4 Great New Fantasy Books to Transport You to Bold New Worlds
The New York Times Book Review spotlights Heba Al‑Wasity’s debut fantasy, Weavingshaw, published by Del Rey. The 452‑page novel follows Leena, a refugee who can see ghosts, as she bargains with a supernatural mafioso to save her brother. Set in the gothic city of Golborne, the story weaves ghostly intrigue with real‑world issues like imperialism and the prison‑industrial complex. It is the first installment of a planned trilogy, priced at $30.
Book Review: ‘EXTRA SAUCE’ by Zahra Tangorra, ‘ON EATING' By Alicia Kennedy
Two new food memoirs hit shelves simultaneously: Zahra Tangorra’s *Extra Sauce* and Alicia Kennedy’s *On Eating*. Both authors, Long Island‑born Millennials, channel childhood appetites into distinct culinary careers—Tangorra as a Brooklyn chef, Kennedy as a food journalist. Their books are...
Book Review: ‘Dear Monica Lewinsky,’ by Julia Langbein
Julia Langbein’s second novel, *Dear Monica Lewinsky*, uses the former White House intern as a symbolic patron saint for women scarred by public shaming. The story follows Jean Dornan, a 40‑year‑old court translator in New York, who wrestles with lingering...
Interview: Arthur Sze on Translating Poetry and His Favorite Books
Arthur Sze, the U.S. poet laureate, reveals his ideal reading ritual—coffee at his desk overlooking desert flora—and shares the eclectic titles that line his nightstand, from Emily Wilson’s Iliad translation to Kevin Young’s Night Watch. He recently praised Simon Armitage’s...
Book Review: ‘The Violence,’ by Adriana E. Ramírez
Adriana E. Ramírez’s new book *The Violence* revisits Colombia’s decade‑long civil war known as La Violencia (1948‑1958), a period when partisan militias turned neighbors against each other and thousands were killed. The memoir blends her grandparents’ survival story with a broader social‑history analysis,...
Book Review: ‘Muskism,’ by Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff
The New York Times review of “Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed” argues that Elon Musk’s enterprises constitute a new economic system akin to Fordism, pairing mass production with a consumer‑dependency loop. The authors, historian Quinn Slobodian and writer Ben Tarnoff, describe how...
Book Review: ‘Rasputin’ by Antony Beevor
Antony Beevor’s new biography, Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs, reexamines the mystic adviser’s role in the collapse of Russia’s last imperial family. Beevor argues that Rasputin’s influence was a catalyst, but situates it within a cascade of systemic failures, from...
Book Review: ‘Into the Wood Chipper,’ by Nicholas Enrich
Nicholas Enrich’s new book, *Into the Wood Chipper*, offers a first‑hand whistleblower account of how the Trump administration systematically dismantled the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Drawing on internal memos and congressional testimony, Enrich chronicles the agency’s decline...
In ‘Famesick,’ Lena Dunham Diagnoses Celebrity, Illness and Herself
Lena Dunham’s new memoir "Famesick" pulls back the curtain on her decade‑long battle with a litany of chronic illnesses, from endometriosis to Ehlers‑Danlos syndrome, while also recounting a harrowing burn‑unit stay. The book, released as she approaches her 40th birthday,...
Book Review: ‘On the Calculation of Volume IV,’ by Solvej Balle
Solvej Balle’s experimental mega‑novel “On the Calculation of Volume” reaches its fourth installment, chronicling protagonist Tara Stelter’s experience of living the same November 18 for 3,637 days—almost ten years. The English translation, handled by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell, arrived...
Book Review: ‘RFK Jr.,’ By Isabel Vincent
Isabel Vincent’s new biography “RFK Jr.: The Fall and Rise” draws on unpublished personal journals to chart Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s self‑portrait across decades. It details his privileged Kennedy upbringing, a period of drug addiction, a resurgence as an environmental lawyer, a Democratic...
Book Review: ‘Korean Messiah,’ by Jonathan Cheng
Jonathan Cheng’s new book *Korean Messiah* argues that the North Korean personality cult draws heavily on early Protestant missionary influence. The work, praised by historian Bruce Cumings, details Kim Il‑sung’s upbringing in a devout Christian family and the symbolic use...
