All Books
After a violent upheaval, impressionists chose beautyA war and an insurrection upended Paris in the 1800s. Then came the soothing art.聽
This chef is fighting a culinary battle for Ukrainian identityIn 鈥淭he Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen: Recipes from a Native Chef,鈥� Yevhen Klopotenko celebrates the foods that separate Ukraine from Russia.
His father fled China. It took years for him to talk about it.In 鈥淎t the Edge of Empire: A Family鈥檚 Reckoning With China,鈥� Edward Wong traces the roots of his father鈥檚 flight from China 鈥� and the country鈥檚 evolution.
鈥楾urning off the porch lights鈥� to reveal nature鈥檚 hidden marvelsHow often do you venture into the dark? Author Leigh Ann Henion shares her journey in 鈥楴ight Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark."
Bohemian rhapsody: Two writers celebrate Greenwich Village of the 鈥�60sGreenwich Village in the 鈥�60s attracted musicians like Joan Baez. Novelist Sarah Seltzer (鈥淭he Singer Sisters鈥�) and music journalist David Browne (鈥淭alkin鈥� Greenwich Village鈥�) chat about the Village鈥檚 enduring appeal.聽聽
Kick off fall with the Monitor鈥檚 10 best books of SeptemberAs summer fades into fall, our picks for September鈥檚 best books offer the perfect contemplative page-turners for chilly autumn days.
Five mysteries to savor, from Kate Atkinson to Richard OsmanDeath takes a holiday, as a quintet of cozy mysteries transports readers to far-flung locales, including Italy, France, and the Himalayas.聽
鈥楶oetry is true to the human story鈥�: An interview with Ajibola Tolase鈥淚n life we migrate. You leave one relationship for another,鈥� says prize-winning poet Ajibola Tolase. His debut collection, 鈥�2000 Blacks,鈥� tackles migration and Blackness.
鈥楾ell Me Everything鈥� listens in on the stories of the heartElizabeth Strout tenderly reminds us that each person longs to be heard, and their story is worth hearing, in 鈥淭ell Me Everything.鈥澛�
鈥榃e cannot allow the terrorists to win鈥�: Rebuilding the World Trade CenterAfter the 9/11 attacks brought down the World Trade Center towers, developer Larry Silverstein fought 20 years to restore the site. He describes the ordeal in 鈥淭he Rising.鈥�
In Matt Haig鈥檚 鈥楾he Life Impossible鈥� an island adventure in hope awaitsLike 鈥淭he Midnight Library,鈥� Matt Haig鈥檚 novel 鈥淭he Life Impossible鈥� embraces curiosity, persistence, and the possibility of change.
For 鈥楾he Bookshop鈥� author, bookstores were 鈥榮ites of resistance鈥�In the 1960s and 鈥�70s, small bookshops provided spaces where ideas and activism could flourish. Today, while indie bookstores can be considered 鈥渆ndangered species,鈥� their vitality as community gathering places is thriving.
How bookstores became cornerstones of American cultureIn a riveting history, Evan Friss digs into how U.S. bookstores shaped everything from the American Revolution to banks being open on Saturdays.
Can plants talk and think? Some scientists say yes.鈥淭he Light Eaters鈥� gives insights into how plants communicate, while 鈥淎lien Earths鈥� explores the search for intelligent life on other planets.聽聽
A house in France becomes an American writer鈥檚 portal to historyJournalist聽T.D. Allman bought a centuries-old house in a French mountaintop village. His 鈥淚n France Profound鈥� offers an idiosyncratic take on rural life.聽聽
Jodi Picoult imagines a woman behind Shakespeare鈥檚 wordsWhat if Shakespeare paid a woman to write his plays? Jodi Picoult centers her novel on Elizabethan poet Emilia Bassano as the true author, weaving a tale of female empowerment.聽
Flip through the Monitor鈥檚 10 best books of August 2024Our picks for August are more substantial than beach reads, but not as serious as the big September releases. They鈥檙e just right for the waning days of summer.聽聽
Why writer AJ Jacobs took up his quill to live like a Founding FatherCan a combination of humor and immersive experiments offer insight into both history and our own times? Author A.J. Jacobs seeks to understand the Supreme Court theory of originalism in 鈥淭he Year of Living Constitutionally.鈥�
鈥楢 landless Indian鈥� discovers a sense of home and identityIn the memoir 鈥淏ecoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian鈥檚 Journey Home,鈥� Chris La Tray weaves together personal and tribal history.
A century after his birth, writer and activist James Baldwin is everywhereOn James Baldwin鈥檚 100th birthday, his works, which accompanied the rise of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, continue to influence writers and activists to this day.
