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First LookAs book bans surge, LGBTQ+ library employees say the workplace no longer feels safeLGBTQ+ library workers say they are encountering hostile patrons even as lawmakers are increasingly considering lawsuits, fines, and even imprisonment for distributing books some regard as inappropriate.
Claire Lombardo鈥檚 鈥楽ame As It Ever Was鈥� delves into a longtime marriageIn 鈥淪ame As It Ever Was,鈥� novelist Claire Lombardo explores the restlessness, silences, and comforts that mark one woman鈥檚 decades-long relationship.聽
Check out the Monitor鈥檚 10 best books of JuneFor June 2024, the Monitor鈥檚 best books include stirring mysteries and moving family tales, including novels based on famous lives.
How the Civil War spurred the animal welfare movement鈥淥ur Kindred Creatures鈥� tells the story of American abolitionists who, after Emancipation, pivoted from antislavery campaigns to animal welfare advocacy.聽
Ann Powers was writing Joni Mitchell鈥檚 life story. She found her own.With her new biography about Joni Mitchell, NPR music critic Ann Powers says she wanted to challenge the idea that there鈥檚 only one definitive story of a life.聽
How George Marshall鈥檚 quiet genius for planning helped the US win world warsIn a new biography, Josiah Bunting III paints a revealing picture of the quiet man who grew into a titanic military leader.聽聽
So you want to win the New Yorker caption contest? Here鈥檚 how in 6 steps.Lawrence Wood has won The New Yorker鈥檚 caption contest eight times. In this witty volume, he explains how he did it.聽
In 鈥楽ipsworth,鈥� a mouse helps a widow conquer lonelinessIn Simon Van Booy鈥檚 charming novel 鈥淪ipsworth,鈥� a woman鈥檚 closed world is opened up by the unexpected arrival of a mouse.聽聽
Walls haven鈥檛 stopped immigration. Is society ready to explore open borders?Immigration policy failures led John Washington, who reports on the U.S. border, to write 鈥淭he Case for Open Borders.鈥澛犅�
Today鈥檚 immigration was set in motion by past US actions, a journalist arguesIn 鈥淓veryone Who Is Gone Is Here,鈥� Jonathan Blitzer examines the U.S. government鈥檚 role in Central America as a factor in the rising numbers of asylum-seekers today.聽
How a spirit of gentleness can lead to public service 鈥� and better politicsPublic service means genuinely wanting good for others, says聽Michael Wear, author of 鈥淭he Spirit of Our Politics.鈥澛�
Add the Monitor鈥檚 10 best books of May to your reading listThe Monitor鈥檚 10 best books of May 2024 include tales of betrayal and redemption spanning the globe from China to Europe to the U.S.聽
To craft Nordic Noir novels, Scandinavian authors draw on Viking talesWhat is Nordic Noir? The genre is more than just tales of ice and fire. It recalls a rich literary tradition of Vikings, gods, and politics.
The secret to Chinese civilization鈥檚 longevity? Exams and bureaucracy.China is the world鈥檚 oldest continuous civilization, and in ancient times was a leader in technology. 鈥淚n The Rise and Fall of the EAST,鈥� Yasheng Huang probes why.
Welcome to retirement. So, are you ready to catch your first killer?While catching killers rather than putting together jigsaw puzzles has become the hobby for senior sleuths, these books are also showing people in their 70s and 80s as vibrant, brave, and clever.
Behind the verse: Six Monitor poets share why they write poetryIt鈥檚 no secret that poetry is one of the least lucrative forms of writing. So what keeps poets returning to write poems? We asked six contributors where they draw their inspiration.
Lithium is key to green technology. Where will the US source it?鈥淭he War Below鈥� examines the global competition for metals like lithium and nickel, which are needed for electric cars, solar panels, and wind turbines.聽 聽
Audubon鈥檚 exquisite bird paintings owe a debt to classical European art鈥淎udubon as Artist鈥� plunges into John James Audubon鈥檚 fascination with classical European art, which influenced his celebrated bird paintings.
Do diverse police departments use less force? She trained with cops to find out.After a year training at police academies, sociologist Samantha J. Simon finds that it鈥檚 going to take more than diversity initiatives to change police culture.
CommentaryMillions of adults need help reading. Why the US needs to change course.As the U.S. considers how to improve reading instruction for young students, it shouldn't forget grown-ups, our commentator says. How could their hopes be better addressed?
