Book magazine recently named Harriet Klausner the “No. 1 reader in America.” A speed reader who regularly finishes two books per day, she’s Amazon.com’s most prolific customer reviewer.
Last Precinct by Patricia Cornwell (Berkley Publishing Group, $8). All the key Scarpetta novels are crime-thriller masterpieces, but her latest work gives a new twist to the word “justice.” The heroine is under investigation for a crime perpetrated against her. This forces her to make life-altering decisions that take an already majestic series in a new direction, yet it continues the stratospheric level of greatness.
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Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey (Random House, $7). This is the first novel from the “Dragonriders of Pern” series, and it holds a special place in my heart because after reading this work, I realized fantasy is not only for males. I soared on the back of a dragon fighting an evil life form called a “thread”—and still have that copy (though, like me, a little worse for wear) that opened the portal to a new adventurous world.
The Stand by Stephen King (NAL, $9). King is the king of horror, but this novel is his loftiest best. It is the quintessential, classic good vs. evil metaphysical battle, played out on an earthly plain.
The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (Ballantine Books, $30 box set). This is one of the best fantasy series ever written, judging by all the imitators. Though a bit verbose, these tales are great escapist literature that keeps drawing me back to a world that I would like to visit (at least that of the hobbits, those bravest of creatures).
Bones: An Irene Kelly Mystery
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Film reviews: ‘Bugonia,’ ‘The Mastermind,’ and ‘Nouvelle Vague’feature A kidnapped CEO might only appear to be human, an amateurish art heist goes sideways, and Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Breathless’ gets a lively homage
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‘Not all news is bad’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
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Book reviews: ‘Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity’ and ‘Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice’feature An examination of humanity in the face of “the Machine” and a posthumous memoir from one of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, who recently died by suicide
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Beth Macy’s 6 favorite books about living in a divided nationFeature The journalist recommends works by Nicholas Buccola, Matthew Desmond, and more
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Gilbert King’s 6 favorite books about the search for justiceFeature The journalist recommends works by Bryan Stevenson, David Grann, and more
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Nathan Harris’ 6 favorite books that turn adventures into revelationsFeature The author recommends works by Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McGuire, and more
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Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetimeFeature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
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Lou Berney’s 6 favorite books with powerful storytellingFeature The award-winning author recommends works by Dorothy B. Hughes, James McBride, and more
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Elizabeth Gilbert’s favorite books about women overcoming difficultiesFeature The author recommends works by Tove Jansson, Lauren Groff, and more
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Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imaginationFeature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
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Jessica Francis Kane's 6 favorite books that prove less is moreFeature The author recommends works by Penelope Fitzgerald, Marie-Helene Bertino, and more