Book Review: ‘Where the Music Had to Go,’ by Jim Windolf
Jim Windolf’s *Where the Music Had to Go* is a dual biography that charts the intertwined careers of Bob Dylan and the Beatles, highlighting how each artist’s evolution sparked the other’s creative breakthroughs. The book leans on newly released outtakes,...
Book Review: ‘See You on the Other Side,’ by Jay McInerney
Jay McInerney’s latest novel, See You on the Other Side, caps his nine‑book career and closes the Calloway tetralogy. The story follows Russell Calloway, a seasoned independent publisher, as he navigates a 35th‑anniversary party at Manhattan’s Odeon. Drawing on McInerney’s own life...
Book Review: ‘Go Gentle,’ by Maria Semple
Maria Semple makes a high‑profile return after a ten‑year hiatus with "Go Gentle," a frenetic satire that mixes an art heist, sexual assault, and a coven of Upper West Side divorcées. The novel follows Adora Hazzard, a TV writer turned...
Book Review: ‘The Future Is Peace,’ by Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon
Aziz Abu Sarah, a Palestinian activist, and Maoz Inon, an Israeli tour operator, co‑authored The Future Is Peace, a memoir of loss and reconciliation after the Oct 7 attacks. Both lost parents in the violence—Abu Sarah’s brother died in Israeli custody, while Inon’s...
Thanks to an Old-Fashioned Family Novel, This 22-Year-Old Is Already a Literary Star in Europe
Swiss author Nelio Biedermann, 22, has become a literary sensation in Europe after his debut novel Lázár topped the German bestseller list for 29 weeks. The sweeping, old‑fashioned family saga, set in a former aristocratic Hungarian lineage, earned rave reviews...
Book Review: ‘Lázár,’ by Nelio Biedermann
Nelio Biedermann’s novel *Lázár* follows a translucent‑skinned aristocrat born into a fading Habsburg dynasty, tracing the family’s descent from imperial splendor to Soviet expropriation and the 1956 Hungarian revolt. The story blends gothic fable, surreal imagery, and meticulous historical detail,...
Lena Dunham Is Still Trying to Figure Out Why People Hated Her So Much
Lena Dunham’s forthcoming memoir “Famesick,” a project she spent nearly a decade crafting, delves into the behind‑the‑scenes drama of her HBO hit “Girls” and the fierce public backlash that followed. The book recounts fraught relationships with co‑star Adam Driver, co‑showrunner...
Book Review: ‘A Terrible Intimacy,’ by Melvin Patrick Ely
Melvin Patrick Ely’s new book *A Terrible Intimacy* examines six criminal cases from Prince Edward County, Virginia, to reveal the tangled web of Black‑white relationships before the Civil War. By dissecting court testimony, the work shows how enslaved and free people...
Book Review: ‘EMPIRE OF SKULLS’ by Paul Stob
Historian Paul Stob’s new book, *Empire of Skulls*, chronicles the rise of phrenology in mid‑19th‑century America. The work spotlights the Fowler family, whose clinics in New York turned skull‑measuring into a popular self‑help service. A highlighted case follows a blacksmith’s...
Book Review: ‘The Monuments of Paris,’ by Violaine Huisman
Violaine Huisman’s latest novel, The Monuments of Paris, shifts her autobiographical lens from mother to father, tracing the lives of her dad Denis and grandfather Georges against a backdrop of exile, love affairs, and family ambition. Set in the summer...
How Authors and Readers Feel About the ‘Shy Girl’ Cancellation
A major publishing controversy erupted after Hachette pulled Mia Ballard's horror novel "Shy Girl" in the United States and United Kingdom, citing evidence that the book was partially generated by artificial intelligence. The cancellation sparked alarm among writers, leading debut...
Book Review: ‘When Tomorrow Burns,’ by Tae Keller
Newbery‑winning author Tae Keller’s latest novel, When Tomorrow Burns, follows seventh‑graders Nomi, Arthur and Violet as Seattle’s wildfire smoke looms over their friendship. The story mixes a fantastical talking tree with real‑world pressures of post‑COVID anxiety, bullying and a proto‑fascist...
