Have you ever pondered what life was like in 19th century America? The boulevards were full of horse carriages, towns were little, and life moved gradually. Chronicled fiction books set…
Sentiment has been a foundation of writing for centuries, capturing hearts with stories of cherish, misfortune, and yearning. From the slow-burning pressure of period shows to clearing adore stories that…
Teens love an excellent mystery—the fun of fixing a puzzle, the suspense of surprising twists, and the satisfaction of the truth. Whether your youngster is an avid reader or simply…
A writer I follow on Twitter recently put out a call for novels that distill a “sense of pure consciousness” onto the page, with little regard for scene or setting…
You might have the time but not the mental bandwidth for “Anna Karenina” right now, and that’s OK. In fact, it’s completely normal (even editors at the Book Review are…
Eight of the 10 most challenged books last year were based on L.G.B.T.Q. subjects or narratives, the American Library Association said in its annual ranking of books that were banned…
Abigail Thernstrom, a social scientist whose colorblind remedies for racial disparities in educational achievement, voting and employment elevated her from a former red-diaper baby into a leading skeptic of affirmative…
When my wife, Ann, gave me a food tour for my birthday on my first day in Athens a few years ago, I groaned inwardly. “Oh, great, thank you!” I…
The stay-at-home orders for millions of people across the world have radically changed how we spend our time. One activity that’s been largely untouched by the pandemic? Reading. What is…
“LETTERS ARE ABOVE all useful as a means of expressing the ideal self; and no other method of communication is quite so good for this purpose,” wrote the novelist and…
Toward the end of January, I began to notice a strange echo between my work and the news. A mysterious virus had appeared in the city of Wuhan, and though…
October Ramos, a library employee who lives in Harris County, Tex., was relieved on March 24 when the county ordered residents who did not work in essential services to stay…
