Ron Charles

Washington, D.C.

Critic, Book World

Education: Washington University, M.A in English

Ron Charles writes about books and publishing for The Washington Post. For a dozen years, he enjoyed teaching American literature and critical theory in the Midwest. Before moving to the District, he edited the books section of the Christian Science Monitor in Boston. His wife is an English teacher and the cinematographer of their satirical series, “The Totally Hip Video Book Review."
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Latest from Ron Charles

‘Open Throat’ is the year’s best novel narrated by a queer mountain lion

Recalling the real-life story of a cougar known as P-22, Henry Hoke's poetic novel of alienation is narrated by a mountain lion in Los Angeles.

May 30, 2023

James Comey’s first thriller keeps its hands clean

“Central Park West” is short on action, and on the insider details one would expect from a former FBI director.

May 24, 2023

‘The Three of Us’ bares a marriage that isn’t big enough for everybody

"The Three of Us," by Ore Agbaje-Williams, is a short comic novel about a woman determined to ruin her best friend's marriage.

May 16, 2023

Emma Cline sets a smoldering thriller in the Hamptons

Emma Cline’s “The Guest” is the story of a desperate escort racing to find a sanctuary among the wealthy folks on Long Island.

May 9, 2023

Tom Hanks’s first novel shows the hard work behind movie magic

Tom Hanks’s first novel, "The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece,” is a charming story about all the people who work together to produce a film.

May 2, 2023

Justin Cronin’s ‘The Ferryman’ carries readers from mystery to mayhem

Justin Cronin's "The Ferryman" reveals a utopian world where older inhabitants are recycled to become new 16-year-olds. But there are problems in this paradise.

April 25, 2023

In ‘Chain-Gang All-Stars,’ prison fights have corporate sponsors

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's "Chain-Gang All-Stars" is a shocking dystopian satire that imagines inmates used for gladiator-style entertainment.

April 19, 2023

In ‘The Last Animal,’ a perfectly preserved woolly mammoth brings hope

In Ramona Ausubel’s new novel, "The Last Animal," a rogue scientist creates a woolly mammoth in hopes of helping to reverse climate change.

April 11, 2023

Kirk Cameron and Sean Spicer’s dubious quest to ‘win back Story Hour’

The actor and former Trump staffer came to Washington to spread their values — and promote their books. Few seemed to care.

March 31, 2023

Curtis Sittenfeld’s ‘Romantic Comedy’ finds love in an SNL-like place

In Sittenfeld's latest, a comedy writer and a guest host on her sketch show fall into an unlikely relationship.

March 28, 2023