Books
The top 25 books for 2025From mystery and history to fiction and memoir, these are the titles that captivated Monitor reviewers this year.
Opposed to slavery, but also against a war to end it“The Boston Way,” examines a group of abolitionists who believed a civil war would not only result in bloodshed but also set back the cause of African American rights.
A biographer mines the life of Xi Jinping’s father for clues to China todayJoseph Torigian talks about writing “The Party’s Interests Come First,” which profiles the father of Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Four new cookbooks that will help you focus on ‘Good Things’In this roundup of cookbooks, authors like Jacques Pépin and Samin Nosrat share how their personal creative processes in the kitchen can have a harmonizing, restorative effect.
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‘Amity’ tells a triumphant tale set against Reconstruction’s harsh landscape“Amity” laces together separate tales of two Black siblings, searching for each other and for their true selves.
The leaves have turned, so turn a page. Here are November’s 10 best.The 10 best books of November bring light to the shortest days, with new titles from Salman Rushdie, Sarah Hall, and Roy Wood Jr.
In ‘The Name on the Wall,’ Hervé Le Tellier charts rise of extremism“The Name on the Wall” unspools the short life of a French resistance foot soldier, whose ordinary bravery contrasted with the brutality around him.
‘The First Eight’: Jim Clyburn reflects on Reconstruction, civil rights, and todayIn this interview, Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina discusses the connection he sees between today’s politics and the eras of Reconstruction and Jim Crow.
A love of reading fuels a workingman’s desire for a better lifeBenjamin Wood’s latest novel “Seascraper” recognizes the importance of reconciling practical concerns and necessities with spiritual, emotional ones.
Beyond ‘Almost Famous’: Cameron Crowe shows his ‘Uncool’ side in memoirFilmmaker Cameron Crowe digs into his past as a chronicler of rock ‘n’ roll idols and explores his pivot to the movies.
‘We don’t even know all of what we have.’ Howard fights to preserve Black newspapers.Across the United States, scholars are working to preserve the history of the Black press before the brittle pages are lost forever. In a basement at Howard University, uncovered treasures have included Frederick Douglass’ newspaper, The North Star.
A cupboard full of ‘wild books’: Singing the praises of Little Free LibrariesIn an era when the latest books trend on social media, Little Free Libraries offer a sense of serendipity, community, and connection.
Children’s cookbooks stir the creativity of budding chefsFour kid-tested and -approved cookbooks yield many servings of fun in the kitchen.
A mystery wrapped in moss and buried in a bogIn Anna North’s "Bog Queen," a female forensic scientist attempts to solve the puzzle of a well-preserved body found in a peat bog.
Monitor's Best: Top 5
90 years ago, the Supreme Court limited whom presidents can fire. Trump wants to reverse that.
In Arizona, a Democrat and a Republican fight to free an ICE detainee
Trump’s new national security strategy treats longtime allies as threats
US mass killings drop to 20-year low. Some policy shifts might be helping.
Opposed to slavery, but also against a war to end it
