檚 plans are derailed as she lands in Bangkok and meets a cast of mysterious characters who inhabit a crumbling apartment complex.
