Apollonia Poilâne
The woman behind the legendary Paris bakery recommends the best cookbooks
First Impressions
A new book remembers more than a decade spent in the orbit of Beckett and de Beauvoir. Here, its author describes her early encounters with the literary stars
B. J. Novak
So much more than a children’s book: on metafiction for kids
Sometimes, Bigger Is Better
Never-before-seen Avedon, a Trump-free Palm Beach, Helmut’s nudes: everyone loves a beautiful coffee-table book, and this year options abound
First Love
Little-known correspondence from Elizabeth Bishop offers a glimpse into the poet’s romantic life
Wells of the World
The author of a new book on H. G. Wells’s writings on re-discovering his life and work
Deborah Levy
Recommends the books whose authors were as fascinating as their work
Man of Letters
A new collection of Ralph Ellison’s correspondence sheds light on the life of the writer, including the
first books that influenced him
Kane, Eve, and Cleopatra
The author of a new book on the Mankiewicz brothers reckons with an especially timely concern: Were her subjects predatory monsters?
Anthony Doerr
Shares the essential titles on his bookshelf
Do Not Open Before 2114
The author who shared everything in My Struggle keeps his new book under wraps for 94 years