Ilana Masad

Tyler Stovall writes white freedom is "the belief (and practice) that freedom is central to white racial identity, and that only white people can or should be free" — noting nations were built on it.

Writer Nadia Owusu has lived many lives. Her nonlinear memoir, centered on the idea of physical and metaphorical earthquakes, is about all of the parts of what is her single, complex life.

K-Ming Chang's debut novel is full of mythical beasts that roam through the lineage and the stories of a Chinese family in Arkansas, stories that come alive and help them endure pain and trauma.

Throughout her essays, Melissa Faliveno is constantly straddling blurry lines, never willing to let any of her topics lie comfortably still, always turning them over to look at another facet.

In framing Tomine's life trajectory via professional and personal setbacks and moments of mortification, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonistbecomes mesmerizing, funny, and deeply honest.

Karen Abbott's page-turner teases with its central mystery, reaching its climactic final trial with a satisfying bang — though more on the politics of the time would have been a welcome layer.

Linda Taylor rose to infamy during the 1970s, when prize-winning reporter George Bliss brought her criminal activity to light — and then-candidate Ronald Reagan turned her into the Welfare Queen.

Writer Casey Cep's book delivers a gripping, incredibly well-written portrait not only of Harper Lee, but also of mid-20th century Alabama — and a still-unanswered set of crimes.

Who killed the Bordens more than 100 years ago remains unsolved. Like a lawyer, author Cara Robertson lays the facts and evidence before us, occasionally pointing towards the biases of the day.

Christina Thompson deftly weaves her fascinating narrative of European travels and attempts to understand the Polynesian puzzle in her new book, though European colonization is not fully addressed.