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12 books to read: The best reviews of May
The long life of the Declaration of Independence, wartime survival in Ukraine, the joy of soccer fandom, early human societies and more.
Don’t miss our list of May’s best fiction. Read the article
Arachnomania: Spiders and the Cultural Work They Do for Us
By Maria Tatar | Princeton
In many cultures, the spider’s ability to weave threads is understood as a symbol of divine, elemental power. Review by Brandy Schillace
Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China
By Eyck Freymann | Oxford
Supporting Taiwan’s security in the face of Chinese threats of invasion is vital both for the island and the rest of the world. Review by Kate B. Odell
Feel the Floor: Restoring the Life and Legacy of Jazz Choreographer Buddy Bradley
By Maureen Footer | Beacon Press
The dancer and choreographer was a virtuoso performer in his own right—and a valued mentor to others. Review by John Check
Homesick for a World Unknown: The Life of George B. Schaller
By Miriam Horn | Penguin Press
The zoologist George Schaller traveled the globe to get up close and personal with tigers, gorillas and other animals. Review by Sara Wheeler
Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World
By Patrick Wyman | Harper
Between the end of the Ice Age and the recorded history of the ancient world, numerous human communities rose and fell. Most have left little trace behind. Review by Kyle Harper
National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America
By Michael Auslin | Avid Reader
How the Founders’ redefinition of what it meant to be a free citizen echoed down the decades. Review by William Anthony Hay
Steve Jobs in Exile: The Untold Story of NeXT and the Remaking of an American Visionary
By Geoffrey Cain | Portfolio
Steve Jobs had a reputation for arrogance when he was forced out of Apple in 1985. His struggles at NeXT humbled him. Review by Frank Rose
The Theater: Courage and Survival in the Defining Atrocity of the Ukraine War
By James Verini | Simon & Schuster
Before it was destroyed, Mariupol’s theater served as a bomb shelter whose denizens cut across social, economic and cultural classes. Review by Matt Gallagher
Transported: The Everyday Magic of Musical Daydreams
By Elizabeth Margulis | Liveright
We store memories as a jumble of sensory fragments. Music can snap the pieces together and conjure up old feelings. Review by Sarah L. Kaufman
The Village on the Edge of the World: Writing and Surviving in Ceaușescu’s Romania
By Herta Müller | Pegasus
Herta Müller’s account of growing up in Ceaușescu’s Romania documents how the state insinuated oppression into every corner of life. Review by Robert D. Kaplan
We Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World’s Greatest Sporting Event
By Roger Bennett | Dey Street
Soccer fans all around the globe have used the experience of the quadrennial World Cup as a way to mark the stages of life. Review by Tunku Varadarajan
The Wreck of the Mentor: A True Story of Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of Sail
By Eric Jay Dolin | Liveright
The crew of the Mentor traveled halfway around the world before pausing to take on supplies. The ship set a course for Guam in the Pacific but never arrived. Review by Michael O’Donnell
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