Alexandra Jacobs, Jennifer Szalai and Dwight Garner look back at the books that, as Jacobs writes, “bonked me on the head this year.” Our critic A.O. Scott feels the heat of a wintry lyric by the ...

December 8, 2025 • Fresh Air's book critic says her picks tilt a bit to nonfiction, but the novels that made the cut redress the imbalance by their sweep and intensity. Karen Russell's The Antidote ...

November 24, 2025 • Our annual reading guide returns with 380+ new titles handpicked by NPR staff and trusted critics. Find 13 years of recommendations all in one place — that's more than 4,000 great ...