amazon book review 2022

Gabrielle Zevin’s ‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’ Named Amazon’s ‘Best Book of 2022’ 

By Tim Chan

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Amazon has unveiled its top ten books of the year, with a novel about friendship, rebirth and redemption topping the list.

Gabrielle Zevin’s novel  Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow was named the Best Book of 2022 by Amazon’s book editors. While Amazon has a constantly updated bestsellers list , the annual “Best Of” list isn’t based on sales, but rather based on the top books that Amazon’s editors recommended to customers over the last 12 months.

“We’ve had a bumper crop of amazing books to choose from this year, but to get our passionate (read: opinionated!) team of editors to agree on one they loved is almost a miracle,” says Sarah Gelman, editorial director for Amazon Books. “ Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow  is that miracle—a simply perfect book about the complexities of human relationships, the importance of human connection, the innocence and optimism of youth, our journey with technology, and the many shades of love.” 

“I’ve loved many books from this year, so it is an unexpected honor for  Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow  to be selected as Amazon’s Best of the Year,” adds Zevin. “What a remarkable time to be a writer and a reader!”

Amazon’s Best Books of 2022

Here’s a list of the books that made the Amazon Books editors’ Top 10 picks of 2022, along with a short description from the editors about why that book was chosen.

Editor’s picks

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You can purchase a physical copy of the books using the links below, read them for free with Kindle Unlimited , or listen to an audiobook version with a free trial to Audible here .

1. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Buy Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: A… $14.69

It’s not just Amazon either — Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow was named the Best Book of 2022 at the Goodreads Choice Awards , the only major book awards chosen by readers. Goodreads says the book topped their last after more than 5.7 million votes were cast for the best books of 2022 across 17 categories. 

2. Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora

Buy Solito: A Memoir $21.12

“Neil Gaiman once said, ‘Fiction gives us empathy…gives us the gifts of seeing the world through [other people’s] eyes.’  Solito  is one of those rare nonfiction reads that achieves the same thing, and puts a human face on the immigration debate—that of a 9-year-old child making a harrowing journey from South America to the United States, and the found family who eases his way. A heart-pounding, heart-expanding memoir.”

3. Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari

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“We can’t stop talking about  Stolen Focus . It’s vital and mesmerizing, examining why we as individuals and as a collective have lost our attention spans. Suffice to say, Hari’s three-month tech-detox and his findings will make you immediately want to stop scrolling the internet, quit thinking in slogans and 280 characters, and engage authentically in sustained thought so that we can tackle global issues like poverty, racism, and climate change. Deeply satisfying and affirming and full of light-bulb moments, this is a book everyone should read.”

4. Fairy Tale  by Stephen King

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“ Fairy Tale’s  Charlie Reade joins the ranks of King’s best characters, and the story he tells—of a curmudgeonly neighbor with dangerous secrets, a parallel world ruled by an unspeakable monster, a child-eating giant, and a dog who has lived more than one lifetime—is wonderous.  Fairy Tale  is fantasy, coming-of-age, friendship, and adventure—it’s good versus evil, a boy and his dog on a perilous quest; it’s King doing what he does best: setting our imagination on fire.”

5. Horse  by Geraldine Brooks

Buy Horse: A Novel $22.99

“One of the best American novels we’ve read in years—galloping backward and forward in time to tell a story about race and freedom, horses and art, and the lineage of not just ancestors, but actions. From Kentucky to New Orleans, from the 1850s to present day, Pulitzer Prize-winning Brooks weaves together a story centered on one of the fastest thoroughbreds in history and the Black groom that catapulted Lexington to the front of the track. A heart-pounding American epic.”

6. Carrie Soto Is Back  by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Buy Carrie Soto Is Back: A Novel $17.98

“We reveled in  Carrie   Soto ’s fiery energy—Taylor Jenkins Reid, of Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo fame, has written another book you’ll inhale in a day. Soto is a former tennis champ who returns to the game to defend her title. She’s unapologetic, ambitious, and willing to put everything on the line. This is a big-hearted story about her relationship with her father, taking risks, and standing up bravely in a world that doesn’t necessarily want to see strong women succeed.”

7. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Buy Demon Copperhead: A Novel $20.10

“In this mesmerizing novel, Kingsolver peers into the neglected hollers of Appalachia to tell an insightful and razor-sharp coming-of-age story about a boy called Demon Copperhead. Born behind the eight ball of life, Demon faces hunger, cruelty, and a tidal wave of addiction in his tiny county, but never loses his love for the place that claims him as its own. With the soulful narration by this kind, conflicted, witty boy, Kingsolver gives voice to a place and its people where beauty, desperation, and resilience collide.”

8. Our Missing Hearts  by Celeste Ng

Buy Our Missing Hearts: A Novel $14.00

“Celeste Ng joins our Best Books of the Year list for the third time with her most gripping story yet. A mom mysteriously disappears amid a nationalistic movement that feels chillingly close to reality—launching her young son on a courageous quest to find her, aided by everyday heroes in unexpected places. The prose sings as the pieces click. This is fiction as revolution, serving as a warning, a dystopian fairy tale, and a suspenseful thriller with moments of hope that buoyed us as we read.”

9. The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland

Buy The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke… $14.99

“This is the true story of one of the few people who escaped Auschwitz, but that only touches on what this book is about. Rudolf Vrba set out to tell the world about the atrocities he had witnessed in the concentration camps, but much of the world was not ready to hear it. The author, Jonathan Freedland, paints a vivid, moving portrait of what Vrba experienced, both during and after the war. Vrba was a hero, for sure, but he was human as well. This is a forgotten story that you won’t soon forget.”

10. City on Fire by Don Winslow

Buy City on Fire: A Novel $14.49

“Don Winslow ( Power of the Dog  trilogy,  Broken ) is, without doubt, one of the best crime fiction writers in decades. And in  City on Fire , he’s written one of the most immersive, head-turning, and heart-stopping crime family novels since  The Godfather . It’s about loyalty, love, fraternity, family, belonging, betrayal, and survival. But no matter how epic its themes, it’s Winslow’s eye for the small, personal details that will sear these characters in your heart and in your memory.”

In addition to the books above, Amazon’s “Best Books List” is also broken down by category, with editors selecting the Top 20 books across mystery, memoir, romance, children’s books, history, cookbooks and more. See the full list of the Best Books of 2022, visit  amazon.com/bestbooks2022 . 

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These are the 10 Best Books of the Year, According to Amazon Book Editors

Danika Ellis

Danika spends most of her time talking about queer women books at the Lesbrary. Blog: The Lesbrary Twitter: @DanikaEllis

View All posts by Danika Ellis

Each month, the Amazon Book Editors post a list of their favorite books out that month. At the end of the year, this team of nine editors draws from these lists, as well as considering any they may have missed, to choose their top books of the year as a whole. They each have different backgrounds, including authors as well as former booksellers and former editors at publishing houses, but they’ve all spent their careers immersed in the book world. After putting their individual favorites of the year in a spreadsheet and pitching them to their fellow editors, they debate their choices and then finally rank their picks for the year. Those totals become the Amazon Book Editors’ Best Books of the Year list.

I spoke to Amazon Books Editorial Director Sarah Gelman about how this list gets made as well as the trends she’s noticed in publishing this year. Gelman explained that this list is based just on the books editors’ love, without taking into account sales or customers’ ratings — especially since they usually read these books far before publication date. They are especially looking for books that “transcend genre”: that readers will love even if it’s not a genre/format/topic they usually read about. The editors also consider diversity, looking at whether the list includes representation of marginalized groups — including authors of color and neurodivergent characters — both in terms of author and content.

One trend Gelman noticed in publishing this year, especially in their top ten, is books that focus on friendship — as opposed to ones about romantic relationships — especially books that feature messy, complicated relationships with friends and family. In Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow , the main character points out that “Lovers are common,” but “True collaborators in this life are rare.” Our Missing Hearts and Carrie Soto Is Back are two other books on the list that focus on friendships as well as relationships between a parent and child. Gelman added that Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson, a favorite of hers that didn’t make the list, is another book that explores a deep friendship between a man and woman.

