Faith Takes the Train gently reminds us that sometimes kindness is as simple as a sandwich, uplifting even those among us who are most prone to getting bogged down by the woes and complexity of the world. ... Read full Story
Tiana Clark’s searching second poetry collection, Scorched Earth, embraces “too muchness” as a pure expression of the politicized body, history and art. ... Read full Story
Award-winning poet and essayist Tiana Clark lets us peer into the process behind her second collection, Scorched Earth—an exquisite book that reckons with history and rings with joy. ... Read full Story
Set during World War II, Ace, Marvel, Spy and Midnight on the Scottish Shore chronicle the stories of two women whose lives are testaments to the power of courage during times of upheaval. ... Read full Story
A breathtaking journey through the seasons, Wind Watchers will fill readers with joy and inspire them to get outside, no matter the season, to experience the wind once more! ... Read full Story
Charlotte McConaghy’s thought-provoking and passionately told third novel, Wild Dark Shore, is about not only family and trust, but also climate change and the effect of severe weather on our lives. ... Read full Story
Amanda Nguyen co-authored the Sexual Assault Survivor’s Rights Act after being raped at Harvard. Writing her memoir helped her heal. ... Read full Story
A decade and a half in the making, The Antidote brings together undertold history of 1930s America and the fantastical vision that made Swamplandia! so remarkable. ... Read full Story
Laurie Woolever shares about the humbling process, and the joys, of writing a memoir of her life as a food writer, a chef and an assistant to Anthony Bourdain. ... Read full Story
By excavating her ancestral history, historian and memoirist Martha S. Jones invites readers to reflect deeply on their own family stories. ... Read full Story
Martha S. Jones’ moving memoir, The Trouble of Color, traces her family’s history back five generations and will change the way readers understand race. ... Read full Story
The first Black Rockette, the women who climbed Denali, Jane Austen’s muses and more star in our list of books to read this Women’s History Month. ... Read full Story
The vibrantly illustrated Fishwife Cookbook is an essential volume for tinned fish converts, written by the women who made it cool. ... Read full Story
Linda Holmes’ slice-of-life romance Back After This explores the pitfalls of letting your job define you, even if you truly love it. ... Read full Story
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 1, 2025 is:
cynosure \SYE-nuh-shur\ noun
A cynosure is a person or thing that attracts a lot of attention or interest. As a proper noun, Cynosure may refer to the North Star or its constellation Ursa Minor.
// He was the cynosure of all eyes as he walked into the room.
"Look at any picture of Kashmir and you'll understand why it is called heaven on earth. And Srinagar, framed by the majestic Zabarwan Mountains, is the cynosure of all travel itineraries, offering a mix of breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and spirituality." — Mallika Bhagat, Times Now (Mumbai, India), 17 Dec. 2024
Did you know?
Ancient mariners noted that all the stars in the heavens seemed to revolve around a particular star, and they relied on that star to guide their navigation. The constellation that this bright star appears in is known to English speakers today as Ursa Minor, or the Little Dipper, but the Ancient Greeks called it Kynósoura, a term that comes from a phrase meaning "dog's tail." Kynósoura passed into Latin and Middle French, becoming cynosure. When English speakers adopted the term in the 16th century, they used it as a name for both the constellation and the star (which is also known as the North Star or Polaris) and also to identify a guide of any kind. By the 17th century, cynosure was also being used figuratively for anything or anyone that, like the North Star, is the focus of attention or observation.