Let Us Help You Find Your Next Book

2024-02-22T20:01:37.000Z

The editors of The New York Times Book Review bring you our latest reviews, page-turning thrillers, engrossing historical fiction, swoon-worthy romance, immersive science fiction and fantasy, spine-chilling horror and more! Updated May 22, 2026.

Let us help you choose your next book

I want a lush historical novel about sisterhood

I love small-town thrillers with dark secrets

Give me a sweeping yet intimate account of a revolution

A rivals-to-lovers road trip romance? Yes please!

I want a gripping story of death and the American dream

How about an everyday account of life under fascism?

I’d like a dishy account of an imploding marriage

A deep dive into a literary genius? Sign me up!

I want a darkly romantic Gothic fantasy

How about a quirky family tragedy?

Give me a sweeping tale of class conflict and ambition

I want a 1980s history with present-day resonance

A glorious Arthurian love story? Sign me up!

Give me an utterly absorbing thriller

I love emotional novels about friendship

I’d like a true story — the more swashbuckling, the better

Find more recommendations for genres you like

What’s new this month?

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett Stockett is back with a historical saga about a spinster bookkeeper and an 11-year-old orphanage resident in Great Depression era Mississippi. (May 5)

Stockett is back with a historical saga about a spinster bookkeeper and an 11-year-old orphanage resident in Great Depression era Mississippi. (May 5)

John of John by Douglas Stuart Cal, a young gay artist, returns to his remote Scottish hometown to care for his sick grandmother — and finds a nest of family secrets. (May 5)

Cal, a young gay artist, returns to his remote Scottish hometown to care for his sick grandmother — and finds a nest of family secrets. (May 5)

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune After she’s left at the altar, Frankie is strong-armed into going on her honeymoon anyway with her semi-estranged childhood best friend, George. (May 5)

After she’s left at the altar, Frankie is strong-armed into going on her honeymoon anyway with her semi-estranged childhood best friend, George. (May 5)

The Hill by Harriet Clark Eight-year-old Suzanna shuttles between two worlds: the prison where her mom is serving a life sentence, and her grandmother’s New York apartment. (May 5)

Eight-year-old Suzanna shuttles between two worlds: the prison where her mom is serving a life sentence, and her grandmother’s New York apartment. (May 5)

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout Strout trades Olive Kitteridge’s Maine for the coastal Massachusetts of Artie Dam, a depressed high school history teacher. (May 5)

The Things We Never Say

Strout trades Olive Kitteridge’s Maine for the coastal Massachusetts of Artie Dam, a depressed high school history teacher. (May 5)

One Leg on Earth by ’Pemi Aguda A recent transplant to Lagos, Nigeria, learns of what seems to be a curse: Pregnant women have been drowning themselves across the city. (May 5)

One Leg on Earth

A recent transplant to Lagos, Nigeria, learns of what seems to be a curse: Pregnant women have been drowning themselves across the city. (May 5)

Five by Ilona Bannister It is 7:01 a.m., and five people are on a suburban platform waiting for the 7:06 a.m. train to London. By the time it arrives, one of them will be dead. (May 5)

It is 7:01 a.m., and five people are on a suburban platform waiting for the 7:06 a.m. train to London. By the time it arrives, one of them will be dead. (May 5)

True Crime by Patricia Cornwell The best-selling author recalls her work as a forensics expert and her entanglement in a murder-for-hire plot involving a former F.B.I. agent. (May 5)

The best-selling author recalls her work as a forensics expert and her entanglement in a murder-for-hire plot involving a former F.B.I. agent. (May 5)

The Family Man by James Lasdun Lasdun brings literary polish to this account of the crimes of Alex Murdaugh, the high-flying South Carolina lawyer who murdered his wife and son. (May 5)

Lasdun brings literary polish to this account of the crimes of Alex Murdaugh, the high-flying South Carolina lawyer who murdered his wife and son. (May 5)

Backtalker by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw One of the chief architects of critical race theory charts her path from 1960s Ohio to the halls of Columbia law school and beyond. (May 5)

