Behavioral Scientist has selected Mary-Frances O’Connor’s THE GRIEVING BODY (HarperOne) as a Notable Book of 2025. From the magazine: "We select books that expand our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world; that deepen our knowledge of the events shaping our lives; that sharpen the way we do behavioral science and design; that help us navigate life more effectively.”
Morning Brew featured Cal Newport’s DEEP WORK (Grand Central) as one of their “best resources for creating the distraction-free environment.”
The New York Times featured Cal Newport’s DEEP WORK (Grand Central) in their piece, “Want to Accomplish More This Year? These Books Can Help. The four featured books “provide evidence-based tools you can use on your path to healthy productivity.”
Director Steven Soderbergh released his “Seen, Read 2025” list, and it features Anika Burgess’s FLASHES OF BRILLIANCE (W.W. Norton).
Literary Hub included Shannon Sanders's THE GREAT WHEREVER in their list of most anticipated books of 2026, saying: "This book circles one of my favorite riddles for fiction: how do we carry ancestral expectations? When Audrey Lamb, an underpaid gig worker in D.C., inherits family farmland in Tennessee, she goes to claim her birthright—only to discover the property is ruled by four familial ghosts. An epic with supernatural and epigenetic overtones, this debut novel looks like a feast of a story."
Debutiful included Shannon Sanders's THE GREAT WHEREVER in their list of most anticipated books of 2026, saying: "Sanders’s debut story collection, Company, was one of my absolute favorites. The moment the galley for her debut novel was available I made sure it was on its way to me. The Great Wherever is an ambitious multigenerational novel where the past (ghosts) is ever present. Sanders is an sublime writer with unparalleled talent. I could read her writing all day, every day."
BookPage included Shannon Sanders's THE GREAT WHEREVER in their list of most anticipated fiction books of the year.
BookPage included Shannon Sanders's THE GREAT WHEREVER in their list of the 21 most anticipated books of the year, saying: "It’s not often that a debut novel has our attention this far out, but for Shannon Sanders, author of the critically acclaimed short story collection Company, our interest is piqued. It helps that The Great Wherever has such an intriguing premise: a family saga narrated in part by a chorus of ghosts, in which the dead and the living are bound not only by blood but also by shared stakes in a family homestead in Tennessee, purchased by their patriarch, Thomas, who was one of the first Black landowners in the area."
“Exemplary, tension-filled...The hallmarks of this absorbing novel are embedded in two literary achievements—an unerring examination of terrorism at home and abroad and a gripping exploration of the damage done by unhealed trauma. Laskar, a former reporter, thrusts us into scenes of horrific violence and suffering while expertly capturing the lives of seasoned journalists committed to bringing truth to their readers and listeners. [Midnight, at the War is] a dynamic novel about one woman’s struggle to understand the world and her own emotional chaos.”
Literary Hub included Benjamin Hale's CAVE MOUNTAIN in their list of the "Most Anticipated Books of 2026."
The New York Times included Benjamin Hale's CAVE MOUNTAIN in their list of "The Nonfiction Everyone Will Be Talking About in 2026."
Debutiful has selected Freda Epum's memoir THE GLOOMY GIRL VARIETY SHOW as one of their Best Debut Books of 2025.
Barnes & Noble has selected Matthew McConaughey's POEMS & PRAYERS (Crown) as one of their Best Memoirs of the Year.
The Next Big Idea Club selected Paul Leonardi’s DIGITAL EXHAUSTION (Riverhead) as one of its twelve best productivity books of 2025, calling it "A revelatory examination of why you’re feeling so worn out—and practical daily strategies to change your relationship with your devices."
The Globe and Mail selected Paul Leonardi’s DIGITAL EXHAUSTION (Riverhead) as one of its ten best management books of 2025.
The New York Public Library librarians selected their best books of 2025, and Nathalia Holt’s THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS (One Signal) is on their Best Books for Adults list.
The New York Times featured five books, including Cal Newport’s DIGITAL MINIMALISM (Portfolio), that are recommended by therapists and researchers to help people disconnect from tech. “These five titles—some considered classics—have consistently proven helpful, even as technology keeps evolving.”
Publishers Weekly have named their most anticipated novels for Spring/Summer 2026, and Shannon Sanders's debut novel The Great Wherever is in their Top 10!
Barnes & Noble has selected Brandon Stanton’s DEAR NEW YORK (St. Martin's) as one of their Best Gift Books of the Year.
