book review the list

#ReadWithMC Readers Declare Yomi Adegoke's 'The List' a Certified 'Page-Turner'

"I laughed. I cried and at some moments, I was genuinely afraid to turn the page..."

When a book has you hooked from the very first page, then you know you're in for a ride, and boy what a ride our latest #ReadWithMC pick was. In November, our book club members dove into Yomi Adegoke's The List , a gripping story on the ramifications of social media, anonymity, and cancel culture. Taking center stage is Ola, a British high-profile journalist with a penchant for exposing #MeToo stories and who's about to marry fiancé Michael. The two soon become social media famous as the epitome of "Black Love," but the fairytale romance all comes crashing down just a month before the wedding when Michael's name appears on an anonymous list calling him out as an abuser. Ola is then left with a choice: does she believe her soon-to-be husband or the story of victims she's built a career supporting?

While The List is a wildly entertaining story, our book club members loved that it tackled deeper issues. "I loved how the author was able to navigate the nuances of social injustices, criminal injustices, victim blaming, political and racial movements and a host of other concerns in between," wrote @charliauthor. "Everything just read and felt so real." In their five-star review, @tabbireads wrote something similar: "I cannot fathom the genius/emotional intelligence required to write a book which handles such a complicated thought experiment and all its ramifications in such an engaging, thought-provoking and multi-faceted way!" Other members also described The List as "addictive," "thought-provoking," "phenomenal," and on more than one occasion, a "page-turner."

Each month, we gather up the reviews of our  virtual book club  members so anyone else looking for their next great read has a collection of recommendations. Here's what #ReadWithMC readers had to say about  The List.  

"the list by yomi adegoke 🫢💍📱5⭑

now if you think it’s strange that I read this in sept and am only just reviewing it now, mind ur business xxx

the countdown to ola and michael’s wedding in on (literally bc every chapter is x days til the wedding). ola is a high profile feminist journalist and she’s marrying successful media man, michael. all is fine, everyone is excited, until one morning, michael is named on a twitter list of allegedly abusive men. and then the shit starts to hit the fan.

this book had me gripped from page one - the pacing is excellent, the characters are so perfectly drawn and the social commentary is smart and witty and to the point. there’s not a lot more I ask for in a fiction pick and this was the first book in a hot minute I can confidently call a page turner. couldn’t wait to pick it up, couldn’t put it down.

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I was also so delighted by how it wrapped up. I didn’t see the ending coming and I was so delightfully surprised when it did. highly recommend for a reading slump - big thank you to  @4thestatebooks  for gifting me this proof copy, I enjoyed every page 🫶🏼" —  @tierneybooks

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"📚 Book Review 📚

Title: The List

Author: @yomi.adegoke

Publication Date: 20 July 2023

“A man accused of stealing a goat should not entertain visitors with goat stew”.

What a book!

27 days before Michael and Ola’s wedding The List is released on twitter… it’s a collection of names posting allegations. And Michaels name is on it.

From the moment The List comes out in the book on page 9, i was hooked, anxious, and so curious!

Throughout the book, we countdown to the wedding while dealing with The List, Michael and Ola’s jobs, friendships, their relationship and their future.

It is brilliantly written, and while reading the book, I couldn’t help but think - what would I do if I knew someone on The List?

I couldn’t put this novel down, it was an absolute page turner. I held my breath a lot, but it was incredibly great! So clever! And the ending was superb!! I loved it!

It’s a great reminder that the internet and social media is powerful. True or not true, a life can be destroyed so easily.

Looking forward to watching the tv series, it will be a fantastic show!" — @mim_reads

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"The List 📝 Yomi Adegoke

★ ★ ★ ★

Ola is a successful journalist at a female magazine and is marrying Michael in less than one month. Michael has just landed a dream media job and together Ola and Michael are a social media power couple.

Until, a list of abusers in the media industry is published and circulated online with Michael on the list. Ola must find out the truth before their fast approaching wedding day.

This book expresses the grey areas of abuse allegations really well. As the story goes on we see the truth behind others also on the list and the reader is reminded not to always make snap judgements, as so many do on the internet.

It also explores the impact on the women close to the alleged perpetrators and the conflicting emotions they face.

It’s addictive, juicy and thought provoking. I have to admit I thought the book was a bit one dimensional when I reached the middle but it completely picked up towards the end and had me gripped in the last few chapters.

It’s a story about the internet, feminism, the #metoo movement, toxic masculinity and the impact of allegations.

If you enjoyed The List, I’d recommend Underbelly by Anna Whitehouse which is another addictive story about the dark side of social media.

I found the Q&A at the end of the audiobook (and the Vogue interview) with Yomi really interesting, it was great to hear about her writing journey and motivations behind writing this kind of story.

And did you know The List is being adapted for tv🙌🏽🤩" — @libraryofluc

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"REVIEW: The List ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was excellent!

Honestly, after so many duds in the Fantasy space, i decided to have a breather/pallet cleanser and it was phenomenal! The added pleasure of this being set in South London with all its accompanying colloquialisms and cultural references, was a pleasure to read.

Ola and Michael are considered InstaFamous and the epitome of 'Black Love'. They seem to have it all but when Michael's name is found on a list of men in the media who are predators, the cracks in their relationship begin to show.

To the untrained eye, this is basically written in an entire other language! Lol. It might even be difficult for non-black South Londoners to understand but for me who grew up around the speech, these types of people, it an exemplary spotlight on our culture, the good and the bad.

I adore how the author was able to describe certain characters that had similarities to actual Black famous and Insta-famous individuals that made it all the more entertaining. This isn’t to say that those people had done anything like what the book says they’ve done, but they were just wonderful depictions of the type of people found in our communities and it was clear that the author was able to build those visions through a shared social experience.

I laughed. I cried and at some moments, I was genuinely afraid to turn the page because I wasn’t sure what surprises would be revealed. The social commentary throughout out was incredible and i loved how the author was able to navigate the nuances of social injustices, criminal injustices, victim blaming, political and racial movements and a host of other concerns in between. Everything just read and felt so real, and i cant commend it enough for being so genuine.

The ending absolutely blew me away and i implore all of your to go out and read this book. Not only for a great story, an easy read with depth but to get a real depiction of Black British culture at its finest but in some cases, at its worst.

Thank you for this @yomi.adegoke 👸🏿" — @charliauthor

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"REVIEW the list by yomi adegoke

i didn’t know what was going to fill the void after yellowface, because i found that combination of easy to read but intellectually complex so addictive and stimulating BUT ‘the list’ was absolutely perfect.

the list has the same vibe in that it’s an absolute page-turner which feels like a thriller whilst offering a nuanced dissection of society and v topical issues (side note: if anyone knows of other books in this category let me know - i’m going to try eliza clark’s new book next as i think ‘boy parts’ also met this criteria)

‘the list’ is about ola, a high-profile journalist and women’s rights advocate and her fiancé michael when their world falls apart because a list of abusive men, anonymously submitted by victims, goes viral and michael’s name is on it.

i cannot fathom the genius/emotional intelligence required to write a book which handles such a complicated thought experiment and all its ramifications in such an engaging, thought-provoking and multi-faceted way!! the narrative alternates between ola, navigating whether to believe michael and aligning her behaviour with her feminist values, and michael, navigating the reason he was put on the list and his relationships with the men in his life. JUST READ IT it’s soo good bye xx" —  @tabbireads

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Brooke Knappenberger is the Associate Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she specializes in crafting shopping stories—from sales content to buying guides that span every vertical on the site. She also oversees holiday coverage with an emphasis on gifting guides as well as Power Pick , our monthly column on the items that power the lives of MC’s editors. She has over three years of experience writing on fashion, beauty, and entertainment and her work has appeared on Looper, NickiSwift, The Sun US, and Vox Magazine of Columbia, Missouri. Brooke obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism with an emphasis on Magazine Editing and has a minor in Textile and Apparel Management.

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The List: A Good Morning America Book Club Pick Hardcover – Deckle Edge, October 3, 2023

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A  GOOD MORNING AMERICA  BOOK CLUB PICK!

Recommended by The New York Times • Vogue • People • NPR • Vulture • The Guardian • Cosmopolitan •  Rolling Stone • Publishers Weekly • The Sunday Times • and many more!

In this sensational, page-turning debut novel, a high-profile female journalist’s world is upended when her fiancé’s name turns up in a viral social media post—a nuanced, daring, and timely exploration of the real-world impact of online life, from award-winning journalist and internationally bestselling author Yomi Adegoke.

“Brilliantly written, intricately plotted and incredibly clever. Once I started, I could not put it down, and I am sure I'll be thinking about this book for a very long time.” — Abi Daré,  New York Times  bestselling author of  The Girl with the Louding Voice

Ola Olajide, a celebrated journalist at Womxxxn magazine, is set to marry the love of her life in one month’s time. Young, beautiful, and successful—she and her fiancé Michael are considered the “couple goals” of their social network and seem to have it all. That is, until one morning when they both wake up to the same message: “Oh my god, have you seen The List?”  

It began as a crowdsourced collection of names and somehow morphed into an anonymous account posting allegations on social media. Ola would usually be the first to support such a list—she’d retweet it, call for the men to be fired, write article after article. Except this time, Michael’s name is on it.

Compulsively readable, wildly entertaining, and filled with sharp social insight,  The List  is a piercing and dazzlingly clear-sighted debut about secrets, lies, and the internet. Perfect for fans of  Such a Fun Age ,  Luster,  and  My Dark Vanessa , this is a searing portrait of these modern times and our morally complicated online culture.