While this list is a combination of all the editors’ top picks, Gelman loves each of the top five, and especially recommends pairing Solito , a memoir about a child making a 3,000 mile journey by himself from El Salvador to the U.S., with Our Missing Hearts , a novel about a son searching the U.S. for his missing mother. On Solito , Gelman said, “To call something ‘required reading’ sounds boring, but this is a book human beings need to read.”

Here are the Amazon Books Editors’ picks for the top ten best books of 2022.

#1 Best Book of the Year:

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

“After devouring this novel, you’ll walk with a bounce in your step, a full heart, and the buzzy feeling that this is one of the best books about friendship — in all of its messy complexity and glory — you have ever read, which is why we named it the Best Book of 2022. Gabrielle Zevin has written a novel perfect for this moment, when connection is what we crave and hope is what we need.” —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor

#2 Best Book of the Year:

Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora

“Neil Gaiman once said, ‘Fiction gives us empathy…gives us the gifts of seeing the world through [other people’s] eyes.’ Solito is one of those rare nonfiction reads that achieves the same thing, and puts a human face on the immigration debate — that of a nine-year-old child making a harrowing journey from South America to the United States, and the found family who eases his way. A heart-pounding, heart-expanding memoir.” —Erin Kodicek, Amazon Editor

#3 Best Book of the Year:

Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari

“We can’t stop talking about Stolen Focus . It’s vital and mesmerizing, examining why we as individuals and as a collective have lost our attention spans. Suffice to say, Hari’s three-month tech-detox and his findings will make you immediately want to stop scrolling the internet, quit thinking in slogans and 280 characters, and engage authentically in sustained thought so that we can tackle global issues like poverty, racism, and climate change. Deeply satisfying and affirming and full of light-bulb moments, this is a book everyone should read.” —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor

#4 Best Book of the Year:

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

“ Fairy Tale ’s Charlie Reade joins the ranks of King’s best characters, and the story he tells — of a curmudgeonly neighbor with dangerous secrets, a parallel world ruled by an unspeakable monster, a child-eating giant, and a dog who has lived more than one lifetime — is wonderous. Fairy Tale is fantasy, coming-of-age, friendship, and adventure — it’s good versus evil, a boy and his dog on a perilous quest; it’s King doing what he does best: setting our imagination on fire.” —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor

#5 Best Book of the Year:

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

“One of the best American novels we’ve read in years — galloping backward and forward in time to tell a story about race and freedom, horses and art, and the lineage of not just ancestors but actions. From Kentucky to New Orleans, from the 1850s to present day, Pulitzer Prize-winning Brooks weaves together a story centered on one of the fastest thoroughbreds in history and the Black groom that catapulted Lexington to the front of the track. A heart-pounding American epic.” —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor

#6 Best Book of the Year:

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins-Reid

“Taylor Jenkins Reid, of Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo fame, has written another book you’ll inhale in a day. Soto is a former tennis champ who returns to the game to defend her title. She’s unapologetic, ambitious, and willing to put everything on the line. This is a big-hearted story about her relationship with her father, taking risks, and standing up bravely in a world that doesn’t necessarily want to see strong women succeed.” —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor

#7 Best Book of the Year:

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

“In this mesmerizing novel, Kingsolver peers into the neglected hollers of Appalachia to tell an insightful and razor sharp coming-of-age story about a boy called Demon Copperhead. Born behind the eight ball of life, Demon faces hunger, cruelty, and a tidal wave of addiction in his tiny county, but never loses his love for the place that claims him as its own. With the soulful narration by this kind, conflicted, witty boy, Kingsolver gives voice to a place and its people where beauty, desperation, and resilience collide.” —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor

#8 Best Book of the Year:

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

“Celeste Ng joins our Best Books of the Year list for the third time with her most gripping story yet. A mom mysteriously disappears amid a nationalistic movement that feels chillingly close to reality — launching her young son on a courageous quest to find her, aided by everyday heroes in unexpected places. The prose sings as the pieces click. This is fiction as revolution, serving as a warning, a dystopian fairy tale, and a suspenseful thriller with moments of hope that buoyed us as we read.” —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor

#9 Best Book of the Year:

