Friday, October 31, 2025

Book Club: Read ‘Hamnet,’ by Maggie O’Farrell, With the Book Review


In November, the Book Review Book Club will read and discuss Maggie O’Farrell’s historical tear-jerker, about a death that shaped Shakespeare.


MJ Franklin | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

23 Books Coming in November


New fiction by Salman Rushdie and Bryan Washington, a memoir by Margaret Atwood, devilish romantasy and more.


Unknown Author | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Joseph J. Ellis Doesn’t Think You Would Have Abolished Slavery, Either


In “The Great Contradiction,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian looks at the way the founders wrestled with the fate of human bondage.


Richard Kreitner | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

Sunday, October 26, 2025

Images of Black Beauty and Belonging


In the transporting monograph “Tyler Mitchell: Wish This Was Real,” the gifted young photographer traces a path from high fashion to his Georgia roots.


Erica Ackerberg | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

Philip Pullman Brings Lyra’s Story to a Close


A plea for humanism and honesty, “The Rose Field” wraps up the fantastical saga set in motion with “His Dark Materials.”


Sarah Lyall | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

Monday, October 20, 2025

Do You Recognize These Literary References in Modern Pop Culture?


Try this quiz about the bookish influences on Homer Simpson, Kate Bush and others to see how many connections you know.


J. D. Biersdorfer | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

Friday, October 17, 2025

Let’s Remember, Stephen King Isn’t Always Scary


It’s October, which means it’s time for the master of horror to shine. Yet he’s become equally famous for several works of non-horror.


Unknown Author | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

Thursday, October 16, 2025

A Horrific Tale of the Slave Trade, Destined to Become a Classic


In the powerful new history “The Zorg,” Siddharth Kara tells a shocking story of mass killing, human baseness and the seeds of conscience.


Marcus Rediker | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

Thomas McGuane: ‘I’m Not Interested in Ingenuity’


“I look for the subjective pulse of the author,” says the novelist, hailing Hamsun while sensing “cynicism” in Nabokov. “A Wooded Shore” is his 18th book.


Unknown Author | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

A Novel Intertwines the Many Dramas of Life in an Autocracy


Branching plots and dark humor animate “Eye of the Monkey,” set in an unnamed dystopian country.


Rebecca Makkai | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

Great Historical Horror Novels


The author of “Vampires of El Norte” and “The Possession of Alba Díaz” recommends books that dial up the darkness by turning back the clock.


Isabel Cañas | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

Monday, October 13, 2025

How World War II Transformed America and the Globe, for Better and Worse


In “The Wounded Generation” and “1942,” the historians David Nasaw and Peter Fritzsche show how civilians struggled with the long tail of the war.


Elizabeth D. Samet | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

An Oddly Bloodless Memoir From a Masterly Chef


Gabrielle Hamilton’s new memoir, “Next of Kin,” lacks the visceral shock and searing vision of her prior work.


Joumana Khatib | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

Sunday, October 12, 2025

In This Horror Novel, the First Terror is Being Trapped on a Cruise


In “The Unveiling,” a tortured film location scout is haunted by a traumatic past and a supernatural present.


Randy Boyagoda | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

Thursday, October 9, 2025

Friday, October 3, 2025

A Canine Classic Turns 25 and a New Novel Joins the Pack


As Kate DiCamillo’s “Because of Winn-Dixie” celebrates a big milestone, Holly Goldberg Sloan’s “Finding Lost” echoes its themes.


Jennifer Howard | NYTimes Books | Disclosure

The Best Thrillers of 2025

Our columnist on the books that wowed her this year. Sarah Lyall | NYTimes Books | Disclosure