“Topical, heartfelt, provocative and wise, Yomi Adegoke’s characters are tenderly realized . . . the entire cast of this ultimate millennial novel springs vividly to life.” — Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author of  Girl, Woman, Other

  “ The List asks ‘what if?’ and the answers will surely get people thinking. A vibrantly told exploration of the messy interface between virtual and offline relationships. A page-turning tale!” — Charmaine Wilkerson,  New York Times  bestselling author of  Black Cake

• Print length 336 pages
• Language English
• Publisher William Morrow
• Publication date October 3, 2023
• Dimensions 6 x 1.01 x 9 inches
• ISBN-10 0063274876
• ISBN-13 978-0063274877
• See all details

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Editorial Reviews

“I couldn’t put down Adegoke’s novel. . . there’s nothing better than a story that reminds us that there’s actually a human behind every social media pile-on." — Marie Claire, Best Books of the Year

“What makes an unputdownable read? It’s usually an indelible combination of compelling, complicated characters; a propulsive, suspenseful plot; a glamorous setting; a dash of romance; and thorny themes that are sure to inspire frenzied debate. Yomi Adegoke’s new novel, The List . . . has all of that in spades, and is guaranteed to have you hooked from the first page.” — Vogue

"This astute debut about the Internet and reality’s gray areas leads to a disturbing twist." — People

“Anyone who’s ever been part of a whisper network will recognize the misogyny in the worlds this couple inhabits, and anyone who has watched The Morning Show will recognize that there’s going to be a big showdown, although the accusations might surprise everyone. Adegoke does not disappoint.”  — Bethanne Patrick, NPR

“ The List asks ‘what if?’ and the answers will surely get people thinking. A vibrantly told exploration of the messy interface between virtual and offline relationships. A page-turning tale!” — Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake

“Yomi Adegoke explores a tricky subject with enormous skill and delicacy, and the result is a brilliant, emotionally engaging novel, as taut as a thriller and just as compelling.” — Irish Times

“Powerful. . . Adegoke provides an acute and often chilling portrait of the power of social media, the online rush to judgment, and the grey areas between guilt and innocence.”  — The Guardian

“In British writer Adegoke’s complex and revelatory U.S. debut, an online magazine editor in London is put in a difficult position after her fiancé is anonymously accused of harassment and physical assault at an office party. . . . The story is full of poignant turns and nuanced insights, such as when Michael examines how he was negatively conditioned as a boy by a misogynist culture. This page-turner has bite.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A real nail-biter, this impeccably written debut from journalist Adegoke . . . keeps audiences wondering until the end. Boasting cinematic qualities that will ease its jump to the screen, this book has already been sold for a TV series.” — Library Journal  (starred review)

“Adegoke delivers a thought-provoking account of the power of social media to amplify and to silence, as well as the devastating effects of online pileups that catch innocent bystanders in their wake. This timely novel demands to be discussed.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Yomi Adegoke’s debut thriller is sophisticated, complex, and smart, posing an uneasy question: what would you do if your partner was accused of a heinous act? And how would you go about finding out the truth? The List follows Ola and Michael, two Black British professionals whose status as #couplegoals is threatened by shocking (and anonymous) revelations about Michael’s behavior towards another woman.” — Crimereads

“Topical, heartfelt, provocative and wise, Yomi Adegoke’s characters are tenderly realized, and she has an exceptional ear for capturing different vernaculars so that the entire cast of this ultimate millennial novel springs vividly to life.”  — Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author of Girl, Woman, Other

“ The List was phenomenal. Brilliantly written, intricately plotted and incredibly clever. Once I started, I could not put it down, and I am sure I'll be thinking about this book for a very long time. Five solid stars from me. Thank you to Yomi for sharing her talent with the world.” — Abi Daré, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl with the Louding Voice

“Cleverly constructed, utterly compelling, immersive, and addictive. The List is the literary equivalent of ‘water cooler television’. I was hooked from the first page.” — Sara Collins, internationally bestselling author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton 

“A whip-smart and thought-provoking dissection of a terrifyingly plausible 'what if' . . . a triumph.”  — Ruth Ware, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The It Girl 

“Intelligent, funny, topical, and impossible to put down.”  — Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of  The Girl on the Train

“It’s quite the cocktail – a page-turner that you can’t second guess.” — The Times (UK)

"Clever and intricately plotted, The List examines the dark side of social media and its influence on even the closest of our personal relationships. Weaving in anonymous allegations and the way they call into question our responsibility and loyalty, this is a book that's just right for our times.” — Harper's Bazaar (UK)

“The book that everyone’s talking about…. The hype is real.” — The Independent (UK)

“One of the most anticipated debuts of the year and with a perfectly manicured finger on the popular culture pulse, The List, is a must-read…. Such a clever, timely read, fans of Yellowface will love The List too.’” — Red Magazine (UK)

"What makes an unputdownable summer read? It’s usually an indelible combination of compelling, complicated characters, a propulsive, suspenseful plot, a glamorous setting, a dash of romance and thorny themes that are sure to inspire frenzied debate. Yomi Adegoke’s new novel, The List . . . has all of that in spades, and is guaranteed to have you hooked from the first page. . . . Jaw dropping, as are the numerous twists scattered throughout, each and every one profoundly cinematic.”  — Vogue (UK)

“ The List is topical, thought-provoking and vital, diving into the grey areas of difficult conversations that both writers and readers tend to avoid. And in the process, opening much needed debates about cancel culture, anonymity and the terrifying power of the internet.” — Marie Claire (UK)

About the Author

Yomi Adegoke is a multi-award-winning journalist and internationally bestselling author. She is currently a columnist at the  Guardian  and  British Vogue . She’s written for the  Sunday Times , the  Independent ,  Stylist , and the  New Statesman , among others, and was the host of the  Women’s Prize for Fiction  Podcast. In 2018, she cowrote the bestselling book  Slay in Your Lane  and in the same year was named one of the most influential people in London by the  Evening Standard . She is a recipient of the Groucho Maverick Award and a Marie Claire Future Shaper Award, and in 2021 she was named one of Forbes 30 under 30.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow (October 3, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063274876
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063274877
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.9 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.01 x 9 inches
• #1,346 in Family Life Fiction (Books)
• #3,920 in Literary Fiction (Books)
• #5,457 in Suspense Thrillers

About the author

Yomi adegoke.

Yomi Adegoke is a multi award-winning journalist and author. She is currently a columnist at The Guardian and British Vogue and is the former host of the Women's Fiction Prize podcast. In 2018, she co-wrote the bestselling book Slay In Your Lane and the same year was named one of the most influential people in London by the Evening Standard. She also was awarded the Groucho Maverick and Marie Clare Future Shaper awards. In 2021, she was named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list.

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In this sensational, page-turning debut novel, a high-profile female journalist’s world is upended when her fiancé’s name turns up in a viral social media post --- a nuanced, daring and timely exploration of the real-world impact of online life, from award-winning journalist and internationally bestselling author Yomi Adegoke.

Ola Olajide, a celebrated journalist at Womxxxn magazine, is set to marry the love of her life in one month’s time. Young, beautiful and successful, she and her fiancé, Michael, are considered the “couple goals” of their social network and seem to have it all. That is, until one morning when they both wake up to the same message: “Oh my god, have you seen The List?”

It began as a crowdsourced collection of names and somehow morphed into an anonymous account posting allegations on social media. Ola usually would be the first to support such a list --- she’d retweet it, call for the men to be fired, write article after article. Except this time, Michael’s name is on it.

Compulsively readable, wildly entertaining and filled with sharp social insight, THE LIST is a piercing and dazzlingly clear-sighted debut about secrets, lies and the internet. Perfect for fans of SUCH A FUN AGE, LUSTER and MY DARK VANESSA, this is a searing portrait of these modern times and our morally complicated online culture.

The List by Yomi Adegoke

• Publication Date: October 3, 2023
• Genres: Fiction
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow
• ISBN-10: 0063274876
• ISBN-13: 9780063274877

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The List by Yomi Adegoke review: A novel that asks, if our loved ones were cancelled, could we defend them?

Adegoke's debut novel takes our basest emotions and looks at how we deal with them when pushed to our limits.

How would you stand up to scrutiny if you found yourself at the centre of a public scandal? It is a question many are preoccupied with these days, particularly since the popularisation of the term “cancel culture” in the late 2010s.

From ambiguous faux pas to unequivocally abysmal transgressions, we’ve all sat in the peanut gallery, casting aspersions on those who have let us and others down, or callously abused their power, or in some cases, those we couldn’t wait to see take a fall.

This is the very conundrum at the heart of The List , the much-­anticipated debut novel from Slay in Your Lane author Yomi Adegoke . With an Instagram-famous It couple – Ola, a senior journalist at a self-conscious, capital “F” feminist women’s digital publication, and Michael, an up-and-coming presenter at a similarly cynical all-white digital start-up – at the centre of an internet-grown scandal, the book examines society’s complex relationship with moral outrage and questions how our feelings about it change when we are the ones in the firing line.

One morning, with weeks to go before their wedding, the couple wake up to texts and tweets about a list detailing allegation after allegation against prominent men – including Michael. For well-known feminist writer Ola, known for breaking stories about similar abuses of power, the tug between holding on to her moral compass and trusting her partner becomes all-consuming.

Rather than lazily lulling readers into an “It’s cancel culture gone mad” trap, The List holds up a mirror to our internal biases and deeply held beliefs around a number of prejudices, forcing us to ask ourselves: if someone close to you – say, your fiancé – was accused of an act that shattered your entire sense of morality in a public forum, how far would you go to defend them? Should you, at all?

It’s not hard to see why, earlier this year, Deadline reported that A24, BBC and HBO Max were all in the process of developing a TV adaptation of this nuanced and at times challenging story. It tells a tale we’ve seen play out many times before: who and what is worthy of our forgiveness? And how do our parasocial relationships with the accused sway us when we make those choices?

Rachel Cusk's Parade offers a lot for the head - but nothing for the heart

Beyond the central theme of cancellation, Adegoke has created a world that feels eerily familiar. We meet self-aggrandising media moguls, just as guilty of all the archaic, harmful cultures they profess to reject; the enviable #BlackLove couple, not nearly as perfect as their social media profiles suggest; the absolute terms we impose on often-complicated situations; and the ugliness of human nature when afforded the cloak of digital anonymity.

It is a world Adegoke knows well, having begun her career in journalism, sometimes covering the sorts of stories at the centre of The List , profiling people who are no strangers to the court of public opinion.

Her representation of Black British (specifically British-Nigerian and British-Ghanaian) cultures appears effortless, with characters and details that speak to the multiplicity of first- and second-generation Black millennials, along with the cultural and social norms that they often navigate – or reject entirely.

This is a book that takes our basest emotions and looks at how we deal with them when pushed to our limits. Though the conflict may not be our own, it is a story so engaging and so relatable that readers can’t help but become emotionally invested.

The List by Yomi Adegoke is published by Fourth Estate, £14.99

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The List by Yomi Adegoke review – a gripping social media nightmare

A young couple’s world is upended by the publication of a list of abusers on Twitter in the Slay in Your Lane author’s nuanced debut novel

A n author, podcaster and journalist, Yomi Adegoke is well placed to explore the permutations of Black British celebrity culture in the digital age. She co-wrote the bestselling self-help manual Slay in Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible in 2018 and made the Forbes 30 under 30 list three years later.

The power of social media to make and break you is the subject of her much-anticipated debut novel. Ola and Michael are a young, Insta-famous couple, “the king and queen of #BlackLove”. One month before their wedding, a roll call of men working in the UK media who have been identified as sexual abusers and predators is posted on Twitter.

Michael’s name is on the list, which quickly goes viral. Overnight, reputations are shattered. Michael claims he’s done nothing wrong; Ola, a high-profile feminist journalist at a magazine called Womxxxn , asks him to prove it before their impending £20,000 nuptials. The List is narrated from both their perspectives.

