NYT Books

It’s the day the “Animal Goncourt” is awarded. “Who better,” a judge says, “to talk about the fabulous relationship between animals and men than writers and philosophers?”

The pair work together to envision Kristian Hadeland, the protagonist of the author’s latest novel, “The School of Night.”

Like her debut, “The Dive From Clausen’s Pier,” the novelist’s “Some Bright Nowhere” is bound to touch a nerve. That’s fine with her.

Jean-Philippe Pleau’s book and play about moving up socially became a cultural reckoning in Quebec, but created a gulf with his family.

Emmanuel Carrère’s best sellers on Russia grew out of a deep affection. Since Moscow invaded Ukraine, he has traveled to the war-torn country to rethink his views.

She started as the magazine’s glamorous receptionist and became one of its more singular writers. In one of her last articles, she memorialized her time (and lovers) there.

In “Goliath’s Curse,” Luke Kemp crunches the numbers to see exactly how far we are from the fate of once-great empires.

Over nearly a half-century, he wrote 10,000 epigrams, none longer than 17 words, and printed them on postcards, T-shirts, mugs and other products.

Why? Curiosity, “general impatience and all-around quirkiness.” Her first book (which proceeds chronologically) is a visual memoir of her life and musical career.

An observational poet who focuses on imagery from nature, he taught at the Institute of American Indian Arts for more than 20 years.