THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW 31THE MAN WHO ATE TOO MUCH:The Life of James
Beard,by John Birdsall. (Norton, $35.)A former chef
and restaurant critic, Birdsall knows his way around
both food and words. His evocative portrait of the
man revered as the “unfussy bon vivant” of Ameri-
can cuisine brims with the aromas, flavors, tender-
ness and pain of a complicated life fully lived.
BLACK FUTURES,by Kimberly Drew and Jenna
Wortham. (One World, $40.)An offshoot of the Black
Futures Project, this book — filled with essays,
interviews, art, photography, poems, tweets, memes
and screenshots — succeeds in answering the
incredibly heady question it poses for itself: What
does it mean to be a Black person around the world,
then, now or in the future?
KINDRED:Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art,
by Rebecca Wragg Sykes. (Bloomsbury Sigma, $28.)
Sykes explores the world of our ancient cousins,
offering a full picture of what their lives may have
looked like. It’s a remarkably crisp portrait because
recent science has been able to infer a lot about
Neanderthals from the little they left behind.OAK FLAT:A Fight for Sacred Land in the American
West,by Lauren Redniss. (Random House, $30.)In
her latest, arresting work of graphic nonfiction,
Redniss depicts a longstanding conflict in rural
Arizona, between proponents and opponents of a
copper mine that developers hope to build on land
regarded as sacred by the San Carlos Apache tribe.
ELEANOR,by David Michaelis. (Simon & Schuster, $35.)
This biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, the first major
single-volume account in more than half a century,
is a great resource for readers who don’t know
much about the most important first lady in Ameri-
can history, who traveled the country with an ener-
gy level someplace between prodigious and terrify-
ing.
YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK:A New Generation of
Artists,edited by Antwaun Sargent. (D.A.P., $49.95.)
Sargent, an art critic, draws on the acclaimed col-
lection of Carmine Boccuzzi and Bernard Lumpkin
to highlight hundreds of works by Black artists
working predominantly in America today, from Tunji
Adeniyi-Jones to Wilmer Wilson IV.THE BLIND LIGHT,by Stuart Evers. (Norton, $27.95.)
This shrewd, timely novel presents a multigenera-
tional portrait of two families linked by the fear that
gripped post-World War II British society: the
prospect of nuclear annihilation.
A WORLD BENEATH THE SANDS:The Golden Age of
Egyptology,by Toby Wilkinson. (Norton, $30.)Wilkin-
son’s ambitious focus is the 100 years between the
deciphering of the Rosetta stone in 1822 and the
sensational discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen
in 1922 — a century shaped not only by curiosity
and scholarly interest but also by cutthroat imperi-
alist rivalries.
MAX JACOB:A Life in Art and Letters,by Rosanna
Warren. (Norton, $45.)Jacob, a gifted French poet
and painter, palled around early-20th-century Paris
with modernism’s greats — Picasso, Apollinaire,
Cocteau. Warren captures the heady energy of the
time, and restores to her subject a measure of fame.Editors’ Choice/ Staff Picks From the Book Review
The full reviews of these and other recent books
are online: nytimes.com/booksThe New York Times best sellers are compiled and archived by the best-sellers-lists desk of the New York Times news department, and are separate from the editorial, culture, advertising and business sides of The New York Times Company. Rankings
reflect unit sales reported on a confidential basis by vendors offering a wide range of general interest titles published in the United States. ONLINE: For complete lists and a full explanation of our methodology, visit http://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers.
THIS
WEEK
THIS
ON LISTWEEKS WEEK
WEEKS
ON LIST
LAST
WEEK
LAST
WEEK1
(^) READY PLAYER TWO, by Ernest Cline. (Ballantine) In a sequel to “Ready Player One,” 1
Wade Watts discovers a technological advancement and goes on a new quest.
2
(^) DEADLY CROSS, by James Patterson. (Little, Brown) The 28th book in the Alex Cross 1
series. An investigation of a double homicide sends Alex Cross to Alabama.
3
(^) THE AWAKENING, by Nora Roberts. (St. Martin’s) The first book in the Dragon Heart 1
Legacy series. Breen Kelly travels through a portal in Ireland to a land of faeries and
mermaids.
4
(^9) THE RETURN, by Nicholas Sparks. (Grand Central) A doctor serving in the Navy in 9
Afghanistan goes back to North Carolina where two women change his life.
5
(^2) DAYLIGHT, by David Baldacci. (Grand Central) The F.B.I. agent Atlee Pine’s search for her 2
twin sister overlaps with a military investigator’s hunt for someone involved in a global
conspiracy.
6
(^5) A TIME FOR MERCY, by John Grisham. (Doubleday) The third book in the Jake Brigance 7
series. A 16-year-old is accused of killing a deputy in Clanton, Miss., in 1990.
7
(^4) THE LAW OF INNOCENCE, by Michael Connelly. (Little, Brown) The sixth book in the 3
Mickey Haller series.
8
(^1) RHYTHM OF WAR, by Brandon Sanderson. (Tor) The fourth book in the Stormlight 2
Archive series.
9
(^3) HOME BODY, by Rupi Kaur. (Andrews McMeel) Poems and illustrations by the author of 2
“Milk and Honey” and “The Sun and Her Flowers.”
10
(^8) THE SENTINEL, by Lee Child and Andrew Child. (Delacorte) Jack Reacher intervenes on 5
an ambush in Tennessee and uncovers a conspiracy.
1
(^1) A PROMISED LAND, by Barack Obama. (Crown) In the first volume of his presidential 2
memoirs, Barack Obama offers personal reflections on his formative years and pivotal
moments through his first term.
2
(^2) GREENLIGHTS, by Matthew McConaughey. (Crown) The Academy Award-winning actor 6
shares snippets from the diaries he kept over the last 35 years.
3
(^3) DOLLY PARTON, SONGTELLER, by Dolly Parton with Robert K. Oermann. (Chronicle) The 2
country music icon offers insights on 175 of her songs.
4
(^6) BECOMING, by Michelle Obama. (Crown) The former first lady describes how she 87
balanced work, family and her husband’s political ascent.
5
(^) MODERN WARRIORS, by Pete Hegseth. (Broadside) The Fox News host and former 1
combat veteran interviews soldiers about the different kinds of battles they encountered.
6
(^4) NO TIME LIKE THE FUTURE, by Michael J. Fox. (Flatiron) The actor discusses the 2
challenges he has faced that caused him to reassess his outlook.
7
(^7) CASTE, by Isabel Wilkerson. (Random House) The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist 17
reveals a rigid hierarchy in America today.
8
(^) SAVING FREEDOM, by Joe Scarborough. (Harper) The MSNBC host and former 1
congressman describes the struggles Harry Truman faced before and during his time as
president.
9
(^8) UNTAMED, by Glennon Doyle. (Dial) The activist and public speaker describes her journey 38
of listening to her inner voice.
10
(^) IS THIS ANYTHING?, by Jerry Seinfeld. (Simon & Schuster) The comedian shares material 6
he collected in an accordion folder over the last 45 years.
Fiction Nonfiction
COMBINED PRINT AND E-BOOK BEST SELLERS
SALES PERIOD OF NOVEMBER 22-28
Best Sellers
For the complete best-seller lists, visit
nytimes.com/books/best-sellers