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This exceptional book’s stories of plagiarism showcase persistence and the insidious and enduring ways in which sexism informs and shapes the contemporary world. Murphy will motivate readers to challenge stereotypes.

These books delve into deep issues from inequality to the housing crisis and provide ideas to create change.

A journalist investigates the global business of trash, a pair of books explore the housing crisis through stories of the unhoused, and two authors delve into the impact of racism.

With its mix of astute cultural analyses, quippy personal anecdotes, and deeper dives into sociopolitical and theoretical factors, this book does more than show disabled and chronically ill people that they belong. It also serves as a reminder that it matters how one shows up on dating apps and in relationships, in order to counteract the systems that try to render invisible the people whose bodies don’t conform to social norms.

Explore the varied landscape of social sciences publishing via LJ’s top picks in anthropology, parapsychology, parenting, economics, memoir, and more.

The power of rest, advice from a Buddhist monk, and breaking free from other people’s expectations are the subjects of these feel-good meditations and guides.

Real-life courtroom battles are shared by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey as they detail accounts of wrongful conviction; plus a new Malcolm Gladwell book is on the way. 

Decode destiny and manifest magic with these new parapsychology titles, including books on numerology, tarot, and pendulum magic.

Racism, poverty, and burnout are dominant themes of many of 2023’s best social sciences books. But there is also joy, along with journeys to find comfort and welcoming communities.

Anne Lamott returns and a death-doula, an etiquette expert, an astronaut, and a first lady offer advice.

Find help, and maybe answers, across these titles.

Important reads ranging across multiple subjects.

In-depth explorations of racism, divorce, and money. The best social sciences titles of 2022.

With the May 3 news that the U.S. Supreme Court may be poised to reverse Roe v. Wade, which held that pregnant Americans have a constitutional right to choose abortion, readers might be looking for titles addressing the topic to contextualize the issue. Here are five titles, all recently reviewed in LJ.

The story of a family keepsake, a forgotten utopia, and the evolution of a neighborhood. The best social science books of 2021.

Jeremy Dauber's book sets itself apart, and comics enthusiasts will be enthralled. Douglas Wolk's analysis of Marvel Comics is both a useful introduction and reference guide.

Perkins blends personal experiences and pop culture, and will keep readers turning the pages to the very end. Turner examines how three girls from a similar starting place ended up on varying life paths. 

Present conflicts and future dangers to U.S. society.

Erling Kagge uncovers what motivates people to walk. Antonia Malchik considers how the United States lost its pedestrian roots. Leslie Carol Roberts chronicles experiences of walking in changing landscapes. 

Thomas Dyja writes an engaging social history of New York. Jelly-Schapiro's entertaining book draws attention to how places are named. The latest by Craig Taylor will delight armchair travelers.

Trent Preszler uncovers family heirlooms in Little and Often. Paris Without Her by Gregory Curtis explores the depths of grief. Lorenzo Carcaterra's Three Dreamers is a reflective story of family.

Caste and control, the power of protest, a portrait of boys. The best social science books of 2020.

Issac J. Bailey writes a powerful call to action. Kimberly Drew & Jenna Wortham compile writing and artwork around Black lives. Kenya Hunt tells how Black women survive and thrive.

Ijeoma Oluo's words will resonate with all ready to look inward and enact change. Connor Towne O'Neill writes a powerful meditation on collective memory. Ty Seidule shows how history informs our present.

Jones writes an insightful book that shines light on Black suffragists underexplored in history. Cahill shows how women of color needed to continue to fight even after 1920 to earn the right to vote.

Giffels writes an exploration of Ohio with care and sensitivity, while Shuler gives people the opportunity to speak up and be heard.

Jonathan Horn chronicles the lasting influence of George Washington. Edward J. Larson considers the political dynamics of Colonial America. 

Cathy Park Hong expertly blends memoir and cultural criticism. Bettye Kearse skillfully weaves personal and oral history. Lan Yan carefully traces family history.

These 34 titles help patrons understand  the experiences of immigrants, migrants, and refugees through memoirs, documentaries, and novels.

Deep dives into contemporary issues of mass incarceration, gun violence, systemic injustice. The best social science books published in 2019.

In their new book, Rap on Trial: Race, Lyrics and Guilt in America, Erik Nielson and Andrea L. Dennis show how aspiring rappers have often fallen victim to a corrupt justice system, as prosecutors twist lyrics into evidence of murder, assault, drug trafficking, and other crimes.

Yarimar Bonilla & Marisol Lebron offer different perspectives. Deibert unpacks the history of colonialism. Ed Morales examines capitalism’s past, present, and future.

Six books explore the varied experiences of people living with physical and mental disabilities.

Robin DiAngelo's influential work on white fragility, a deep dive into the ways Facebook undermines democracy, and two blistering texts on female rage top the list of best-selling social science titles, as complied by GOBI Library Solutions from EBSCO.

The opioid crisis in this country has reached epic proportions, with more than 47,000 American deaths in 2017 attributed to opioid overdose. These 27 resources will offer background and some help if not overall solutions.

Will appeal most to Hollywood history buffs, but may also pique the interest of general readers with its yarns of various stars; highly recommended for history or hospitality aficionados

The golden anniversary of a defining event highlights the need for robust, intersectional LGBTQIA+ collections. These 33 resources will show how far we've come.

Essential new titles, spanning fiction, nonfiction, and media 

This work brings readers to see slavery, politics, and the development of photography in a new light; Reidy’s important book shows that the movement toward freedom was neither linear nor inevitable but was and must be constant; 

An ­emotionally gripping, very human portrayal of the people behind March for Our Lives; an important addition to recovery/bereavement literature that will be of interest to civic leaders and readers seeking to learn more about trauma-informed therapy, community planning, and emergency management