In the following days, their mutual trust is eroded. Once the trial-by-Twitter is set in motion, there is no stopping the online scrutiny and trolling. Michael’s fall from grace appears inevitable: “How could a minority of people be talking about the List and yet it seemed as though the whole world was whispering about him?”

Adegoke immerses us in the world of curated lifestyles, online influencers and cancel culture. She reminds us how the #MeToo movement has been invaluable in supporting survivors of sexual violence, but also highlights certain grey areas such as the potential of online shaming and anonymous allegations to destroy lives.

The List is already being adapted for TV with Adegoke as executive producer. The various cliffhangers and twists suggest it was written with this in mind. It occasionally feels as though she is trying to shoehorn too many characters and subplots into one tale, but we remain invested in her main protagonists’ journey. This nuanced exploration of celebrity culture and online toxicity should win Adegoke new fans.

The List by Yomi Adegoke is published by 4th Estate (£14.99). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com . Delivery charges may apply

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The List: The gripping Sunday Times bestseller thriller and Richard and Judy Book Club Pick - A perfect summer read in 2024 Hardcover – 20 July 2023

Purchase options and add-ons, the instant top 5 sunday times bestseller.

'The Book Of The Summer’ VOGUE

'A page-turning read about the dark side of social media' STYLIST

‘Topical, heartfelt, provocative’ BERNARDINE EVARISTO

‘Impossible to put down’ PAULA HAWKINS

‘A page-turner that you can’t second guess’ THE TIMES

‘Fans of Yellowface will love The List ’ RED MAGAZINE

ONLINE RUMOURS. REAL LIFE TROUBLE.

Ola Olajide, a high-profile journalist at Womxxxn magazine, is marrying the love of her life in one month's time. She and her fiancé Michael seem to have it all.

That is, until one morning when they both wake up to the same message:

‘Oh my god, have you seen The List?’

It began as a list of anonymous allegations about abusive men. Now it's been published online. Ola made her name breaking exactly this type of story. But today, Michael's name is on there.

Will the truth behind The List change everything for both of them?

An Evening Standard and The Times book of the year.

*SOON TO BE A MAJOR TV SERIES*

‘Explosive … Every book club should read this’ SYMEON BROWN

‘The book that everyone’s talking about’ INDEPENDENT

‘Terrifyingly good' RUTH JONES

READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH THE LIST :

‘WOW! I could not put this down. I would give it six stars if I could!’

‘Gripping, with twists and turns that keep you hooked until the very end’

‘SO GOOD. Perfect for book clubs … like Such a Fun Age ’

Richard & Judy Book Club pick, April 2024

Yomi Adegoke's book 'The List' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2023-08-07.

• Print length 384 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Fourth Estate
• Publication date 20 July 2023
• Dimensions 15.9 x 3.6 x 24 cm
• ISBN-10 0008544492
• ISBN-13 978-0008544492
• See all details

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From the Publisher

Yomi Adegoke is a multi award-winning journalist and author. She is currently a columnist at The Guardian and British Vogue and is the former host of the Women's Fiction Prize podcast. In 2018, she co-wrote the bestselling book Slay In Your Lane and the same year was named one of the most influential people in London by the Evening Standard . She also was awarded the Groucho Maverick and Marie Clare Future Shaper awards. In 2021, she was named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list.

Product description

‘A page-turning read about the dark side of social media’ STYLIST

‘A total page-turner on the underbelly of life online’ BBC WOMAN'S HOUR

‘One of the hottest books of the year… Topical and vital’ MARIE CLAIRE

‘The Book Of The Summer… Sure to inspire frenzied debate’ VOGUE

'Blistering… a love story for our times’ HARPER'S BAZAAR

‘Impossible to put down. The hype is real’ INDEPENDENT

‘Fun and thought-provoking… A book that's just right for our times’ HARPER'S BAZAAR

‘Punchy, topical and hugely thought-provoking’ GLAMOUR

‘The hottest book of the summer… an incredible commentary on the internet’ BBC RADIO LONDON

‘A gripping social nightmare’ OBSERVER

‘One of the most anticipated books of the summer’ GUARDIAN

‘A compulsive read’ HEAT MAGAZINE

‘The perfect summer read’ PAULA HAWKINS

‘An enthralling, razor-sharp, witty page-turner’ BOLU BABALOLA

‘Phenomenal’ ABI DARÉ

‘Utterly compelling, immersive and addictive’ SARA COLLINS

'Full of sharp wit and exacting observation’ DIANA EVANS

‘A biting, chilling, prescient page-turner’ DEBORAH FRANCES-WHITE

‘Whip-smart and thought-provoking’ RUTH WARE

‘Addictive… will set off a million debates’ ANNIE LORD

‘Unputdownable' NELS ABBEY

Book Description

The gripping Sunday Times bestseller thriller and Richard and Judy Book Club Pick - A perfect summer read in 2024

About the Author

Yomi Adegoke is a multi award-winning journalist and author. She is a columnist at the Guardian and British Vogue and the former host of the Women's Fiction Prize podcast. In 2018, she co-wrote the Sunday Times bestselling book Slay In Your Lane and was named one of the most influential people in London by the Evening Standard. She has been awarded the Groucho Maverick and Marie Claire Future Shaper awards and named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. The List is her debut novel.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fourth Estate (20 July 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0008544492
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0008544492
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.9 x 3.6 x 24 cm
• 9 in Psychology & Sexual Behaviour
• 114 in Political Fiction (Books)
• 173 in Partnership & Relationships

About the author

Yomi adegoke.

Yomi Adegoke is a multi award-winning journalist and author. She is currently a columnist at The Guardian and British Vogue and is the former host of the Women's Fiction Prize podcast. In 2018, she co-wrote the bestselling book Slay In Your Lane and the same year was named one of the most influential people in London by the Evening Standard. She also was awarded the Groucho Maverick and Marie Clare Future Shaper awards. In 2021, she was named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list.

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Review: The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams was the perfect book for me to read in the moment…read on to find out why :).

The Synopsis

Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in the London Borough of Ealing after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries.

Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As each story gives up its magic, the books transport Aleisha from the painful realities she’s facing at home.

When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list… hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too. Slowly, the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again.

I picked this book up when I tested positive for Covid. Luckily my symptoms were fairly mild, but it was still a stressful time. I have a 3-year-old daughter, so finding a way for both my husband and I to work while she was quarantined at home was a challenge. Needless to say, I needed something somewhat comforting.

Enter: The Reading List !

The characters in this story were so loveable. I loved both Mukesh and Aleisha, and the side characters you meet throughout, too. They each had something really difficult in their lives – him a recent widower, and her living with a mentally ill mom. And things get harder before they get easier.

The way the author depicts grief I thought was really well done. Both of the main characters are grieving something or someone, and you can see them struggling to find themselves in it and adapt to their worlds.

I also loved the thread of the reading list tying their stories (and side characters) together so closely. It’s a little bit of a mystery, because you don’t know who made the reading list they find, but the author started weaving in more clues as the story went on. I thought that was a really fun way to make the reveal.

If you’re looking for the books in The Reading List , here they are:

• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The Kite Runner
• The Life of Pi
• Pride and Prejudice
• Little Women
• A Suitable Boy

Although not on the list, The Time Traveler’s Wife also plays an important part in this book.

The only thing I didn’t love about this book, the thing that took it down from 5 stars to 4, is the ending. Maybe skip the rest of this paragraph if you haven’t read the book yet. I won’t reveal anything huge, but you might be able to figure it out from what I do say. Ok warning you…here goes. The ending was a little too cheesy for me. The whole book was awesome, it dealt with hard things, and then at the ending, it’s just all too cheery and cheesy. Just the way everything resolves, even with the shadow of the hard thing that happens, was just too perfect the way events fell into place.

Ok, no more spoilers 🙂 Overall I definitely recommend this one, especially if you feel like books change/have changed your life. There’s a lot of book and reading love in here, and that was a joy to read. 4 stars.

I'm currently a full-time writer/content strategist with an English degree living in Minneapolis, MN. I created Literary Quicksand to feed my love of books, writing, and community. More About Me

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THE READING LIST

by Sara Nisha Adams ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 3, 2021

A quiet and thoughtful look into loneliness, community, and the benefits of reading—suited for true bibliophiles.

An aging widower and a lonely teenage girl form an unlikely friendship by bonding over books.

Aleisha works at the Harrow Road Library in North London not for her love of books, but because she needs the money. When Mukesh, an older man who's recently lost his wife, visits the library seeking a book recommendation, Aleisha has little to offer. As he pushes for a suggestion, she becomes defensive, even rude. She regrets her behavior almost immediately, but she’s more focused on difficulties in her home life, including her absentee father and her mentally fragile mother. Even so, when she stumbles on a handwritten reading list tucked into a just-returned book, she impulsively uses it as a way to apologize to Mukesh, recommending the first book, To Kill a Mockingbird . She also decides to read every book on the list herself, rationalizing that it will help pass the long days in the library. When Mukesh returns to tell Aleisha how much he enjoyed Mockingbird , they decide to create an impromptu book club. It seems this budding relationship is just the thing to save Mukesh from his continued grief over his late wife. Meanwhile, Aleisha begins relying on Mukesh as the only stable adult in her life. When Aleisha’s family suffers a devastating event, Aleisha looks to Mukesh to help her pick up the pieces, but he’s not sure he’s the person she needs. Full of references to popular and classic novels, this debut focuses on reading as a means of processing and coping with challenging life events. The author deftly captures the quiet and listless vibe of ill-fated libraries everywhere. Told from the perspectives of both Aleisha and Mukesh, as well as a sampling of other characters, the story shows an insightful empathy for difficulties faced at divergent life stages. The author explores many difficult topics with grace, like mental illness, grief, abandonment, and self-doubt. Although the pace starts off slow, things pick up in the later pages and reach a satisfying conclusion.

Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-06-302528-8

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021

FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | GENERAL FICTION

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Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

New York Times Bestseller

by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War.

A young woman’s experience as a nurse in Vietnam casts a deep shadow over her life.

