Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Books Archive

Archives for November 2019

Culture
Margaret Atwood, a Scorpio, reads palms and does horoscopesMargaret Atwood, a Scorpio, reads palms and does horoscopes
Culture

And the rest of the week’s best writing on books and related subjects.

By Constance Grady
Culture
How Tana French’s Dublin Murder thrillers developed their cult followingHow Tana French’s Dublin Murder thrillers developed their cult following
Culture

Most detective series have to keep their characters static. Here’s how Tana French avoids that.

By Constance Grady
Culture
The immense physical labor of narrating an audiobookThe immense physical labor of narrating an audiobook
Culture

And the rest of the week’s best writing on books and related subjects.

By Constance Grady
Culture
Meet the man adapting your favorite childhood bookMeet the man adapting your favorite childhood book
Culture

Jack Thorne explains what it’s like to adapt Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, and The Secret Garden.

By Constance Grady
We read all 25 National Book Award finalists for 2019. Here’s what we thought.
Culture

The Vox staff reviewed all the finalists in each of five categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature, and young people’s literature.

By Susannah Locke, Elizabeth Crane and 14 more
Culture
How a conspiracy theory about the Bosnian genocide infiltrated the Nobel committeeHow a conspiracy theory about the Bosnian genocide infiltrated the Nobel committee
Culture

And the rest of the week’s best writing on books and related subjects.

By Constance Grady
Culture
Carmen Maria Machado’s new memoir is a portrait of a relationship in fragmentsCarmen Maria Machado’s new memoir is a portrait of a relationship in fragments
Culture

In the Dream House grapples with finding ways to talk about an abusive relationship between two women.

By Constance Grady
Culture
Richard Ford, who just won a prestigious literary award, once spat at Colson WhiteheadRichard Ford, who just won a prestigious literary award, once spat at Colson Whitehead
Culture

And the rest of the week’s best writing on books and related subjects.

By Constance Grady
Culture
Bullshit jobs: why they exist and why you might have oneBullshit jobs: why they exist and why you might have one
Culture

And why this professor thinks we need a revolution.

By Sean Illing
Culture
75 books from university presses that will help you understand the world75 books from university presses that will help you understand the world
Culture

These books will help you understand the world and make it a better place.

By Constance Grady
Culture
In praise of Diana Wynne Jones, the fairy godmother of children’s fantasyIn praise of Diana Wynne Jones, the fairy godmother of children’s fantasy
Culture

The bracingly commonsense magic of Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle is on full display in the new Folio Society edition.

By Constance Grady
Race
Why the alt-right loves ancient RomeWhy the alt-right loves ancient Rome
Race

And Greece, too.

By Sean Illing
Technology
HBO will be the center of a tell-all oral history bookHBO will be the center of a tell-all oral history book
Technology

Author James Andrew Miller, who has done warts-and-all books about Saturday Night Live and ESPN, is working on his next project.

By Peter Kafka
Culture
Why Dracula absolutely slapsWhy Dracula absolutely slaps
Culture

And the rest of the week’s best writing on books and related subjects.

By Constance Grady