In a hard year—and when, recently, have we had one we’d consider easy?—books can be a lifeline and a balm, a place to retreat and regain our grounding. Among the many entertaining, delightful, ...

‘Tis the season for reflecting on a well-read year. So, after all that reading, which books are we still thinking about now? The truth is, the best book of the year is deeply personal to every reader.

It was the best-of times (you know, that period in December when we do the best-of lists). But it could feel like the worst of times: There’s so much to read before the year finishes! Well, there’s ...