All Book Reviews
Worse than Hitler? How Stalin orchestrated World War II.Adolf Hitler is seen as the primary agent of terror in World War II. “Stalin’s War” argues that his crimes were dwarfed by those of Joseph Stalin.
Women on a mission: Life-changing adventures by horse and bicycleA pair of appealing books chronicles the life-changing odysseys of two women, one by horseback in 1954, the other by bicycle in 2017.
Romantic entanglements bring humor and heartache to small townKatherine Heiny’s novel transplants readers to Boyne City, Michigan, through the keen eyes of the town’s new schoolteacher.
‘On Juneteenth’: A Black historian reflects on Texas and emancipationAnnette Gordon-Reed’s “On Juneteenth” combines history, analysis, and memoir to explore the significance of the holiday and its Texas roots.
Capitalism American-style: A financial history of the United States“Ages of American Capitalism" by Jonathan Levy sheds light on U.S. history as seen through a financial lens.
Benedict Arnold’s image as arch-traitor gets a makeoverBefore he joined the British, Benedict Arnold was a staunch, dependable patriot. A new history explores his leadership during a critical battle.
The US Supreme Court’s ‘Great Dissenter’ repudiated ‘separate but equal’Justice John Marshall Harlan’s dissents, like the one in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, earned him a reputation as a progressive force in his day.
Romance, identity, and murder combine in this culinary mysteryWhen Lila Macapagal moves back to her small hometown, she has no idea she’ll have to solve a murder mystery in order to save her aunt’s restaurant.
Slave traders may not have been social outcasts after allHistorian Joshua Rothman uses the lives of three prosperous slave traders to explode myths about pre-Civil War American society.
Stacey Abrams concocts a twisty, suspenseful legal thrillerThe American politician and activist’s legal thriller, “While Justice Sleeps,” explores themes of power and greed through colorful characters.
America was built with pamphlets, not musketsIn his compelling new book, “The Words That Made Us," Akhil Reed Amar traces how early Americans wrote – and rewrote – the country into existence.
‘The Guncle’ proves that families come in all different shapesFollowing their mother’s death, two children spend the summer with “Gay Uncle Patrick” in this heartfelt and entertaining novel by Steven Rowley.
Tiny seeds, magnified a thousandfoldLevon Biss, famous for his insect photographs, trains his lens on prized plant specimens from the collection of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Pilgrimage: A trip beyond travel, a purpose beyond pleasureIn his beautifully realized book, “Pilgrimage: Journeys of Meaning,” Peter Stanford explores 12 ancient sites that attract searchers after wisdom.
Nancy Reagan ‘played the bad guy’ so the president could shineA new biography portrays Nancy Reagan as tougher and more politically astute than the president, and also deeply committed to his success.
She’s tried all the exercise fads. And then some.Cartoonist Alison Bechdel demonstrates “The Secret to Superhuman Strength” in a delightfully introspective graphic memoir.
What do plants and people have in common? More than you think.“Finding the Mother Tree” and “Lessons From Plants” explore how trees and plants communicate and form interdependent communities.
More quality time spent in the kitchen? Yes, please.Nigella Lawson’s “Cook, Eat, Repeat” and Roxana Jullapat’s “Mother Grains” offer practical ideas and inspiration for taking cooking to new heights.
‘A migrant in my own life’: A playwright looks deep within.In “My Broken Language,” Tony award-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes explores Latino identity in a raw, honest, and loving memoir.
Surreal adventures abound in transporting novel ‘Peaces’Onboard a mysterious sleeper train with no destination, a young couple discovers it can be hard to separate the surreal from the real.
