“Babies are mentioned 33 times in ‘Communion,’ almost as often as Mr. Vance writes of Mr. Trump.” Seems perfectly reasonable to use those terms interchangeably. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/16/u...

Aggressively dismissive review of JD Vance’s ‘Communion’ in the WSJ: “Whether Mr. Vance’s error arose from laziness or dishonesty or something else, I don’t know.” www.wsj.com/arts-culture...

Andrew Sean Greer's comic novel "Villa Coco" isn't mere ice cream; it's stracciatella gelato served in one of the most beautiful places on earth. My review: roncharles.substack.com/p/andrew-sea...

The less evidence there is, the more convincing some people find a conspiracy theory. Two fascinating new books on belief, evidence, and the strange appeal of certainty. roncharles.substack.com/p/so-true-it...

Ben Fountain has written a satire so absurd it keeps bumping into America's bonkers political reality. My review of “Rasputin Swims the Potomac”: roncharles.substack.com/p/ben-founta...

One writer sat silently on stage for an hour at the Hay Festival because lawyers admonished her not to speak. Sarah Wynn-Williams's silence echoes a larger threat: a Trump administration proposal that could impose years-long gag orders on federal employees. roncharles.substack.com/p/keep-your-...

Ann Patchett's "Whistler" is a story of reconciliation, old affections renewed, and a family's circumference enlarged. My review: roncharles.substack.com/p/ann-patche...

American leaders are growing increasingly hostile to dissent — which makes "Protest: Respect It. Defend It. Use It." feel especially urgent. Today’s newsletter is about the long, vivid history of people who refused to be quiet. roncharles.substack.com/p/the-right-...

Maggie O’Farrell’s “Land” opens in Ireland in 1865, in the stunned silence after the Great Hunger. It’s a rich, uncanny novel about grief, memory, and the mysteries buried in the soil. My review: roncharles.substack.com/p/in-maggie-...

Man who “earned” $47 million last year tells world’s laborers not to worry about AI taking their jobs. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/22/o...

Scams are as old as time. AI is about to make them terrifyingly good. Today’s newsletter: roncharles.substack.com/p/of-course-...

Had a great time this morning on @the1a.org talking about new books for summer: the1a.org/segments/ron...

Not the Onion! “Does Florida Have an Affordability Problem? We Asked Sen. Rick Scott” www.wsj.com/us-news/does...

A suburban mom with true-crime fantasies and a talent for bad decisions. Cassandra Neyenesch’s “A Little Bit Bad” is funny, unsettling, and sneakily sharp about class and self-delusion. My Tuesday review: roncharles.substack.com/p/the-erotic...

Readers in Amherst have just begun their annual walk to Emily Dickinson’s grave carrying daisies and reading poems aloud. 140 years after her death, they still gather. roncharles.substack.com/i/197621205/...

You think you've got troubles? This woman's chef doesn't like the cook in her kitchen because the Swarovski chandelier is too pretty. (Ugh -- good help is sooo hard to find these days!) www.wsj.com/real-estate/...

There’s now a business that certifies books and articles as “100% Human Based.” I paid $10 to test it. What happened next says a lot about writing, AI, and our desperate hunger for proof that another human being is really there. In today’s newsletter: roncharles.substack.com/p/will-human...

Breaking: Douglas Stuart’s “John of John” debuts this week at No. 7 on the bestseller list. Completely deserved. roncharles.substack.com/p/douglas-st...

Douglas Stuart’s new novel, “John of John,” may be his best yet — a story about fathers, sons, and the terrible difficulty of seeing the people we love clearly. roncharles.substack.com/p/douglas-st...

Tonight:

“I have a guy…” The president’s desecration of Washington ambles on at “Trump speed”: www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/u...

Today, the Library of Congress officially opens The Source, a dazzling new gallery designed to show kids that research can be creative, tactile and adventurous. I visited before the opening & came away unexpectedly moved by the whole idea. My new newsletter: roncharles.substack.com/p/the-most-e...

Nonfiction book bans are surging across America. But the Library of Congress has just opened a dazzling new gallery designed to show kids that research can be an adventure. My new newsletter: roncharles.substack.com/p/the-most-e...

We don't need all those government eggheads! When you take a cruise, just make sure "to bring the light inside the body." Or bleach.

Cylon Take-Over, Chapter 835: ME: Alexa, how do you spell segue? ALEXA: Segue is spelled S-E-G-W-A-Y. ME: Alexa, what is a Segway? ALEXA: Segway is a common misspelling of segue.

I adore Elizabeth Strout’s new novel about a beloved high school teacher struggling to find meaning in his life. My review: roncharles.substack.com/p/elizabeth-...

Former @washingtonpost.com Book Critic, @roncharles.bsky.social and poet Kyle Dargan will discuss the current state of books and letters in the US, which has been marked by increased federal intervention on May 12th. you won't want to miss: www.hillcenterdc.org/event/the-li...

Trump keeps giving Putin whatever he wants. www.wsj.com/world/europe...

A night at a Washington theater. A violent attack just miles away. I didn’t realize they were unfolding at the same time until I checked my phone after the play. I wrote about that strange convergence today. open.substack.com/pub/roncharl...

Tom Perrotta’s new novel follows a writer forced to confront the grief he’s spent 50 years avoiding. My review of “Ghost Town”: roncharles.substack.com/p/tom-perrot...

Remember when Melania condemned the man who threatened to kill "a whole civilization" and celebrated the death of FBI Director Robert Mueller? Maybe if she watched less late-night TV, she wouldn't miss the "hateful and violent rhetoric" coming from her own house. deadline.com/2026/04/mela...

"A wealthy man decided that journalism that displeased him deserved institutional destruction, and then he arranged it." Peter Thiel isn't done. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/24/o...

Almost all challenges to library books last year came not from parents, but from pressure groups and government officials. Today’s newsletter on the new politics of censorship, plus Arbor Day (!), poetry, and more. roncharles.substack.com/p/whos-reall...

Maria Semple’s "Go Gentle" just debuted at No. 7 on the bestseller list. Here’s my review of the witty novel that vaults from Stoicism to rom-com chaos. roncharles.substack.com/p/woman-on-t...

T.C. Boyle’s new novel starts with a one-night stand and escalates into class resentment, violence, and self-destruction. My review is out now. roncharles.substack.com/p/the-one-ni...

Good grief… This chronicle of madness feels like the kind of exposé you expect to read after order has been restored. But it’s still going on, and Republican senators are apparently fine with it. www.wsj.com/politics/nat...

Terrific spring books section in today’s @wsj.com www.wsj.com/arts-culture...

The way Tanner greets Dawn, you’d never know I’d been playing with him all day. What dogs see when they look at us — and what we might be missing: roncharles.substack.com/p/what-dogs-...

“Don’t we love Adora?” We do. Stoic philosophy and exploding burritos: Maria Semple’s "Go Gentle" is a wild ride. My review: roncharles.substack.com/p/woman-on-t...

Oprah just chose Maria Semple’s "Go Gentle" for her book club — and yes, it really is that wild: Stoic philosophy, exploding burritos, and a heroine who greets each day by telling the universe, “Surprise me!” My review: roncharles.substack.com/p/woman-on-t...

Maria Semple’s "Go Gentle" ricochets from Stoic philosophy to rom-com thrills — with terrorists, exploding burritos, and a heroine who wakes up each day and tells the universe, “Surprise me.” My review: roncharles.substack.com/p/woman-on-t...

"Hey Siri, if I've posted a blasphemous image of myself as Jesus Christ, what ludicrous excuse could I feed to my addled cultists when I'm forced to delete it?"

The richest Americans don’t pay income taxes like you do. This week’s newsletter: how that works — and how to stop it. roncharles.substack.com/p/how-to-avo...

It's not fair to say that Trump's Iran War accomplished nothing. It made a ton of money for these oil executives: www.wsj.com/business/ene...

Astonishing WSJ story about Trump's use of a low-level, sycophantic lackey to corrupt the Justice Department. www.wsj.com/us-news/law/...

“Executives say there is considerable overlap between shoppers hunting for a $20 tube of lipstick and a $50,000 handbag.” (Sh*t Executives Say) www.wsj.com/cfo-journal/...

I wrote this morning about trying to take a week off without feeling like everything will collapse. Still not convinced I know how to do that. But here goes: open.substack.com/pub/roncharl...

Big publishing news this morning: roncharles.substack.com/p/ai-platfor...

Fiction almost never treats disabled adults with such complexity and humor — or with so little sentimentality. My review of Woody Brown’s debut novel, "Upward Bound": roncharles.substack.com/p/the-lives-...

Attention pilgrims: In Canterbury, there’s now an immersive Canterbury Tales attraction featuring projections, puppets, animatronics, holograms — and “family-friendly” Chaucer. Naturally, I had questions: roncharles.substack.com/i/192161500/...