Happy New Year! Here are 10 books I am looking forward to sharing this year.
Spare by Prince Harry (Random House, Jan. 10): In a highly anticipated memoir, the Duke of Sussex chronicles his eventful life as a prince, father, humanitarian, and military veteran. Following the recent death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry’s book is sure to garner plenty of attention.
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (Penguin Press, Jan. 10): Who better to write a book about creativity than the iconic, open-minded producer who has worked with everyone from Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys to Metallica and the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Good advice for the new year: “Learn, do, have fun: terrific encouragement for anyone embarking on a creative project, no matter what it might be,” says our review.
Reckoning by V (formerly Eve Ensler) (Bloomsbury, Jan. 31): Now known as V, the creator of The Vagina Monologues and author of In the Body of the World gathers her writing from the past five decades, creating what our review calls “an elegant and timely book.”
The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us To Loathe Government and Love the Free Market by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway (Bloomsbury, Feb. 21): Merchants of Doubt was one of the most significant nonfiction books of the 2010s, so I’m excited about the latest Oreskes-Conway collaboration—“a timely, well-argued contribution to the literature of economic inequality and regulation,” according to our review.
Who Gets Believed?: When the Truth Isn’t Enough by Dina Nayeri (Catapult, March 7): I loved Nayeri’s last book, The Ungrateful Refugee, a finalist for the Kirkus Prize. In her latest, the author presents what our reviewer calls “an unflinching, compelling look at how ‘calcified hearts believe’—and disbelieve.”
The Teachers: A Year Inside America’s Most Vulnerable, Important Profession by Alexandra Robbins (Dutton, March 14): Similar in spirit to the author’s previous books—e.g., The Nurses, The Overachievers, Pledged, and Fraternity—this dispatch from the front lines of America’s schools is, our reviews says, “an important and eye-opening book that all parents, teachers, and educational administrators should read.”
Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond (Crown, March 21): Desmond’s first book, Evicted, a Kirkus Prize finalist and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, is one of the most significant works of popular, immersive sociology of the 21st century. This natural follow-up is “a clearly delineated guide to finally eradicate poverty in America,” in the words of our review.
Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer (Knopf, April 25): The bestselling author of Poser and Love and Trouble returns with a probing examination of the fraught intersection of artists and their art. In a starred review, our critic calls the book Dederer’s “finest work to date.”
StewDio: The Naphic Grovel ARTrilogy of Chuck D by Chuck D (Enemy Books/Akashic, June 6): In a limited-edition box set, the iconic hip-hop artist presents an ambitious combination of prose and visual art, drawing from his personal journals. Chuck D brings the energy and passion that powered Public Enemy to these fiery social critiques of the pandemic era, the post-2020 election chaos, and the early days of the Biden administration.
Sixty-One: Life Lessons From Papa, On and Off the Court by Chris Paul with Michael Wilbon (St. Martin’s, June 20): When he retires, NBA star Paul will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but this book isn’t focused on his career. Instead, he offers a moving tribute to his hardworking grandfather, the author’s “real-life superhero.” It’s a “fresh and refreshing take on the athlete memoir,” says our reviewer.
Eric Liebetrau is the nonfiction and managing editor.