The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freeland

“This is the true story of one of the few people who escaped Auschwitz, but that only touches on what this book is about. Rudolph Vrba set out to tell the world about the atrocities he had witnessed in the concentration camps, but much of the world was not ready to hear it. The author, Jonathan Freedland, paints a vivid, moving portrait of what Vrba experienced, both during and after the war. Vrba was a hero, for sure, but he was human as well. This is a forgotten story that you won’t soon forget.” —Chris Schluep, Amazon Editor

#10 Best Book of the Year:

City on Fire by Don Winslow

“Don Winslow ( Power of the Dog trilogy, Broken ) is, without doubt, one of the best crime fiction writers in decades. And in City on Fire , he’s written one of the most immersive, head turning, heart stopping crime family novels since The Godfather . It’s about loyalty, love, fraternity, family, belonging, betrayal, and survival. But no matter how epic its themes, it’s Winslow’s eye for the small, personal details that will sear these characters in your heart and in your memory”. —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor

You might also be interested in Barnes and Noble’s Best Books of the Year as well as The Best Book of the Year, According to Barnes & Noble Booksellers . And watch this space for Book Riot’s Best Books of the Year, coming soon!

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Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Is Amazon’s Best Book of the Year So Far for 2022

Amazon Books’ editorial team selects their favorite books across genres and categories  to determine the Best Books of the Year So Far

Amazon Books Editorial Director Sarah Gelman reveals the top picks on  CBS Mornings

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 15, 2022--  Amazon.com  (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Today, Amazon announced its picks for 2022’s  Best Books of the Year So Far , selecting Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel  Remarkably Bright Creatures —cited by Amazon Editors as “a novel that delivers a message about love and loss that’s poignant, charming, and irresistible”—as the No. 1 selection. The other top picks are Stephanie Foo’s  What My Bones Know , a standout memoir about healing from complex trauma, and Sabaa Tahir’s  All My Rage , a tragic and poignant young adult novel examining the complexities of young and old love. In the children’s books category, Christopher Denise’s picture book  Knight Owl  tops the list, featuring wordplay and optimism in a story about how bravery, cleverness, and friendship can rule over brawn.

Throughout the year, Amazon Books Editors pore over thousands of pages and hundreds of books to determine the  Best Books of the Month ,  Best Books of the Year So Far , and  Best Books of the Year , discussing and debating new releases across various categories. The Editors are passionate about uniting readers with their next favorite read.

After reading titles released from January through June 2022, Amazon Books Editors selected the overall top 20 Best Books of the Year So Far, as well as the top 20 in popular categories like literary fiction, mystery and thrillers, romance, history, biographies and memoirs, cookbooks, and children’s books. Across these lists, customers can find reads that are perfect for summer reading—whether you’re looking for serious nonfiction, a rom-com, a gripping psychological thriller, or something in between.

“Selecting this midyear list is one of the most fun parts of the editorial team’s job,” said Sarah Gelman, Amazon Books editorial director. “You haven’t seen passion until you watch a group of book lovers argue for their favorite books to be shared with customers! This year, fiction is having a real moment as readers look for an escape, and summer is the perfect time to do that.”

After being told  Remarkably Bright Creatures  was Amazon Books’ top pick for the first half of 2022, Van Pelt said: “I’m beyond thrilled to be Amazon’s top pick of the year so far! I never imagined my little octopus story would touch so many people, and hearing that readers are sharing it with loved ones across generations makes my heart so happy.”

“We all fell in love with Shelby Van Pelt’s stunning debut,  Remarkably Bright Creatures ,” Gelman said. “This novel is wholly original and it somehow manages to be all the things at once: sweet, poignant, funny, and wise. I still miss these characters, but particularly the wise octopus at the center of the story.”

