Ron Charles

Fiction Editor

Washington, D.C.
Latest News

The Romance Novel Convention in Harper’s

The secrets of writing about love -- for a price.

January 23, 2014

“What Humanists Do” — the winter issue of Daedalus

For this special issue, a range of scholars chose the books that inspire them most.

January 22, 2014

‘Orfeo,’ by Richard Powers

A brilliant novel tells the tale of an avant-garde composer accused of bioterrorism.

January 21, 2014

New issue of Granta: ‘Do You Remember’

An essay about South Africa by Jonny Steinberg and a story about dying by David Gates are among the highlights of the winter issue.

January 21, 2014

Hilary Mantel to publish ‘The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher’

Collection of short stories is expected to appear in September.

January 17, 2014

‘Orange is the New Black’ co-star Laverne Cox to publish memoir

Harlequin plans to release the book in 2015.

January 15, 2014

Natasha Trethewey on the necessity of poetry

The new issue of the Virginia Review Quarterly contains a version of the U.S. Poet Laureate’s speech at the Library of Congress.

January 14, 2014

‘Andrew’s Brain,’ by E.L. Doctorow

REVIEW | The rambling testimony of a depressed scientist presents a puzzle that’s not worth solving.

January 14, 2014

National Book Festival to relocate from the Mall to the D.C. convention center

After 12 years on the Mall, the Library of Congress event is moving to the D.C. convention center.

January 8, 2014

National Book Festival thrown off the Mall

After 12 years on the Mall, the National Book Festival is moving to the Washington Convention Center.

January 8, 2014

Fiction: ‘On Such a Full Sea,’ by Chang-rae Lee

In a bleak, future America, a young woman strikes out to find her lover.

January 7, 2014

‘Radiance of Tomorrow,’ by Ishmael Beah

They survived Sierra Leone’s civil war, but can they rebuild their lives?

December 31, 2013

Book World: ‘The Empty Chair’ and ‘Vatican Waltz’

Bruce Wagner and Roland Merullo present two very different novels on the challenges of spiritual devotion.

December 24, 2013

‘The Apartment,’ by Greg Baxter

A depressed Iraq War vet looks for an apartment — and a plot.

December 17, 2013

Back in ‘Lexicon Valley’

Slate’s podcast about language has returned to the Web.

December 13, 2013

Romance writers feel the heat from “Fifty Shades of Grey”

The euphemisms fall away as the language grows coarser.

December 12, 2013

A book as big as the cosmos

This gigantic photo book of the planets and stars comes with a collection of related video clips.

December 11, 2013

A great new “Great Gatsby“

A new edition from the Folio Society, with an introduction by Michael Dirda, reminds us of a pleasures of a well-made book.

December 9, 2013

Md. novelist Manil Suri wins award for a bad sex scene

The Maryland novelist says the provocative scene judges mocked isn’t so absurd in context.

December 4, 2013

Maryland mathematician Manil Suri wins Bad Sex Award

“City of Devi” impresses judges with a m nage trois during a nuclear crisis.

December 4, 2013
Load More
About Ron
Ron Charles is the fiction editor of The Washington Post. For a dozen years, he enjoyed teaching American literature and critical theory in the Midwest, but finally switched to journalism when he realized that if he graded one more paper, he'd go crazy. Before moving to DC, he edited the books section of the Christian Science Monitor in Boston. His wife is an English teacher and the cinematographer of their satirical series, "The Totally Hip Video Book Review."
Join Ron on YouTube
Check out book related videos and satirical skits from Ron Charles, the Washington Post's Totally Hip Video Book Reviewer.
Ron's Comments
on