1. Ryan Davison’s review of Partita: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper). “Early in Barbara Kingsolver’s electrifying new novel, it’s explained that a partita ‘is a musical composition made of many parts with different paces and moods. The contrast is the point. The parts are all different, and the artist’s work is to make them add up to something that feels whole.’ For a work that hurls readers across jagged emotional landscapes while fusing themes of class, obsession, politics, and abandonment into a cohesive, compelling narrative, the title applies perfectly. Much of the power in Partita comes from its impressive literary variation.”


2. Mariko Hewer’s review of Exit Party: A Novel by Emily St. John Mandel (Knopf). “Decades later, Ari is living in a Paris over which a controversial artificial dome is being erected to keep out the extreme effects of climate change. (‘The dome will protect us against the heat and the storms,’ reflects her husband, ‘but what if something happens inside the dome?’) After reconnecting with a past acquaintance and being reminded of the strange events at the L.A. party, Ari is forced to accept that, canny as she is, there are some twists she can’t predict.”


3. David O. Stewart’s review of Agrippa: A Novel of Ancient Rome’s Descent into Dictatorship by Robert Harris (Doubleday). The reader waits for emotional rage, vituperation, vengeance. And waits. But no. Agrippa has battles to win, roads and giant construction projects to build, so he shrugs, takes a deep breath, and sets his shoulder to the wheel of duty. This is the tale of a natural henchman, an instinctive No. 2. Shakespeare wrote two plays featuring Agrippa’s contemporary and rival, Mark Antony, a man who dared greatly, loved dangerously, and ended ignominiously. Agrippa defeated Antony at the Battle of Actium, but it is Antony whose fame endures, who still claims our imaginations.


4. Kitty Kelley’s review of Great American Presidents: The Twelve Who Transformed the Nation by Allan J. Lichtman (Bancroft Press). “In the pages that follow, Lichtman captures the humanity of each man — their faults and foibles, coupled with their titanic strengths. He then grades them on what he calls the Crisis Key, the Transformation Key, the Moral Vision Key, the Hidden Hand Key, the Stewardship Key, the Realignment Key, the Institution Builder Key, the Narrative Key, the Diplomatic Pivot Key, and the Adaptability Key. The only president to turn all 10 keys of greatness, ‘the architect of the modern American state and its place in the world,’ is Franklin D. Roosevelt. ‘His legacy lives on not only through policies and precedents but also in the very fabric of American political life.’”


5. “Entering the ‘Otherwhere,’” by Amanda Holmes Duffy. “One morning, we were preparing to unpack a shipment of books and manuscripts that had been in storage for many years when Carolyn received an email informing her of the death of an old friend and fellow writer. As we talked about her friend, I told her to wait for a sign from him. She had just gone downstairs when I opened up and began unpacking one of the boxes at random — only to discover, on top of the stack, several books written by this deceased friend and inscribed to Carolyn. Such experiences were not uncommon while I was working with her.”

Subscribe to our newsletter here, and follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Pinterest. Advertise with us here.