All Book Reviews
Two early presidents raised warnings about the cult of personalityIn 鈥楾he Problem of Democracy,鈥櫬燗ndrew Burstein and Nancy Isenberg write that John Adams and John Quincy Adams recognized the pitfalls of the U.S. political system.
鈥楥harged鈥� examines the role of prosecutors in the U.S. justice systemWriter and lawyer聽Emily Bazelon argues that the election of more reform-minded prosecutors could help reduce America鈥檚 soaring incarceration rates.
Intimidated by verse? 鈥楧on鈥檛 Read Poetry鈥� explores how to enjoy poems.Stephanie Burt entices readers into an appreciation of poetry by demystifying the act of poetry reading.
Lee Krasner: abstract expressionist painter in her own rightMarried to famed 鈥榙rip鈥� painter Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner聽is being rediscovered by a new generation.聽
鈥楤ecoming Dr. Seuss鈥� opens up the author-illustrator鈥檚 worldBiographer Brian Jay Jones reveals the perfectionist who gained fame with his children鈥檚 books, but feared he was not taken seriously as an artist.
A restless, kaleidoscopic view of an empire鈥檚 legacyJournalist Alev Scott鈥檚 book 鈥極ttoman Odyssey鈥� traverses the cultural and social history of the region to explain the present.
鈥楯urassic Park鈥� fans could learn a lot about real dinosaurs in this bookMichael J. Benton聽distills a career鈥檚 worth of paleontology discoveries into the engaging and colorful 鈥楧inosaurs Rediscovered.鈥櫬�
The 10 best books of June to read while you soak up the sunThere are beach reads and exciting travel adventures galore in the June roundup of the Monitor鈥檚 top 10 book recommendations.
Wendell Berry takes a stand on stewardship of the earth鈥榃hat I Stand On,鈥� a collection of the poet-farmer鈥檚 essays, argues for a societal shift away from a culture of destruction and consumption.聽
Penguin Classics adds four books by Asian Americans to the canonWith four books by Asian American authors, Penguin Classics finally recognizes a long-overlooked genre of American literary and cultural tradition.
鈥楶ride and Prejudice,鈥� eh? What if Jane Austen were Muslim Canadian?Uzma Jalaluddin鈥檚 debut novel 鈥楢yesha at Last鈥� charms with its witty and insightful update of 鈥楶ride and Prejudice.鈥櫬�
It鈥檚 information overload with 鈥楾he Ministry of Truth鈥�Dorian Lynskey includes lengthy and not always relevant detail in his examination of the cultural impact of George Orwell鈥檚聽鈥�1984.鈥�
Unspoken but not forgottenFamily history is reinvented and truth is mutable in Sarah Blake鈥檚聽鈥楾he Guest Book,鈥� which follows three generations of a privileged East Coast clan.
鈥楾he Parisian鈥� is a slow-burning treat to be savoredSet in Paris and the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Isabella Hammad's debut novel 鈥楾he Parisian鈥� contemplates issues of longing and belonging.
How the (North)west was wonHistorian David McCullough鈥檚 鈥楾he Pioneers鈥� focuses on the individuals beyond the myths of settling the Northwest Territory.
鈥楧utch Girl鈥� shows Audrey Hepburn鈥檚 wartime courageAnother side of Hepburn emerges in Robert Matzen鈥檚 book about her difficult childhood and how it shaped her as an actress and as a humanitarian.聽聽
All hail the queen of cakeMaida Heatter鈥檚 cookbook is a keeper thanks to the decadent recipes, including zingy聽gingerful biscotti and聽ethereal orange puff cake.
鈥榃orking鈥� is the quintessential biographer's instruction manualPolitical biographer Robert A. Caro lays out his writing process as a memoir, revealing useful techniques and telling encounters from his career.
Author Dani Shapiro grapples with a world remade by a DNA test in 'Inheritance'Shapiro views her parents differently in light of her discovery. And her struggle is growing more common as DNA services like 23andMe become popular.
鈥楰: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches鈥� is 100% in the zoneTyler Kepner loves baseball, and his book will make you love it too. His history of the game uses stories of career-making pitches as the narrative structure.
