All Book Reviews
Two football books celebrate unity – on and off the field“Paradise Found” tells how people came together after the Camp fire, while “Hail Mary” explores the National Women’s Football League.
For Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, memoir as resistanceAi Weiwei’s memoir “1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows” pushes back against the Chinese government’s efforts to silence him and his poet father.
Picasso painted with passion, intensity, and utter disregardIn “A Life of Picasso: The Minotaur Years, 1933-1943,” art historian John Richardson provides a bracingly deep dive into the artist’s life.
Capping off the year with the 10 best books of DecemberThe 10 best books of December cap off the year with deep humanity and insights from writers of many backgrounds.
For designer William Morris, beauty was key to happinessAs a textile artisan, tastemaker, and social reformer, William Morris wove his values into his work.
Emerson and Thoreau led a second independence movement – this time of thoughtRalph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau led the charge against Old World ideas in "The Transcendentalists and Their World," by Robert A. Gross.
Another year in the books: Best reads of 2021Monitor reviewers’ choices of the best books of 2021 celebrate diverse voices and the importance of human connection.
Beyond the tiara: How the Miss America pageant launched careersThe Miss America pageant, writes Amy Argetsinger in “There She Was,” gave women a start in the fields of broadcasting, politics, and entertainment.
‘The Chancellor’ expands on the exceptional life of Angela Merkel“The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel” articulates the patience, shrewdness, and humanity that informed her leadership.
A family at the ‘Crossroads’ faces crises of faith and a test of its bondsJonathan Franzen’s “Crossroads” tells the story of 1970s social upheaval through the trials of one Midwestern family.
Flights of imagination take wing with picture booksChildren’s books offer an opportunity to share the beauty of words and pictures, and a time to nestle close with your favorite young person.
Ann Patchett’s essays unfold her warmth, generosity, and humorNovelist Ann Patchett’s essay collection “These Precious Days” reveals the centrality of books, family, friendship, and compassion to her life.
America’s origin stories abound with complexitiesThe American Revolution was preceded by smaller conflicts. Four intriguing books look at Colonial-era history beyond the Founding Fathers.
‘The Correspondents’ portrays bold female reporters in World War IIJudith Mackrell delves into the stories of six female reporters who, though they were banned from combat, covered some of the fiercest battles.
Kitchen alchemy: Recipes to add to the repertoireWhether it’s holiday recipes or everyday meals, the season’s top cookbooks deliver flavor, a dollop of history, and rave reviews.
Clinton and Penny’s ‘State of Terror’ catapults a powerful woman into risk-takingHillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny’s “State of Terror” and Ken Follett’s “Never” imagine high-stakes situations where women take risks.
The gilded pages that brought light to the Dark AgesMedieval illuminated manuscripts reveal the vibrancy of early Christianity and the meticulousness behind their creation in “The Gilded Page.”
‘The Stolen Lady’ imagines how the ‘Mona Lisa’ came to FranceLeonardo da Vinci’s famed portrait might have been lost forever, twice. Novelist Laura Morelli conjures the world of the artist and his elusive subject.
‘The Farmer’s Lawyer’ tells a David and Goliath legal storySarah Vogel digs into the unlikely victory of the class action she brought on behalf of farmers in the 1980s in “The Farmer’s Lawyer.”
Steven Pinker argues that critical thinking leads to progress in ‘Rationality’In his latest book “Rationality,” cognitive scientist Steven Pinker extols the power of critical thinking to propel society forward.