Here are the Amazon Books Editors’ Top 10 picks of 2022 so far, and their reviews for what made each book stand out:

1.  Remarkably Bright Creatures  by Shelby Van Pelt:

We all loved this story of an unlikely friendship that begins at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, between a misanthropic octopus named Marcellus, and a widowed staffer named Tova. The grumpy invertebrate turns detective to solve a mystery for Tova, as he—and the novel—deliver a message about love and loss that’s poignant, charming, and irresistible. –Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor

2.  What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma  by Stephanie Foo:

There is no dearth of books on trauma in the marketplace right now, so it's no easy feat standing out. But  What My Bones Know  does. A deep dive into the scourge of complex PTSD, this stirring memoir serves as a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, no matter what any of us is struggling with in life. – Erin Kodicek, Amazon Editor

3.  All My Rage  by Sabaa Tahir:

Dreams take a toll on the dreamer, and so it is for Misbah, Toufiq, and their teenage son Salahudin. As a young couple’s fresh start turns sour, Tahir exposes how relationships can burn white-hot with love—and anger. Flipping between past and present, this brilliant novel about immigrants, family, first love, and forgiveness, is raw, real, and unstoppable. – Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor

4.  The Maid   by Nita Prose:

This story of a quirky, endearing hotel maid who discovers a dead guest—and nearly ends up accused of his murder—was another novel that had us all raving about its charms. This is both a solid mystery and a sweet, amusing ode to giving people a chance to bloom where they’re planted. – Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor

5.  River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile  by Candice Millard:

Full of adventure, ambushes, false starts, and the pursuit of conquest,  River of the Gods  tells the story of three explorers—Richard Francis Burton, John Hanning Speke, and Sidi Mubarak Bombay—who set out to discover the origins of the Nile. Using diary entries and letters, Millard thrusts you into the jungle with these larger-than-life characters, while deftly navigating the tangled reality of colonial exploitation…A thrill of a ride. – Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor

6.  Lessons in Chemistry  by Bonnie Garmus:

Elizabeth Zott stumbles into motherhood, and success as a TV cooking host, when she’s blocked from becoming a scientist—inspiring a generation of women who have been written-off in 1960s America. This satisfying—and delightful—read is for anyone who has felt underestimated, or held back due to fear of what others may think. – Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor

7.  Memphis  by Tara M. Stringfellow:

This knockout novel follows three generations of unforgettable Black women as they gather strength from one another’s fortitude, humor, and care amidst the heartbreak, racism, and violence of Memphis. With music sprinkled throughout the novel, ‘50s songs become the soundtrack to falling in love with these women who are bold, brash, hurting, and hopeful. – Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor

8.  Sea of Tranquility  by Emily St. John Mandel:

If you’re sick of the pandemic and don’t like science fiction, guess what? You’re still going to love Emily St. John Mandel’s beautiful, absorbing novel that involves science fiction and a pandemic. It is a lyrical and profound page turner. – Chris Schluep, Amazon Editor

9.  Half-Blown Rose  by Leesa Cross-Smith :

An intoxicating summer read of love, lust, and second chances. Vincent has left her lying American husband for the art-and-music-filled streets of Paris. As she begins to uncover more about her husband’s deceit, she also begins to fall hard for a student in her class. Smart, empowering, and, like Leesa Cross-Smith’s other books, a tribute to the beauty of all the small moments that make life worth living. – Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor

10.  Hello, Molly!: A Memoir  by Molly Shannon:

Shannon’s “break-the-rules, everything-is-an-adventure, people-are-mostly-good mentality” is infectious and ever-present in the pages of  Hello, Molly! . Opening up about a childhood tragedy, a complicated paternal relationship, and the hilarity of Hollywood, this inspiring, optimistic, and very funny memoir is as original and delightful as the  Saturday Night Live  characters Shannon is famous for. – Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor

To celebrate their appearances on the annual list of Best Books of the Year So Far, three of the authors— Van Pelt, Foo, and Tahir—will appear on the Amazon Live Author Live series on June 15 at 1:30 p.m. PDT to discuss their titles, their writing processes, and more. Viewers can watch, listen, and join the conversation by visiting  Amazon Live .

To view the complete list of the Best Books of the Year So Far, covering children’s, romance, science, mysteries, business, history, and more, visit  www.amazon.com/bestbookssofar .

For more coverage of the books featured on the Best Books of the Year So Far list, as well as insightful reviews on new books, author interviews, and hand-curated roundups in popular categories, visit the Amazon Book Review at  www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview . You can also follow the Amazon Book Editors’ recommendations and conversations on Amazon Books’  Facebook ,  Twitter , and  Instagram .

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit  amazon.com/about  and follow @AmazonNews.

