The Feminist Who Inspired the Witches of Oz
The untold story of suffragist Matilda Gage, the woman behind the curtain whose life story captivated her son-in-law L. Frank Baum as he wrote his classic novel
See Photos From the 1924 Mount Everest Expedition That Led to the Vanishing of Two Explorers
A century later, a new book captures the grand scale of the mountain and uncovers more about the expedition and the people at its center
What Made Edna Lewis the Mother of Soul Food
The Virginia-born chef did more than anyone to elevate Southern food to haute cuisine
The Real Story of Pinocchio Tells No Lies
Forget what you know from the cartoon. The 19th-century story, now in a new translation, was a rallying cry for universal education and Italian nationhood
How Pete Souza Fits Into the Storied History of Presidential Photography
In his new book, the former White House photographer frames a clear picture of the Obama years
The Ten Best Books About Food of 2021
From cookbooks to a memoir to a guide to hundreds of food adventures across the globe, these new titles will leave you satisfied
A Literary Scholar Takes Us Around the World in Eighty Books
Harvard professor David Damrosch’s new release has readers traveling to London, Paris, Nigeria, Tokyo and beyond without ever leaving home
The Secret Codes of Lady Wroth, the First Female English Novelist
The Renaissance noblewoman is little known today, but in her time she was a notorious celebrity
Imagining a Different History for Africa Through Art
Toyin Ojih Odutola conjures a world that might have been
A New History Changes the Balance of Power Between Ethiopia and Medieval Europe
For centuries, a Eurocentric worldview disregarded the knowledge and strength of the African empire
The Fight to Legalize Gay Marriage, the Woman Who Couldn’t Be Silenced and Other New Books to Read
These June releases elevate overlooked stories and offer insights on oft-discussed topics
This American Monk Travels the World to Rescue Ancient Documents From Oblivion
Father Columba Stewart has visited sites from Kathmandu to Timbuktu in his mission to safeguard precious manuscripts that tell humanity’s story
Can Climate Fiction Writers Reach People in Ways That Scientists Can’t?
A new subgenre of science fiction leans on the expertise of biologists and ecologists to imagine a scientifically plausible future Earth
The Vibrant History of Lowrider Car Culture in L.A.
With bright paint jobs and bouncy hydraulics, the ‘low and slow’ rides are an expression of cultural identity for the city’s Mexican American community
Blackface Is Older Than You Might Think
From medieval European theater troupes to American minstrelsy, the harmful tradition has a surprisingly long history
Thirty-Five Years Later, a First Responder at the Chernobyl Disaster Looks Back
In her new book, Alla Shapiro shares her experience of one of the worst nuclear disasters in history
Before He Wrote a Thesaurus, Roget Had to Escape Napoleon’s Dragnet
At the dawn of the 19th century, the young Brit got caught in an international crisis while touring Europe
Around the World in Eight Plants
A new book takes readers on a journey across our planet, stopping to smell flowers and appreciate other species along the way
Celebrate National Library Week With Bibliophilic Backgrounds for Your Virtual Meetings
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives offers book lovers these nine stylish backdrops
How Alicia D. Williams Is Reviving Storytelling for Black Children
Williams wanted a different story for her daughter—and for herself. So, she set out to write it
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