Blow me away. That's what we want from each and every book we pick up. And these authors' works did just that. Their latest offerings rose above the noise, shook us up, and evinced wonder, marvel, even mind-bending perspective shifts. We invite our fellow book nerds to unite around our awe of such authors as Joyce Carol Oates, Ian McEwan, Kate Atkinson, Barbara Kingsolver, Mohsin Hamid, George Saunders, Elizabeth Strout, and so many others who have noteworthy new works to absorb and delight us this season. Among the standout newcomers: Jonathan Escoffery's highly anticipated Miami-based debut story collection, If I Survive You, and Laura Warrell's sensuous ode to bad-boy musicians and the women who love them, Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm. If writers are your rock stars, let the music begin!
This Boy's Life
A fiction master explores the effects of childhood trauma amid global turmoil.
BY HAMILTON CAIN
A writer's writer par excellence, Ian McEwan has long been lauded for his fearless imagination and exquisitely calibrated sentences. He mines current affairs the here and now, the rear-view mirror, and the just-over-the-horizon-steering readers through crises from the Blitz to 9/11 to the war in Iraq. His most famous work, Atonement (which was made into a feature film starring Keira Knightley and Saoirse Ronan), plays tricks with readers' expectations. As with Carol Shields's The Stone Diaries or Ali Smith's seasonal quartet series, quotidian lives reflect the sweep and drama of history.
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The BEST BOOKS of 2024
We all loved Oprah's Book Club selections this year (did you read them all?), but here are our editors' favorite standouts on the shelves-from the thoughtprovoking to the heartwarming to the hilarious.
The Summer I TOOK My Mom "HOME"
Whenever I tell people about the Last Trip Home I took to Italy with my 87-year-old mother and my older son last summer, everyone has the same response (\"Awwww...\"), which makes me feel like a fraud because I know they're imagining some gauzy scene. And to be fair, I'd tried to plan it that way.
PARIS Made ME DO IT
Travel maybe shouldn't be any different than \"regular\" life, but it is.
LOST And Found IN AMERICA
When I was 21, I spent the summer driving around the United States with my boyfriend. It amazes me, looking back, that I let myself go on that eight-week trip.
I WENT I Saw, HATE
Ten years ago, I went to Tokyo on a lark. I was invited to the opening of the 38-story Aman Tokyo hotel, a beautiful example of urban minimalism and a destination unto itself.
Trips That Changed US All Forever
Me, MOM, And A Thousand SEABIRDS
Dear Biohackers, The Secrets to Longevity Are Simpler Than You Think
In a world of health trackers built to optimize, we propose choosing joy over deprivation and community over navel-gazing. The research agrees.
The Menopause Makeover: For When "Aging Gracefully" Gets Old
Because literally everything-from eyelids to neck skin to boobs to butt-falls off a cliff. Here, a dozen interventions women in this life stage are embracing.
Why I Cut Off All My Hair
The author of City of Girls and Big Magic talks about how she made the bold decision to break out the clippers in order to find her own version of beauty.
The Perfect Gift Book for Everyone on Your List
Sumptuous reads that look as lovely on your coffee table as they do on your bedside table.
