NYT Books

In “Sister, Sinner,” Claire Hoffman tells the stranger-than-fiction story of Aimee Semple McPherson, whose mysterious life made headlines in the 1920s.

A leading sociologist, he explored American society up close — living in a Levittown at one point — to gain insight into issues of race, class, the media and even the Yankees.

A powerhouse of the genre, she published around 100 short stories and 17 novels, one of which was adapted into the acclaimed film “The Lady Vanishes.”

Parents in Maryland say they have a religious right to withdraw their children from classes on days that storybooks with gay and transgender themes are discussed.

In a new collection, Lydia Millet casts a satirical eye on left-wing culture and its array of character types.

Dan Nadel’s “Crumb: A Cartoonist’s Life” takes on the good, the bad, the ugly and the weird. Over punk rock vegetarian food, subject and writer compared notes.

The romance author Beth O’Leary recommends books that show off the trope at its best — playful, knowing, original and deliciously satisfying.

Marianne Faithfull was a star in her own right; Peggy Caserta was a hippie tastemaker. Their memoirs are riveting.

In his paean to another age, David Denby studies four icons who defined American culture in the second half of the 20th century.

In the 1960s and ’70s, his leggy femmes fatales beckoned from paperback covers and posters for movies like “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Thunderball.”