“Murphy crafts a foreboding atmosphere from the jump and makes the occult elements at the center of the story feel entirely plausible. This is a winner.”
Charles R. Smith's BLACK DIAMOND KINGS has been selected by School Library Journal as one of their Best Poetry Books of 2025.
The cover for Liana De la Rosa's contemporary romance MUTUAL DISCORD (Berkley) was revealed by People Magazine in an exclusive on November 19, 2025.
Kirkus Reviews has selected Nathalia Holt’s THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS (One Signal) as one of their Best Nonfiction Books of the Year.
Kirkus Reviews has selected Anika Burgess’s FLASHES OF BRILLIANCE (W.W. Norton) as one of their Best Nonfiction Books of the Year.
Nathalia Holt’s THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS (One Signal) has been selected by Amazon as one of their Top 20 Books of 2025.
Brandon Stanton spoke with CBS News about "Humans of New York" and his new book DEAR NEW YORK (St. Martin's Press).
Rebecca Boyle’s OUR MOON (Random House) is the winner of a PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award, named for the late poet and professor at the University of California at Berkeley. The award was created "to provide recognition for outstanding literary achievement from the entire spectrum of America’s diverse literary community.”
The Boardman Tasker Charitable Trust has announced that Nathalia Holt’s THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS (One Signal) is on the shortlist for their 2025 Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature. A panel of judges will determine the winning book as one that has “made an outstanding contribution to mountain literature."
The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) has named Emily Sohn as the recipient of the 2025 Kovler Prize for Trust in Life Science Journalism. The prize "recognizes an individual who has significantly increased the public’s awareness and understanding of life sciences through a distinguished body of journalistic work.” Sohn is the author of the forthcoming book THE NEW WILDERNESS (Sourcebooks).
"Debut author Karleigh Frisbie Brogan has written a remarkably assured memoir with Holding, an account of her addiction and recovery that reads like a beautiful mosaic of broken glass: sharp, painful, and filled with glints of light... The quality of Brogan's prose and her deep understanding of her addiction and her own human condition make Holding a standout among similarly themed memoirs."
"The book goes beyond conversations about PTSD to focus on “post-traumatic growth”—or how survivors discover sexual agency despite and because of the violence they’ve endured. It offers survivors like myself a manual of helpful suggestions, a fascinating window into a range of survivors’ sex lives, and a deep dive into the sexual challenges Simon faced. Ultimately, though, what Tell Me What You Like offers is hope . . . It invites us to imagine sexual safety and pleasure together."
Barbara Shapiro's THE LOST MASTERPIECE is a USA Today Bestseller for the week of September 3rd, 2025.
The New York Times featured Craig Malkin's RETHINKING NARCISSISM among "4 Approaches to Dealing With a Narcissist": "The book is 'particularly interesting because the author speaks to the universal need to feel special,' Dr. Tummala-Narra said, adding that the language is clear and accessible."
"Anyabwile and Kellman's artwork blends the vibrancy of Harlem with the comic books beloved by young Walter, nicely differentiating this newly visual exploration of the adolescence of one of the most respected youth authors of our time. An illuminating companion to the original."
On behalf of KNAU Arizona Public Radio, Melissa L. Sevigny, author of BRAVE THE WILD RIVER (W.W. Norton) was awarded an Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Writing in the small market radio category for her piece, “Smokey Bear Turns 80 Today. Some Celebrate Him—and Others Worry His Message Is Out of Date.”
Jason Wilson joined Mel Robbins on her podcast to discuss THE MAN THE MOMENT DEMANDS.
Andrew Kolb’s WONDERLAND (Andrews McMeel) won a silver Ennie Award in the category of Best Layout & Design. The book was also nominated in the categories of Best Monster/Adversary and Best Cartography.
“A dreamy tale of space flight to set aspiring astronauts’ minds whirling.”
The Next Big Idea Club has selected Paul Leonardi’s DIGITAL EXHAUSTION (Riverhead) as a "Must-Read Book" for October 2025, saying: "A revelatory examination of why you’re feeling so worn out—and practical daily strategies to change your relationship with your devices."
Emily Sohn, author of the forthcoming THE NEW WILDERNESS: How Life Endures in the Most Unexpected Places (Sourcebooks), is the winner of the 2025 Sharon Begley Award for Science Reporting. Said bioGraphic editor-in-chief Steven Bedard, “I know the book will provide compelling examples of hope and resilience at a time when the public desperately needs these types of stories.”
