All Book Reviews
'The Vegetarian' asks painful questions about the way we liveThis American debut by South Korean writer Han Kang has been nominated for the 2016 Man Booker Prize.
'The Waters of Eternal Youth' allows Guido Brunetti to shine once moreDonna Leon's latest commissario Guido Brunetti mystery is every bit as satisfying as the 24 that came before.
'The Civil Wars of Julia Ward Howe' tells of a woman's struggle for freedomHowe, famous author of 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic,' despaired the toll of marriage 鈥� of submitting now to her husband鈥檚 will.
'The High Mountains of Portugal': Booker Prize-winner Martel charms againThree novellas set in Portugal connect to create a thoughtful meditation on grieving and faith.
'Eruption,' in an evocative retelling, places Mount St. Helens in contextIn his evocative and convincing new book, author Steve Olson reveals that the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens is much more than a horror show.
'Paradise City' brings together four very different London livesElizabeth Day's story of lives in collision puts an unexpected twist on a scandal from the headlines.
'The Big Red Book of Modern Chinese Literature' is a sumptuous samplerUniversity of California English professor Yunte Huang presents work from nearly 50 Chinese writers spanning the last century.
'Evicted' follows the harrowing, heartbreaking cases of eight familiesJournalist Matthew Desmond spent a year and a half with eight Milwaukee families about to lose their homes.
'Heart of Europe' is history at its most engagingUniversity of Hull history professor Peter Wilson has given the Holy Roman Empire its longest and most readable one-volume history of the modern era.
'Exit Right' follows six high-profile political conversionsDaniel Oppenheimer takes a group portrait of six men who made a political about-face. What does it tell us about the nature of our beliefs?
'Children of Paradise' is a journalist's riveting exploration of today's IranLaura Secor looks at the generation of Iranians who inherited a country transformed by the Islamic Revolutions of 1979.
'Strange Gods': A secular scholar examines religious conversionAre converts most often motivated by faith 鈥� or do more practical considerations come into play?
'Nowhere People' profiles stateless peoples and their little-known plightPhotographer Greg Constantine's hefty 373-page book features black-and-white photos from 12 of the countries where he has worked over the years.
'Every Song Ever' is a creative listener's guide to contemporary musicNew York Times jazz critic Ben Ratliff suggests that how we listen to music might be 'every bit as important' as what the composer intended when writing it.
'The Queen of the Night' blends opera and mystery into a grandiose readLoosely inspired by the life of opera singer Jenny Lind, Chee's new novel drips with romance, betrayal, intrigue, and espionage.
'Nemesis' tells how a single drug lord came to rule RioMisha Glenny digs deep below the surface to tell a dark but riveting story.
'The Essential Goethe' offers English-language readers a major new toolThis new compilation puts before readers a smattering of just about everything Goethe wrote in his busy lifetime.
'Salt to the Sea' effectively blends World War II history with teen romanceIn this World War II story, set during the sunset hours of the terrible conflict, Ruta Sepetys effectively spins a tale that is equal parts romance, thriller, and real life dystopia.
'The Slave's Cause' is a thorough and overdue account of the abolition movement in the USManisha Sinha's comprehensive and narrative-resetting new book gives readers their fullest and most readable account of America's battle against slavery.
'In Other Words' traces Jhumpa Lahiri's love affair with the Italian language'Words' is Lahiri鈥檚 first nonfiction work, her first truly autobiographical writing.
