All Books
- 鈥榊ellow Wife鈥 takes a hard look at choices faced by enslaved mothersA young, half-white enslaved woman must contend with horrendous decisions as she attempts to preserve what little family she has left.
- 鈥楥oncrete Rose鈥 is another winner from 鈥楾he Hate U Give鈥 authorMaverick Carter must navigate the ups and downs of teen fatherhood and family responsibility in this prequel to Angie Thomas鈥 bestselling debut.
- 鈥楲ong Time Coming鈥 excavates the origins of modern-day racismMichael Eric Dyson unfolds history to explain how the structures of slavery were transmuted into contemporary institutions and practices.
- Essential shapes: sculpture from the ancient to the avant-gardeA sculptor and an art critic celebrate human imagination across eras and continents as expressed through the art of sculpture.
- Q&A with Danielle Evans, author of 鈥楾he Office of Historical Corrections鈥鈥淚n my stories, I explore that space between what we think and what we say out loud, between what we actually want and how we behave,鈥 says Ms. Evans.
- Dutch explorers courted disaster in efforts to find a Northwest Passage鈥淚cebound鈥 tells the story of 16th-century navigator William Barents, whose crews tested the limits of human endurance, not once but three times.聽聽
- Surf, swim, sing: Finding joy in lifelong learning in 鈥楤eginners鈥After seeing his young daughter learn to play chess, travel writer聽Tom Vanderbilt wondered 鈥淲hy not me?鈥 So he did 鈥 and then learned six more skills.
- 鈥楤etter Luck Next Time鈥 calls to mind screwball comedies of the 1930sThe novel entertainingly captures the zany misadventures of two women on a dude ranch in Reno, Nevada, where wealthy wives await their divorces.
- Q&A with William G. Thomas III, author of 鈥楢 Question of Freedom鈥In the United States, enslaved people and their families used court systems to fight for their freedom. Here's a look at some notable examples.
- The uncompromising life and legacy of activist Sylvia PankhurstPankhurst is best known for her fight for women's voting rights in Britain. But she protested oppression wherever it appeared.聽
- 鈥楾he Last Assassin鈥 breathes life into the events of Julius Caesar鈥檚 deathBy looking through the eyes of a minor player in the assassination, Peter Stothard is able to tell a more intimate tale.
- Pushing the bounds of form in 鈥楾he Glorious American Essay鈥Phillip Lopate's choices for this fine anthology may stretch the parameters of an essay, but he's made distinctive and evocative selections.聽
- Agatha, decoded, in 鈥淭he Mystery of Mrs. Christie鈥The bestselling mystery writer of all time had secrets of her own. A new historical novel imagines what happened during her 11-day disappearance.
- Henry Adams clung to the idea of a ruling elite in American lifeA biography of Henry Adams, a blue-blooded Bostonian descended from two presidents, explores his resistance to societal changes and industrialization.
- 鈥楾he Last Days of Ellis Island鈥 probes bureaucracy and abuse of powerA historical novel imagines the thoughts of a fictional commissioner, whose assault on a young immigrant years before leaves him full of regret.
- 鈥楤lack Sun鈥 weaves fantastic worlds in faraway landsAn ambitious fantasy series is packed with vibrant characters and political intrigue 鈥 and isn't stuck in the classic Eurocentric setting, either.
- Audiobooks to bring delight to the holiday seasonSometimes, all you need is a warm story to get through dark times, and the best four audiobooks of December 2020 have heart and optimism in spades.
- Bite-size book reviews: Fiction our readers loved in 2020Need a new novel? Classic adventures, satire, and dystopian science fiction top this year's round-up of reader book recommendations for fiction.聽
- The real deal: Nonfiction books our readers loved in 2020Need a new book? "Silver, Sword, and Stone" and other history titles top this year's round-up of reader book recommendations for non-fiction.
- Remember 鈥楳y Dinner with Andre鈥? He has more wisdom to bestow.Theater director Andr茅聽Gregory has had a rocky career and personal life, but one thing shines through: his devotion to the pursuit of perfection.