One of the chief architects of critical race theory charts her path from 1960s Ohio to the halls of Columbia law school and beyond. (May 5)

Dekonstructing the Kardashians by MJ Corey The social media creator behind the popular Kardashian Kolloquium examines the first family of our all-media age. (May 5)

The social media creator behind the popular Kardashian Kolloquium examines the first family of our all-media age. (May 5)

Seek the Traitor’s Son by Veronica Roth In this dystopian romance, a woman’s life is upended when prophets tell her she is destined to lead her nation into battle against a powerful empire. (May 12)

Seek the Traitor’s Son

In this dystopian romance, a woman’s life is upended when prophets tell her she is destined to lead her nation into battle against a powerful empire. (May 12)

The Lost Book of Lancelot by John Glynn This queer Arthurian epic follows Lancelot from his childhood, raised as an orphan on the Isle of Women, to the Round Table. (May 12)

The Lost Book of Lancelot

This queer Arthurian epic follows Lancelot from his childhood, raised as an orphan on the Isle of Women, to the Round Table. (May 12)

The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty The sequel to “The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi” finds the swashbuckling pirate queen of the Indian Ocean on her most dangerous mission yet. (May 12)

The Tapestry of Fate

The sequel to “The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi” finds the swashbuckling pirate queen of the Indian Ocean on her most dangerous mission yet. (May 12)

Athens and Sparta by Adrian Goldsworthy This accessible history unspools the tangled relationship between the two most powerful city-states in classical Greece, alternately allies and rivals. (May 12)

This accessible history unspools the tangled relationship between the two most powerful city-states in classical Greece, alternately allies and rivals. (May 12)

Canon by Paige Lewis Lewis’s madcap epic follows two hapless people, an artist and a prophet, on a divine mission to defeat an entity named Dominic. (May 19)

Lewis’s madcap epic follows two hapless people, an artist and a prophet, on a divine mission to defeat an entity named Dominic. (May 19)

How to Rule the World by Theo Baker Baker’s scorching portrait of Stanford University exposes the influential dweebocracy that “sets the agenda for the planet.” (May 19)

How to Rule the World

Baker’s scorching portrait of Stanford University exposes the influential dweebocracy that “sets the agenda for the planet.” (May 19)

Keeper of My Kin by Ada Ferrer Ferrer’s deeply researched memoir tells the entwined stories of the Cuban Revolution and the ways it severed her family. (May 19)

Keeper of My Kin

Ferrer’s deeply researched memoir tells the entwined stories of the Cuban Revolution and the ways it severed her family. (May 19)

Steve Jobs in Exile by Geoffrey Cain This history of Steve Jobs’s “wilderness years” traces how he morphed from a cocky visionary into a mature, strategic leader. (May 19)

Steve Jobs in Exile

This history of Steve Jobs’s “wilderness years” traces how he morphed from a cocky visionary into a mature, strategic leader. (May 19)

Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young by Zayd Ayers Dohrn The son of two leaders of the militant leftist group the Weather Underground reconstructs his parents’ lives in the 1960s and ’70s. (May 19)

Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young

The son of two leaders of the militant leftist group the Weather Underground reconstructs his parents’ lives in the 1960s and ’70s. (May 19)

The Danger to Be Sane by Rosa Montero In this moving and idiosyncratic book, the Spanish writer Montero explores the links between art and mental stability. (May 19)

The Danger to Be Sane

In this moving and idiosyncratic book, the Spanish writer Montero explores the links between art and mental stability. (May 19)

Talking Classics by Mary Beard The popular British classicist surveys the the ancient people and objects that have delighted and intrigued her over her life and career. (May 21)

The popular British classicist surveys the the ancient people and objects that have delighted and intrigued her over her life and career. (May 21)

Babylon, South Dakota by Tom Lin After the government builds a missile silo on an immigrant couple’s Midwest homestead, inexplicable events start to occur. (May 26)

After the government builds a missile silo on an immigrant couple’s Midwest homestead, inexplicable events start to occur. (May 26)

The Midnight Train by Matt Haig Magically transported by train back to his Venice honeymoon, Wilbur tries to correct the mistake that lost him the love of his life. (May 26)