Best Alien Books by Octavia E. Butler, Ted Chiang and More
The New York Times piece curates a short list of standout science‑fiction novels that use alien encounters to explore deep social and philosophical questions. It highlights Octavia E. Butler’s *Dawn*, where post‑apocalyptic humans grapple with the Oankali’s drive to hybridize, and Peter Watts’s...
Books Our Editors Loved This Week
The New York Times released its weekly Editors’ Choice list on April 9, 2026, highlighting nine newly published titles across genres. Among them, Patrick Radden Keefe’s true‑crime narrative "London Falling" recounts a teenager’s fatal plunge and the violent, greedy underworld...
The Hit Erotica Writers Outwitting Nigeria’s Religious Censors
Northern Nigeria’s burgeoning Hausa erotica scene has moved from paper to WhatsApp, letting writers like Fauziyya Tasiu Umar (Oum Hairan) sidestep Sharia‑based censors. Authors release free chapters in women‑only groups and lock the next installment behind a paywall of 300 naira (≈$0.20)...
Poetry Review: ‘Creature Feature,’ by Dean Young
Dean Young’s posthumous collection *Creature Feature* showcases his signature surreal, reckless verse, reflecting the chaotic attention economy of the digital age. The review highlights Young’s lifelong embrace of imperfection, noting his prolific output from the late 1980s through a heart‑transplant‑inspired...
Peter Schrag Dies at 94; Wrote of Dangers of California’s Populist Streak
Peter Schrag, longtime Sacramento Bee opinion editor and author of the 1998 book "Paradise Lost," died at 94. His book warned that California’s prolific voter‑initiative process empowers older, wealthier voters while marginalizing working‑class and minority communities. Schrag argued this dynamic...
Book Review: ‘The Ending Writes Itself,’ by Evelyn Clarke
Evelyn Clarke’s debut novel, *The Ending Writes Itself*, is a collaborative thriller by bestselling author V.E. Schwab and screenwriter Cat Clarke. Set on a secluded Scottish island, seven writers are invited by the reclusive literary titan Arthur Fletch, only to discover...
Book Review: ‘Hexes of the Deadwood Forest,’ by Agnieszka Szpila
Polish author Agnieszka Szpila’s "Hexes of the Deadwood Forest" has been released in English for the first time, translating a 2022 bestseller that sparked a stage adaptation in Warsaw. The novel mixes ecofeminist critique with explicit, surreal sexual encounters involving...
Book Review: ‘American Fantasy,’ by Emma Straub
Emma Straul’s sixth novel, *American Fantasy*, follows a four‑day cruise populated by 2,172 passengers, 1,500 crew members, and the aging members of fictional 1980s boy band Boy Talk. The story blends fan‑con vibes with adult summer‑camp antics, offering nostalgic pop‑culture...
Book Review: ‘Corto Maltese,’ by Hugo Pratt
Fantagraphics has released a new English edition of Hugo Pratt’s 1967 graphic novel collection, “Fable of Venice and Other Adventures,” reviving five classic Corto Maltese stories. The volume reintroduces the swashbuckling anti‑hero sailor amid wartime backdrops, while the review underscores...
Book Review: ‘The Oyster Diaries,’ by Nancy Lemann
Nancy Lemann’s novel *The Oyster Diaries* follows a well‑born New Orleans native who returns home only to feel like an outsider, using the city’s sensory overload as a backdrop. The review situates Lemann’s work within a literary lineage that includes Whitman,...
Book Review: ‘Here Where We Live Is Our Country,’ by Molly Crabapple
Molly Crabapple’s new book, *Here Where We Live Is Our Country*, revives the forgotten history of the early‑20th‑century Jewish Labor Bund, a socialist movement that rejected Zionism and championed Jewish cultural autonomy across the diaspora. The Bund built a robust...
Book Review: ‘Yesteryear,’ by Caro Claire Burke
Caro Claire Burke’s debut novel *Yesteryear* delves into the glossy yet unsettling world of a tradwife influencer who curates a perfect‑looking family life on social media while hiding deep personal and ethical cracks. The protagonist, Natalie Heller Mills, runs a retro‑styled...
The Month’s Best New Thriller Books
Sarah Lyall’s April 4, 2026 column spotlights Taylor Brown’s new thriller Wolvers, published by St. Martin’s for $29. The novel follows an assassin hired by a right‑wing militia to eliminate a government‑protected she‑wolf in the American Southwest, weaving perspectives of the killer, a local rancher,...
