Self-Help from the Middle Ages: What the Seven Deadly Sins Can Teach Us About Living

Book Review

Self-Help from the Middle Ages: What the Seven Deadly Sins Can Teach Us About Living

By Peter Jones

We’ve long been trying (and failing) to vanquish our worse angels.

City of Fiction

Book Review

City of Fiction

By Yu Hua; translated by Todd Foley

Fate looms over all in this dark, ethereal tale from China.

Feature

Our Week in Reviews: 5/9/26

A recap of the books we’ve spotlighted in the past few days.

Book Review

Secrets of the Killing State

By Corinna Barrett Lain

Secrets of the Killing State

There’s no such thing as humane executions.

Book Review

John of John: A Novel

By Douglas Stuart

John of John: A Novel

A father and son struggle to accept brutal truths about themselves and each other.

Book Review

From Life Itself: Turkey, Istanbul, and a Neighborhood in the Age of Erdoğan

What causes a pro-democracy society to embrace authoritarianism?

Local

Plan Ahead for the Gaithersburg Book Festival

The stellar rain-or-shine event is next Saturday, May 16th!

Podcast

Authors on Audio: Crystal Simone Smith

An occasional series in which writers speak for themselves.

Book Review

Go Gentle: A Novel

By Maria Semple

Go Gentle: A Novel

A middle-aged divorcée grabs life by the balls in this madcap romp.

Beyond The Book

Our 7 Most Favorable Reviews in April 2026

We came, we read, we gushed.