Magically transported by train back to his Venice honeymoon, Wilbur tries to correct the mistake that lost him the love of his life. (May 26)

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan An overextended single mom agrees to pose as the girlfriend of a scion of her Rhode Island hometown’s founding family for the summer. (May 26)

Dolly All the Time

An overextended single mom agrees to pose as the girlfriend of a scion of her Rhode Island hometown’s founding family for the summer. (May 26)

The Land and Its People by David Sedaris In his newest collection, Sedaris takes on the indignities and freedoms of aging with his characteristic élan. (May 26)

The Land and Its People

In his newest collection, Sedaris takes on the indignities and freedoms of aging with his characteristic élan. (May 26)

See more books we’re looking forward to in May.

Our Spring Book Recommendations

Our editors Jennifer Harlan, MJ Franklin and Joumana Khatib recommend new releases you should be reading this spring.

Star Shippedby Cat Sebastian

John of Johnby Douglas Stuart

No New Yorkby Adele Bertei

The Witchby Marie NDiaye

London Fallingby Patrick Radden Keefe

We Burned So Brightby TJ Klune

On Witness and Respairby Jesmyn Ward

American Hanby Lisa Lee

Our Perfect Stormby Carley Fortune

The Tapestry of Fateby Shannon Chakraborty

The Palm Houseby Gwendoline Riley

See more of our most-anticipated fiction and nonfiction spring releases.

Keeper of My Kinby Ada Ferrer

How to Rule the Worldby Theo Baker

Talking Classicsby Mary Beard

Take Me with Youby Steven Rowley

The Originalby Priya Parmar

Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Youngby Zayd Ayers Dohrn

Selling Opportunityby Mary Lisa Gavenas

Look What You Made Me Doby John Lanchester

From Life Itselfby Suzy Hansen

Seek the Traitor's Sonby Veronica Roth

Nerve Damageby Annakeara Stinson

The Hillby Harriet Clark

The Family Manby James Lasdun

The Successorby Mikhail Fishman

The Calamity Clubby Kathryn Stockett

John of Johnby Douglas Stuart

Stay for a Spellby Amy Coombe

Tinier, but just as mighty.

Empire of AIby Karen Hao

Things in Nature Merely Growby Yiyun Li

Great Big Beautiful Lifeby Emily Henry

What Will People Think?by Sara Hamdan

Murder in the Dollhouseby Rich Cohen

Hunger Like a Thirstby Besha Rodell

These Summer Stormsby Sarah MacLean

How to Lose Your Motherby Molly Jong-Fast

Melting Pointby Rachel Cockerell

Second Lifeby Amanda Hess

Girl on Girlby Sophie Gilbert

Memorial Daysby Geraldine Brooks

The Doormanby Chris Pavone

Saving Fiveby Amanda Nguyen

America, Américaby Greg Grandin

Vanishing Worldby Sayaka Murata

Mỹ Documentsby Kevin Nguyen

Strangers in the Landby Michael Luo

Fish Talesby Nettie Jones

Distant Starby Roberto Bolaño

The Bookshopby Evan Friss

You Are Fatally Invitedby Ande Pliego

How Soccer Explains the Worldby Franklin Foer

A Family Matterby Claire Lynch

Fair Playby Louise Hegarty

Authorityby Andrea Long Chu

Big Bad Woolby Leonie Swann

A Walk in the Parkby Kevin Fedarko

The Eyes Are the Best Partby Monika Kim

Rabbit Moonby Jennifer Haigh

Fear No Pharaohby Richard Kreitner

The 10 Best Books of 2025

Angel Downby Daniel Kraus

The Directorby Daniel Kehlmann

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunnyby Kiran Desai

The Sistersby Jonas Hassen Khemiri

Stone Yard Devotionalby Charlotte Wood

A Marriage at Seaby Sophie Elmhirst

Mother Emanuelby Kevin Sack

Mother Mary Comes to Meby Arundhati Roy

There Is No Place for Usby Brian Goldstone.

Wild Thingby Sue Prideaux

Read more about our 10 Best Books of 2025.

