Starred Review

Fair Ones: A Double Novel

by Lydia Millet

It's been said that friends are the family one chooses. Lydia Millet's Fair Ones perfectly encapsulates that sentiment. In this emotionally astute "double novel," Millet (Mermaids in Paradise; A Children's Bible) follows the interconnected lives of three female friends after the sudden death of one of them shatters their equilateral triangle and throws the lives of the survivors into turmoil.

Jen, Mara, and Claire are in their 40s when one spring morning, while awaiting the bus that will take her to the high

Requiem for Gaza

by Chris Hedges, Joe Sacco

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges and multiple Eisner- and Harvey-awarded cartoonist Joe Sacco reunite (after Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt) to create Requiem for Gaza, another wrenching--albeit remarkable--work: "The goal in Gaza is... to wipe out the past and replace it with amnesia, to mask Israeli crimes, including genocide." Sacco's haunting, signature black-and-white panels capture scenes where words are not enough. "This denial of historical truth and historical identity permits Israelis

Salty, Not Sweet: A Life in the Food World

by Florence Fabricant

Florence Fabricant's Salty, Not Sweet is a delectable memoir charting more than half a century of culinary evolution through the eyes of one of its most astute chroniclers. For decades, Fabricant's authoritative voice in the New York Times and in her 13 cookbooks has helped shape how we eat, cook, and think about food.

Fabricant writes with a brisk elegance, drawing readers into the bustling kitchens and fragrant international markets and dining rooms she has frequented since the 1960s. Her narrative pace

The Voice of the Snow!

by Yuko Ohnari, trans. by Emily Balistrieri, illus. by Koshiro Hata

The Voice of the Snow is an exuberant, impeccably child-centered story by Yuko Ohnari and Koshiro Hata, the creative duo behind Downpour, and translated from the Japanese by Emily Balistrieri. The picture book features a child who revels in the wonder of a snowy day by focusing on the joyful sounds--and silence--of the snow.

"It is so bright outside my window that it woke me up.... Snow!" The child pulls on a red jacket and oversize hat and goes outside. As the kid takes the first boot-sinking step, "the snow

Stealing Saint Nick: A Legendary Corpse, a Notorious Theft, and the Stories That Shape the World

by M.T. Anderson

National Book Award and Newbery Honor winner M.T. Anderson (Elf Dog & Owl Head) turned his fascination with Saint Nicholas into Nicked, which he calls a "swashbuckling heist novel" for adults. But after the book's publication, Anderson discovered overlooked, mischaracterized, and forgotten details. He has connected those precious finds with his original research in the absolute treasure Stealing Saint Nick, a YA nonfiction account of Saint Nicholas that is suspenseful, intriguing, and downright fascinating.

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Shelf Discovery

There's a Monster in the Lake: The World as a Fantastical Place

by Laura Fernández, trans. by Alexis Almeida

Spanish journalist Laura Fernández travels to Scotland to investigate the Loch Ness monster in this playful yet commanding philosophical long-form essay.

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The Radiance

by Ayad Akhtar

A New York writer temporarily relocates to the Hudson Valley to complete his book in this darkly entertaining novel by a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright.

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Night of a Thousand Hells

by Intan Paramaditha, trans. by Stephen J. Epstein, Tiffany Tsao

A suicide bomber's older sisters confront the brutal tragedy's aftermath in Intan Paramaditha's provocative, chilling Night of a Thousand Hells.

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Young Cat, Old Cat

by Jillian Tamaki

Jillian Tamaki combines fabrics, acrylic inks, and embroidery to create a multilayered homage to the long life of a little gray cat in this poignant picture book.

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The Secret to Belonging

by Megan E. Freeman

A neglected teen heals with found family while studying abroad in Norway in this poignantly cathartic young adult novel-in-verse.

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The Agatha Christie Cure: What Reading the Queen of Crime Taught Me About Life

by Cathy Rentzenbrink

Part biography and part literary escape, The Agatha Christie Cure is a heartwarming exploration of the comforting power of fiction.

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The Sisters of Crimson House

by Melissa Anderson Sweazy

The daughter of a famous psychic bloodline confronts her family's darkest secrets in this eerie, suspenseful Southern gothic horror fantasy.

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Partita

by Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver's down-to-earth 10th novel considers class, fate, politics, and generational trauma through the story of a pianist's shattered career.

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Murder on 34th Street

by Mariah Fredericks

This engrossing thriller set in 1932 delves into a woman's behind-the-scenes planning of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and her transformation into an amateur sleuth when someone is killed.

