Book List

Best 2017 Books for Arts and Humanities Lovers

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

LEONARDO DA VINCI

by Walter Isaacson

Totally enthralling, masterful, and passionate, this book should garner serious consideration for a variety of book prizes. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

WHY COMICS?

by Hillary L. Chute

For anyone who wants a crash course in contemporary comics, or wants to teach one, this is your book. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

CURRENT EVENTS & SOCIAL ISSUES

DAVID BOWIE MADE ME GAY

by Darryl W. Bullock

Well-researched and brimming with intrigue, Bullock’s comprehensive study not only makes the work of scores of musicians... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

CALDER

by Jed Perl

Not only an essential record of the first 40 years of Calder’s life, but an exceptional chronicle of the genesis of... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

THE SONGS WE KNOW BEST

by Karin Roffman

This incisive, groundbreaking portrait of the enigmatic and influential poet will be indispensable to all future... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

HENRY DAVID THOREAU

by Laura Dassow Walls

Thoreau has inspired so many esteemed biographies that it's difficult to claim any new one as definitive. However, Walls... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

FALLEN GLORY

by James Crawford

A well-written prize for students of history, archaeology, and urban planning. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

THE INVENTION OF ANGELA CARTER

by Edmund Gordon

Expansive and lavish, this outstanding biography does much to demythologize Carter, revealing her to be a singular writer of... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

TOSCANINI

by Harvey Sachs

Sweeping yet meticulous, appreciative without eschewing critical judgments—like Toscanini himself. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

THIS LONG PURSUIT

by Richard Holmes

Unparalleled research, transparent prose, and wide eyes can serve as a model for other biographers—indeed, for all other... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

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  • The Kirkus Star

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