Open Letters Review

Carthage: A New History by Eve MacDonald — Open Letters Review A new history of ancient Rome’s great enemy

Steve Donoghue reviews a new history of ancient Rome’s great enemy, Carthage: A New History by Eve MacDonald, out from @wwnorton.com:

openlettersreview.com/posts/cartha...

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, translated by Aaron Poochigian — Open Letters Review A new translation of the classic of Stoicism

Steve Donoghue reviews a new translation of the classic of Stoicism, The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, translated by Aaron Poochigian, out from @liveright.bsky.social:

openlettersreview.com/posts/the-me...

The Best Books of 2025: Nonfiction In 2025, as in most other years, I offered up prayers of thanksgiving to whatever gods may be that general-interest nonfiction titles of all kinds continue to appear from mainstream publishers, easing...

Open Letters Review editor Steve Donoghue continues his Best Books of 2025 with this year's Nonfiction - see them now at his Substack, Stevereads:

stevedonoghue.substack.com/p/the-best-b...

The Best Books of 2025: Fiction As mentioned, 2025 wasn’t a particularly good year for fiction.

Open Letters Review editor Steve Donoghue continues his Best Books of 2025 with this year's Fiction - see them now at his Substack, Stevereads:

stevedonoghue.substack.com/p/the-best-b...

The Worst Books of 2025: Nonfiction There are layers to every year’s Worst Books lists, of course.

Open Letters Review editor Steve Donoghue continues his Worst Books of 2025 with this year's Worst Nonfiction - see them now at his Substack, Stevereads:

stevedonoghue.substack.com/p/the-worst-...

The Worst Books of 2025: Fiction As mentioned, 2025 was a rough year for fiction.

Open Letters Review editor Steve Donoghue kicks off his Worst Books of 2025 with this year's Worst Fiction - see them now at his Substack, Stevereads:

stevedonoghue.substack.com/p/the-worst-...

The Best Books of 2025: Biography 2025 was an excellent year for biographies despite all the cultural currents wanting to push things in the opposite direction.

Open Letters Review editor Steve Donoghue continues his Best Books of 2025 with this year's Biography - see them now at his Substack, Stevereads:

stevedonoghue.substack.com/p/the-best-b...

The Best Books of 2025: History It feels extraordinarily odd and ironic to be reading history, let alone recommending outstanding works in the field, at a time when the US government historical locations and websites are actively fa...

Open Letters Review editor Steve Donoghue continues his Best Books of 2025 with this year's History - see them now at his Substack, Stevereads:

stevedonoghue.substack.com/p/the-best-b...

The Best Books of 2025: Thrillers Another oasis of relief in the desert of 2025 fiction was another reliable genre, thrillers.

Open Letters Review editor Steve Donoghue continues his Best Books of 2025 with this year's Thrillers - see them now at his Substack, Stevereads:

stevedonoghue.substack.com/p/the-best-b...

The Best Books of 2025: Romance 2025 was, as noted, a weak year for fiction, and this weakness even made inroads into the place where such weakness usually never goes: genre fiction.

Open Letters editor Steve Donoghue continues his Best Books of 2025 with this year's Romance - see them now at his Substack, Stevereads:

stevedonoghue.substack.com/p/the-best-b...

The Best Books of 2025: Debut Fiction 2025 was a very nearly disastrous year for fiction in the US mainstream market, with publishers pumping out gallons of garbage in frantic pursuit of the steadily-shrinking fraction of the public that ...

Open Letters editor Steve Donoghue continues his Best Books of 2025 with this year's Debut Fiction - see them now at his Substack, Stevereads:

stevedonoghue.substack.com/p/the-best-b...

The Best Books of 2025: Literature in Translation Another book culture indicator I tend to use when looking back at the year in books is to look at how interesting and energetic was the year’s literature in translation.

Open Letters editor Steve Donoghue continues his Best Books of 2025 with this year's Literature in Translation - see them now at his Substack, Stevereads:

stevedonoghue.substack.com/p/the-best-b...

The Best Books of 2025: Reprints Stevereads is a reader-supported publication.

Open Letters editor Steve Donoghue kicks off his Best Books of 2025 with this year's reprints - see them now at his Substack, Stevereads:

stevedonoghue.substack.com/p/the-best-b...

Three Roads to Gettysburg by Tim McGrath — Open Letters Review A biographical deep dive into the three key players at Gettysburg

Steve Donoghue reviews a biographical deep dive into the three key players at Gettysburg, Three Roads to Gettysburg by Tim McGrath, out from Caliber:

openlettersreview.com/posts/three-...

