By WSJ Books Staff
‘How to Be Multiple’ and ‘Twinkind’ Review: Thinking Twice
What is it like to be one of two — and to be contemplated by singletons with suspicion, wonder and envy? Review by Christine Rosen
‘The Book at War’ Review: Passing Time in the Trenches
Soldiers favored westerns, mysteries, sports and middlebrow fiction. At the same time, libraries were often destroyed in battle. Review by Jonathan Rose
‘Portal’ Review: San Francisco’s Beacon on the Bay
The landmark Ferry Building survived the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed most of the city. Today it serves as a food emporium. Review by John Buntin
Fiction: A Year in Reflection
In 2023, many novelists found themselves stuck in the past. By Sam Sacks
‘Goodbye, Russia’ Review: Rachmaninoff, Global Citizen
Although America was his refuge, Sergei Rachmaninoff maintained an annual presence in Europe, where he performed in prime concert halls. Review by Norman Lebrecht
‘Times Square Remade’ Review: The City’s Crossroads at a Crossroad
At its nadir, Manhattan’s 42nd Street was patrolled by helmeted police officers wielding batons — the feared Hats and Bats unit. Review by Edward Kosner
‘The Book of Cocktail Ratios’ Review: Math Meets Mixology
For Michael Ruhlman, the cocktail revolution has obscured one revealing truth: Making a good drink is just a matter of proportions. Review by Max Watman
Children’s Books: Judgment Calls
At the close of the year, Meghan Cox Gurdon looks back on a flurry of books for children that take up a trendy cause.
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‘Thank You’ Review: A Memoir From Sly Stone
After the sunny highs of ‘Everyday People’ and ‘Dance to the Music,’ the hits stopped coming and chaos began to reign in the bandleader’s world. Review by Wesley Stace
‘Pure Wit’ Review: The Duchess Who Dared
Margaret Cavendish wrote poems on ‘the new science’ of atomism as well as pioneering works of fiction. Review by Ruth Scurr
‘God’s Scrivener’ Review: The Inspiration of Jones Very
A follower of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Very became convinced he was a channel to the divine truths found in nature. Review by Christoph Irmscher
Five Best: Books on Shifting Perspectives
Selected by Carlo Rovelli, the author, most recently, of ‘White Holes: Inside the Horizon.’
The Year in Reading: Our Favorite Books of 2023
A guide to all of the end-of-the-year features from The Wall Street Journal’s books section.
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