When we learn that the farewell party in the opening scene is for Frances “Frankie” McGrath’s older brother—“a golden boy, a wild child who could make the hardest heart soften”—who is leaving to serve in Vietnam in 1966, we feel pretty certain that poor Finley McGrath is marked for death. Still, it’s a surprise when the fateful doorbell rings less than 20 pages later. His death inspires his sister to enlist as an Army nurse, and this turn of events is just the beginning of a roller coaster of a plot that’s impressive and engrossing if at times a bit formulaic. Hannah renders the experiences of the young women who served in Vietnam in all-encompassing detail. The first half of the book, set in gore-drenched hospital wards, mildewed dorm rooms, and boozy officers’ clubs, is an exciting read, tracking the transformation of virginal, uptight Frankie into a crack surgical nurse and woman of the world. Her tensely platonic romance with a married surgeon ends when his broken, unbreathing body is airlifted out by helicopter; she throws her pent-up passion into a wild affair with a soldier who happens to be her dead brother’s best friend. In the second part of the book, after the war, Frankie seems to experience every possible bad break. A drawback of the story is that none of the secondary characters in her life are fully three-dimensional: Her dismissive, chauvinistic father and tight-lipped, pill-popping mother, her fellow nurses, and her various love interests are more plot devices than people. You’ll wish you could have gone to Vegas and placed a bet on the ending—while it’s against all the odds, you’ll see it coming from a mile away.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781250178633

Page Count: 480

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023

FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | GENERAL FICTION | HISTORICAL FICTION

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by Kristin Hannah

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BOOK TO SCREEN

SEEN & HEARD

by Nora Roberts ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2024

A touching story of love and grief ends in an epic battle of good versus evil.

Roberts’ latest may move you to tears, or joy, or dread, or all three.

Every summer, John and Cora Fox visit Cora’s mother, Lucy Lannigan, in Redbud Hollow, Kentucky, leaving their children, 12-year-old Thea and 10-year-old Rem, for a two-week taste of heaven. The children love Grammie Lucy far more than John’s snooty family, which looks down on Cora. Lucy, a healer with deep Appalachian roots, loves animals, cooks the best meals, plays musical instruments, and makes soap and candles for her thriving business. Thea—who’s inherited the psychic abilities passed down through the women of Lucy’s family—has vivid magical dreams, one of which becomes a living nightmare when a psychopath robs and murders John and Cora as Thea watches helplessly. Thea’s description of the killer and her ability to see him in real time help the skeptical police catch Ray Riggs, who goes to prison for life. Although Thea and Rem go on to have a wonderful childhood with Grammie, Thea constantly wages a mental battle with Riggs, who tries to use his own psychic abilities to get into her mind. Over the years, Thea uses her imagination to become a game designer while the more business-minded Rem helps manage her career. Thea eventually builds a house near Lucy, where a newly arrived neighbor is her teen crush, singer-songwriter Tyler Brennan. Tyler has his own issues and is protective of his young son but slowly builds a loving relationship with Thea, whose silence about her abilities leads to a devastating misunderstanding. At first Thea tries to keep Riggs locked out of her mind. As her powers grow, she torments him. Finally, she realizes that she must win this battle and destroy him if she’s ever to have peace.

Pub Date: May 21, 2024

ISBN: 9781250289698

Page Count: 432

Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024

ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE | SUSPENSE | GENERAL FICTION | THRILLER | SUSPENSE | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE

More by Nora Roberts

by Nora Roberts

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17 book review examples to help you write the perfect review.

It’s an exciting time to be a book reviewer. Once confined to print newspapers and journals, reviews now dot many corridors of the Internet — forever helping others discover their next great read. That said, every book reviewer will face a familiar panic: how can you do justice to a great book in just a thousand words?

As you know, the best way to learn how to do something is by immersing yourself in it. Luckily, the Internet (i.e. Goodreads and other review sites , in particular) has made book reviews more accessible than ever — which means that there are a lot of book reviews examples out there for you to view!

In this post, we compiled 17 prototypical book review examples in multiple genres to help you figure out how to write the perfect review . If you want to jump straight to the examples, you can skip the next section. Otherwise, let’s first check out what makes up a good review.

Are you interested in becoming a book reviewer? We recommend you check out Reedsy Discovery , where you can earn money for writing reviews — and are guaranteed people will read your reviews! To register as a book reviewer, sign up here.

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

Find out the answer. Takes 30 seconds!

What must a book review contain?

Like all works of art, no two book reviews will be identical. But fear not: there are a few guidelines for any aspiring book reviewer to follow. Most book reviews, for instance, are less than 1,500 words long, with the sweet spot hitting somewhere around the 1,000-word mark. (However, this may vary depending on the platform on which you’re writing, as we’ll see later.)

In addition, all reviews share some universal elements, as shown in our book review templates . These include:

• A review will offer a concise plot summary of the book. 
• A book review will offer an evaluation of the work. 
• A book review will offer a recommendation for the audience. 

If these are the basic ingredients that make up a book review, it’s the tone and style with which the book reviewer writes that brings the extra panache. This will differ from platform to platform, of course. A book review on Goodreads, for instance, will be much more informal and personal than a book review on Kirkus Reviews, as it is catering to a different audience. However, at the end of the day, the goal of all book reviews is to give the audience the tools to determine whether or not they’d like to read the book themselves.

Keeping that in mind, let’s proceed to some book review examples to put all of this in action.

How much of a book nerd are you, really?

Find out here, once and for all. Takes 30 seconds!

Book review examples for fiction books

Since story is king in the world of fiction, it probably won’t come as any surprise to learn that a book review for a novel will concentrate on how well the story was told .

That said, book reviews in all genres follow the same basic formula that we discussed earlier. In these examples, you’ll be able to see how book reviewers on different platforms expertly intertwine the plot summary and their personal opinions of the book to produce a clear, informative, and concise review.

Note: Some of the book review examples run very long. If a book review is truncated in this post, we’ve indicated by including a […] at the end, but you can always read the entire review if you click on the link provided.

Examples of literary fiction book reviews

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man :

An extremely powerful story of a young Southern Negro, from his late high school days through three years of college to his life in Harlem.

His early training prepared him for a life of humility before white men, but through injustices- large and small, he came to realize that he was an "invisible man". People saw in him only a reflection of their preconceived ideas of what he was, denied his individuality, and ultimately did not see him at all. This theme, which has implications far beyond the obvious racial parallel, is skillfully handled. The incidents of the story are wholly absorbing. The boy's dismissal from college because of an innocent mistake, his shocked reaction to the anonymity of the North and to Harlem, his nightmare experiences on a one-day job in a paint factory and in the hospital, his lightning success as the Harlem leader of a communistic organization known as the Brotherhood, his involvement in black versus white and black versus black clashes and his disillusion and understanding of his invisibility- all climax naturally in scenes of violence and riot, followed by a retreat which is both literal and figurative. Parts of this experience may have been told before, but never with such freshness, intensity and power.

This is Ellison's first novel, but he has complete control of his story and his style. Watch it.

Lyndsey reviews George Orwell’s 1984 on Goodreads:

YOU. ARE. THE. DEAD. Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Or in Newspeak "Double Plus Good." Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried.

This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and economics, not to mention a fully developed language called Newspeak, or rather more of the anti-language, whose purpose is to limit speech and understanding instead of to enhance and expand it. The world-building is so fully fleshed out and spine-tinglingly terrifying that it's almost as if George travelled to such a place, escaped from it, and then just wrote it all down.

I read Fahrenheit 451 over ten years ago in my early teens. At the time, I remember really wanting to read 1984, although I never managed to get my hands on it. I'm almost glad I didn't. Though I would not have admitted it at the time, it would have gone over my head. Or at the very least, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it fully. […]

The New York Times reviews Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry :

Three-quarters of the way through Lisa Halliday’s debut novel, “Asymmetry,” a British foreign correspondent named Alistair is spending Christmas on a compound outside of Baghdad. His fellow revelers include cameramen, defense contractors, United Nations employees and aid workers. Someone’s mother has FedExed a HoneyBaked ham from Maine; people are smoking by the swimming pool. It is 2003, just days after Saddam Hussein’s capture, and though the mood is optimistic, Alistair is worrying aloud about the ethics of his chosen profession, wondering if reporting on violence doesn’t indirectly abet violence and questioning why he’d rather be in a combat zone than reading a picture book to his son. But every time he returns to London, he begins to “spin out.” He can’t go home. “You observe what people do with their freedom — what they don’t do — and it’s impossible not to judge them for it,” he says.

The line, embedded unceremoniously in the middle of a page-long paragraph, doubles, like so many others in “Asymmetry,” as literary criticism. Halliday’s novel is so strange and startlingly smart that its mere existence seems like commentary on the state of fiction. One finishes “Asymmetry” for the first or second (or like this reader, third) time and is left wondering what other writers are not doing with their freedom — and, like Alistair, judging them for it.

Despite its title, “Asymmetry” comprises two seemingly unrelated sections of equal length, appended by a slim and quietly shocking coda. Halliday’s prose is clean and lean, almost reportorial in the style of W. G. Sebald, and like the murmurings of a shy person at a cocktail party, often comic only in single clauses. It’s a first novel that reads like the work of an author who has published many books over many years. […]

Emily W. Thompson reviews Michael Doane's The Crossing on Reedsy Discovery :

In Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.

An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl.

Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.

The Narrator initially sticks to the highways, trying to make it to the West Coast as quickly as possible. But a hitchhiker named Duke convinces him to get off the beaten path and enjoy the ride. “There’s not a place that’s like any other,” [39] Dukes contends, and The Narrator realizes he’s right. Suddenly, the trip is about the journey, not just the destination. The Narrator ditches his truck and traverses the deserts and mountains on his bike. He destroys his phone, cutting off ties with his past and living only in the moment.

As he crosses the country, The Narrator connects with several unique personalities whose experiences and views deeply impact his own. Duke, the complicated cowboy and drifter, who opens The Narrator’s eyes to a larger world. Zooey, the waitress in Colorado who opens his heart and reminds him that love can be found in this big world. And Rosie, The Narrator’s sweet landlady in Portland, who helps piece him back together both physically and emotionally.

This supporting cast of characters is excellent. Duke, in particular, is wonderfully nuanced and complicated. He’s a throwback to another time, a man without a cell phone who reads Sartre and sleeps under the stars. Yet he’s also a grifter with a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” attitude that harms those around him. It’s fascinating to watch The Narrator wrestle with Duke’s behavior, trying to determine which to model and which to discard.

Doane creates a relatable protagonist in The Narrator, whose personal growth doesn’t erase his faults. His willingness to hit the road with few resources is admirable, and he’s prescient enough to recognize the jealousy of those who cannot or will not take the leap. His encounters with new foods, places, and people broaden his horizons. Yet his immaturity and selfishness persist. He tells Rosie she’s been a good mother to him but chooses to ignore the continuing concern from his own parents as he effectively disappears from his old life.

Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.

The Book Smugglers review Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls :

I am still dipping my toes into the literally fiction pool, finding what works for me and what doesn’t. Books like The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray are definitely my cup of tea.

