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 ...

Our columnist on the books that wowed her this year. By Sarah Weinman Writing under a pseudonym, Madeleine Wickham cultivated an international following for her series centered on a young woman ...

One of my favorite holiday traditions is getting comfy, grabbing my favorite holiday drink and treat, and settling down with a stack of the best Christmas novels, new and old. Is there anything cozier ...