100 Notable Books of 2025

The standout fiction and nonfiction of the year, selected by the staff of the Book Review.

Things in Nature Merely Growby Yiyun Li

The Colonyby Annika Norlin

Apple in Chinaby Patrick McGee

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soilby V.E. Schwab

I Seek a Kind Personby Julian Borger

Lonely Crowdsby Stephanie Wambugu

Sunrise on the Reapingby Suzanne Collins

Daughters of the Bamboo Groveby Barbara Demick

We Do Not Partby Han Kang

Dark Renaissanceby Stephen Greenblatt

These Summer Stormsby Sarah MacLean

Raising Hareby Chloe Dalton

The Tragedy of True Crimeby John J. Lennon

The Buffalo Hunter Hunterby Stephen Graham Jones

A Gentleman’s Gentlemanby TJ Alexander

A Flower Traveled in My Bloodby Haley Cohen Gilliland

Every Day Is Sundayby Ken Belson

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against Thisby Omar El Akkad

Read more about our 100 Notable Books of 2025.

I love small-town drama and dark secrets

How about a stormy, Scottish, literary whodunit?

I’d like a slow-burn mystery and coming-of-age tale

Give me a page-turning twist on a literary classic

I want a border-hopping spy thriller

How about a delightful locked-room whodunit?

A crime-solving duo with prickly chemistry? Yes, please!

I’d like to revisit a midcentury classic

I want a big-city mystery with murder, lust and wealth

How about a mesmerizing psychological thriller?

I like small-town crimes and fraught adventures

Give me an elegant mystery set in turn-of-the-century Venice

I want a cozy mystery with a charming protagonist

I love historical thrillers that surprise me in every way

Who is the most appealing amateur detective around?

I’d like an ingenious and charming 1920s mystery

Give me a great campus crime novel

Take me to a New Zealand village with a murky past

I’d like a tense, slow-burn story of a vacation gone wrong

How about an academic whodunit with satirical bite?

A forensic scientist in crisis? Sign me up!

I want a fingernails-bitten-to-the-quick mystery

I love rich tales of historical espionage

Got any fresh spins on the serial killer narrative?