Althea and Proctor Cochran had been pillars of their economically disadvantaged community for years – with their local restaurant/small market and their charity drives. Until they are found guilty of fraud for stealing and keeping most of the money they raised and sent to jail. Now disgraced, their entire family is suffering the consequences, specially their twin teenage daughters Baby Vi and Kim.  To complicate matters even more: Kim was actually the one to call the police on her parents after yet another fight with her mother. […]

Examples of children’s and YA fiction book reviews

The Book Hookup reviews Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give :

♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 stars! I can’t imagine how challenging it would be to tackle the voice of a movement like Black Lives Matter, but I do know that Thomas did it with a finesse only a talented author like herself possibly could. With an unapologetically realistic delivery packed with emotion, The Hate U Give is a crucially important portrayal of the difficulties minorities face in our country every single day. I have no doubt that this book will be met with resistance by some (possibly many) and slapped with a “controversial” label, but if you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk in a POC’s shoes, then I feel like this is an unflinchingly honest place to start.

In Angie Thomas’s debut novel, Starr Carter bursts on to the YA scene with both heart-wrecking and heartwarming sincerity. This author is definitely one to watch.

♥ Review: The hype around this book has been unquestionable and, admittedly, that made me both eager to get my hands on it and terrified to read it. I mean, what if I was to be the one person that didn’t love it as much as others? (That seems silly now because of how truly mesmerizing THUG was in the most heartbreakingly realistic way.) However, with the relevancy of its summary in regards to the unjust predicaments POC currently face in the US, I knew this one was a must-read, so I was ready to set my fears aside and dive in. That said, I had an altogether more personal, ulterior motive for wanting to read this book. […]

The New York Times reviews Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood :

Alice Crewe (a last name she’s chosen for herself) is a fairy tale legacy: the granddaughter of Althea Proserpine, author of a collection of dark-as-night fairy tales called “Tales From the Hinterland.” The book has a cult following, and though Alice has never met her grandmother, she’s learned a little about her through internet research. She hasn’t read the stories, because her mother, Ella Proserpine, forbids it.

Alice and Ella have moved from place to place in an attempt to avoid the “bad luck” that seems to follow them. Weird things have happened. As a child, Alice was kidnapped by a man who took her on a road trip to find her grandmother; he was stopped by the police before they did so. When at 17 she sees that man again, unchanged despite the years, Alice panics. Then Ella goes missing, and Alice turns to Ellery Finch, a schoolmate who’s an Althea Proserpine superfan, for help in tracking down her mother. Not only has Finch read every fairy tale in the collection, but handily, he remembers them, sharing them with Alice as they journey to the mysterious Hazel Wood, the estate of her now-dead grandmother, where they hope to find Ella.

“The Hazel Wood” starts out strange and gets stranger, in the best way possible. (The fairy stories Finch relays, which Albert includes as their own chapters, are as creepy and evocative as you’d hope.) Albert seamlessly combines contemporary realism with fantasy, blurring the edges in a way that highlights that place where stories and real life convene, where magic contains truth and the world as it appears is false, where just about anything can happen, particularly in the pages of a very good book. It’s a captivating debut. […]

James reviews Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight, Moon on Goodreads:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is one of the books that followers of my blog voted as a must-read for our Children's Book August 2018 Readathon. Come check it out and join the next few weeks!

This picture book was such a delight. I hadn't remembered reading it when I was a child, but it might have been read to me... either way, it was like a whole new experience! It's always so difficult to convince a child to fall asleep at night. I don't have kids, but I do have a 5-month-old puppy who whines for 5 minutes every night when he goes in his cage/crate (hopefully he'll be fully housebroken soon so he can roam around when he wants). I can only imagine! I babysat a lot as a teenager and I have tons of younger cousins, nieces, and nephews, so I've been through it before, too. This was a believable experience, and it really helps show kids how to relax and just let go when it's time to sleep.

The bunny's are adorable. The rhymes are exquisite. I found it pretty fun, but possibly a little dated given many of those things aren't normal routines anymore. But the lessons to take from it are still powerful. Loved it! I want to sample some more books by this fine author and her illustrators.

Publishers Weekly reviews Elizabeth Lilly’s Geraldine :

This funny, thoroughly accomplished debut opens with two words: “I’m moving.” They’re spoken by the title character while she swoons across her family’s ottoman, and because Geraldine is a giraffe, her full-on melancholy mode is quite a spectacle. But while Geraldine may be a drama queen (even her mother says so), it won’t take readers long to warm up to her. The move takes Geraldine from Giraffe City, where everyone is like her, to a new school, where everyone else is human. Suddenly, the former extrovert becomes “That Giraffe Girl,” and all she wants to do is hide, which is pretty much impossible. “Even my voice tries to hide,” she says, in the book’s most poignant moment. “It’s gotten quiet and whispery.” Then she meets Cassie, who, though human, is also an outlier (“I’m that girl who wears glasses and likes MATH and always organizes her food”), and things begin to look up.

Lilly’s watercolor-and-ink drawings are as vividly comic and emotionally astute as her writing; just when readers think there are no more ways for Geraldine to contort her long neck, this highly promising talent comes up with something new.

Examples of genre fiction book reviews

Karlyn P reviews Nora Roberts’ Dark Witch , a paranormal romance novel , on Goodreads:

4 stars. Great world-building, weak romance, but still worth the read.

I hesitate to describe this book as a 'romance' novel simply because the book spent little time actually exploring the romance between Iona and Boyle. Sure, there IS a romance in this novel. Sprinkled throughout the book are a few scenes where Iona and Boyle meet, chat, wink at each, flirt some more, sleep together, have a misunderstanding, make up, and then profess their undying love. Very formulaic stuff, and all woven around the more important parts of this book.

The meat of this book is far more focused on the story of the Dark witch and her magically-gifted descendants living in Ireland. Despite being weak on the romance, I really enjoyed it. I think the book is probably better for it, because the romance itself was pretty lackluster stuff.

I absolutely plan to stick with this series as I enjoyed the world building, loved the Ireland setting, and was intrigued by all of the secondary characters. However, If you read Nora Roberts strictly for the romance scenes, this one might disappoint. But if you enjoy a solid background story with some dark magic and prophesies, you might enjoy it as much as I did.

I listened to this one on audio, and felt the narration was excellent.

Emily May reviews R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy Wars , an epic fantasy novel , on Goodreads:

“But I warn you, little warrior. The price of power is pain.”

Holy hell, what did I just read??

➽ A fantasy military school

➽ A rich world based on modern Chinese history

➽ Shamans and gods

➽ Detailed characterization leading to unforgettable characters

➽ Adorable, opium-smoking mentors

That's a basic list, but this book is all of that and SO MUCH MORE. I know 100% that The Poppy War will be one of my best reads of 2018.

Isn't it just so great when you find one of those books that completely drags you in, makes you fall in love with the characters, and demands that you sit on the edge of your seat for every horrific, nail-biting moment of it? This is one of those books for me. And I must issue a serious content warning: this book explores some very dark themes. Proceed with caution (or not at all) if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of war, drug use and addiction, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, self-harm, torture, and rape (off-page but extremely horrific).

Because, despite the fairly innocuous first 200 pages, the title speaks the truth: this is a book about war. All of its horrors and atrocities. It is not sugar-coated, and it is often graphic. The "poppy" aspect refers to opium, which is a big part of this book. It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking.

Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry’s Freefall , a crime novel:

In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it’s a more subtle process, and that’s OK too. So where does Freefall fit into the sliding scale?

In truth, it’s not clear. This is a novel with a thrilling concept at its core. A woman survives plane crash, then runs for her life. However, it is the subtleties at play that will draw you in like a spider beckoning to an unwitting fly.

Like the heroine in Sharon Bolton’s Dead Woman Walking, Allison is lucky to be alive. She was the only passenger in a private plane, belonging to her fiancé, Ben, who was piloting the expensive aircraft, when it came down in woodlands in the Colorado Rockies. Ally is also the only survivor, but rather than sitting back and waiting for rescue, she is soon pulling together items that may help her survive a little longer – first aid kit, energy bars, warm clothes, trainers – before fleeing the scene. If you’re hearing the faint sound of alarm bells ringing, get used to it. There’s much, much more to learn about Ally before this tale is over.

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One , a science-fiction novel :

Video-game players embrace the quest of a lifetime in a virtual world; screenwriter Cline’s first novel is old wine in new bottles.

The real world, in 2045, is the usual dystopian horror story. So who can blame Wade, our narrator, if he spends most of his time in a virtual world? The 18-year-old, orphaned at 11, has no friends in his vertical trailer park in Oklahoma City, while the OASIS has captivating bells and whistles, and it’s free. Its creator, the legendary billionaire James Halliday, left a curious will. He had devised an elaborate online game, a hunt for a hidden Easter egg. The finder would inherit his estate. Old-fashioned riddles lead to three keys and three gates. Wade, or rather his avatar Parzival, is the first gunter (egg-hunter) to win the Copper Key, first of three.

Halliday was obsessed with the pop culture of the 1980s, primarily the arcade games, so the novel is as much retro as futurist. Parzival’s great strength is that he has absorbed all Halliday’s obsessions; he knows by heart three essential movies, crossing the line from geek to freak. His most formidable competitors are the Sixers, contract gunters working for the evil conglomerate IOI, whose goal is to acquire the OASIS. Cline’s narrative is straightforward but loaded with exposition. It takes a while to reach a scene that crackles with excitement: the meeting between Parzival (now world famous as the lead contender) and Sorrento, the head of IOI. The latter tries to recruit Parzival; when he fails, he issues and executes a death threat. Wade’s trailer is demolished, his relatives killed; luckily Wade was not at home. Too bad this is the dramatic high point. Parzival threads his way between more ’80s games and movies to gain the other keys; it’s clever but not exciting. Even a romance with another avatar and the ultimate “epic throwdown” fail to stir the blood.

Too much puzzle-solving, not enough suspense.

Book review examples for non-fiction books

Nonfiction books are generally written to inform readers about a certain topic. As such, the focus of a nonfiction book review will be on the clarity and effectiveness of this communication . In carrying this out, a book review may analyze the author’s source materials and assess the thesis in order to determine whether or not the book meets expectations.

Again, we’ve included abbreviated versions of long reviews here, so feel free to click on the link to read the entire piece!

The Washington Post reviews David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon :

The arc of David Grann’s career reminds one of a software whiz-kid or a latest-thing talk-show host — certainly not an investigative reporter, even if he is one of the best in the business. The newly released movie of his first book, “The Lost City of Z,” is generating all kinds of Oscar talk, and now comes the release of his second book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” the film rights to which have already been sold for $5 million in what one industry journal called the “biggest and wildest book rights auction in memory.”

Grann deserves the attention. He’s canny about the stories he chases, he’s willing to go anywhere to chase them, and he’s a maestro in his ability to parcel out information at just the right clip: a hint here, a shading of meaning there, a smartly paced buildup of multiple possibilities followed by an inevitable reversal of readerly expectations or, in some cases, by a thrilling and dislocating pull of the entire narrative rug.

