All Book Reviews
'Perfectly Miserable' is a bittersweet look at author Sarah Payne Stuart's New England hometown'Miserable' is a portrait of Stuart's uneasy, idealized relationship with the town of Concord, Mass., in which she grew up.
'The Nile' is a trip through Egypt's history via its river'Nile' author Toby Wilkinson uses the Nile as the basis for an exploration of the various periods of Egypt's history.
'Lost for Words' is a delightful and deserving winner of the Wodehouse Prize for comic fictionA novelist shines mercilessly comic light on the insular world of literary prizes.
'The Romanov Sisters' examines the lives of the royal siblings before their early deathsHelen Rappaport brings out the character of each of the four daughters of Russian Czar Nicholas II and does it neatly.
'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' is a charming young adult story of sisters and romanceAuthor Jenny Han delivers over and above in this delightful teen love story.
'To Rise Again at a Decent Hour' tackles the mystery of existenceA misanthropic dentist – and all-around skeptic – is pulled into the mystery of an ancient tribe of doubters.
'Congo' is a magnificent, epic look at the history of the regionIn 'Congo,' Belgian author and historian David Van Reybrouck tells a story rife with plunder, exploitation, violence, corruption – and human resiliency.
'Mr. Mercedes' is Stephen King at his pop-fiction bestKing's newest novel begins with a driver slamming into a crowd at a job fair and continues with a white-knuckle chase.
'Stories of Fatherhood' offers 17 portraits of parenting from a very diverse group of writersThe new short story collection from Everyman's Library includes pieces from authors including Vladimir Nabokov and John Updike, all ruminating on the ups and downs of being a parent.
'Eight World Cups' by George Vecsey decodes international soccer for newbiesNew York Times sports columnist George Vecsey has covered every World Cup since 1982.
'The Intellectual Life of Edmund Burke' considers one of the great thinkers of all timeDavid Bromwich's biography of Edmund Burke is a masterpiece of intellectual history.
'The Vacationers' takes a wry look at flawed but well-meaning characters'Vacationers' follows two families who bring their various problems on a trip to Mallorca.
'The Long Shadow' explores the ways in which World War I lives onHistorian David Reynolds ably depicts the Great War's impact on every decade since.
'John Quincy Adams': often forgotten yet highly distinguishedFred Kaplan's biography of the sixth US president should be required reading inside the Beltway.
'A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip' captures the tension, suspense of seventh-gradeIn this darkly comic memoir, Brockmeier renders his unhappy childhood with startling precision and insight.
'Tambora' tells the story of a little-known volcano that changed the worldTambora, which erupted in 1815, caused temperatures to plunge around the globe, offering valuable lessons on climate change today.
'All the Light We Cannot See' is a compelling WWII novel by acclaimed author Anthony Doerr'Light' centers on a German teenager and a young French girl who meet during World War II.
'The Good Spy' by Kai Bird makes the case for a more humane form of espionageKai Bird's biography of Robert Ames – a CIA operative whom Bird praises as an almost perfect spy – offers valuable insight on the Middle East.
'Ruby,' a Southern woman's haunting story, recalls the works of Toni Morrison and Alice WalkerCynthia Bond's debut novel is often gorgeous and frankly harrowing.
'Delancey' focuses on the messy process of opening a restaurantFamed food blogger Molly 'Orangette' Wizenberg tells the messy, explosive, and exhilarating story of giving birth to a restaurant.
