NYT Books

Though it downplays unflattering details, Katherine Bucknell’s big biography hails the 20th-century writer as an early advocate for the “chosen family.”

In “To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause,” Benjamin Nathans takes stock of the generation of dissidents who helped loosen the bonds of tyranny in the Soviet Union.

He tracked the rise of grunge as the editor of the Seattle music magazine The Rocket. He also wrote acclaimed books about two of the city’s most celebrated rock luminaries.

As Democrats coalesce around their candidate, here are some of the words that define the party now.

The first novel in Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet was just voted the best book of the 21st century. We like it too.

“Impossible Creatures” has prompted comparisons to Tolkien, Lewis and Pullman, but action, not awe, is Katherine Rundell’s strong suit.

“Survival Is a Promise,” a new biography by Alexis Pauline Gumbs, is an unabashed homage to the poet known for her political commitment and community building.

Working in a Louisiana middle school has made Amanda Jones a culture warrior, a process she describes in “That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America.”

The feminist thinker is celebrated as a prophet of empowerment and self-care. A new biography shows how she saw our future even more keenly.