Books - The Christian Science Monitor

J.K. Rowling writing again, following critical praise of recent novels

Rowling recently revealed on Twitter that she's working on a book that will be published under her own name and one that will be released under her pen name, Robert Galbraith.

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'Books for Living' picks up where 'The End of Life Book Club' leaves off

Will Schwalbe has crafted a sweet and utterly restorative series of vignettes about how books – the right books, at the right times – can not only deepen a life but save it.

15 best fiction titles of 2016

The 15 fiction titles listed here are the ones the Monitor’s book critics most hope you will not miss. So for the holidays and beyond: Happy reading!
Newton's opus sells for $3.7 million: How 'Principia' changed perceptions

Sir Isaac Newton's 'Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica,' fundamentally altered how humanity viewed the world, and its place in it.
Chapter & Verse Gift needed for comics fan? Try 'Walt Disney's Treasury of Classic Tales'

Rare Disney Comics are brought back into the spotlight in a deluxe hardcover.
'Conclave' delves into the death of a pope and the process of replacing him

The author of the inventive thrillers 'An Officer and a Spy' and 'Pompeii' turns his talent for intrigue to the imagined inner workings of a papal election.

'L’Enfant-Femme' shows us images of girls on the road to womanhood

Rania Matar captures individuality and universality in every frame, allowing each girl to engage the camera as she sees fit.
Bestselling books the week of 12/22/16, according to IndieBound

What's selling best at independent bookstores across America.
Chapter & Verse Carson McCullers's gift to us: three Yuletide essays

Although it's not what she's known for, Southern writer Carson McCullers shared vivid memories of the Christmases of her childhood.
'Swing Time' is Zadie Smith's virtuoso tale of class, race, and friendship

The novel explores the lifelong relationship between two young women who meet in a dance class and then live out a complicated mix of love, jealousy, competition, and misunderstanding.
15 best nonfiction books of 2016

“Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all,” Henry David Thoreau once wisely counseled. It is in that spirit that we offer this list. As happens every year, 2016 was full of widely praised books, but the 15 listed here are the nonfiction titles the Monitor’s book critics most hope you will not miss. So for the holidays and beyond: Happy reading!
Chapter & Verse Perfect gift for anyone: 'The Complete Peanuts: Comics & Stories (Vol. 26)'

Good grief! The award-winning series concludes with rare 'Peanuts' art and stories by creator Charles Schulz.