Book Club: Read ‘Transcription,’ by Ben Lerner, With the Book Review
Ben Lerner’s latest novel, *Transcription*, is a compact 130‑page work that unfolds in three distinct sections. It follows an unnamed narrator who, after his phone breaks, conducts an unrecorded interview with his 90‑year‑old mentor, Thomas, and later reconstructs the conversation for publication. The narrative jumps forward to a Madrid symposium where the fabricated interview is exposed, and finally to a dialogue between Thomas’s son Max and his own reflections on technology. The book uses this structure to probe questions of memory, authenticity, and the digital age’s influence on art and relationships.
Military Histories About the Ancient Persians, Modern Iraq and the American Civil War
Thomas E. Ricks draws a parallel between the ancient Persian invasion of Greece and today’s U.S.-Iran conflict, citing historian John O. Hyland’s new book on Persia’s Greek campaigns. He notes that while the United States and Israel rely on conventional...
Book Review: ‘Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children,’ by Mac Barnett
Gregory Maguire reviews Mac Barnett’s debut adult book, Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children, positioning it as a manifesto defending the craft of children’s literature. The concise, under‑100‑page work blends personal anecdotes, like a toddler’s tantrum, with a spirited...
Books Our Editors Loved This Week
Jordan Harper’s new novel *A Violent Masterpiece* drops this week, delivering a gritty Los Angeles noir that follows a livestream influencer, a high‑end concierge, and a lawyer thrust into a serial‑killer investigation. The New York Times Book Review hails the work as...
The Month’s Best New Mystery Novels
Jordan Harper’s debut noir, “A Violent Masterpiece,” (Mulholland, 372 pp., $29) plunges readers into L.A.’s underbelly, pairing livestream‑culture with a serial‑killer narrative that mirrors the public’s obsession with the Epstein saga. The novel follows ex‑journalist Jake Deal, concierge Kara Delgado, and...
Book Review: ‘The Palm House,’ by Gwendoline Riley
Gwendoline Riley’s novel *The Palm House* follows veteran editor Edmund Putnam’s resignation after a corporate‑appointed successor, Simon “Shove” Halfpenny, attempts to remodel the niche London magazine *Sequence* into a New‑Yorker‑style publication. Narrated by contributor Laura, the story exposes the clash...
Book Review: ‘How It Feels to Be Alive,’ by Megan O’Grady
Megan O’Grady’s new book “How It Feels to Be Alive” merges art criticism with personal memoir, echoing the narrative style of Olivia Laing and John Berger. The work intersperses original interviews she conducted for *T: The New York Times Style Magazine* with...
Book Review: ‘Permanence,’ by Sophie Mackintosh
Sophie Mackintosh’s new novel *Permanence* explores an alternate reality where an illicit affair becomes a curdled paradise, juxtaposing it against a conventional marriage. The book continues her signature speculative feminist style, using a stark binary to dissect power dynamics and...
Book Review: ‘Jan Morris: A Life,’ by Sara Wheeler
Jan Morris: A Life, Sara Wheeler’s biography of the British journalist and travel writer, revisits the cultural impact of Morris’s 1974 memoir Conundrum, which chronicled a decade‑long gender transition and sold millions worldwide. The new book highlights the flood of...
Could ‘A River Runs Through It’ Have Been a Hit Today?
Norman Maclean’s novella “A River Runs Through It” turns 50, having sold over a million copies since its 1976 debut and spawning an Academy Award‑winning film starring Brad Pitt. The book cemented the literary fly‑fishing archetype and revitalized outdoor‑culture publishing. Its enduring...
Book Review: ‘When We See You Again,’ by Rachel Goldberg-Polin
Rachel Goldberg‑Polin’s new memoir, *When We See You Again*, chronicles the life and tragic death of her son Hersh, one of the “Beautiful Six” Israeli hostages killed in a Gaza tunnel in August 2024. The book intertwines intimate family memories...
Book Review: ‘This Vast Enterprise,’ by Craig Fehrman.
Craig Fehrman's new book "This Vast Enterprise" revisits the Lewis and Clark expedition through ten first‑person narratives, expanding the story beyond the famous leaders to include lesser‑known Corps members and multiple Native American voices. The author draws on extensive archival...
Book Review: ‘How to Be a Dissident,’ by Gal Beckerman
Gal Beckerman’s new book *How to Be a Dissident* weaves biographical sketches of activists—from the 1963 Birmingham Children’s Crusade to the recent fate of Alexei Navalny—into a ten‑chapter guide on the temperament of dissent. Each chapter spotlights a trait such...
Gwendoline Riley Would Prefer You Resist Assuming Her Life Is Like Her Books
British novelist Gwendoline Riley, known for stark domestic tales, has seen a surge in U.S. readership since New York Review Books Classics reissued *First Love* and *My Phantoms* in 2022. The two books, praised for precise dialogue and unflinching portrayals...
Lena Dunham Takes to Her Bed to Promote Her Memoir, “Famesick.”
Lena Dunham launched her second memoir, “Famesick,” with an unconventional bed‑stage event at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House. The intimate setting featured co‑star Andrew Rannells and drew about 2,000 attendees, primarily women from Gen X and Gen Z. Dunham...