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Amazon Books Editors announced their selections for the Best Books of 2022, naming Gabrielle Zevin’s novel  Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow  as the Best Book of the Year. The annual list is hand-picked by a team of editors who read thousands of books each year and share their recommendations on  Amazon Book Review  to help customers find their next great read. Featuring the top 100 books published this year, the editors’ selections also break out the top 20 books in popular categories, including mystery, memoir, romance, children’s books (by age), history, cookbooks, and more. To explore the full list of the Best Books of 2022, visit  amazon.com/bestbooks2022 .

“We’ve had a bumper crop of amazing books to choose from this year,” said Sarah Gelman, editorial director for Amazon Books. “But to get our passionate (read: opinionated!) team of editors to agree on one they loved is almost a miracle.  Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow  is that miracle—a simply perfect book about the complexities of human relationships, the importance of human connection, the innocence and optimism of youth, our journey with technology, and the many shades of love.”

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow  resonates with readers, too. One of the quotes most often highlighted by Kindle readers is: “What is a game?” Marx said. “It’s tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It’s the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.”

“I’ve loved many books from this year, so it is an unexpected honor for  Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow  to be selected as Amazon’s Best of the Year,” said Zevin. “What a remarkable time to be a writer and a reader!”

“The optimism of a new generation is at the heart of many of our favorite stories this year, not just in  Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow,  but also in  Solito ,  Demon Copperhead ,  Our Missing Hearts , and  I’m Glad My Mom Died ,” said Gelman. “We’re also seeing the power of connection and platonic love playing out across the pages of other picks, such as  Memphis ,  Remarkably Bright Creatures,  and  Now is Not the Time to Panic .”

The Amazon Books Editors Top 10 picks of 2022, as described by the editors, are:

• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow   by Gabrielle Zevin: “After devouring this novel, you’ll walk with a bounce in your step, a full heart, and the buzzy feeling that this is one of the best books about friendship—in all of its messy complexity and glory—you have ever read, which is why we named it the Best Book of 2022. Gabrielle Zevin has written a novel perfect for this moment, when connection is what we crave and hope is what we need.” —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
• Solito: A Memoir   by Javier Zamora: “Neil Gaiman once said, ‘Fiction gives us empathy…gives us the gifts of seeing the world through [other people’s] eyes.’  Solito  is one of those rare nonfiction reads that achieves the same thing, and puts a human face on the immigration debate—that of a 9-year-old child making a harrowing journey from South America to the United States, and the found family who eases his way. A heart-pounding, heart-expanding memoir.” —Erin Kodicek, Amazon Editor
• Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again   by Johann Hari: “We can’t stop talking about  Stolen Focus . It’s vital and mesmerizing, examining why we as individuals and as a collective have lost our attention spans. Suffice to say, Hari’s three-month tech-detox and his findings will make you immediately want to stop scrolling the internet, quit thinking in slogans and 280 characters, and engage authentically in sustained thought so that we can tackle global issues like poverty, racism, and climate change. Deeply satisfying and affirming and full of light-bulb moments, this is a book everyone should read.” —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
• Fairy Tale   by Stephen King: “ Fairy Tale’s  Charlie Reade joins the ranks of King’s best characters, and the story he tells—of a curmudgeonly neighbor with dangerous secrets, a parallel world ruled by an unspeakable monster, a child-eating giant, and a dog who has lived more than one lifetime—is wonderous.  Fairy Tale  is fantasy, coming-of-age, friendship, and adventure—it’s good versus evil, a boy and his dog on a perilous quest; it’s King doing what he does best: setting our imagination on fire.” —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
• Horse   by Geraldine Brooks: “One of the best American novels we’ve read in years—galloping backward and forward in time to tell a story about race and freedom, horses and art, and the lineage of not just ancestors, but actions. From Kentucky to New Orleans, from the 1850s to present day, Pulitzer Prize-winning Brooks weaves together a story centered on one of the fastest thoroughbreds in history and the Black groom that catapulted Lexington to the front of the track. A heart-pounding American epic.” —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
• Carrie Soto Is Back   by Taylor Jenkins Reid: “We reveled in  Carrie Soto ’s fiery energy—Taylor Jenkins Reid, of Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo fame, has written another book you’ll inhale in a day. Soto is a former tennis champ who returns to the game to defend her title. She’s unapologetic, ambitious, and willing to put everything on the line. This is a big-hearted story about her relationship with her father, taking risks, and standing up bravely in a world that doesn’t necessarily want to see strong women succeed.” —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
• Demon Copperhead   by Barbara Kingsolver: “In this mesmerizing novel, Kingsolver peers into the neglected hollers of Appalachia to tell an insightful and razor-sharp coming-of-age story about a boy called Demon Copperhead. Born behind the eight ball of life, Demon faces hunger, cruelty, and a tidal wave of addiction in his tiny county, but never loses his love for the place that claims him as its own. With the soulful narration by this kind, conflicted, witty boy, Kingsolver gives voice to a place and its people where beauty, desperation, and resilience collide.” —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
• Our Missing Hearts   by Celeste Ng: “Celeste Ng joins our Best Books of the Year list for the third time with her most gripping story yet. A mom mysteriously disappears amid a nationalistic movement that feels chillingly close to reality—launching her young son on a courageous quest to find her, aided by everyday heroes in unexpected places. The prose sings as the pieces click. This is fiction as revolution, serving as a warning, a dystopian fairy tale, and a suspenseful thriller with moments of hope that buoyed us as we read.” —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
• The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World   by Jonathan Freedland: “This is the true story of one of the few people who escaped Auschwitz, but that only touches on what this book is about. Rudolf Vrba set out to tell the world about the atrocities he had witnessed in the concentration camps, but much of the world was not ready to hear it. The author, Jonathan Freedland, paints a vivid, moving portrait of what Vrba experienced, both during and after the war. Vrba was a hero, for sure, but he was human as well. This is a forgotten story that you won’t soon forget.” —Chris Schluep, Amazon Editor
• City on Fire   by Don Winslow: “Don Winslow ( Power of the Dog  trilogy,  Broken ) is, without doubt, one of the best crime fiction writers in decades. And in  City on Fire , he’s written one of the most immersive, head-turning, and heart-stopping crime family novels since  The Godfather . It’s about loyalty, love, fraternity, family, belonging, betrayal, and survival. But no matter how epic its themes, it’s Winslow’s eye for the small, personal details that will sear these characters in your heart and in your memory.” —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor

