Gardner Museum Goes Free Every Thursday Night, and a Boston Bookstore Launches Its Own Book Reviews

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston is making a big change starting next month. Its popular Free First Thursdays program, which let visitors in for free one night a month, is growing into something even better. Beginning July 9, every Thursday evening will be free for visitors under the new program called Free Thursday Nights.

The old program waived the cost of admission from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. The new Free Thursday Nights program starts a little later, at 5 p.m., but it happens every single Thursday instead of just once a month. That means many more people will be able to enjoy the museum without paying an entry fee.

In other local arts news, a well-known Boston bookstore is doing something exciting for book lovers. Porter Square Books, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is launching its very own book review section. Co-owner Josh Cook announced that the store will publish a new book review every week on its website and include them in a monthly newsletter.

The first three reviews covered a range of books, including Cook's own review of a fantasy novel called 'Plastic, Prism, Void: Part One' by Violet Allen. He described the book as being driven by a strong narrator's voice, wild magic, and even wilder science. Two other reviewers shared thoughts on newer releases as well as an older favorite first published back in 2014.

Cook told a journalism website called Nieman Lab that he wants the store's reviews to support smaller publishers and lesser-known authors. He said readers can expect to see more debut books and titles that are not very well known. The store plans to mostly review new books, but will sometimes look back at hidden gems people may have missed.

This new effort comes at a tough time for book reviews across the country. The Washington Post laid off its entire book review staff in February, and the Associated Press stopped publishing reviews last fall. Even big newspapers that still cover books have cut back on how much space they give to book coverage.

A nonprofit group called Viva la Book Review is also stepping up to help fill the gap. Its board includes experienced people from the publishing world, and its president is editor Bill Marx. Their website says that book reviews inspire conversation, which helps get more people reading and involved in their communities.

Some people worry about what happens when professional book reviews disappear. Without them, readers might have to rely on sites like GoodReads, which is owned by Amazon and has faced criticism for removing certain user comments. Supporters of book culture say it is more important than ever to back groups and stores that are keeping the love of reading and honest literary talk alive.