Joyride by Susan Orlean — Open Letters Review A memoir from the author Susan Orlean

Gabrielle Stetcher Woodward reviews memoir from the author Susan Orlean, Joyride, out from Avid Reader Press:

openlettersreview.com/posts/joyrid...

The Romans by Edward Watts — Open Letters Review A new one-volume history of Rome, from Romulus and Remus to the fall of Constantinople

Steve Donoghue reviews a new one-volume history of Rome, from Romulus and Remus to the fall of Constantinople, The Romans by Edward Watts, out from Basic Books:

openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ro...

King Sorrow by Joe Hill — Open Letters Review An overlong and predictable suspense/thriller/horror novel riddled with political proselytizing.

Jim Abbiati reviews King Sorrow by Joe Hill, out from William Morrow:

openlettersreview.com/posts/king-s...

The Stolen Crown by Tracy Borman — Open Letters Review The story behind the legendary change of dynasties

Janet Wertman reviews The Stolen Crown by Tracy Borman, out from Atlantic Monthly Press:

openlettersreview.com/posts/the-st...

The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee — Open Letters Review Previously unpublished stories illuminate the literary development of the author of an American classic.

Hannah Joyner reviews previously unpublished stories that illuminate the literary development of the author of an American classic, The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee, out from Random House:

openlettersreview.com/posts/the-la...

The Sun Rising by Anna Whitelock — Open Letters Review A new look at the ambitions of a newborn British empire

Steve Donoghue reviews a new look at the ambitions of a newborn British empire, The Sun Rising by Anna Whitelock, out from Viking:

openlettersreview.com/posts/the-su...

Frog and Other Essays by Anne Fadiman — Open Letters Review A review of Anne Fadiman’s new collection of essays

Katherine Harper reviews Anne Fadiman’s new collection of essays, Frog and Other Essays, out from @fsgbooks.bsky.social:

openlettersreview.com/posts/frog-a...

Diogenes by Inger N. I. Kuin — Open Letters Review A biographical reconstruction of the ancient Greek philosopher

Vincent McGean reviews a biographical reconstruction of the ancient Greek philosopher, Diogenes by Inger N. I. Kuin, out from Basic Books:

openlettersreview.com/posts/diogen...

Kant: A Revolution in Thinking by Marcus Willaschek — Open Letters Review A new intellectual biography of the great philosopher

Aaron Kyereh-Mireku reviews a new intellectual biography of the great philosopher, Kant: A Revolution in Thinking by Marcus Willaschek, out from @harvardpress.bsky.social:

openlettersreview.com/posts/kant-a...

The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Canas — Open Letters Review A visually creepy novel perfect for the Halloween season.

Jim Abbiati reviews a visually creepy novel perfect for the Halloween season, The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Canas, out from Berkley:

openlettersreview.com/posts/the-po...

Underspin by E. Y. Zhao — Open Letters Review A debut novel about table tennis

Tom LeClair reviews a debut novel about table tennis,
Underspin by E. Y. Zhao, out from Astra:

openlettersreview.com/posts/unders...

(Th)ings and (Th)oughts by Alla Gorbunova — Open Letters Review A collection of stories from the prize-winning Russian poet

Brock Covington reviews a collection of stories from the prize-winning Russian poet, (Th)ings and (Th)oughts by Alla Gorbunova, out from @deepvellum.bsky.social:

openlettersreview.com/posts/things...

The Haunting of Modesto O'Brien by Brit Griffin — Open Letters Review An enjoyable hybrid of entwined genres, themes, and narrative styles.

Jim Abbiati reviews an enjoyable hybrid of entwined genres, themes, and narrative styles, The Haunting of Modesto O'Brien by Brit Griffin, out from Latitude 46 Publishing:

openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ha...

What We Can Know by Ian McEwan — Open Letters Review A review of Ian McEwan’s ambitious new novel

Tom LeClair reviews Ian McEwan’s ambitious new novel, What We Can Know by Ian McEwan, out from @aaknopf.bsky.social:

openlettersreview.com/posts/what-w...

The Monsters We Make by Rachel Corbett — Open Letters Review An insightful if slightly uneven look at serial killers and their analysts

Steve Donoghue reviews an insightful if slightly uneven look at serial killers and their analysts, The Monsters We Make by Rachel Corbett, out from @wwnorton.com:

openlettersreview.com/posts/the-mo...

The Blood in Winter by Jonathan Healey — Open Letters Review A dramatic account of the run-up to the English Civil War

Aaron Kyereh-Mireku reviews a dramatic account of the run-up to the English Civil War, The Blood in Winter by Jonathan Healey, out from Knopf:

openlettersreview.com/posts/the-bl...