All Books
Wunderkind British explorer鈥檚 life demonstrates ice-hard resolveThe young British explorer Henry Watkins pursued impossible expeditions, leading men 鈥淚nto the Great Emptiness鈥� of Greenland鈥檚 ice cap. His leadership got them all home 鈥� eventually.聽
How Sarah Kidd, the wife of a pirate captain, reinvented herself鈥淭he Pirate鈥檚 Wife鈥� tells the true story of Sarah Kidd, who was married to 18th-century privateer Capt. William Kidd. Her fortitude and adaptability helped her and her children survive.聽
The defusing of the Cuban missile crisis involved delicate diplomacyJFK carefully threaded a solution, which included a series of hard lines and face-saving measures that allowed the Soviets to withdraw their missiles peacefully.聽
First LookChildren鈥檚 book 鈥楩reewater鈥� wins Newbery, Coretta Scott King awardsThe American Library Association has announced the top children鈥檚 and young adult books for 2023. This year鈥檚 John Newbery Medal for best children鈥檚 book went to Amina Luqman-Dawson鈥檚 novel 鈥淔reewater鈥� about a community of people who escaped slavery.
鈥業 cannot allow these people to die鈥�: Saving Jews in World War IIDuring the Holocaust, unlikely heroes worked to get Jewish people out of harm鈥檚 way. The inspiring stories of these individuals, who were not Jewish, are told in 鈥淚n the Garden of the Righteous.鈥澛�
Fully booked: January titles to take you to faraway placesOur 10 picks for this month convey courage in the midst of profound change, compassion for family struggles, and the excitement (and聽 confusion)聽of overlapping cultures.
What the world is reading: Fiction by bestselling authorsNewly translated into English, these five books give readers insights into lives, cultures, preoccupations, and the human condition. 聽
When everything breaks down, what does it take to survive?On an isolated island in Maine, a woman is pushed to the brink to save her family, in Meghan Gilliss鈥� debut novel 鈥淟ungfish.鈥澛�
Hooray for Hollywood: A history of the cinemaCandid stories from actors, directors, and studio hands offer insider views in聽鈥淗ollywood: The Oral History.鈥�
鈥楯ust give love鈥�: One man鈥檚 tireless care for homeless peopleAuthor Tracy Kidder shines a spotlight on Jim O鈥機onnell, a Harvard-trained doctor who has spent 40 years caring for unhoused individuals in Boston, in 鈥淩ough Sleepers.鈥澛犅�
Play it loud: A rich history of American pop musicFrom its beginnings in blues and ragtime, American popular music has blended influences and genres. Four recent books explore its enduring appeal.聽
The life of the playwright behind 鈥楧eath of a Salesman鈥�Arthur Miller鈥檚 impact on American theater was seismic. New Yorker drama critic John Lahr delves into Miller鈥檚 life, and the plays that made him famous.聽
Brought up in one family, but belonging to anotherStolen from the hospital as a newborn, she grew up thinking the woman who raised her was her mother. Learning the truth as an adult leads to soul-searching in the novel 鈥淢other Tongue.鈥�
The uneasy 鈥榠nbetweenness鈥� of lives that cross bordersIn Manuel Mu帽oz鈥檚 short story collection 鈥淭he Consequences,鈥� each individual receives the gift of consideration. These are lives as deserving of attention and grace as any other.聽
How to beat the cold and dark? Icelanders cozy up with books.Iceland鈥檚 鈥渂ook flood鈥� at Christmas reflects a tradition that puts literature front and center. The country鈥檚 small population settles in for a winter of good reading and quiet cheer.聽
Wrapping up the year in books: The best of 2022Curated by Monitor reviewers, our best books of 2022 build awareness, encourage compassion, and demonstrate our shared humanity.聽
Where morality and politics collide: How Abraham Lincoln held his groundLincoln was by no means perfect, but his convictions took the country forward, writes historian Jon Meacham in 鈥淎nd There Was Light.鈥�
Circus trains, calligraphy, and coming of age: December鈥檚 10 best booksOur December fiction picks take readers聽from Italy and Iraq to India and South Africa. In nonfiction, an exploration of U.S.-China relations challenges long-held assumptions.
鈥楤lackwater Falls鈥� is a whodunit that goes below the surfaceTo solve the mystery of refugee killings in a small Colorado town, a female Muslim detective must look beneath appearances in聽Ausma Zehanat Khan鈥檚聽fresh, urgent, and rousing novel.聽
Samuel Adams sparked the flame of the American RevolutionMore than his cousin John Adams, Samuel Adams stirred anti-Crown sentiment among the colonists that helped the American Revolution take root.聽
