All Book Reviews
What if Hillary had never married Bill? 鈥楻odham鈥� answers that question.Curtis Sittenfeld鈥檚 novel 鈥� part fan fiction, part thought experiment 鈥� offers an uneven but fascinating exploration of an alternate path.
In 鈥楢fterlife,鈥� a woman forges a path through griefJulia Alvarez鈥檚 latest novel demonstrates that even in times of loss there is a person, an opportunity, or a perspective, waiting to shake things up.聽
What really happened at the O.K. CorralThe most famous gunfight of the old West lives on in movies and in our imagination. 鈥淭ombstone鈥� separates the truth from the myth.聽
鈥楶elosi鈥� tracks the career of a powerful, driven politicianAs the first woman speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, she鈥檚 honed a formidable legislative record and staved off challengers.
Chekhov鈥檚 unequaled mastery of the short story鈥淔ifty-Two Stories鈥� reminds our reviewer of the Russian writer鈥檚 brilliance, even if this collection doesn鈥檛 quite live up to his best work.
Amid a pandemic, it鈥檚 nice to read novels about people who care鈥淭he Big Finish鈥� and聽鈥淭he Love Story of Missy Carmichael鈥� each feature older characters who go beyond themselves to help others.
Degas painted dancers and musicians with deftness and authority鈥淒egas at the Op茅ra鈥� offers a backstage tour of the artist鈥檚 favorite haunt 鈥� as well as intimations of the dark underside of dancers鈥� lives.聽
鈥業n Deep鈥� disputes the notion of a 鈥榙eep state鈥� conspiracyNew Yorker writer David Rohde traces the rise of distrust in government agencies, along with the expansion of presidential powers, over 40 years.聽聽
鈥楢mnesty鈥� sets up a moral dilemma for an immigrant living in the shadowsAravind Adiga鈥檚 novel follows a man living illegally in Australia as he weighs an impossible decision: Solve a murder, or stay in the country?
Imagining the life of Jesus鈥� wifeSue Monk Kidd鈥檚 novel brings to life a spirited young woman who must come to terms with her own聽heartfelt desires and ambitions.聽聽
Madeleine L鈥橢ngle鈥檚 early short stories presage 鈥楢 Wrinkle in Time鈥�A reviewer reflects on reading 鈥淭he Moment of Tenderness,鈥� a collection of short stories, and then returning to the 1963 novel she loved growing up.聽
From house of horrors to family homeErica Bauermeister鈥檚 latest book is a thoughtful, entertaining memoir of the time she and her family spent renovating the mother of all fixer-uppers.
Alexander Calder upended the seriousness of artHis sculpture and mobiles played with space and form, but some critics were not amused. Part 2 of Jed Perl鈥檚 biography illumines Calder鈥檚 skill.
鈥楲ove, Unscripted鈥� is a rom-com homage, but transcends the genreOwen Nicholls鈥� debut novel is chock-full of movie references, but he delves deeply into the intricacies of maintaining a relationship.聽聽
鈥楢merican Rebels鈥� shows the network behind the RevolutionNina Sankovitch pens another tour de force as she dives into the tight-knit web of colonial families that propelled the American Revolution.
Coco Chanel in wartime: She was at all times 鈥榩ro-Chanel鈥�Anne de Courcy鈥檚 history of the French Riviera is a fascinating 鈥� if chaotic 鈥� account of the highs and lows felt by Chanel鈥檚 social circle up to and including World War II.
Neal Shusterman blurs the line between 鈥榬eal鈥� and digital lifeThe YA novelist 鈥� no stranger to dark and mature themes 鈥� tackles AI, death, religion, and more in his latest bestseller.
Jane Austen鈥檚 sister destroyed her letters. 鈥楳iss Austen鈥� imagines the reasons.Gill Hornby鈥檚 vivid novel introduces Cassandra, Jane鈥檚 protective older sister, who has her own ideas about keeping her sister鈥檚 reputation intact.
鈥楾he Other Bennet Sister鈥� focuses attention on bookish MaryJanice Hadlow reimagines Mary Bennet, the overlooked middle sister in Jane Austen鈥檚 鈥淧ride and Prejudice,鈥� as a young woman cultivating her intellect.
鈥楢uthor in Chief鈥� finds the gold amid the dross of presidential memoirsCraig Fehrman delves into the writings of presidents who sought to set the record straight, explain their decisions, or simply hear themselves talk.聽聽
