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Why it matters
This selection preserves a named editorial recommendation alongside jury-selected books, making agreements and differences between institutions visible.
2016 selection · Nonfiction
The Vanishing Velázquez: A 19th Century Bookseller's Obsession With A Lost Masterpiece
The Vanishing Velázquez: A 19th Century Bookseller's Obsession With A Lost Masterpiece by Laura Cumming appears in NPR’s 2016 Books We Love guide. NPR’s editors categorized the recommendation around nonfiction, for history lovers, seriously great writing, placing it within the year’s broader reading conversation.
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Read this if…
You want an NPR-recommended nonfiction, for history lovers, seriously great writing title from 2016.
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nonfictionfor history loversseriously great writingfor art loversit’s all geek to me
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From the same conversation
Hamilton: The Revolution
- NPR Books We Love
Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeremy McCarter appears in NPR’s 2016 Books We Love guide. NPR’s editors categorized the recommendation around nonfiction, for art lovers, for music lovers, placing it within the year’s broader reading conversation.
Possession: The Curious History Of Private Collectors From Antiquity To The Present
- NPR Books We Love
Possession: The Curious History Of Private Collectors From Antiquity To The Present by Erin Thompson appears in NPR’s 2016 Books We Love guide. NPR’s editors categorized the recommendation around nonfiction, for history lovers, for art lovers, placing it within the year’s broader reading conversation.
The War of Art: A History of Artists' Protest In America
- NPR Books We Love
The War of Art: A History of Artists' Protest In America by Lauren O'Neill-Butler appears in NPR’s 2025 Books We Love guide. NPR’s editors categorized the recommendation around staff picks, nonfiction, for art lovers, placing it within the year’s broader reading conversation.