Book Reviews
Book Review: A dazzlingly fun historical fiction, ‘A True Account’ tests the borders of reality
Hannah Masury, for a brief time, was a pirate. At least, according to the mysterious manuscript that shows up on Professor Marian Beresford’s desk, brought by a bright-faced student excited at the possibility of finding the treasure that Hannah left behind.
Book Review: Rock ‘n’ roller and Rush pioneer Geddy Lee goes deep in his memoir, ‘My Effin’ Life’
Geddy Lee is a rock star, that’s undeniable. But he’s also a polite Canadian to the core. So it’s fitting that the Rush icon picked a not-too-bawdy title for his memoir.
Book Review: Mitch Albom spins moving Holocaust tale in ’The Little Liar’
Mitch Albom’s latest pocket-sized novel packs quite a punch, writes Associated Press reviewer Rob Merrill.
Book Review: Alice McDermott’s ‘Absolution’ captures America with Vietnam War in the background
Alice McDermott’s ninth novel perfectly captures the manner and mood of early 1960s America as the Vietnam War rumbled in the background and women led constricted lives as “helpmeets” for their husbands.
Book Review: Tess Gerritsen writes an un-put-downable spin on espionage novels with ‘The Spy Coast’
Maggie Bird just wants to relax into a quiet retirement, raising chickens in the cold little town of Purity, Maine.
Book Review: Solitary writer ruminates on grief, love and writing during pandemic’s first spring
Sigrid Nunez, the National Book Award-winning author of “The Friend,” has written a pandemic novel called “The Vulnerables.”
Book Review: Edel Rodriguez shows Cuban history as a warning for the US in new graphic memoir ‘Worm’
In his new graphic memoir, “Worm,” Edel Rodriguez mixes historical context and personal stories to recount his harrowing journey growing up under — then escaping — Communism and authoritarianism in Cuba, as well as the warning signs he sees in America decades later.
Book Review: ‘The Warped Side of Our Universe’ a novel look at secrets of cosmos
“The Warped Side of Our Universe: An Odyssey Through Black Holes, Wormholes, Time Travel, and Gravitational Waves” explores many secrets of the cosmos.
Book Review: Henry Winkler grapples with the Fonz and dyslexia in his entertaining new memoir
Henry Winkler’s memoir begins on a Tuesday morning in October 1973, at his first audition for “Happy Days.”
Book Review: ‘White Holes’ by Carlo Rovelli reads more like poetry than science lesson
Theoretical astrophysicist Carlo Rovelli takes readers on a journey to the hypothetical inverse of black holes in his latest book, “White Holes.”
Book Review: Broad themes meet niche topics in Fadipe’s debut novel ‘The Sun Sets in Singapore’
Kehinde Fadipe’s debut novel, “The Sun Sets in Singapore,” follows three expat Nigerian women to highlight the specific struggles that come with their race, gender and backgrounds — particularly in an upscale and competitive environment like Singapore.
Book Review: ‘A Brief History of Intelligence’ may help humans shape the future of AI
What can the evolution of the human brain tell us about the artificial intelligence of tomorrow? That’s the thesis of Max Bennett’s new book “A Brief History of Intelligence,” on sale Tuesday.
Book Review: Sandra Newman puts a feminist spin on ‘1984’ with ‘Julia’
Rejoice, comrades! Almost 75 years after “1984” was published, readers can return to Airstrip One with “Julia,” a feminist retelling of George Orwell’s classic novel.
Book Review: Dolly Parton gives a tour of her closet in ‘Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones’
Dolly Parton’s iconic look — big hair, big heels and tight low-cut dresses covered in rhinestones or beads — is a big part of her lasting appeal, nearly as important as her vast catalogue of country ballads and bangers that made her a star.
Book Review: Sly Stone wants to take you higher in memoir with tales of funk, drugs and survival
While recalling his remarkable yet erratic life in music, Sly Stone admits he occasionally had to depend on the recollections of others because his own memory wasn’t always reliable.
Book Review: Clever new novel uses museum wall labels to narrate life story of rich American woman
Christine Coulson worked for the Metropolitan Museum for 25 years. During that time she wrote short wall labels for works of art in the galleries.