All of these strengths are on display in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Around the turn of the 20th century, oil was discovered underneath Osage lands in the Oklahoma Territory, lands that were soon to become part of the state of Oklahoma. Through foresight and legal maneuvering, the Osage found a way to permanently attach that oil to themselves and shield it from the prying hands of white interlopers; this mechanism was known as “headrights,” which forbade the outright sale of oil rights and granted each full member of the tribe — and, supposedly, no one else — a share in the proceeds from any lease arrangement. For a while, the fail-safes did their job, and the Osage got rich — diamond-ring and chauffeured-car and imported-French-fashion rich — following which quite a large group of white men started to work like devils to separate the Osage from their money. And soon enough, and predictably enough, this work involved murder. Here in Jazz Age America’s most isolated of locales, dozens or even hundreds of Osage in possession of great fortunes — and of the potential for even greater fortunes in the future — were dispatched by poison, by gunshot and by dynamite. […]

Stacked Books reviews Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers :

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Malcolm Gladwell’s writing. Friends and co-workers tell me that his subjects are interesting and his writing style is easy to follow without talking down to the reader. I wasn’t disappointed with Outliers. In it, Gladwell tackles the subject of success – how people obtain it and what contributes to extraordinary success as opposed to everyday success.

The thesis – that our success depends much more on circumstances out of our control than any effort we put forth – isn’t exactly revolutionary. Most of us know it to be true. However, I don’t think I’m lying when I say that most of us also believe that we if we just try that much harder and develop our talent that much further, it will be enough to become wildly successful, despite bad or just mediocre beginnings. Not so, says Gladwell.

Most of the evidence Gladwell gives us is anecdotal, which is my favorite kind to read. I can’t really speak to how scientifically valid it is, but it sure makes for engrossing listening. For example, did you know that successful hockey players are almost all born in January, February, or March? Kids born during these months are older than the others kids when they start playing in the youth leagues, which means they’re already better at the game (because they’re bigger). Thus, they get more play time, which means their skill increases at a faster rate, and it compounds as time goes by. Within a few years, they’re much, much better than the kids born just a few months later in the year. Basically, these kids’ birthdates are a huge factor in their success as adults – and it’s nothing they can do anything about. If anyone could make hockey interesting to a Texan who only grudgingly admits the sport even exists, it’s Gladwell. […]

Quill and Quire reviews Rick Prashaw’s Soar, Adam, Soar :

Ten years ago, I read a book called Almost Perfect. The young-adult novel by Brian Katcher won some awards and was held up as a powerful, nuanced portrayal of a young trans person. But the reality did not live up to the book’s billing. Instead, it turned out to be a one-dimensional and highly fetishized portrait of a trans person’s life, one that was nevertheless repeatedly dubbed “realistic” and “affecting” by non-transgender readers possessing only a vague, mass-market understanding of trans experiences.

In the intervening decade, trans narratives have emerged further into the literary spotlight, but those authored by trans people ourselves – and by trans men in particular – have seemed to fall under the shadow of cisgender sensationalized imaginings. Two current Canadian releases – Soar, Adam, Soar and This One Looks Like a Boy – provide a pointed object lesson into why trans-authored work about transgender experiences remains critical.

To be fair, Soar, Adam, Soar isn’t just a story about a trans man. It’s also a story about epilepsy, the medical establishment, and coming of age as seen through a grieving father’s eyes. Adam, Prashaw’s trans son, died unexpectedly at age 22. Woven through the elder Prashaw’s narrative are excerpts from Adam’s social media posts, giving us glimpses into the young man’s interior life as he traverses his late teens and early 20s. […]

Book Geeks reviews Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love :

WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5

SUBJECT: 4/5

CANDIDNESS: 4.5/5

RELEVANCE: 3.5/5

ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5

“Eat Pray Love” is so popular that it is almost impossible to not read it. Having felt ashamed many times on my not having read this book, I quietly ordered the book (before I saw the movie) from amazon.in and sat down to read it. I don’t remember what I expected it to be – maybe more like a chick lit thing but it turned out quite different. The book is a real story and is a short journal from the time when its writer went travelling to three different countries in pursuit of three different things – Italy (Pleasure), India (Spirituality), Bali (Balance) and this is what corresponds to the book’s name – EAT (in Italy), PRAY (in India) and LOVE (in Bali, Indonesia). These are also the three Is – ITALY, INDIA, INDONESIA.

Though she had everything a middle-aged American woman can aspire for – MONEY, CAREER, FRIENDS, HUSBAND; Elizabeth was not happy in her life, she wasn’t happy in her marriage. Having suffered a terrible divorce and terrible breakup soon after, Elizabeth was shattered. She didn’t know where to go and what to do – all she knew was that she wanted to run away. So she set out on a weird adventure – she will go to three countries in a year and see if she can find out what she was looking for in life. This book is about that life changing journey that she takes for one whole year. […]

Emily May reviews Michelle Obama’s Becoming on Goodreads:

Look, I'm not a happy crier. I might cry at songs about leaving and missing someone; I might cry at books where things don't work out; I might cry at movies where someone dies. I've just never really understood why people get all choked up over happy, inspirational things. But Michelle Obama's kindness and empathy changed that. This book had me in tears for all the right reasons.

This is not really a book about politics, though political experiences obviously do come into it. It's a shame that some will dismiss this book because of a difference in political opinion, when it is really about a woman's life. About growing up poor and black on the South Side of Chicago; about getting married and struggling to maintain that marriage; about motherhood; about being thrown into an amazing and terrifying position.

I hate words like "inspirational" because they've become so overdone and cheesy, but I just have to say it-- Michelle Obama is an inspiration. I had the privilege of seeing her speak at The Forum in Inglewood, and she is one of the warmest, funniest, smartest, down-to-earth people I have ever seen in this world.

And yes, I know we present what we want the world to see, but I truly do think it's genuine. I think she is someone who really cares about people - especially kids - and wants to give them better lives and opportunities.

She's obviously intelligent, but she also doesn't gussy up her words. She talks straight, with an openness and honesty rarely seen. She's been one of the most powerful women in the world, she's been a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, she's had her own successful career, and yet she has remained throughout that same girl - Michelle Robinson - from a working class family in Chicago.

I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.

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Books We Love

20 new books hitting shelves this summer that our critics can't wait to read.

Meghan Collins Sullivan

June is around the corner, meaning summer is almost here! As we look forward to travel and staycations, plane rides and trips to the beach, we've asked our book critics for some advice: What upcoming fiction and nonfiction are they most looking forward to reading?

Their picks range from memoirs to sci-fi and fantasy to translations, love stories and everything in between. Here's a look:

Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope

I was hooked when I first saw the gorgeous cover for Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope. But the novel's premise put it at the top of my summer reading list. Penelope is known for unforgettable characters, world-building, beautiful writing and robust storytelling. Her latest work, inspired by actual events — the drowned Black towns of the American South — promises a magical, mythical and powerful tale of a young woman's quest to save her town. A historical fantasy must-read. (June 4) — Denny Bryce

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The Future Was Color by Patrick Nathan

The Future Was Color by Patrick Nathan has everything I look for in a book: a unique and startling voice, a queer protagonist and a deep understanding of a particular time and place. George — once György — is a gay Hungarian immigrant working as a screenwriter in McCarthy-era Hollywood, occasionally fantasizing about his officemate, Jack. When a once-famous actress named Madeline invites George to stay and write at her spacious Malibu house, she won't take no for an answer — and so George finds himself in a hedonistic milieu where pleasure, politics and strong personalities intermingle. (June 4) — Ilana Masad

Mirrored Heavens: Between Earth & Sky, Book 3 by Rebecca Roanhorse

Rebecca Roanhorse is one of my auto-read authors — and one major reason is because of her fire Between Earth and Sky series. That trilogy comes to a stunning, fevered conclusion with Mirrored Heavens . All of the characters you love, hate and love to hate will converge on the city of Tova. Get ready for an epic battle between ancient gods, their human avatars and the mortals caught in between. (June 4) — Alex Brown

Sing Like Fish: How Sound Rules Life Under Water by Amorina Kingdon

You may know about 52 Blue , whose vocalizations likely go unheard by some other whales; it captured worldwide sympathy and became a pop-culture metaphor. But did you know all whale song is critically disrupted by ships? If that gets you wondering, keep an eye out for Sing Like Fish , which promises to illuminate the fragile symphony of the deep. (June 4) — Genevieve Valentine

Consent: A Memoir by Jill Ciment

I look forward to reading Jill Ciment's Consent and to the discussions it's sure to provoke. In this follow-up memoir to Half a Life, Ciment reconsiders what she wrote 25 years ago about her teenage affair and marriage to her art teacher, 30 years her senior. Half a Life was written before the #MeToo movement, and before her husband died at the age of 93 after 45 years of marriage. Consent promises a fuller picture. (June 11) — Heller McAlpin

Do What Godmother Says by L.S. Stratton

As we continue to experience the frenzy of Harlem Renaissance celebrations, commemorations and historical resonance, Do What Godmother Says by L.S. Stratton is the perfect addition to the litany of works set in this artistic period this year. It examines the intense and frequently degenerating relationship between patrons and artists during this intellectual and cultural movement. In this dual-timeline gothic thriller, a modern writer discovers a family heirloom painting by a Harlem Renaissance artist, which connects her family to a mysterious past. This historical novel is one I'm eager to read because it deftly exposes the layers of creative ownership, especially when race and wealth are involved. (June 11) — Keishel Williams

Horror Movie: A Novel by Paul Tremblay

Paul Tremblay is one of the most entertaining and innovative voices in contemporary fiction regardless of genre. Horror Movie , a story about a cursed movie that never came out and is about to get a remake, is a love letter to horror novels and horror movies, as well as a tense narrative that will redefine the cursed film subgenre. Tremblay is one of the modern masters of horror, and this new novel promises to be packed with the author's distinctive voice, knack for ambiguity and intrigue, and superb atmosphere. (June 11) — Gabino Iglesias

Cue The Sun! The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum

Every so often there's a nonfiction title I covet like it's the next installment in my favorite mystery series. This summer it's Cue the Sun! Based on in-depth interviews with more than 300 sources from every aspect of the production process, this book is a cultural history of the genre that ate American entertainment, from New Yorker critic Emily Nussbaum. It combines the appeal of a page-turning thriller and the heft of serious scholarship. Juicy and thoughtful, it's a must-read for anyone interested in television or popular culture. (June 25) — Carole V. Bell

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen

In this return to the delightfully wacky world established in one of my personal top-five romance novels of all time, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy , Megan Bannen takes on the friends to lovers trope with a combination of madcap joie de vivre and the exhausted practicality of a mom who's had enough. Also, there are dragons! (July 2) — Caitlyn Paxson

