All Books
- The Syria-Israeli peace deal that almost was: A diplomat looks back
Syrian leader Bashar Assad had almost agreed to a U.S.-brokered peace accord with Israel. Then he cracked down on his own citizens with deadly force.
- More than fashion: Vogue’s Anna Wintour influences culture at large
Vogue editor Anna Wintour’s cultural clout extends from Hollywood to Washington and beyond, says biographer Amy Odell in “Anna: The Biography.”
- An octopus, a widow, and a decades-long missing-person case
An octopus befriends a widow and sets out to solve the mystery of her son’s disappearance in the feel-good novel “Remarkably Bright Creatures.”
- Joy in the garden: Books to inspire beauty and self-reliance
A quintet of garden books provides a bounty of ideas, whether your space is a field, backyard, or windowsill, and no matter your skill level.
- A novel envisions what it would be like to study with Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach’s legendary perfectionism shines in the novel “The Great Passion,” as he takes a (fictional) choir student under his wing.
- When Belle Époque Paris absorbed Russian émigrés fleeing revolution
Paris in the early 20th century became a refuge for Russians, whose culture enriched the city, writes Helen Rappaport in “After the Romanovs.”
- Not meant to soothe: How the truths of fiction can challenge and stir
Iranian American author Azar Nafisi explores fiction as a means of engaging with the world, rather than retreating from it in “Read Dangerously.”
- How a search for kindness grew into an anthology of poems
Editor James Crews talks about how poems of kindness reminded him during the pandemic that “the world could still be a joyful, connected place.”
- Explorer, deserter, spy: The man who discovered the lost city of Alexandria
The lost city of Alexander the Great was found by a man whose story went untold. Now Edmund Richardson explores his life in “The King’s Shadow.”
- Consolation in solitude: Retracing the steps of Henry David Thoreau
In a time of grief, Ben Shattuck follows in the footsteps of Henry David Thoreau, and shares his journey with humor and insight in “Six Walks.”
- ‘Take one more step’: How curiosity can bridge political divides
Mónica Guzmán, of Braver Angels, talks about her book, “I Never Thought of It That Way,” and shares her ideas on overcoming polarization.
- Mill workers, suffragists, and ‘Rosie the Riveter’ helped change the definition of ‘woman’
In “Woman: The American History of an Idea,” Lillian Faderman argues that as American women emerged from the home, forces conspired to push them back.
- The 10 best books of April hint at change in the air
This April, discover our top 10 book titles to add to your “To Be Read” pile. Tales of reinvention, discovery, and activism abound.
- Putting conflict in context: A reading list for Ukraine
War never happens in a vacuum. These books show the historic contours of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ catalyzes science, cooking, and humor
A female scientist in the 1960s is forced to channel her talents into a cooking show in Bonnie Garmus’ debut novel, “Lessons in Chemistry.”
- How Julia Morgan became an architectural pioneer in a man’s world
Victoria Kastner’s “Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect,” pulls back the curtain on the designer of over 700 buildings.
- Jefferson’s travel advice inspires a trip – and a reckoning
Derek Baxter sets out to re-create Thomas Jefferson’s European tour, and learns more about his idol, and himself, in “In Pursuit of Jefferson.”
- ‘Happiness is love.’ Decades of research yield a timeless truth.
A new book takes the idea of happiness beyond self-help, and offers simple ideas we can all explore for deeper meaning.
- Andrey Kurkov wrote about Ukrainians caught up in war. Now he is one.
Author Andrey Kurkov, who’s sheltering in western Ukraine, answers questions about the situation in his country and about his new novel, “Grey Bees.”
- ‘Decent’ Harry Truman, thrust into the presidency, kept US afloat in wartime
In “The Trials of Harry Truman,” Jeffrey Frank details the making of a president, whose decisions included dropping atomic bombs on Japan.