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Books |
“Narrow aisles, nooks, crannies and the unmistakable musty smell of old books”—that’s how one of our readers described one of his favorite bookstores, and the image captures the essence of so many places that have added to our literary experiences. Lockdowns took these businesses temporarily out of avid readers’ lives, but gradual reopenings let us welcome them back. We asked WSJ subscribers for their favorite bookstores in their own areas, and we’re pleased to share their recommendations. Read the article —C.C. |
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| Heinrich Hoffmann/ullstein bild via Getty Images |
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Third Reich: Even after Germany’s November elections in 1932, a Nazi future was far from inevitable. The Nazis actually had lost ground at the ballot box, undermining the party’s position, and only after months of political maneuvering did President Paul von Hindenburg hand Hitler the reins. Yet within 100 days of Hitler’s ascension to chancellor, the Nazis had centralized power, smashed the trade unions, brutalized the opposition, opened the camp at Dachau and passed laws denying Jews equal rights. The 101st day—May 10, 1933—saw the start of ritualized book burnings, an episode labeled by some as a “holocaust.” Andrew Stuttaford on three books about the Nazi Party’s rise to power. Read the review |
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“The Vanishing Half”: Brit Bennett’s novel follows light-skinned twin sisters on opposite sides of the racial divide—one accepting a life of hardship, the other rising into privilege by perpetuating a lie. Read the review |
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| Democracy & Its Discontents |
| | A People Betrayed By Paul Preston Corruption has thrived under all forms of rule in Spain: monarchy, right-wing dictatorships, proletarian socialism and modern democracy. Within Spain’s ruling classes, a long tradition exists of bribery, nepotism, amorality and greed. Read the review |
| The Arab Winter By Noah Feldman Tunisia’s democratic experiment seems promising because its people are a cohesive society governed by a cohesive state. In Syria, by contrast, rival ethno-religious groups feel closer to their brethren in neighboring states than to their countrymen. Read the review |
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Do-Dads: Picture books about fathers and the difficult but joyful work of raising a child. Read the review |
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| | | Out of My Skull By James Danckert and John D. Eastwood Four prominent factors lead to boredom: “monotony, lack of purpose, constraint, and poor fit between our skills and the challenge of the moment.” Boredom may not be pleasant, but it can be useful—a goad to action and a reason to ask: What exactly should I be doing instead? Read the review |
| Without Ever Reaching the Summit By Paolo Cognetti In 2017, Paolo Cognetti trekked to a Buddhist monastery deep in the Himalayas. He casts his ascent as pilgrimage and captures something essential about the metronome produced by a boot on a trail: “Walking was our daily mission, our measure of time and space.” Read the review |
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“Black Sun Rising”: In Matthew Carr’s richly detailed historical thriller, an ex-detective contends with a ghoulish killer while investigating the death of an English scientist in early-1900s Barcelona. Read the review |
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| | | The Decisive Network By Nadya Bair Founded in 1947 by Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, David “Chim” Seymour and Bill Vandivert, the Magnum photo agency recruited the world’s finest photojournalists and provided them with artistic autonomy. Its images helped define our image of the postwar world. Or so the myth goes. Read the review |
| Ornette Coleman By Maria Golia Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Ornette Coleman arrived in New York in 1959, where his quartet’s engagement at Manhattan’s Five Spot elicited hero worship and stark criticism. The saxophonist catalyzed the Free Jazz movement, even as he searched for rigor through the musical system he called “harmolodics.” Read the review |
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| Five Best: Steven C. Smith |
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The author, most recently, of “Music by Max Steiner: The Epic Life of Hollywood’s Most Influential Composer.” Read the article |
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The Music of James Bond By Jon Burlingame (2012) Did They Mention the Music? By Henry Mancini (1989) Making Music in Selznick’s Hollywood By Nathan Platte (2017) Hitchcock’s Music By Jack Sullivan (2006) Listening to Movies By Fred Karlin (1994) |
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