I’d like to hang out with my favorite senescent detectives

Give me a riveting story I’ll blaze through in one sitting

Get Lost in Historical Fiction

Mule Boyby Andrew Krivak

The Scent of Orangesby Kathy George

Now I Surrenderby Álvaro Enrigue

We Are Green and Tremblingby Gabriela Cabezón Cámara

A Very Cold Winterby Fausta Cialente

A Great Act of Loveby Heather Rose

Berlin Shuffleby Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz

Rebel English Academyby Mohammed Hanif

The Infamous Gilbertsby Angela Tomaski

The Last of Earthby Deepa Anappara

Canticleby Janet Rich Edwards

Hope and Destinyby Niklas Natt och Dag

Watching Over Herby Jean-Baptiste Andrea

Beasts of the Seaby Iida Turpeinen

I Am Youby Victoria Redel

The Jaguar’s Roarby Micheliny Verunschk

The Burning Groundsby Abir Mukherjee

The Rushby Beth Lewis

The Girl in the Green Dressby Mariah Fredericks

Simone in Piecesby Janet Burroway

Love, Sex, and Frankensteinby Caroline Lea

Murder in Constantinopleby A.E. Goldin

Venetian Vespersby John Banville

The Book of Iby David Greig

The Art of a Lieby Laura Shepherd-Robinson

Eden’s Clockby Norman Lock

The Book of Guiltby Catherine Chidgey

This Here Is Loveby Princess Joy L. Perry

Fonsecaby Jessica Francis Kane

The Originalby Nell Stevens

World Pacificby Peter Mann

The Houndingby Xenobe Purvis

The Paris Matchby Kate Clayborn

Star Shippedby Cat Sebastian

A Widow’s Charmby Caitlyn Paxson

Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Dieby Greer Stothers

Honey Bee Mineby Sarah T. Dubb

Only Friendsby Lydia San Andres

Skate It Till You Make Itby Rufaro Faith Mazarura

Dom Comby Adriana Anders

Mr. Collins in Loveby Lee Welch

Seeing Other Peopleby Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

The Heir Apparentby Rebecca Armitage

It Had to Be Himby Adib Khorram

Breakout Yearby KD Casey

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Any Moreby Emily Krempholtz

Son of the Morningby Akwaeke Emezi

Cinder Houseby Freya Marske

Ghost Businessby Jen DeLuca

Ladies in Hatingby Alexandra Vasti

The Isle in the Silver Seaby Tasha Suri

Sweet Heatby Bolu Babalola

The Austen Affairby Madeline Bell

The Princess and the P.I.by Nikki Payne

Gabriela and His Graceby Liana de la Rosa

The Unexpected Heiressby Cassidy Crane

August Laneby Regina Black

The Entanglement of Rival Wizardsby Sara Raasch

By Marsh and by Moorby Annick Trent

Tusk Loveby Thea Guanzon and Critical Role

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeepingby Sangu Mandanna

Love Is a War Songby Danica Nava

Ready to Scoreby Jodie Slaughter

How to Sell a Romanceby Alexa Martin

A Rare Findby Joanna Lowell

Mercy Fletcher Meets Her Matchby Aydra Richards

Time Loops and Meet Cutesby Jackie Lau

Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salonby Annie Mare

The Education of Kia Greerby Alanna Bennett

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Dukeby Adriana Herrera

The Essential Jane Austen

Where should I start?

I adore a story about sisters

I want a novel with a more realistic view of love

I’m up for a challenge

Give me her most charming and funny novel

I’d like something spooky

I’ve read everything Austen wrote. Now what?

Where can I learn more about Jane the person?

Read more about Jane Austen’s essential works.

Thrilling Science Fiction and Fantasy

The Witchby Marie NDiaye

The Beheading Gameby Rebecca Lehmann

A Widow’s Charmby Caitlyn Paxson

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelterby Heather Fawcett

The Everlastingby Alix E. Harrow

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Any Moreby Emily Krempholtz

I, Medusaby Ayana Gray

Cursed Daughtersby Oyinkan Braithwaite

Son of the Morningby Akwaeke Emezi

The Isle in the Silver Seaby Tasha Suri

Cinder Houseby Freya Marske

King Sorrowby Joe Hill

The Rose Fieldby Philip Pullman

A Different Kind of Tensionby Jonathan Lethem

The Book of Guiltby Catherine Chidgey

The Poisoned Kingby Katherine Rundel

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeepingby Sangu Mandanna

The Bewitchingby Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Time Loops and Meet Cutesby Jackie Lau

The Palm-Wine Drinkardby Amos Tutuola

Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salonby Annie Mare

A Forbidden Alchemyby Stacey McEwan

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soilby V.E. Schwab

Harmattan Seasonby Tochi Onyebuchi

The Book of Recordsby Madeleine Thien

Don’t Sleep With the Deadby Nghi Vo

A Palace Near the Windby Ai Jiang

Find more fantasy novels we love.

One Leg on Earthby ’Pemi Aguda

Girl Dinnerby Olivie Blake

King Sorrowby Joe Hill

The Unveilingby Quan Berry

On Earth as It Is Beneathby Ana Paula Maia

Secret Lives of the Deadby Tim Lebbon

This Is My Bodyby Lindsay King-Miller

Lost in the Dark and Other Excursionsby John Langan

House of Bethby Kerry Cullen

The Library at Helleboreby Cassandra Khaw

One Yellow Eyeby Leigh Radford

With a Vengeanceby Riley Sager

Strange Housesby Uketsu; translated by Jim Rion

We Live Here Nowby Sarah Pinborough

The Night Birdsby Christopher Golden

Immaculate Conceptionby Ling Ling Huang

The Haunting of Room 904by Erika T. Wurth

The Butcher’s Daughterby David Demchuk and Corinne Leigh Clark

Sour Cherryby Natalia Theodoridou

See more recent favorites from the Book Review.

Still Haven’t Found What You’re Looking For?

Tell us what kind of books you want to read. We may feature them on this page or in an upcoming story.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/books/what-to-read-next.html