Culture & ideas
2920 discoveries · Hand-picked discoveries from the open web, newest first.
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‘The House of Cromwell’ by Miranda Malins review
‘The House of Cromwell’ by Miranda Malins review James Hoare Mon, 10/26/2026 - 08:40 In The House of Cromwell: Power, Family and the Making of Modern Britain Miranda Malins contrasts two generations of an English political dynasty: one that consolidated royal power and another that decapitated it.
History Today · EN
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‘Anti-Zionism: A Jewish History’ by Benjamin Moser review
‘Anti-Zionism: A Jewish History’ by Benjamin Moser review James Hoare Tue, 10/27/2026 - 08:59 Anti-Zionism: A Jewish History by Benjamin Moser is a one-dimensional appraisal of the Jewish people’s broken home.
History Today · EN
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Keeping the Bonfires Lit
Keeping the Bonfires Lit James Hoare Wed, 10/28/2026 - 09:08 Though the guise of its festivities may change, November has long been a time for fire, feasting, and remembering the dead.
History Today · EN
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The Tropical Parasites in the Cornish Mine
The Tropical Parasites in the Cornish Mine James Hoare Thu, 10/29/2026 - 08:59 In the late 19th century Cornish miners began falling ill with a mysterious disease. What caused ‘Dolcoath Anaemia’, and how had it come to Cornwall?
History Today · EN
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The Death of the Corset
The Death of the Corset James Hoare Mon, 11/02/2026 - 09:05 The 400-year reign of the corset ended on 3 November 1914. The age of the brassière had begun.
History Today · EN
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This Week in Literary History: Sinclair Lewis Wins the Nobel Prize in Literature
This first appeared in Lit Hub’s Literary History newsletter—sign up here. On November 5, 1930, Sinclair Lewis was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for his vigorous and graphic art of description and for his ability to create, with wit and humor,
Literary Hub · EN
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Tough Days and Good Laughs: 10 New Children’s Books Out This November
When my kids are having a tough day, I want nothing more than to offer them a hug and a sympathetic ear—but sometimes, comfort from a well-meaning mom is the last thing they want. They’d rather be alone for a
Literary Hub · EN
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The Ghostly and the Real: On Spirit Worlds in African Literature
Across many African literary traditions, the boundaries between the living and the dead, the seen and the unseen, are fluid rather than fixed. Ancestors, spirits, dreams, and myth are not simply fantastical devices but are unremarkable facts of lived realities,
Literary Hub · EN
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Vampiric Broodmothers, Gig-Economy Ghosts, and Medieval Abortionists: November’s Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books
Where I live is currently enjoying gorgeous fall foliage, so in a leaf-peeping season frame of mind, I bring you this latest batch of books: colorful, expansive, and falling at your feet to read. Imagine your TBR stack as a
Literary Hub · EN
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Glass Skulls, Luminosity, Soup, and Other Miracles: New Poetry to Read This November
“Movement against loss. Summer has its autumnal thoughts. / Bets made with your own body.” So begins Malgorzata Lebda’s poem “Trigger Points” in Mira Rosenthal’s translation of Mer de Glace. I keep thinking of Rosenthal’s translation notes for the collection,
Literary Hub · EN
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10 Great Nonfiction Titles to Read in November
This month offers a plethora of excellent new nonfiction, including work by Hermione Lee, Orlando Swain, Sarah Haas, and more. Matt O’Hara, The Flying Death: Poison, Plunder, and the Quest for a Miracle Medicine in the Amazon In 1938, sickly,
Literary Hub · EN
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Megan Nolan on Agnes Owens’s A Working Mother, an Ode to Working Class Scotland
When my first book was published, a journalist interviewing me expressed breathless surprise that I didn’t have a college degree. It would be difficult to overstate, he later wrote in the piece, how unusual this is among novelists. This was
Literary Hub · EN
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Lit Hub Daily: November 2, 2026
How A Working Mother, Agnes Owens’s novel of the Scottish working class, reveals “the surrealness of everyday life.” | Lit Hub Criticism Caroline Carlson recommends great children’s books coming in November by Neil Sharpson, Avi Steinberg, Gideon Sterer and more.
Literary Hub · EN
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The Art of the Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum
How do horticulturists coax more than 1,000 flowers from a single plant? The answer lies in a centuries-old Japanese tradition. The post The Art of the Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum appeared first on JSTOR Daily .
JSTOR Daily · EN
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Teaching Students to See What They Miss
A classroom exercise in slow looking uses art to sharpen observation skills and encourage more attentive listening. The post Teaching Students to See What They Miss appeared first on JSTOR Daily .
JSTOR Daily · EN
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How Big Oil Shaped America’s Parks
John D. Rockefeller Jr. wanted Americans to experience nature from their cars. His vision helped transform conservation. The post How Big Oil Shaped America’s Parks appeared first on JSTOR Daily .
JSTOR Daily · EN
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Mental Hospitals at the Movies
The horror films of the 1970s captured a cultural shift from fears of institutional abuse to anxieties about psychiatric patients living freely. The post Mental Hospitals at the Movies appeared first on JSTOR Daily .
JSTOR Daily · EN
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How Telepathy Helped Build the Russian Internet
During the Cold War, Soviet scientists pursued an unlikely way to communicate with the outside world. The post How Telepathy Helped Build the Russian Internet appeared first on JSTOR Daily .
JSTOR Daily · EN
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London’s Railway for the Dead
As London's graveyards overflowed, a private company proposed a remarkable new way to bury the dead. The post London’s Railway for the Dead appeared first on JSTOR Daily .
JSTOR Daily · EN
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The Rise and Fall of Shanghai’s “Sing-Song Girls”
How did celebrated entertainers become associated with a profession increasingly defined by exploitation? The post The Rise and Fall of Shanghai’s “Sing-Song Girls” appeared first on JSTOR Daily .
JSTOR Daily · EN
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The Disappearing History of America’s Nuclear Weapons
Once a key site of Cold War arms production, Rocky Flats is now a wildlife refuge. What happened to its troubled past? The post The Disappearing History of America’s Nuclear Weapons appeared first on JSTOR Daily .
JSTOR Daily · EN
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The Millions’ Great Spring 2026 Book Preview
As we slowly recover from one belligerent winter, we can look to spring as a time of growth, renewal, abundance—and nothing could be more abundant than the season’s noteworthy books. Below, you’ll find 140 titles out this spring that we’re excited about here at The Millions. Some we’ve already read in galley form; others we’re … The post The Millions’ Great Spring 2026 Book Preview appeared first on The Millions .
The Millions · EN
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The Millions’ Great Summer 2026 Book Preview
After a long and merciless winter, summer is upon us, and with it, the urgent need for beach reads, pool reads, park reads, fire escape reads, coffee shop patio reads—you get the point. We’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find some 130 books out this summer that we’re excited about here at The Millions. Some … The post The Millions’ Great Summer 2026 Book Preview appeared first on The Millions .
The Millions · EN
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Meet the Winners of the 2026 Honey & Wax Book Collecting Prize
In 2017, Honey & Wax Booksellers established an annual prize for American women book collectors, aged 30 years and younger. Our goal, at the time, was to expand the popular perception of who book collectors are (and can be) by highlighting original collections built by young women, often without the knowledge or help of the … The post Meet the Winners of the 2026 Honey & Wax Book Collecting Prize appeared first on The Millions .
The Millions · EN