Books | Book Reviews
- Reagan left his mark on the Republican Party, and on the presidency
Biographer Max Boot charts the course of a politician who was famously affable and pragmatic, but who also resorted to racist dog whistles and played loose with facts.
- Intervene or isolate? America’s role abroad has long been contested.
America First was a rallying cry of isolationists in the 1930s. Charles Lindbergh, a spokesman for the movement, clashed with President Franklin D. Roosevelt over U.S. involvement.
- Justice delayed: Why it’s so hard to free the wrongfully convicted
In “Bringing Ben Home,” Barbara Bradley Hagerty explores the long road toward exonerating Ben Spencer, a Black man imprisoned for a murder he didn’t commit.
- October’s 10 best books add up to a month of great reading
The 10 best books of October 2024 include a thrilling naval adventure, a novel about 19th-century New Orleans, and a history of Handel’s “Messiah.”
- In ‘The Message,’ Ta-Nehisi Coates urges his students to see for themselves
“The Message” is a collection of commentaries about African ancestry and identity, political power and polarity, and finally, a damning assessment of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- Americans are actually less divided than they think
“Remaking the Space Between Us” counters the inclination to feel overwhelmed, angry, or helpless about civic life.
- After a violent upheaval, impressionists chose beauty
A war and an insurrection upended Paris in the 1800s. Then came the soothing art.
- His father fled China. It took years for him to talk about it.
In “At the Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning With China,” Edward Wong traces the roots of his father’s flight from China – and the country’s evolution.
- Kick off fall with the Monitor’s 10 best books of September
As summer fades into fall, our picks for September’s best books offer the perfect contemplative page-turners for chilly autumn days.
- Five mysteries to savor, from Kate Atkinson to Richard Osman
Death takes a holiday, as a quintet of cozy mysteries transports readers to far-flung locales, including Italy, France, and the Himalayas.
- ‘Tell Me Everything’ listens in on the stories of the heart
Elizabeth Strout tenderly reminds us that each person longs to be heard, and their story is worth hearing, in “Tell Me Everything.”
- ‘We cannot allow the terrorists to win’: Rebuilding the World Trade Center
After 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 “The Rising.”
- In Matt Haig’s ‘The Life Impossible’ an island adventure in hope awaits
Like “The Midnight Library,” Matt Haig’s novel “The Life Impossible” embraces curiosity, persistence, and the possibility of change.
- How bookstores became cornerstones of American culture
In a riveting history, Evan Friss digs into how U.S. bookstores shaped everything from the American Revolution to banks being open on Saturdays.
- CommentaryNew editor at The Christian Science Monitor
- Election week could be just as long, and fraught, as in 2020
- With Senate hopes dwindling, Democrats look, once again, to Texas
- In Gaza or Ukraine, peace can look impossible. Here, there’s hope.
- On immigration, Harris and Trump talk tough – with critical differences