Book Reviews

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig speaks during a Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Clark Sports Center on July 30, 2017, in Cooperstown, N.Y.

In 'For The Good Of The Game,' Bud Selig Tells Of The MLB Steroid Era

1:59pm July 09, 2019

by Scott Detrow

The baseball commissioner's charming, informative memoir is about the best you can hope to read from a powerful professional sports insider — even if Selig is too defensive on steroids.

Books
Arts

Smart And Propulsive 'Copperhead' Asks: Can You Outrun Your Family's Sins?

1:25pm July 09, 2019

by Maureen Corrigan

Alexi Zentner's new novel follows a high school football star's efforts to separate himself from his racist family. It's an unsparing story about race, class and the limits of individual possibility.

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'The Vagabonds' Details The Publicity-Encouraged Road Trips Of Edison And Ford

12:26pm July 09, 2019

by Camila Domonoske

Jeff Guinn weaves in a portrait of America's burgeoning love affair with the automobile. But his book rests heavy on the men's positive attributes, while shying away from their "unfortunate flaws."

Books
Arts

Debut Book Tells Of The Real-Life Longings And Frustrations Of 'Three Women'

2:53pm July 08, 2019

by Kate Tuttle

Lisa Taddeo's first book is a work of deep observation, long conversations, and a kind of journalistic alchemy. She spent years with her subjects — and the investment pays off.

Books
Arts

In 'Very Nice,' Even The Dog Is Unfaithful

12:58pm July 08, 2019

by Heller McAlpin

Marcy Dermansky's new novel is a tart lemonade of a summer read, full of outspoken characters, libidinous activity — much of it unwise — around a swimming pool, and a beautiful standard poodle.

Page from Hawking by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick.

'Hawking' Profiles The Ever-Fascinating Scientist — Minus The Nefarious Equations

11:32am July 08, 2019

by Etelka Lehoczky

There's little to surprise in this story, especially if you know a bit about the subject's life and his ideas. But author Jim Ottaviani finds a nice balance between the personal and the theoretical.

Books
Arts

For July, 4 Romances That'll Keep You Laughing

10:00am July 07, 2019

by Maya Rodale

Few things go together better than romance and comedy — so in honor of this year's Summer Reader Poll, all about funny books, we've got four romances that will bring a smile to your face.

Books
Arts

These 'Wanderers' Are Heading For The End Of The World

7:00am July 06, 2019

by Gabino Iglesias

Chuck Wendig's massive new novel imagines a plague of sleepwalkers — unresponsive people endlessly walking to an unknown destination as a fearful, hate-ridden country tears itself apart around them.

Books
Arts

In 'The Ghost Clause,' 2 Marriages, A Missing Child, And Yes, A Ghost

12:28pm July 04, 2019

by Bethanne Patrick

In Howard Norman's new novel, a recently deceased man finds himself haunting his former home and observing the new owners, an academic and a private investigator who's searching for a missing child.

'Star Spangled Scandal': How An 1859 Sensationalized Crime Set A Modern Day Precedent

12:24pm July 04, 2019

by Jessica Taylor

Author Chris DeRose's examination of "sex, murder and the trial that changed America" shows that glorification of true crime and parstisan rancor is nothing new to American politics.