The best novels published in the second quarter of 2025
American and Irish writers dominate the list
AT THIS TIME of year, many in the northern hemisphere will be gearing up to wind down on a summer holiday. A reprieve from work provides an opportunity to relax—and read. If you are looking for a novel to pack in your suitcase, consider one of these titles. Those stuck at home, or in a cold country, may also escape reality in their pages.
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Hang on ⇔their words”
Culture
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From the June 28th 2025 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
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What Superman tells you about American foreign policy
Should a man who can do anything choose to do nothing?
Handling feelings with rubber gloves: the odd life of Muriel Spark
An abandoned son, scorned lovers and dazzling, manipulative prose
Why the left gains nothing from pop stars’ support
Artists are entitled to share their views. Doing so is not always noble or wise
What to watch this weekend
Stories of tennis players, chefs and rock stars
Stop crying your heart out—for Oasis have returned to the stage
They are much more popular today than their Britpop peers
Inside the uneasy, incongruous coalition of the Big Three
A new book traces the wartime relationship between Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and Josef Stalin