All Books
Recovering a sense of wonder in a post-lockdown worldThe pandemic has left many people in the doldrums, including 鈥淲intering鈥� author Katherine May. In 鈥淓nchantment,鈥� she sets out on a journey to recapture a sense of awe in the everyday.
Strength and purpose anchor the 10 best books of FebruaryStories of bravery and tenacity dominate our reviewers鈥� picks for the 10 best books of February. They include tales of fears conquered,聽 truths told, and voices found.聽
Sobfests, pop songs: TikTok upends France鈥檚 lauded literary landscapeWith emotional videos on TikTok鈥檚 viral #BookTok community, French influencers are bypassing the traditional literary establishment and garnering younger readers.
Coming-of-age novel overflows with humor, heartache, and honestyA Pakistani American girl narrates her life in 鈥淩oses, in the Mouth of a Lion,鈥� a novel that touches on a Muslim family, their community, and difficult choices.聽
Can society move beyond unachievable standards of motherhood?Author聽Jessica Grose urges mothers, when faced with impossible demands, to ask 鈥淒oes this help me improve my relationship with my children? And does this help my community? If the answer is neither, push back.鈥�
Measuring up: Why humans want to quantify everythingStatistics are personal and political, says author James Vincent, who explores the social history of measurement in 鈥淏eyond Measure.鈥�
Behind the velvet ropes: Thoughts from a Met museum guardAs a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Patrick Bringley learned to see the art in everyday, and the everyday in art. His love of beauty helped transform his grief over a brother's death.聽
How my grandfather was like Michelle Obama鈥檚They were ordinary Black men, working to make a better life聽for their families, despite racism.聽
A daring escape from slavery, and the love story behind itAn elaborate ruse secured the freedom of an enslaved couple in 1840s Georgia. Author Ilyon Woo chronicles William and Ellen Crafts鈥� remarkable true story in 鈥楳aster Slave Husband Wife.鈥櫬�
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