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Styx: The River

by Nikita Gill

This heartwrenching YA exploration of loneliness and grief reinterprets a chthonic goddess to consider what it means to be a woman.

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Court of Venus

by Bel Banta

In this lush romantic fantasy set at a Tudor-inspired court full of scheming, rival magicians must work together to discover the truth behind the murder of the king's son.

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Shelf Awareness

Media Heat

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Good Morning America: Terry Bradshaw, author of Looking for Terry: A Memoir (Harper Select, $29.99, 9781400260270).

Today: Erin French, author of The Lost Kitchen Volume 3: Seize the Supper (Celadon, $40, 978-1250369628).

The View: Patricia Williams-Lee, author of Ms. American Dream: A Memoir of Making It, No Matter What (Atria, $28, 9781668044216).

Here & Now: Michael Lewis, author of Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State (W.W. Norton, $29.99, 9781324131656).

Fresh Air: Yiyun Li, author of Music Against the Night: A Novel (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $29, 9780374613051).

Thursday, October 8, 2026

Here & Now: Jack Wong, author of Goodbye, Koi (Orchard Books, $19.99, 9781338830996).

Good Morning America: Dan Langan, author of Short and Sweet: 75 Simple Recipes to Bake Without a Stand Mixer (Union Square, $29.99, 9781454960812).

Today: Alon Shaya, co-author of Memories of a Good Meal: Recipes of Resilience Inspired by Stories of World War II Survival (Harvest, $38.99, 9780063418790).

The View: Kyle MacLachlan, author of Fictional Selves: A Memoir (Crown, $34, 9798217086320).

Jimmy Kimmel Live: Michael Douglas, author of One Helluva Ride (Grand Central, $35, 9781538782224).

Tonight Show: Patti Smith, author of Bread of Angels: A Memoir (Random House Trade Paperbacks, $20, 9781101910177).

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

CBS Mornings: Christy Carlson Romano, author of Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Fall and Rise of a Child Star (S&S/Simon Element, $29, 9781668082218).

Good Morning America: Mika Leon, author of Cuban Soul: 100 Vibrant Recipes from Mi Cocina (Union Square, $35, 9781454999140).

Today: Eric Ripert, author of Mindful Cooking: Simple Recipes for Nurturing Body and Soul (Random House, $38, 9780593978269).

Drew Barrymore Show: Diane Button, author of What Matters Most: Lessons the Dying Teach Us About Living (The Open Field, $29, 9780593833889).

Late Night with Seth Meyers: David Byrne, author of Sleeping Beauties: Why Good Ideas Go Dormant and How They Wake Up (Penguin Press, $36, 9780593655276).

Jimmy Kimmel Live: Malcolm Gladwell, author of The American Way of Killing: The Invention of an Epidemic (Little, Brown, $34, 9780316603782).

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

CBS Mornings: Vanessa Van Edwards, author of Conversation: How to Connect with Anyone & Make Every Interaction Count (Portfolio, $32, 9798217048298).

Good Morning America: Leah Victoria, author of And That's Dinner!: Flexible Recipes for Cooking Smarter, Not Harder (DK, $38, 9780593969847).

Today: Yotam Ottolenghi, author of Ottolenghi Simple Too: A Cookbook (Ten Speed Press, $45, 9781984860088).

Drew Barrymore Show: Barry Michels, author of Ahead of All Parting: On Learning to Live with an Open Heart (Spiegel & Grau, $28, 9781966302179).

Also on Drew Barrymore: Melissa King, author of The Girl Who Became King: A Memoir (The Dial Press, $30, 9780593594872).

Tamron Hall: Prabal Gurung, author of Walk Like a Girl: A Memoir (Viking, $32, 9780593493274).

Jimmy Kimmel Live: Kyle MacLachlan, author of Fictional Selves: A Memoir (Crown, $34, 9798217086320).

Monday, October 5, 2026

CBS Mornings: Michael Lewis, author of Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State (W.W. Norton, $29.99, 9781324131656).

The View: Sen. Thom Tillis, author of How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents: The Trouble with Sycophants, Courage Outsourcing, and Partisan Groupthink (Broadside Books, $32, 9780063580695).

Live with Kelly and Mark: Jean Chatzky, author of The Forever Paycheck: The New Retirement Strategy to Spend More, Worry Less, and Never Run Out of Money (Avery, $32, 9798217179473).

Fresh Air: Michael Douglas, author of One Helluva Ride (Grand Central, $35, 9781538782224). He also appeared on Good Morning America.