All Books
The best audiobooks of August offer delectable readingFrom a true-crime story to tales of truffles, from a soul-food mystery to a pastry chef鈥檚 romance, keep yourself entertained with our reviewer鈥檚 best four audiobooks of August.
Touching down, taking off: 鈥楾urbulence鈥� is masterful, compellingThe people in David Szalay鈥檚 novel聽travel great distances, but they tend to glide past each other rather than truly connect.聽聽
鈥榊oung Castro鈥� captures a revolutionary鈥檚 shining dreamsJonathan M. Hansen鈥檚 鈥淵oung Castro: The Making of a Revolutionary鈥� shows the evolution of a political icon.
Make summer last longer with the 10 best books of AugustThe latest mystery from Louise Penny, a probing novel by Richard Russo, and Sarah M. Broom鈥檚 memoir of living in New Orleans, all made our list this month.聽
Leonardo da Vinci: A giant of intellect, prone to distractionIn 鈥淟eonardo da Vinci Rediscovered,鈥� Carmen C. Bambach demonstrates how his digressions were fundamental to, and necessary for, the unfolding of his genius.
Toni Morrison鈥檚 generous legacy as a 鈥榳ide-spirited person鈥�Remembering the legacy of聽Toni Morrison, whose writings on聽race,聽womanhood, and American culture left an outsized impact.
From our archives: A 1981 interview with Toni MorrisonThe award-winning author Toni Morrison died Aug. 5, 2019. We're reposting this 1981 interview conducted shortly after her fourth novel, "Tar Baby," was published.聽
Two books that will make you see cities in a whole new lightUnlock the origins and secrets of urban life with Monica L. Smith鈥檚 鈥淐ities: The First 6,000 Years鈥� and Mark Peterson鈥檚 鈥淭he City-State of Boston.鈥�
Kate Atkinson on writing: A good day is when you鈥檝e written a good sentenceKate Atkinson鈥檚 new mystery is 鈥淏ig Sky,鈥� the fifth featuring Jackson Brodie. She talks about WWII, her life before she was a writer, and more.
Difference MakerAn imaginative space that helps kids believe in stories 鈥� and themselvesThe nonprofit Grimm & Co. boosts literacy skills at its store and in schools, serving close to 3,000 children a year in Rotherham, England.
President Franklin Roosevelt鈥檚 final task: ending World War IITwo books offer complementary perspectives on Roosevelt鈥檚 leadership: 鈥淲ar and Peace:聽FDR鈥檚 Final Odyssey, D-Day to Yalta, 1943-1945鈥� and 鈥淭he Second Most Powerful Man in the World.鈥澛�
Henry Ford and Thomas Edison steered Americans toward a love of road tripsIn 鈥淭he Vagabonds,鈥� Jeff Guinn explains how Henry Ford used his annual trips to promote not only his automobiles but also the thrill of the wide open (and often unpaved) road.
A girl and boy meet at a bookstore in Iran. Sixty years go by.Tinged with love and sadness, Marjan Kamali鈥檚 new novel 鈥楾he Stationery Shop鈥� is an ode to an Iran that no longer exists.
How to talk with kids about migration? Try picking up a book.Our Mexico City correspondent shares the children鈥檚 books her family uses to discuss migration 鈥� with聽a stamp of approval from her daughter.
A naturalist figured out climate change in 1799. The world forgot him.Andrea Wulf and Lillian Melcher鈥檚 鈥淭he Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt鈥� follows a prescient naturalist鈥檚 voyages in South America.
Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens鈥� memoir serves up calm wisdomJohn Paul Stevens鈥� memoir 鈥淭he Making of a Justice鈥� and the biography聽鈥淥liver Wendell Holmes鈥� are must-reads for legal buffs.
鈥楾he Nickel Boys鈥� reckons with a legacy of racism and abuseColson Whitehead's novel tells a story of two black teenagers in a corrupt reform school and the resilience they mustered in the face of hate.聽
This July, sip some lemonade and read the month鈥檚 10 best booksA bumper crop of titles includes Colson Whitehead鈥檚 wrenching new novel along with a reexamination of Rudyard Kipling, author of 鈥淭he Jungle Book.鈥�
Rudyard Kipling loved Vermont. Then he had to leave it.Christopher Benfey鈥檚聽鈥業f鈥� takes a closer look at the writer鈥檚 time in America 鈥� a key creative period when he wrote 鈥楾he Jungle Book.鈥�
Gain a bird鈥檚-eye view of America with these July audiobooksAudiobook selections for July cover a swath of the American landscape, from a western river to聽Louisiana鈥檚 gumbo belt. Relax and take it all in.