The Anthropologists by Ayşegül Savaş

I am eagerly awaiting Ayşegül Savaş' The Anthropologists . Born in Istanbul, Savaş has lived in England, Denmark and the U.S. also and now resides in France; in this novel she takes up themes of cultural migration through focus on a young couple seeking an apartment in a foreign city. I'm intrigued to discover how Savaş gifts her characters with an anthropological lens of exploration. (July 9) — Barbara J. King

Elevator in Saigon by Thuân, translated by Nguyen An Lý

Elevator in Saigon is a literal and structural exquisite corpse , capturing Vietnam's eventful period from 1954 to 2004. Mimicking an elevator's movement, the novel heightens our yearning for romance and mystery, while unflinchingly exposing such narrative shaft. Channeling Marguerite Duras and Patrick Modiano, the book also offers a dead-on tour of a society cunningly leaping from one ideological mode to the next. As if challenging Rick's parting words to Ilsa in Casablanca , Thuận's sophomore novel in English implies that geopolitical debacles might have been mitigated if personal relations were held in more elevated regard than "a hill of beans." (July 9) — Thúy Đinh

Goodnight Tokyo by Atsuhiro Yoshida, translated by Haydn Trowell

Atsuhiro Yoshida's Goodnight Tokyo begins with a film company procurer who's tasked with finding fresh kumquats for a production. From there, interlinked tales of Tokyo residents unspool in unpredictable directions. Characters range from a cabdriver to a star of a detective TV series who might be an actual detective. Readers will be reminded of Jim Jarmusch's 1991 movie Night on Earth , which also takes place in the wee hours of the morning and threads together the stories of strangers. (July 9) — Leland Cheuk

Navola: A novel by Paolo Bacigalupi

I love when a beloved author — especially one known mostly for a certain type of book — throws us a daring curveball. Navola is exactly such a pitch. Paolo Bacigalupi, who has won pretty much every major award in the science-fiction field with his climate-conscious dystopianism, is veering hard left with his new novel. It doesn't take place in the future, and it isn't a cautionary tale. Instead, it's a hefty tome of high fantasy set in a dreamed-up world akin to Renaissance Florence. Only with, you guessed it, dragons. But also high finance, political intrigue, and de' Medici-esque opulence. Bacigalupi is one of today's most gripping spinners of speculative fiction, and I can't wait to dive into this surprising magical foray. (July 9) — Jason Heller

The Lucky Ones: A Memoir by Zara Chowdhary

In 2002, two train carriages were set on fire in Gujarat, India. Within three weeks, more than 2,000 Muslims were murdered in response by Hindu mobs. By the end of the year, more than 50,000 Muslims became refugees in their own country. The Lucky Ones is a unique memoir in English of this largest-ever massacre in independent India . It is also about a communal crisis bringing a fractured family together. A must-read in our warring world today. (July 16) — Jenny Bhatt

Sharks Don't Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist by Jasmin Graham

Author Jasmin Graham is a marine biologist specializing in smalltooth sawfish and hammerhead sharks. Who are the real sharks in this story? Graham had to face the sharp-teethed truths of academia, while creating a world of curiosity and discovery around the complex lives of sharks. To combat the racism she encountered in academia, Graham created an "ocean of her own" to become an independent scientist and a champion of social justice, a journey she unspools in this new memoir. (July 16) — Martha Ann Toll

Liars by Sarah Manguso

I have long been a fan of Sarah Manguso's crystalline prose, from her fragmented illness memoir The Two Kinds of Decay to her tightly constrained 2022 novel Very Cold People . Her second novel , Liars , marries restraint with rage — in it, Manguso traces the full arc of a 15-year relationship between Jane, a successful writer, and John, a dilettante artist-cum-techie, in aphoristic vignettes. The result is a furious, propulsive meditation on wifehood, motherhood and artistic ambition. (July 23) — Kristen Martin

The Horse: A Novel by Willy Vlautin

Musician and Lean on Pete author Willy Vlautin captures the American West like few other writers. His prose is always excellent, his characters always beautifully drawn, and that promises to be the case with his next novel, about an isolated Nevada man in his 60s who is visited by a blind horse that refuses to leave. (July 30) — Michael Schaub

Einstein in Kafkaland: How Albert Fell Down the Rabbit Hole and Came Up With the Universe by Ken Krimstein

Art and science collide in Ken Krimstein's new graphic biography . In this book, the author of the brilliant and whimsical The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt similarly translates careful research into scenic, emotive comics — in this case tracking the potential effects of an adventitious meeting in Prague between two geniuses on the cusp of world-changing discoveries. (Aug. 20) — Tahneer Oksman

Survival Is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde by Alexis Pauline Gumbs

I'd probably be interested in a new biography of Audre Lorde if it focused on the eating habits of the brilliant thinker, poet, feminist and activist. But biographer Alexis Pauline Gumbs promises to more than exceed that bar. An award-winning poet, writer, feminist and activist in her own right, Gumbs is among the first researchers to delve into Lorde's manuscript archives. The resulting book highlights the late author's commitment to interrogating what it means to survive on this planet — and how Lorde's radical understanding of ecology can guide us today. (Aug. 20) — Ericka Taylor

Et Cetera: An Illustrated Guide to Latin Phrases by Maia Lee-Chin, illustrated by Marta Bertello

To those claiming Latin is dead, I say res ipsa loquitur — the thing speaks for itself — in children's cartoons , Hollywood cartoons and enduring epics . As a fan of both Mr. Peabody and the Muses, the idea of combining Maia Lee-Chin's thoughtful scholarship and Marta Bertello's dynamic artistry is captivating. Their new book reimagines the world of Latin's invention and tops my summer reading list. (Aug. 27) — Marcela Davison Avilés

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10 books to add to your reading list in June

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Critic Bethanne Patrick recommends 10 promising titles, fiction and nonfiction, to consider for your June reading list.

With books tied to historical anniversaries and about two driven women, June offers powerful perspectives on what and how we remember. Novelists engage with societal shunning, the ghosts of ancestors and beachside grief; nonfiction writers with overturned case law, misplaced aspirations and reclaiming the legacy of a brilliant comic.

The Future Was Color: A Novel By Patrick Nathan Counterpoint: 224 pages, $26 (June 4)

Nathan employs the timeless “a stranger comes to town” plot, as a gay Hungarian Jew named George Curtis gets invited to a chic Malibu house for a 1950s Hollywood heyday. However, George’s backstory in Manhattan and future in Paris bookend that bacchanalia and show how dark the shadow of McCarthyism and its “Lavender Scare” loomed over queer society — as other paranoias of the day did over other people, reminding readers that things have not changed enough.

Godwin By Joseph O’Neill Pantheon: 288 pages, $28 (June 4)

From “Netherland” to “The Dog” and now in “Godwin,” O’Neill has evinced strong interests in team sports (cricket, soccer) and colonialism (in Dubai, and Africa broadly). As protagonist Mark Wolfe, recently disgraced at work in Pittsburgh, tries to help his half sibling track down an African soccer star (the titular Godwin), the mordant humor and keen observations of late-stage capitalism give lift to the theme of how and where and when we support each other.

Tiananmen Square: A Novel By Lai Wen Spiegel & Grau: 528 pages, $22 (June 4)

June 4 marks the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. The pseudonymous Lai Wen’s fictional account of her upbringing under communism and the friendships she forged as a student offers an important window into what spurred the Chinese student protests that ended in violence. Despite knowing the outcome, readers will be riveted by the author’s thoughtful, moving narrative of coming to political consciousness in a time of danger.

Sandwich: A Novel By Catherine Newman Harper: 240 pages, $27 (June 18)

With the pacing of a thriller, observations akin to poetry and real-life conflict like memoir, Newman’s novel about one family’s week on Cape Cod should find a place in your beach bag, even if your own summer vacation is in Bali. The menopausal Rocky, her husband, their two grown children (along with one’s partner), and her aged parents enjoy time-honored traditions but also have to figure out how to negotiate time’s changes on all of them.

Devil Is Fine: A Novel By John Vercher Celadon Books: 272 pages, $29 (June 18)

Vercher’s second novel provides a startling perspective, even darker than “American Fiction,” on what it means to be a person of color operating within our nation’s book-publishing industry. As the unnamed narrator copes with parenting a teenage son, he receives an unexpected inheritance from his white mother’s family that triggers tragic visions — and allows him to at last untangle his feelings about his own identity.

Miss May Does Not Exist: The Life and Work of Elaine May, Hollywood’s Hidden Genius By Carrie Courogen SMP: 400 pages, $30 (June 4)

The 92-year-old Elaine May does exist, and Carrie Courogen’s biography of May shows her long and vibrant career — and how her particular talent for comedy writing was ignored by too many of her contemporaries. Despite her stellar, groundbreaking work with Mike Nichols, May didn’t experience career liftoff until her 50s, when she became known as a script fixer. Today, her commitment to creative control sounds an important note for women in media.

The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America By Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer Flatiron Books: 448 pages, $33 (June 4)

The subtitle of this new book by New York Times reporters Dias (religion) and Lerer (politics) underscores how the conservative religious faction’s far-reaching and secretive strategy of putting anti-abortion activists in the spotlight changed rights for Americans in June 2022. As the authors warn, if Democrats don’t change their own strategy, we might see an entirely different nation emerge because of a single issue.

Ambition Monster: A Memoir By Jennifer Romolini Atria: 304 pages, $29 (June 4)

Host of the “Everything Is Fine” podcast and author of “Weird in a World That’s Not,” Romolini here focuses on her own difficult upbringing and (at least early on) dysfunctional relationship with achievement and its signals, from corner office to substantial salary. Even after she earned all of those, she wasn’t fulfilled. This highly personal narrative documents how the author detached from her inner fears to find a more authentic path.

When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day By Garrett M. Graff Avid Reader Press: 608 pages, $33 (June 4)

June 4 also marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings at Normandy, and Graff’s collection of 700 participants’ stories provides a compelling window into the kind of military maneuvers few living Americans can remember. The surprise landing of over 150,000 Allied troops on French beaches led to the eventual defeat of the Axis powers. Reading about survivors’ experiences in their own words proves a solemn practice.

The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir By Griffin Dunne Penguin Press: 400 pages, $30 (June 11)

Griffin Dunne has spent a lifetime surrounded by brilliant writers: his father, Dominick Dunne; his uncle and aunt, John Gregory Dunne and his wife Joan Didion; and his brother, Alex Dunne. Griffin Dunne is also a noted actor/director/producer. Perhaps the literary talent shown in his heartwrenching memoir shouldn’t be a surprise. Still, his deeply felt account of his sister Dominique’s 1982 murder, which opens the book, startles with its honesty, spareness and elegant structure.

