Reviews+

Percival Everett’s James and Adam Higginbotham’s Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space win Kirkus Prizes. A shortlist is released for the Laurel Prize for environmental and nature poetry. Plus, interviews with Randy Newman, Emily Witt, and Colin Kaepernick, a new memoir by Pope Francis, and new title bestsellers.

Sandra Dallas writes an homage to True Grit, Joanna Miller debuts with a story set at Oxford University in 1920, and Danielle Steel offers a sweeping historical novel.

Melinda French Gates offers personal anecdotes and guidance on how to navigate transitions, Top Chef's Kristen Kish writes a memoir, and the creator of @PoetsSquareCats pens a memoir about community and cats.

Auteurs Nora Ephron and Ida Lupino get the star treatment in new books by Ilana Kaplan and Alexandra Seros. 

November’s LibraryReads list is out, featuring top pick Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage. Ken Follett’s forthcoming historical epic Circle of Days will examine the mysteries of Stonehenge. James Patterson launches a new Substack, Hungry Dogs. LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for top holds title The Waiting by Michael Connelly. Riku Onda’s crime novel The Aosawa Murders will get a limited series adaptation, and Phaedra Patrick’s The Little Italian Hotel will be adapted for TV. Plus, the Kirkus Prize winners will be announced tonight.

Don't miss these on-trend romances featuring moms and a range of swoony partners.

When authors become characters, the plot thickens.

Alice McDermott wins the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award for her novel Absolution. The Baillie Gifford Prize shortlist is announced, along with the winners of the British Fantasy Awards and the Prix Utopiales. The Waiting by Michael Connelly leads holds this week. Also in demand are titles by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey, Bob Woodward, Debbie Macomber, and David Rosenfelt. People’s book of the week is The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman. Al Pacino’s memoir, Sonny Boy, arrives. Plus, M.K. Oliver’s buzzy forthcoming debut novel, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage, will get the series treatment at Hulu.

Forty in-depth reviews of travel series, spanning hikes in national parks to a perfect day in Positano. To help manage selection, we provide full bibliographic data for 533 individual titles that make up this series review, along with a downloadable spreadsheet of every title sortable by BISAC.