A novel from an exciting new voice, “Such a Fun Age” (G.P. Putnam) is a story about race, motherhood and privilege, set around a young black babysitter, her well-meaning employer and an unexpected connection that threatens to undo them both. The first chapter could suggest any number of genr…

If you, like me, love to travel and journey around visiting recommended restaurants, you’re probably pretty depressed these days. Coming at the perfect time to offer us a delicious gastronomic trip is “Dirt: Adventures in Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the Secret …

The Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Jane Smiley (“A Thousand Acres”) loves horses. She got her first one in ninth grade and today, in her early 70s, has three of her own, and rides daily. Her first novel, “Barn Blind” (1980), is about horses, she’s written five young-adult novels in a series…

If you’re a fan of “The Crown” (like me), and binge-watched the fourth season (like me), you felt a true sense of loss as the season ended. As quirky and eccentric as those royals are, they’re immensely entertaining and perfect examples of “money doesn’t buy happiness.” I had to have more, s…

Paul Theroux has been called “The world’s most perceptive travel writer.” He’s spent over 50 years canvassing the globe and is the highly acclaimed author of such books as “Riding the Iron Rooster,” “The Old Patagonian Express: By Train through the Americas,” and – one of my favorite books o…

Marcelo Hernandez Castillo began writing poetry in high school because it gave him a way to express himself without exposing his secret: as a young child, in 1993, he had crossed the border from Mexico illegally with his parents. “With poetry, I could really distance myself, and with prose I…

I don’t know about you, but I’m finding that these stressful, uncertain days are taking their toll. It’s hard to concentrate and even reading can be a chore. There is an author, however, who writes such charming books that just a few of his pages will delight the most distracted reader. Fred…

Travel writing is usually about the person making the trip, but what makes it great is when the author puts aside ego and describes the things he or she encounters. Mary Morris is such a writer and her 1988 memoir, “Nothing to Declare: Memoirs of a Woman Traveling Alone” became a classic for…

Not too long ago, readers seeking books by Latino authors had to search bookstore and library shelves high and low for that rare but rewarding find. Today, the Latino books are flourishing and have become very visible, thanks to the growing recognition that Hispanic writers are dynamic, engr…

When Megha Majumdar began writing “A Burning” (Knopf), she was concerned that there wouldn’t be much American interest. It was her first novel, taking place in India, and it follows the story of a poor Muslim woman who is accused of terrorism after posting a Facebook message criticizing the …

More than three decades ago Tobias Wolff wrote the classic memoir, “This Boy’s Life,” about his traumatic childhood with an abusive, erratically violent stepfather. Natasha Trethewey’s new book, “Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir,” belongs in the same acclaimed company. Written with courag…

It seems like physical travel may be on hold for the time being, but there’s nothing to stop you discovering the world from the comfort of your own sofa. Here’s a selection of adventure-stimulating titles, documenting some of the best globetrotting adventures that took place back when freedo…

Today’s rock music doesn’t hold much interest for me but, while listening to NPR, I heard about a new book called “Hollywood Park” (Celadon Press). It’s a memoir written by 47-year-old Mikel Jollett, frontman for a group called Airborne Toxic Event, an indie rock band (whose name some reader…