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A revelatory look at the elusive Elaine May

Author Carrie Courogen couldn’t get the comedian to cooperate, but “Miss May Does Not Exist” is still packed with great material.

Elaine May tends to shy away from accepting awards, but when she does, she gives great acceptance speeches. It is a testament to her prolific creativity and tireless work ethic that when she received the Governors Award for lifetime achievement at the 2022 Oscars, the then-90-year-old said, “I do believe that for this award, you should add the words ‘for now’ at the end of it. Because it’s really scary if you don’t.”

Just three years earlier, she became the second-oldest recipient of a Tony Award for acting for her performance in Kenneth Lonergan’s play “The Waverly Gallery.” How May was lured back to Broadway as an actor, decades after her triumphant 1960-1961 run of “An Evening With Mike Nichols and Elaine May” is one of the exceedingly entertaining stories that Carrie Courogen chronicles in her splendid book, “ Miss May Does Not Exist .”

The first thing readers may want to know is if the author had access to the legendarily elusive multi-hyphenate whose name still commands hushed and reverent tones in comedy circles. There have been rare sightings. In 2012, May agreed to be interviewed by Vanity Fair alongside Nichols. A decade later, she made her one and (thus far) only podcast appearance on Phil Rosenthal and David Wild’s “ Naked Lunch .” This year, she co-hosted an evening of her films on Turner Classic Movies .

But as Courogen writes, “No one, and nothing, can convince her to do anything she doesn’t want to do,” and she did not want to cooperate on a biography of her life. Not that Courogen didn’t try: In an amusing prologue, she writes that she “mailed her postcards, messengered her cookies, established regular contact with her de facto consigliere, talked to some of her best friends. I spent $200 printing and mailing her 341 pages of museum scans of old family documents she hadn’t known existed, sent emails that bounced, cold-called numbers that rang endlessly, walked by her building hoping I’d happen to see her coming out of it, attended events she RSVP’d to, then ghosted at the last possible moment.”

An eventual offer from May to answer four questions in writing — with characteristic stipulations — was made and withdrawn.

But “Miss May Does Not Exist” is revelatory scholarship that gives full measure to this artist who despite obstacles and setbacks (some self-inflicted) is an exalted figure in the comedy pantheon, a distinct voice whose outlier creative life Courogen captures through original research, archival material and scores of interviews with those in the privileged orbit of the May-verse (the book contains 44 pages of footnotes).

Very little in May’s life, career and comedy is conventional. She had, Courogen writes, an erratic upbringing and eccentric family. She was born in 1932, the daughter of an itinerant player in Yiddish theater. It was at the University of Chicago where she found the best expression of her voice with improv pioneers the Compass Players, the forerunner to Second City. She also found Nichols, with whom she would collaborate on and off the stage until his death in 2014. But were they lovers or not? May’s response to that question: “We were lovers or not.”

Courogen does an excellent job of contextualizing May’s work with Compass and Nichols to convey just how game-changing it was. At a time when mostly male stand-up comedians were boffo with the wife and mother-in-law one-liners, May and her generation found comedy in fraught mother-son relationships, sex, adultery, sexual harassment in the workplace, corporate bureaucracy and other thoroughly modern foibles.

A refrain throughout the book is May being told, “You can’t do that.” Refuse to cut an overlong third act that would keep Broadway theatergoers in their seats till 1 a.m.? Write an ultimately censored sketch about network censors that contained the word “breast” for “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour”? Quit the act when she and Nichols were the toast of Broadway?

Well, in some cases, “they” might have been right, but her refusal to back down to protect the integrity of her work is part and parcel of what makes Elaine Elaine, and her creative battles comprise the most compelling portions of the book. “With every movie I have done,” she said, “I may just be a pain the ass.”

May directed a mere four: “A New Leaf” and “The Heartbreak Kid” were commercial and critical hits; the gritty “Mikey and Nicky” is an underseen critic’s darling; and “Ishtar” was an infamous fiasco. Had she been a male director, she would have been given an opportunity to bounce back.

But she was not a male director. When she made “A New Leaf” for Paramount in 1971, it was, Courogen notes, the first major studio film to be directed by a woman since Ida Lupino’s 1966 Hayley Mills comedy, “The Trouble with Angels” (that’s major studio; save your emails, Stephanie Rothman cultists), and the first made at Paramount since Dorothy Arzner’s “Merrily We Go to Hell” in 1932.

So, there would be no “second chances” for May as a director following the ill-received buddy comedy that has enjoyed something of a critical reassessment in recent years.

The stories behind “Ishtar’s” runaway production alone could fill a book, and Courogen separates truth from legend, such as the story about May supposedly ordering underlings to flatten desert dunes. When a friend asked her to confirm that piece of “Ishtar” folklore, May asked him: “Do you believe that?” To which he responded: “Well, no, but it’s such a great story.”

This book has a lot of them! One of the most famous of May at work concerns “Mikey and Nicky,” when the cameraman yelled cut after stars John Cassavetes and Peter Falk walked out of frame to end a scene. “Don’t ever cut,” May told him. “They may come back.”

May enjoyed greater success as an Oscar-nominated screenwriter (“Heaven Can Wait,” “Primary Colors”) and script doctor, who, uncredited, came to the rescue of such films as “Reds” and “Tootsie.”

“Miss May Does Not Exist,” like its subject, contains multitudes, and it captures the complexities and contradictions of the fiendishly funny and fiercely independent artist who once said, “The only safe thing is to take a chance.”

Donald Liebenson is an entertainment writer. His work has been published in the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times and Vulture, among other publications.

Miss May Does Not Exist

The Life and Work of Elaine May, Hollywood’s Hidden Genius

By Carrie Courogen

St. Martin’s. 400 pp. $30

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The Best Books of the Year (So Far)

The nonfiction and novels we can’t stop thinking about.

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By The New York Times Books Staff

• May 24, 2024

Fiction | Nonfiction

We’re almost halfway through 2024 and we at The Book Review have already written about hundreds of books. Some of those titles are good. Some are very good. And then there are the following.

We suspect that some (though certainly not all) will be top of mind when we publish our end-of-year, best-of lists. For more thoughts on what to read next, head to our book recommendation page .

James , by Percival Everett

In this reworking of the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Jim, the enslaved man who accompanies Huck down the Mississippi River, is the narrator, and he recounts the classic tale in a language that is his own, with surprising details that reveal a far more resourceful, cunning and powerful character than we knew.

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Good Material , by Dolly Alderton

Alderton’s novel, about a 35-year-old struggling to make sense of a breakup, delivers the most delightful aspects of romantic comedy — snappy dialogue, realistic relationship dynamics, funny meet-cutes and misunderstandings — and leaves behind clichéd gender roles and the traditional marriage plot.

Martyr! , by Kaveh Akbar

A young Iranian American aspiring poet and recovering addict grieves his parents’ deaths while fantasizing about his own in Akbar’s remarkable first novel, which, haunted by death, also teems with life — in the inventive beauty of its sentences, the vividness of its characters and the surprising twists of its plot.

The Hunter , by Tana French

For Tana French fans, every one of the thriller writer’s twisty, ingenious books is an event. This one, a sequel to “The Searcher,” once again sees the retired Chicago cop Cal Hooper, a perennial outsider in the Irish west-country hamlet of Ardnakelty, caught up in the crimes — seen and unseen — that eat at the seemingly picturesque village.

Wandering Stars , by Tommy Orange

This follow-up to Orange’s debut, “There There,” is part prequel and part sequel; it trails the young survivor of a 19th-century massacre of Native Americans, chronicling not just his harsh fate but those of his descendants. In its second half, the novel enters 21st-century Oakland, following the family in the aftermath of a shooting.

Headshot , by Rita Bullwinkel

Set at a women’s boxing tournament in Reno, Nev., this novel centers on eight contestants, and the fights — physical and emotional — they bring to the ring. As our critic wrote: This story’s impact “lasts a long time, like a sharp fist to your shoulder.”

Beautyland , by Marie-Helene Bertino

In 1970s Philadelphia, an alien girl sent to Earth before she’s born communicates with her fellow life-forms via fax as she helps gather intel about whether our planet is habitable. This funny-sad novel follows the girl and her single mother as they find the means to persevere.

Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder , by Salman Rushdie

In his candid, plain-spoken and gripping new memoir, Rushdie recalls the attempted assassination he survived in 2022 during a presentation about keeping the world’s writers safe from harm. His attacker had piranhic energy. He also had a knife. Rushdie lost an eye, but he has slowly recovered thanks to the attentive care of doctors and the wife he celebrates here.

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis , by Jonathan Blitzer

This urgent and propulsive account of Latin American politics and immigration makes a persuasive case for a direct line from U.S. foreign policy in Central America to the current migrant crisis.

The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook , by Hampton Sides

By the time he made his third Pacific voyage, the British explorer James Cook had maybe begun to lose it a little. The scientific aims of his first two trips had shifted into something darker. According to our reviewer, the historian Hampton Sides “isn’t just interested in retelling an adventure tale. He also wants to present it from a 21st-century point of view. ‘The Wide Wide Sea’ fits neatly into a growing genre that includes David Grann’s ‘ The Wager ’ and Candice Millard’s ‘ River of the Gods ,’ in which famous expeditions, once told as swashbuckling stories of adventure, are recast within the tragic history of colonialism .”

The Rebel’s Clinic: The Revolutionary Lives of Frantz Fanon , by Adam Shatz

This absorbing biography of the Black psychiatrist, writer and revolutionary Frantz Fanon highlights a side of him that’s often eclipsed by his image as a zealous partisan — that of the caring doctor, who ran a secret clinic for Algerian rebels.

Fi: A Memoir , by Alexandra Fuller

In her fifth memoir, Fuller describes the sudden death of her 21-year-old son. Devastating as this elegant and honest account may be — it’s certainly not for the faint of heart — it also leaves the reader with a sense of having known a lovely and lively young man.

Explore More in Books

Want to know about the best books to read and the latest news start here..

John S. Jacobs was a fugitive, an abolitionist — and the brother of the canonical author Harriet Jacobs. Now, his own fierce autobiography has re-emerged .

Don DeLillo’s fascination with terrorism, cults and mass culture’s weirder turns has given his work a prophetic air. Here are his essential books .

Jenny Erpenbeck’s “ Kairos ,” a novel about a torrid love affair in the final years of East Germany, won the International Booker Prize , the renowned award for fiction translated into English.

Kevin Kwan, the author of “Crazy Rich Asians,” left Singapore’s opulent, status-obsessed, upper crust when he was 11. He’s still writing about it .

Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world. Listen here .

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