Book Review: John Grisham brings back ‘The Firm’ star Mitch McDeere in ‘The Exchange’
Thirty-two years after “The Firm” launched his career as a legal novelist who churns out bestselling books that inevitably become movies, John Grisham returns with a sequel starring Mitch McDeere.
Book Review: Film historian exploits tumult, gossip in gripping account of Hollywood in the ‘50s
When film historian Foster Hirsch began research for his latest book about the changing and turbulent movie landscape of the 1950s, he could not have known the timeliness of his subject matter upon the release of “Hollywood and the Movies of the Fifties: The Collapse of the Studio System, the Thrill
Book Review: Isa Arsén delivers an unconventional love story in debut novel ‘Shoot the Moon’
Looking for a new writer to read? “Shoot the Moon” by first-time novelist Isa Arsén is a ” bold and unconventional love story,” writes Associated Press reviewer Rob Merrill.
Book Review: ‘Differ We Must’ illustrates Abraham Lincoln’s political skills
NPR “Morning Edition” co-host Steve Inskeep details President Abraham Lincoln’s political skills in “Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America.”
Book Review: Sketch-comedy star Keegan-Michael Key breaks down the art form in hilarious new book
Keegan-Michael Key, half of the famed “Key & Peele” comedy duo, and his wife, Elle Key, a writer, director and producer, have translated their award-winning podcast, “The History of Sketch Comedy,” into a new book.
Book Review: ‘Extremely Online’ shows how creators and influencers have shaped social media
Washington Post technology columnist Taylor Lorenz tells the social history of social media in “Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence and Power on the Internet.”
Book Review: Romance strikes in ‘Maybe Once, Maybe Twice’ with quirky lines and an epic soundtrack
On Maggie Vine’s 30th birthday, she makes a marriage pact with her handsome best friend. Thing is, the struggling singer-songwriter had already made a similar deal with her first boyfriend, who’s now an extremely successful and attractive actor.
Book Review: Jo Nesbø offers a fresh twist on a coming-of-age horror novel in ’The Night House’
Norwegian author Jo Nesbø, best known for his “Harry Hole” series of crime novels, is out with a slim horror novel that is more than what it seems.
Book Review: Poet recalls stormy life growing up Rastafari in Jamaica and her struggle to break free
Safiya Sinclair is a Jamaican-born poet who has written a memoir called “How to Say Babylon.” It’s about surviving her upbringing in a strict Rastafari sect and finding her own voice as an independent woman.
Book Review: ‘Collision of Power’ explains the journalism of the Donald Trump era
“Collision of Power” by former Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron is really three books in one, says Associated Press reviewer Jeff Rowe.
Book Review: ‘SNL’ star Leslie Jones drops raw memoir mixed with life advice
Comedian Leslie Jones is out with a raw memoir recounting her difficult upbringing and the racism and sexism she’s overcome throughout her career.
Book Review: ‘The Spice Must Flow’ chronicles the legacy of the breakthrough novel ‘Dune’
The saga of how cult sci-fi novel “Dune” slowly permeated the mainstream over decades is a tale with almost as many twists and turns as “Dune” itself, and author Ryan Britt recounts it in the lively and entertaining “The Spice Must Flow,” writes AP’s Mae Anderson.
Book Review: Rural Appalachian family’s dreams turn dark in new Ron Rash novel, `The Caretaker’
In a review of “The Caretaker,” Ron Rash’s first novel in seven years, Kendal Weaver writes that Rash has created a compelling drama of young lovers in rural Appalachia in the early 1950s.
Book Review: ‘American Gun’ is a haunting look at the AR-15’s role in our violent era
Wall Street Journal reporters Cameron McWhirter and Zusha Elinson trace how gun violence has transformed the country in “American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15.”
Book Review: ‘Astor’ is a primer on the rise and fall one of America’s richest families
In their new book “Astor,” CNN Journalist Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe trace the storied Astor family’s legacy from its inception, when John Jacob Astor emigrated from Germany and established himself in the beaver fur trade, a bloody and highly competitive business.