What does it take to master a skill? One of our top book picks for March addresses that question head on. But throughout this 10 best list, readers can explore mastery in action, as each of these authors have thoroughly conquered their medium, and woven their words with ingenuity and finesse.
Among the nonfiction selections, “The Mystery of Mastery” by Adam Gopnik explores what it’s like to become truly proficient at skills such as drawing, dancing, and baking. In “Flight Paths,” Rebecca Heisman tells how scientists solved the riddle of bird migration. And a biography of American diplomat George F. Kennan explains how his deep knowledge of Soviet ambitions guided U.S. policy for six decades.
Why We Wrote This
Our 10 picks this month include books that grapple with moral culpability, honor family bonds, confront the persistence of poverty, and unlock the mysteries of bird migration.
Fiction picks include two propulsive thrillers – set in New Zealand and Spain – that expose the tragedy of selfishness and greed. A “cozy mystery” set in Vermont takes its cue from TV cooking competitions – and adds a dollop of murder. A novel about World War II honors the fortitude of families separated by the fighting.
These books reveal authors at the height of their powers.
1. Birnam Wood, by Eleanor Catton
In New Zealand, guerrilla gardeners cross paths with an American billionaire secretly up to no good. As the characters debate ideals, weigh choices, and battle their own and others’ egos, the tale gathers speed. Expertly crafted by Booker Prize-winning author Eleanor Catton, it’s a heart-pumping thriller that exposes the tragedy of selfishness.
2. Red Queen, by Juan Gómez-Jurado
Why We Wrote This
Our 10 picks this month include books that grapple with moral culpability, honor family bonds, confront the persistence of poverty, and unlock the mysteries of bird migration.
Jon Gutierrez, a disgraced police officer, and Antonia Scott, a crime-solving genius, ground this international bestseller from Spanish journalist Juan Gómez-Jurado. Kidnappings, chases, traps, and setups (not to mention a creepy murder scene) propel the thriller, while questions of moral culpability and the poisonous effects of unaddressed trauma add heft.
3. The Great Reclamation, by Rachel Heng
Ah Boon, a sensitive boy growing up on Singapore’s coast in the early 1940s, struggles to find his place in a radically shifting world. Japanese occupation, student protests, and “the great reclamation” – a government effort to add new land to the tiny territory – bring turbulence and challenges. Rachel Heng’s moving, mighty novel grapples with the cultural unmooring that accompanies personal and collective change.
4. The Lost English Girl, by Julia Kelly
In 1935 Liverpool, England, a young pregnant bride faces betrayal when her Catholic parents pay her new Jewish musician husband to flee to New York, leaving her to raise their daughter alone. As World War II heats up, children are evacuated to the countryside to avoid Nazi bombings. This emotional novel about forgiveness honors the immense fortitude manifested by families separated during wartime.
5. The Golden Spoon, by Jessa Maxwell
Filming of the popular TV show “Bake Week” has begun at a Vermont estate. The six contestants – including bored billionaire Pradyumna, jumpy ex-journalist Stella, and mild senior Lottie – all have something to hide, especially after a dead body shows up. A satisfying repast for “cozy mystery” fans.
6. Earth’s the Right Place for Love, by Elizabeth Berg
In 1940s Missouri, timid Arthur Moses gleans sage advice from his confident older brother, Frank. As he waits for love, and deals with a family tragedy, Arthur turns to nature for solace. Gracefully, he grows into the man that readers admired in Elizabeth Berg’s “The Story of Arthur Truluv.”
7. The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery, by Adam Gopnik
Adam Gopnik breaks down the processes involved in achieving mastery by apprenticing himself to virtuosos of drawing, dancing, baking, and other crafts. He beautifully captures the challenges and pleasures of the pursuit of accomplishment, reaching the encouraging conclusion that mastery surrounds us in many different forms.
8. Flight Paths, by Rebecca Heisman
Rebecca Heisman’s delightful debut tells the fascinating story of how scientists eventually unlocked the mysteries of avian migration. Her enthusiastic and accessible account also conveys the urgency of her subject, as climate change contributes to sharp declines in bird populations.
9. Kennan: A Life Between Worlds, by Frank Costigliola
George F. Kennan played a central role in 20th-century American foreign policy and is regarded as the architect of the containment strategy that guided America’s approach to the Soviet Union during the Cold War. But Kennan believed that his ideas had been badly misinterpreted. As the book makes clear, while he was certainly brilliant, he was also a complex and often troubled man.
10. Poverty, by America, by Matthew Desmond
Matthew Desmond’s follow-up to his Pulitzer Prize-winning “Evicted” is a stirring study of why the United States, the world’s richest country, has the most poverty of any advanced democracy. He offers solutions by focusing not only on the poor but also on the wealthy and the middle class, who he says unwittingly benefit from the current system.