November 24, 2025 • Our annual reading guide returns with 380+ new titles handpicked by NPR staff and trusted critics. Find 13 years of recommendations all in one place — that's more than 4,000 great ...

Joshua Hammer is a contributing writer to Smithsonian magazine and the author of several books, including The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious ...