The Hildebrandts are a consummately middle-ish family-middle class, middle American, Midwestern-living through the wrenching social change of the early 1970s in a suburb of Chicago. Here are the 10 I most enjoyed this year. One thing a lot of us want to do more of is read books. It’s that they seem to be reassessing the ways they were spending their time before the coronavirus changed everything. It’s not just that people have “more time” to read. Along with the equally unforeseen labor shortage, the public’s increased interest in reading books seems a manifestation of some significant change in American society, the nature of which is still unclear. What’s behind this unexpected boon to the book business? I won’t presume to say definitively.

One of the little-discussed effects of the pandemic has been a sustained growth in the sales of hardcover fiction, which I’m going to use as an excuse for the slight preponderance of fiction on this list. Slate has relationships with various online retailers.īut note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.Īll prices were up to date at the time of publication.

Ben 10 books to read