10 Books Critics Are Raving About Now

“Kitamura’s novels are short, sharp, and deadly. I’m not sure there’s anyone better writing in America today,” declared The Guardian in their roundup of fiction to watch in 2025. In Audition, an accomplished actress and an attractive younger man meet for lunch in a Manhattan restaurant. As the encounter unfolds, competing narratives emerge, questioning the roles we play and the truths we conceal.

Pulitzer Prize winner Grandin offers a comprehensive narrative that redefines our understanding of the Americas, from colonial conquests to contemporary politics. Publishers Weekly described it as “a monumental new view of the New World.”

In the latest novel from the author of People We Meet on Vacation, two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a few plot twists up her sleeve. As they navigate a one-month trial on a secluded island, secrets unfold and tensions rise, leaving their own story hanging in the balance.

In this potent collection, Bertino's characters grapple with loss and transformation in stories that blend the surreal with the deeply human. Publishers Weekly highlighted it as “a potent and darkly funny collection… driven by energetic pacing, quick wit, and surprising twists.”

Fans of the unique and thought-provoking works Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings will be intrigued by a newly translated novel from the Japanese author, set in a world where sex between married couples has vanished and children are born through artificial insemination. "Murata's blunt and bizarre humor is on full display, as is her incisive commentary on contemporary Japan," praised Publishers Weekly. "This nightmarish fable is impossible to shake."

This Irish debut is part classic whodunit, part modern meditation on loss. With sharp twists and a metafictional edge, it’s both a tribute to and a reinvention of the crime novel. “Fair Play honors the golden age of crime novels, just as it turns the genre on its head,” praised NPR.

In the first full biography of Robert Crumb, Dan Nadel traces how the underground comics pioneer transformed American visual culture, from Zap Comix to The Book of Genesis. With access to the artist and deep knowledge of the medium, Nadel explores Crumb’s complex legacy—artistic brilliance, personal turmoil, and a body of work that challenged, offended, and inspired.

After a dejected obituary writer drunkenly publishes his own obituary, his life takes an unexpected and uplifting turn. Mistakenly listed as "dead" in the company system and unable to be fired, he begins attending strangers' funerals to discover what makes a life worth living. A touching comedy about finding purpose when you've been given a second chance.

In a book that Booklist calls “provocative, challenging, and concerning,” Pulitzer finalist Vauhini Vara unpacks how tech companies have both fulfilled and exploited our desire for understanding and belonging.

From their earliest days to the height of Beatlemania and beyond, John Lennon and Paul McCartney shaped the sound of a generation. In this groundbreaking book, writer and human behavior expert Ian Leslie uses their songs to explore the evolution of their artistry—before, during, and after The Beatles. Drawing on newly released recordings and footage, Leslie offers a fresh, insightful portrait of two cultural icons and the creative force that changed music forever.