Kamrooz Aram is everywhere this year, from Mumbai Art Week to the Whitney Biennial, and critic Aruna D'Souza is grateful. She pens a beautiful meditation on his work, reading his abstract paintings as not simply a denunciation of Western modernism nor a reassertion of Islamic visual motifs, but something else entirely - something gestural, exuberant, riotous, and incomparably his own.
I opened this book thinking, Eh, I'm a little bit of a people pleaser, sure. By the end, so much of my life and my choices had been explained to me in the most graceful, non-shameful way. I can't recommend Clayton's walk through the fawn response enough. It's educational, yes, but if you've ever been ashamed of how you handle conflict, this is a very healing read.
In this collection of essays, reported pieces, and criticism dating back to the nineteen-seventies, Frazier's sharp eye for finding the complex in the quotidian is on full display. From tales about monster trucks and the Maraschino-cherry empire to musings about lantern flies and Lolita, the collection-much of which was published in this magazine-spotlights the vibrancy of topics often under-noticed. In the playful and diligent hands of the seasoned staff writer, these ordinary things feel extraordinary.
I know you probably have a bunch of unread books at home that you already own - maybe entire bookcases full of them - but what fun is that!? Our Scary Mommy team of voracious readers have done all of the research for you and compiled a list of the very best and most exciting new releases coming our way in 2026.
Years ago, I wrote a series of articles for my college newspaper about competing in contests for which I was comically unprepared: arm wrestling, archery, Scrabble. The compulsion to fail dramatically continued into my freelance writing career, when I finagled my way into the front corral at the Los Angeles Marathon. (I stuck with the élites for all of two hundred meters.) My inclination was Plimptonian.
Over the holidays, my plan is to read "Attention Seeking," in which Phillips, a psychoanalyst who is also a brisk and elastic writer, reclaims the titular activity as prosocial, meaningful, and valuable. I'm going to be honest. I don't think I will like this book very much. I anticipate shaking my fist and shouting, "Wrong, wrong, wrong!" But maybe I will instead discover the ways in which I am wrong, wrong, wrong about attention-seeking.
It wouldn't be mid-to-late December without a series of "best of" articles coming out from every outlet that covers culture-and who am I to buck that trend? I get to read dozens of books every year for Jezebel, and I'm here to put all that reading to use by doing one of my favorite things: recommending books. But there are too many books-and I am but one, part-time reader-for me to do a broader "best of" list,
The Brooklyn Public Library has released a list of its 100 favorite books of the year, a wide-ranging collection of fiction and nonfiction, short stories, poetry, and graphic novels for all ages. Curated by BPL's well-read librarians and staff, the list features the best books those librarians read this year - including new releases and old classics. Whether you're looking for something to pass the time over the holiday break or preparing for a New Year's Resolution to read more, BPL's librarians have the best recommendations in the city. Here's just a small selection of their favorite reads!
Brooklyn's librarians have spoken-and they've delivered a reading list with more range than the G train on a good day. The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) has unveiled its 100 favorite books of 2025, a staff-curated mix of fiction, poetry, memoir, kids' picks and wonderfully odd gems that prove librarians remain the city's most reliable tastemakers.
That cinephile who loves talking politics and film? They'll love comic artist and Hyperallergic contributor Nathan Gelgud's Reel Politik, recommended by Reviews Editor Natalie Haddad. Your favorite tarot reader? Snag them a copy of Symbolorum, a guide to the intricate emblem system of 16th-century Europe, per critic Lauren Moya Ford. And for the Y2K fanatic, Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian suggests a visual guide to the decade that doubles as a lookbook. Find more picks for painters, planners, and Prospect Park-goers below.
When you're Werner Herzog, your autumn might be especially busy; this is certainly the case this year. The acclaimed filmmaker received a lifetime achievement award at this year's Venice International Film Festival, and he's also added to his growing bibliography with a new book, The Future of Truth. As one might expect from the filmmaker who coined the term "ecstatic truth," this new volume - translated by Michael Hofmann - is an inquiry into what "true" means in a world where falsehood is ever-present.
Independent presses are crucial champions of diverse literature, often overlooked by major retailers yet producing remarkable works that challenge conventional narratives and celebrate unique voices.
