Recent Reviews
The case for conservative civil disobedience
If “Atlas Shrugged” had been written by a social scientist, it would read like Charles Murray’s “By the People.”
Bad boy Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez confesses, apologizes, is feisty as ever
Pedro Martinez recounts the highs and lows of a controversial career in major league baseball.
My critics ‘were in some measure correct,’ Sally Mann admits in memoir
In “Hold Still,” the controversial photographer defends her work as part of the larger tale of her life.
How two Ohio boys taught the world to fly
David McCullough probes the personalities and exploits of the Wright Brothers.
In search of an elusive wildlife creature
William deBuys tracks a mysterious, forest-dwelling creature and gets a sad lesson in wildlife poaching.
The centuries-old battle over the question of black holes
Marcia Bartusiak traces the long history of black hole theories and the controversies they have incited.
The women of Civil War Washington
In “Capital Dames,” Cokie Roberts focuses on the Civil War experiences of 27 formidable women.
Searching for happiness in our lives
Irvin D. Yalom uses 10 case studies to examine how therapists can collaborate with patients.
The 8 styles of prom fiction book jackets
From romance to horror, publishers have got this magical evening covered.
An imaginative look at a young Van Gogh in ‘The Season of Migration’
Nellie Hermann’s novel focuses on a fraught period of the artist’s life, when he turned his pain into art.
‘Wild Bill Wellman: Hollywood Rebel,’ by William Wellman Jr.
A son’s biography of his filmmaker father, the man behind 76 movies, including the first Oscar winner.
Innovative D.C. literacy program wins cash and kudos
Reach Incorporated receives $300,000 grant from Rales Foundation and $10,000 prize from National Book Foundation.
Rick Warren’s weight-loss plan named Christian Book of the Year
The founder of the Saddleback mega-church began writing “The Daniel Plan” after noticing that he and many of his congregants had grown too fat.
The best children’s books for May
“Tommy Can’t Stop,” “The Boys Who Challenged Hitler” and “An Ember in the Ashes.”
Anne Enright draws a rich, Irish family saga in ‘The Green Road’
From the author of “The Gathering,” a tale of a matriarch’s joys and disappointments.
‘The Strangler Vine,’ by M.J. Carter
This enthralling adventure pits British agents against the Thuggee in 19th-century India.
Slouching toward dystopia in ‘The Dead Lands,’ by Benjamin Percy
More than a century after the flu wipes out civilization, Lewis and Clark strike out for Oregon — again.
‘A God in Ruins,’ by Kate Atkinson
The book is a magnificent companion novel to her 2013 bestseller, “Life After Life.”
David Baldacci’s ‘Memory Man’ is a master class in the art of the bestseller
In his latest thriller, the prolific writer brings us a new hero, Memory Man, a detective bent on revenge.
Atticus Lish accepts PEN/Faulkner Award
The win for his debut novel, “Preparation for the Next Life,” is the second Washington honor for Lish.
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Gaithersburg Book Festival lets readers and writers commingle
The annual gathering on the City Hall lawn under pleasant skies offers an atmosphere inviting to families.
Ruth Rendell, prolific British crime novelist, dies at 85
In more than 60 books, Ms. Rendell examined crime and dark psychological depths.
A pair of U.S. poets laureate for the price of one
Charles Wright, the 20th U.S. poet laureate, concludes his term with a conversation with Charles Simic, the 15th U.S. poet laureate.
‘I wanted to be Murphy Brown’
“I wanted to be Murphy Brown,” the star writes in her frank and funny memoir.
What Joan Rivers didn’t take to the grave, as told by her daughter
Melissa Rivers’s biography of her mother is more sweet than funny, full of affection and a true sense of loss.
‘Map: Collected and Last Poems,’ by Wislawa Szymborska
This collection, which gathers work from seven decades, is sure to win the Nobel laureate even more fans.
Does free enterprise soar on wings of angels?
Kevin M. Kruse explores the impact of business in building the role of Christianity in America.
The trauma of FDR’s secret prisoner exchange program in World War II
Jan Jarboe Russell recounts the detention and deportation of U.S. citizens in World War II.
The young, tough guys behind the election of John F. Kennedy
Helen O’Donnell recounts the early days of her father, Kenny, a top JFK aide, on the climb to the White House.
How to talk to a transsexual
Maxim Februari describes his sexual transition and offers a guide on how to talk appropriately to a transsexual.
Getting to know an imam and seeing Muslims in the new light
Carla Power becomes the student of a scholar and imam and sees a side of Islam many Americans miss.
Stoking a women’s sexual revolution in the Middle East
Mona Eltahawy calls in the starkest terms for an end to the brutal misogyny in the region.
Independent Bookstore Day goes national May 2
More than 400 stores across the country will offer special programs and merchandise to celebrate their continued relevance in the Internet age.
‘Man in Profile’ stirs controversy over the work of a New Yorker great
Thomas Kunkel’s biography of Joseph Mitchell suggests the writer embellished some of his nonfiction.
Productivity expert David Allen on getting things done in a digital world
It’s time to clear your head, your to-do list and your inbox.
Historian recollects the demons of her own past in ‘The Last Asylum’
In her memoir, Barbara Taylor recalls a harrowing descent into madness and her time in a “B-movie loony bin.”
Three memoir picks for April
Family, love and loss in books by Bruce Eric Kaplan, Jamie Brickhouse and Elizabeth Alexander.
‘The Book of Aron,’ by Jim Shepard, is a masterpiece
REVIEW | The story is of a Jewish child in the Warsaw Ghetto as the Nazis tighten their grip.
Gaithersburg Book Festival offers world-class authors in a small-town setting
Award-winning authors, beloved children’s writers and workshops for all ages on Saturday, May 16.
Jane Smiley’s elegiac look at an American family in ‘Early Warning’
The second volume in the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer’s trilogy sets her characters amid the sweep of history.
Washington Post Bestsellers May 10, 2015
The books Washington has been reading.
The 8 styles of prom fiction book jackets
From romance to horror, publishers have got this magical evening covered.
Innovative D.C. literacy program wins cash and kudos
Reach Incorporated receives $300,000 grant from Rales Foundation and $10,000 prize from National Book Foundation.
Rick Warren’s weight-loss plan named Christian Book of the Year
The founder of the Saddleback mega-church began writing “The Daniel Plan” after noticing that he and many of his congregants had grown too fat.
‘Man in Profile’ stirs controversy over the work of a New Yorker great
Thomas Kunkel’s biography of Joseph Mitchell suggests the writer embellished some of his nonfiction.
A new perspective on the birth of Europe in ‘The Edge of the World’
Michael Pye’s history focuses on the role of the people around the North Sea — not the Roman Empire.
T.S. Eliot’s American childhood
Robert Crawford’s biography “Young Eliot” captures the poet’s early years.
The case for conservative civil disobedience
If “Atlas Shrugged” had been written by a social scientist, it would read like Charles Murray’s “By the People.”
9 rules for being a conservative dad
In “The Dadly Virtues,” Tucker Carlson, Jonah Goldberg and other conservatives offer parenting advice.
The case for conservative civil disobedience
Review of Charles Murray’s “By the People: Rebuilding Liberty Without Permission“
Literary Calendar
Going Out Guide: Upcoming events
Get the latest on readings, signings and author appearances in the D.C. area.
