All Books
- Five novels by Black writers pulse with powerful storytelling
Black fiction, in these five examples, explores how past injustices prolong present-day struggles.
- ‘The Waters’ ripples with secrets and lies in rural Michigan
Bonnie Jo Campbell proves her mastery of Midwestern Gothic in “The Waters,” a portrait of three generations of women living close to the land, and drawing power from it.
- Humans and the moon: A closer look at an evolving relationship
A science journalist offers perspective on how humans can wisely steward the new phase of lunar exploration.
- Wild seas and alien wonder: Get carried away with January’s best books
In our favorite books this month, authors weave tales of tenacity, especially highlighting women – both real and fictional – pushed to the sidelines.
- How to catch alligator poachers? Become one.
“Gator Country” tells of a Florida wildlife officer who goes undercover to infiltrate a smuggling ring in the Everglades.
- First LookBoston scholar finds new Louisa May Alcott writings under pseudonym
Northeastern University literary scholar Max Chapnick has discovered stories written by Louisa May Alcott for Massachusetts newspapers under a different name. The early stories paint a picture of a burgeoning writer experimenting with form and genre.
- ‘How Migration Really Works’ brings calm rigor to a heated issue
By dissecting 22 “myths” about migration, Dutch sociologist Hein de Haas aims to defuse a hot-button political issue.
- Space, love, and poetry: ‘The Nikki Giovanni Project’
A new documentary offers a nonlinear, lyrical look at the activism and life of poet Nikki Giovanni. What our commentator comes away with is a sense of love and awe.
- Facts never got in the way of a good Viking legend
How far did the Vikings venture into North America? A historian hunts for evidence, and sorts through myths about the Norse warriors.
- A novelist envisions the last days of Ulysses S. Grant
Novelist Jon Clinch was inspired by Ron Chernow’s “Grant” to elaborate on the last days of Ulysses S. Grant’s life, as the general fought poverty and ill health to write his memoirs.
- From parole to prison design, these reformers seek humane solutions
Two books unfold timely ideas on how to restructure not only America’s system of parole and probation but also the architecture of prisons.
- Children were thirsting for stories. This couple built them a library.
When resources are slim, it can be hard to build community. In Ecuador, one couple has found that a love of literature can help bring people together.
- Melville’s ‘Moby-Dick’ inspires a spinoff novel with women at the core
“Wild and Distant Seas” is an inventive, atmospheric, female-centric story spun from a minor character in “Moby-Dick.”
- The river expedition that opened the American West
The upper Mississippi was charted in the 1670s by two French explorers, Jolliet and Marquette. Their feat set the stage for America’s westward expansion – for good and ill.
- A sense of place: Brooklyn writers on why they love the borough
Novelists in Brooklyn draw inspiration from the New York borough’s cast of thousands, and particularly from its idiosyncratic neighborhoods.
- Barbra, Ella, and Benedict Arnold entertain in December’s 10 best books
Our picks for the month include a Barbra Streisand memoir, a biography of Ella Fitzgerald, and a reexamination of Revolutionary War hero-turned-traitor Benedict Arnold.
- Her quest was to excavate not the soil, but the record
Mexico’s history would not be the same without the work of anthropologist Zelia Nuttall (1857-1933). As a woman in a then-nascent field, her contributions were almost lost.
- Barbra Streisand in her own words – and voice
In her memoir, “My Name Is Barbra,” Streisand dissects her acting roles, dishes on past loves, and questions Hollywood’s treatment of women who take charge.
- A bountiful year in books: The best reads of 2023
This year’s best books, chosen by Monitor reviewers, pay close attention to history and its lessons for the present – and the future.
- Bright colors, warm messages: Kids’ books to read and give
A quintet of children’s picture books celebrates curiosity, empathy, and keeping an open mind.