Meet the ‘Literary King of Tulsa’ (Before He Moves to Seattle)
Jeff Martin founded the nonprofit Magic City Books in Tulsa in 2017, turning a modest corner shop into a cultural hub that hosts over 100 author events and six reading groups each year. Martin, who also serves as director of...
Books Our Editors Loved This Week
The New York Times Book Review released its weekly "5 New Books We Love" list on April 2, 2026, highlighting a curated selection of recent titles across literary fiction, nonfiction, thrillers, romance, and mystery. The editors emphasize the ability for...
Terry Tempest Williams on Thoreau, Erdrich and Other Favorite Writers
Terry Tempest Williams, celebrated environmental writer, discusses her literary life in a candid interview, highlighting her upcoming book “The Glorians: Visitations From the Holy Ordinary.” She recounts a childhood gift—a Roger Tory Peterson bird field guide—that sparked her nature curiosity,...
Book Review: ‘This Land Is Your Land,’ by Beverly Gage
Beverly Gage’s new book *This Land Is Your Land* chronicles a two‑year road trip to roughly 300 historic sites, focusing on 13 pivotal moments in American history as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary. The narrative blends personal observation with...
Book Review: ‘Son of Nobody,’ by Yann Martel
Yann Martel’s new novel *Son of Nobody* revisits the Trojan War by foregrounding voices traditionally sidelined in classical epics. The review places the book within a decade‑long surge of “classical fan fiction” that reimagines ancient myths through contemporary, often feminist,...
Book Review: ‘A Good Person,’ by Kirsten King
Kirsten King’s debut novel *A Good Person* follows Lillian, a 29‑year‑old Boston marketer whose bitter breakup spirals into a hex‑driven murder mystery. The narrative blends dark comedy, magic‑realist revenge, and a satirical portrait of millennial office culture. King’s prose is...
Book Review: ‘The Witch,’ by Marie NDiaye
Marie NDiaye’s novel *The Witch*, originally published in France three decades ago, follows Lucie, a suburban housewife who discovers she possesses a modest, inherited witchcraft. The story portrays her struggle to wield this power amid a hostile husband, indifferent daughters,...
Doctors Believed Woody Brown Would Never Understand Language. He’s Publishing a Novel.
Woody Brown, diagnosed with severe autism as a toddler, has published his debut novel *Upward Bound*. Doctors once claimed he could not process language, but his mother’s use of a letter‑board enabled him to communicate and craft stories from a...
Book Review: ‘The Confessions of Samuel Pepys,’ by Guy De La Bédoyère
Guy de la Bédoyère’s new biography, *The Confessions of Samuel Pepys*, revives the 17th‑century diarist’s vivid, unvarnished voice. Pepys, a senior navy administrator, chronicled nine tumultuous years—including the Restoration, the 1665 plague, and the Great Fire—producing over a million words...
‘The Wild Party’ Is a Vivacious Play That Started as a Scandalous Poem
Joseph Moncure March’s 1926 narrative poem “The Wild Party,” notorious for its explicit depictions of sex, drugs, and violence, was banned in 1928 but has endured as a cultural touchstone. Over the decades it has been republished, illustrated, and adapted...
Book Review: ‘Transcription,’ by Ben Lerner
Ben Lerner’s latest work, the novella Transcription, arrives as a thin, iPad‑sized meditation on the blurred line between human hearing and digital recording. The unnamed narrator’s obsession with eavesdropping frames a broader inquiry into how technology both sustains and stultifies everyday...
Overlooked No More: Gertrude Chandler Warner, Author of ‘The Boxcar Children’
Gertrude Chandler Warner, the creator of the beloved "The Boxbox Children" series, is being honored after decades of obscurity. Her original 19 books, plus more than 200 ghost‑written titles, have sold over 80 million copies worldwide and remain in print. The...
Book Review: ‘The Keeper,’ by Tana French
Tana French’s latest novel, “The Keeper,” caps her Ardnakelty trilogy, following retired Chicago detective Cal Hooper as he confronts escalating violence in a remote Irish village. The story culminates in a tense, storm‑laden showdown where Lena Dunne, armed with a shotgun,...