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 ...

Our columnist on the books that wowed her this year. By Sarah Lyall One fiction, one nonfiction (which he turns to at night). In “Future Boy,” he recalls juggling signature roles in “Back to the ...

Writing under a pseudonym, Madeleine Wickham cultivated an international following for her series centered on a young woman addicted to shopping. By Sopan Deb Our columnist on the books that wowed her ...

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 ...