Editors at The New York TImes Book Review are sharing their choices for the best books of the year so far.
In a July 18 episode of the Book Review podcast, NYTBR editors Gilbert Cruz and Joumana Khatib shared some of the editors’ favorite reads. Throughout the conversation, the journalists picked books from a wide selection of genres — including thrillers, memoirs and horror novels — that are sure to be great picks for summer reading and beyond.
See below for the full list of books.
‘King of Ashes’ by S. A. Cosby
The cover ‘King of Ashes’ by S.A. Cosby.
Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar
This Southern crime novel follows a trio of siblings brought together after their father is involved in a car accident — only to become wrapped up with a dangerous mob.
“If you like crime novels, if you like suspense novels, this is almost certainly one that you should be reading this summer,’ Cruz said.
‘The Director’ by Daniel Kehlmann
The cover of ‘The Director’ by Daniel Kehlmann.
S&S/Summit Books
This novel was inspired by the life of G.W. Pabst, a film director who left his homeland of Austria to escape the Nazis. Though he began a new life in Hollywood, Pabst returned home when his mother got sick, and was hired to make propaganda films.
“One thing that’s so good about this book is that Cullen is really skillful about just building the dread, like, page by page,” Khatib said.
‘A Marriage at Sea’ by Sophie Elmhurst
The cover of ‘A Marriage at Sea’ by Sophie Elmhurst.
Riverhead Books
This riveting read traces one couple’s unforgettable period stranded at sea, after a whale broke and sunk their boat. It’s a nonfiction that reads like a thriller.
‘Careless People’ by Sarah Wynn Williams
The cover of ‘Careless People’ by Sarah Wynn-Williams.
Macmillan
The author of this memoir recounts her time working as the Director of Public Policy at Facebook, now known as Meta, and gives readers a firsthand account of life at the company.
‘Isola’ by Allegra Goodman
The cover of ‘Isola’ by Allegra Goodman.
The Dial Press
This novel based on a true story centers on an orphaned girl, who is taken on a French expedition by her new guardian — where she’s later abandoned and forced to fight for her survival.
‘The Catch’ by Yrsa Daley-Ward
The cover of ‘The Catch’ by Yrsa Daley-Ward.
Liveright
This thriller, which Cruz calls “darkly delicious,” follows Clara and Dempsey, two sisters adopted into different families after their mother vanished when they were young. Their lives are upended, however, when Clara sees a woman who looks like their parent on the street years later.
‘Daughters of the Bamboo Grove’ by Barbara Demick
The cover of ‘Daughters of the Bamboo Grove’ by Barbara Demick.
Random House
Demick’s nonfiction book analyzes China’s one-child policy through the story of twin sisters separated due to the country’s guidelines.
‘Sisters’ by Jonas Hassen Khemiri
The cover of ‘Sisters’ by Jonas Hassen Khemiri.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
This ambitious novel traces decades in the lives of the Mikkola sisters, as well as a character called Jonas, whose path intersects with the family’s too.
“There’s a pretty amazing twist at the end,” Khatib said. “So even though this novel is over 600 pages, it is totally worth it.”
‘The Buffalo Hunter Hunter’ by Stephen Graham Jones
The cover of ‘The Buffalo Hunter Hunter’ by Stephen Graham Jones.
S&S/Saga Press
Graham Jones returns with another spine-tingling horror novel, which recounts the life of an early-century vampire that haunts a Native American reservation.
“It’s Dracula within Nosferatu within Remyk, the Irish vampire from Sinners,” Cruz said.
‘Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gaugin’ by Sue Prideaux
The cover of ‘Wild Thing’ by Sue Prideaux.
W. W. Norton & Company
This biography examines the controversial life of artist Paul Gaugin, whose work would later inspire greats like Vincent Van Gogh and Henri Matisse.
“I’m not always drawn to biographies,” Khatib said. “Sometimes that can be a bit of an uphill climb for me, but this one? Totally lucid, totally fun.”
‘Raising Hare’ by Chloe Dalton
The cover of ‘Raising Hare’ by Chloe Dalton.
Pantheon
The author of this memoir details a transformative period in her life, in which she began a meaningful — though unlikely — friendship with a wild hare during the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘To Smithereens’ by Rosalyn Drexler
The cover of ‘To Smithereens’ by Rosalyn Drexler.
Hagfish
Set in 1970s Manhattan, this satirical novel follows the one-of-a-kind romance between an aspiring female wrestler and an art critic.
“The best thing about this book, it’s just it’s odd. It’s totally idiosyncratic,” Khatib said.” For a book that’s so physical, the dialogue’s really good. You can feel yourself sticking to the booth in the 24-hour diner where they’re having bad coffee.”
‘The Fate of the Day’ by Rick Atkinson
The cover of ‘The Fate of the Day’ by Rick Atkinson.
Crown
The second installment of the author’s American Revolution trilogy is a thoroughly-researched look at the middle years of the Revolutionary War.
“For those who are interested in American history, for those who want to prep for the semi-quincentennial, for those who have dads or granddads in their life who maybe are looking for their next history book, I think this is one that you should take a look at,” Cruz said.
‘Flesh’ by David Szalay
The cover of ‘Flesh’ by David Szalay.
Scribner
Szalay’s latest traces the life of one Hungarian man from adolescence into adulthood. It’s a coming-of-age novel that Khatib “read basically in one sitting.”
“I think that’s a good sign if you’re in an altered state after you finish a book,” the editor added. “But I’ve been thinking about it for a long time ever since finishing it.”
‘Things in Nature Merely Grow’ by Yiyun Li
The cover of ‘Things in Nature Merely Grow’ by Yiyun Li.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
This moving work of nonfiction sees the author reflecting on the death of her sons, James and Vincent.
“This is a story that, in other hands, would just be a story about grieving and maybe what it means to heal,” Cruz said. “This is not that story. This is a book in which she pays tribute to both of those sons. She tries to grapple with how she has dealt with these tragedies.”
‘These Summer Storms’ by Sarah MacLean
The cover of ‘These Summer Storms’ by Sarah MacLean.
Ballantine Books
This Succession-esque novel follows four siblings who must compete for their inheritance at their family’s Rhode Island beach home after their billionaire father’s death.