All Book Reviews
鈥楢 Better Man鈥� shows Louise Penny at her compelling bestHer Three Pines mystery series, with Inspector Gamache, is a rare one that becomes more interesting the longer it goes on.
鈥楽ee Jane Win鈥�: A riveting political deconstruction of 2018Caitlin Moscatello鈥檚 鈥淪ee Jane Win鈥� dives deep into the triumphs and pitfalls encountered by novice women politicians in the 2018 elections.
鈥楺uichotte鈥� retells 鈥楧on Quixote鈥� for chaotic modern timesSalman Rushdie鈥檚 messy novel pulls in everything from the opioid crisis and white supremacist violence to 鈥淧inocchio鈥� and reality TV.聽
鈥業n the Country of Women鈥� is a powerful American memoirAcclaimed writer聽Susan Straight shares a poignant and vivid reflection on her family鈥檚 journeys.
鈥榃ith the Fire on High鈥� is wise, poetic, and perfect for foodiesElizabeth Acevedo鈥檚 latest YA novel has wide appeal, a compelling lead, and descriptions of mouthwatering food.聽
鈥楢 History of the Bible鈥� offers scholarly insights into its constructionTheologian and Anglican priest John Barton takes a well-researched look into the context and composition of the Bible.
鈥榃icked Fox鈥� is an engrossing 鈥� if convoluted 鈥� YA fantasyKat Cho鈥檚 debut novel 鈥淲icked Fox鈥� is a little complicated, but the poignantly rendered family relationships and fantasy drama are worth the ride.
Touching down, taking off: 鈥楾urbulence鈥� is masterful, compellingThe people in David Szalay鈥檚 novel聽travel great distances, but they tend to glide past each other rather than truly connect.聽聽
鈥榊oung Castro鈥� captures a revolutionary鈥檚 shining dreamsJonathan M. Hansen鈥檚 鈥淵oung Castro: The Making of a Revolutionary鈥� shows the evolution of a political icon.
Leonardo da Vinci: A giant of intellect, prone to distractionIn 鈥淟eonardo da Vinci Rediscovered,鈥� Carmen C. Bambach demonstrates how his digressions were fundamental to, and necessary for, the unfolding of his genius.
Two books that will make you see cities in a whole new lightUnlock the origins and secrets of urban life with Monica L. Smith鈥檚 鈥淐ities: The First 6,000 Years鈥� and Mark Peterson鈥檚 鈥淭he City-State of Boston.鈥�
President Franklin Roosevelt鈥檚 final task: ending World War IITwo books offer complementary perspectives on Roosevelt鈥檚 leadership: 鈥淲ar and Peace:聽FDR鈥檚 Final Odyssey, D-Day to Yalta, 1943-1945鈥� and 鈥淭he Second Most Powerful Man in the World.鈥澛�
Henry Ford and Thomas Edison steered Americans toward a love of road tripsIn 鈥淭he Vagabonds,鈥� Jeff Guinn explains how Henry Ford used his annual trips to promote not only his automobiles but also the thrill of the wide open (and often unpaved) road.
A girl and boy meet at a bookstore in Iran. Sixty years go by.Tinged with love and sadness, Marjan Kamali鈥檚 new novel 鈥楾he Stationery Shop鈥� is an ode to an Iran that no longer exists.
Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens鈥� memoir serves up calm wisdomJohn Paul Stevens鈥� memoir 鈥淭he Making of a Justice鈥� and the biography聽鈥淥liver Wendell Holmes鈥� are must-reads for legal buffs.
鈥楾he Nickel Boys鈥� reckons with a legacy of racism and abuseColson Whitehead's novel tells a story of two black teenagers in a corrupt reform school and the resilience they mustered in the face of hate.聽
Rudyard Kipling loved Vermont. Then he had to leave it.Christopher Benfey鈥檚聽鈥業f鈥� takes a closer look at the writer鈥檚 time in America 鈥� a key creative period when he wrote 鈥楾he Jungle Book.鈥�
The Apollo 11 moon landing and the men who made it happen鈥楽hoot for the Moon鈥� concentrates on the astronauts who carried out the historic mission, and 鈥楢merican Moonshot鈥� looks at the galvanizing power of聽President John F. Kennedy's vision.聽
A geological detective story told through clues written in the iceJon Gertner鈥檚 鈥楾he Ice of the End of the World鈥櫬爄s an examination of scientists鈥� grit against the harsh backdrop of Greenland鈥檚 ice sheet.
Elizabeth Gilbert鈥檚 latest novel charts the friendships of womenIn 鈥楥ity of Girls,鈥� young protagonist Vivian鈥檚 indiscretions become steppingstones to self-realization.