"After 15 years of working through my own trauma, I wrote a book, Tell Me What You Like: An Honest Discussion of Sex and Intimacy After Sexual Assault, to help others do the same. Through personal healing and research into how to better cope with trauma’s fallout, I’ve learned a lot about how to navigate trauma anniversaries."
For years after Katie Simon was raped, "good sex" meant feeling safe, not satisfied. Through candid conversations with other survivors—and plenty of trial and error—she learned how to unlock real desire on her own terms.
Ahead of her new book Tell Me What You Like, author Katie Simon talks with porn director Erika Lust about how ethical porn can help women who have been sexually assaulted regain their sexual autonomy.
"For their book, Tell Me What You Like: An Honest Discussion of Sex and Intimacy After Sexual Assault, Katie Simon wanted to understand how a person continues to heal after being assaulted. Ultimately, Katie concluded that for our sex lives to grow, we must both recognize our triggers and our turn-ons. That’s why the book covers topics that include boundaries, panic, consent, regret, kink, false beliefs, breakups, and aftercare. A nonbinary survivor themself, Katie wrote Tell Me What You Like for all survivors across the sexuality and gender spectrum."
"Simon’s treatment of this difficult subject is frank, broadly accepting of diverse reactions, and forthrightly sex-positive, asserting that survivors can and should expect to recover a gratifying sex life. Throughout, her writing is evocative, raw, and psychologically rich, as when she describes a first sexual experience after an assault...A clear-eyed and deeply humane exploration of how people may heal from sexual violence."
The New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA) has selected JUST UNTIL by Joseph Moldover as a finalist for the New England Book Award.
Porchlight Books recommended four books for the week of July 1, including Kimberly Potts’ IT’S (ALMOST) ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (Gallery), saying: "As thoughtful, provocative, and engaging as the show itself, this book also explores how the show has pushed the envelope and used absurdist comedy to explore major societal issues, including the #MeToo movement, LGBTQ+ rights, racism, and more.”
The New York Times reviewed Nathalia Holt’s THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS, and said: “The Beast in the Clouds is Nathalia Holt's immersive, sometimes harrowing account of the siblings’ Himalayan adventure… Absorbing.”
BookBub released their July humor picks and included Kimberly Potts' IT’S (ALMOST) ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (Gallery).
Amazon has selected Nathalia Holt’s THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS (One Signal) as a Best Book of July, and editor Lindsay Powers picked the book as her Personal Pick for the month, saying: “This heart-thumping adventure through the Himalayas alongside Teddy Roosevelt’s sons will keep your pulse elevated for all of its brisk 288 pages. It’s full of larger-than-life swagger, surprising self-awareness, and satisfying twists… a rip-roaring journey back in time through a world that no longer exists. Great narrative history.”
Vulture included Saul Austerlitz’s KIND OF A BIG DEAL (Dutton) on its updated list of "119 Books Every Comedy Fan Should Read," saying: “Austerlitz, one of the world’s few comedy-history professors, weaves an oral history of the film that gives Anchorman its place in the funny-film canon — but also demonstrates how it’s a tipping point and opening salvo in a comedic-philosophy war that would possibly permanently send its creators, Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, down very different career paths."
Vulture included Jennifer Keishin Armstrong’s SEINFELDIA on its updated list of "119 Books Every Comedy Fan Should Read,” saying: "Many books will be written about Seinfeld…. Armstrong has the best take possible. She dives deep into the show’s history and mythology of the show’s huge universe, obsessing over the minutia of the show as if she were a Seinfeld character."
The New York Times recommended six podcasts to boost productivity, including Deep Questions with Cal Newport, saying: "As he addresses listener questions and shares concrete tips and techniques, Newport also encourages his audience to question their assumptions about productivity as a goal in itself."
Genevieve Plunkett’s story “The Cat Sitter” opens with two salacious pieces of small town gossip . . . Far from horrifying or repulsing Becky, these developments stir up in her longings that seem at once deeply rooted, freshly urgent, and endlessly confusing.
"Ryan has written her best book to date, which should be on everyone’s reading list.”
Finding Pleasure After Pain: For some assault survivors, “good sex” doesn’t happen easily. Sometimes it’s not even the goal.
"More than blood seeps into the soil of an elite Napa Valley winery in the outstanding Blood on the Vine. TV writer and showrunner J.T. Falco packs his first novel with murder, competitive businesses, family rivalry, greed, sex-cult rumors, controversial farming methods, and entitlement, but his smooth plotting and attention to fully realized characters ensure that this crime procedural doesn't seem overstuffed."
