All Books
- ‘His Only Wife’ turns fairytale tropes upside down
When a poor young woman is offered the hand of a rich young man, the marriage seems like it should solve her problems. What happens when it doesn’t?
- ‘James Monroe’ is an unclouded look at a complicated legacy
Biographers find themselves reckoning with the Founding Fathers’ complicity in slavery – and James Monroe is no exception.
- ‘Simon the Fiddler’ explores the redemptive power of music
A musician, conscripted into the Confederate Army in the waning days of the Civil War, finds reasons for hope.
- Humorist David Sedaris delivers his choicest material in ‘The Best of Me’
A mainstay on the bestseller lists, the often wry and deadpan Sedaris takes a victory lap with this amusing collection of published work.
- ‘Red Comet’ is the biography Sylvia Plath has always deserved
Plath is often reduced to a punchline or mythologized as a “high priestess of poetry.” A new biography paints a more generous – and human – portrait.
- Poet Ted Kooser’s ‘Red Stilts’: Beauty in small moments
Ted Kooser doesn't need much at all, really, to help you see vibrancy and joy. Muddy tire tracks and lumber with a lick of paint will do.
- Joining an anti-racist book club? Don’t get too comfortable in that armchair.
Anti-racist book sales and book clubs are booming, with a focus not just on reading and talking but on action – in workplaces, churches, and schools.
- Without precedent: Books that shed light on America under Trump
Books about President Trump have flooded stores over the past four years. These three titles illuminate what’s been going on in American politics.
- Lincoln brought strength of character – and backwoods wit – to governing
The 16th president faced daunting challenges during the Civil War. Two new biographies demonstrate that he was equal to the task.
- Martin Amis delivers the ‘Inside Story,’ a sprawling autobiographical novel
The British novelist writes from a position of gratitude – toward family, friends, and mentors – rather than from anger or self-pity.
- Cooking at home? Try new takes on old favorites, or travel the world.
Sourdough aside, home cooks looking to experiment beyond “pandemic baking” can find inspiration in cookbooks with cuisines from across the globe.
- ‘The Lehman Trilogy’ leads the top audiobooks of October
An epic immigration story that flows like poetry, a kid-friendly adaptation of Shakespeare, and more great audiobooks made our list this month.
- Barbara Kingsolver’s poems gently mock how-to books
“How to Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons)” offers delightful bits of wisdom and humor, a balm during the pandemic.
- ‘Homeland Elegies’ weaves together a Muslim family and politics
Ayad Akhtar orchestrates a fictionalized spinoff of his life, full of digressions, commentary, and a critique of American culture.
- Korean American experience resonates in ‘The Prince of Mournful Thoughts’
The longing for connection, for belonging, is woven throughout a dozen short stories in Caroline Kim’s superlative debut collection.
- His appetite was legendary, his influence on food was lasting
James Beard championed American cuisine, mentored chefs, wrote cookbooks. His personal life was a struggle, as biographer John Birdsall explores.
- Don’t write off Big Oil: The geopolitics of energy and security
Daniel Yergin’s “The New Map” provides a guide through the energy landscape, but gives short shrift to methane emissions and environmental activism.
- Q&A with with Alan Mikhail, author of ‘God’s Shadow’
His book about Sultan Selim I restores the Ottomans to their place in the making of the modern world and as a cultural force to be reckoned with.
- Q&A with with David Michaelis, author of ‘Eleanor’
America’s longest-serving first lady brought people’s everyday concerns to the White House, and made government seem more approachable.
- Make an October date with Eleanor Roosevelt, Cary Grant, Sylvia Plath
The 10 best books of October make good company, from newly translated fiction to thoughtful and entertaining biographies.