NYT Books

Plato and Pushkin, Mickey Mouse and “The Simpsons” make (permissible) appearances in this surprisingly zippy history of copyright protection.

From Edith Wharton’s treatise on décor to a portrait of 1990s Tokyo, the books that designers return to again and again for inspiration.

In “Madness,” the journalist Antonia Hylton explores the hidden history of Crownsville Hospital, and America’s continuing failure to care for Black minds.

In “Martyr!,” the poet Kaveh Akbar turns a grieving young man’s search for meaning into a piercing family saga.

In “The Showman,” the journalist Simon Shuster trails the entertainer-turned-wartime president as he rallies the world for support.

Laura Linney and Jessica Hecht bring David Auburn’s nostalgic play about an unlikely friendship straight to your ears.

The Nobel laureate’s “Small Memories” is a mix of peasant life, boyhood adventure and wide-eyed wonder.

“That you could collaborate with others and go out for boba tea was quite revelatory,” says the author of “The Expatriates,” which Nicole Kidman has produced (and stars in) for Amazon this month.

The anthology “Burn Man” selects from decades of Mark Anthony Jarman’s work, bringing the writer’s lush and searing stories to new readers.

Our romance columnist on four saucy January releases.