The Amazon Books Editors Top Children’s pick of 2022 is  The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander. Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor shared:

“Inspired by Ghanaian history, Kwame Alexander’s exceptional novel-in-verse flows as easily as the water running through this young protagonist’s dreams. Immersed in family, school, and the excitement of a first crush, Kofi’s world spins upside down when a terrible accident turns a festive occasion into one filled with sorrow and anger—and that’s just a glimpse of what’s to come.  The Door of No Return  is a brilliant work of storytelling that moves you with joy, fear, sadness, hope, and love for the brave, resilient boy at its heart.”

Authors of the top three books—Gabrielle Zevin, Javier Zamora, and Johann Hari—will participate in an Amazon Live Author Series conversation in celebration of the Best Books of the Year selection on November 15, 2022 at 9 a.m. PDT. To tune in, visit  Amazon Live .

For more information about the books featured on the Best Books of the Year list, as well as insightful reviews of new books, author interviews, and hand-curated roundups in popular categories, visit the Amazon Book Review at  www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview . You can also follow the Amazon Books Editors recommendations and conversations @amazonbooks on  Facebook ,  Twitter , and  Instagram .

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Amazon announces picks for best science books of 2022 — so far

Amazon yesterday announced its picks for 2022 best books of the year so far , including its top book within the general-interest science category, “stolen focus: why you can’t pay attention — and how to think deeply again”..

Amazon yesterday announced its picks for 2022’s Best Books of the Year So Far , including those within the general-interest science category.

How Amazon Books editors made their selections

Amazon Books editor Al Woodworth explains why the Amazon Books editorial team chose Johann Hari's Stolen Focus :  Why You Can't Pay Attention — and How to Think Deeply Again   as the best general-interest science book of the year — so far.

Throughout the year, the Amazon Books editorial team reads thousands of books and recommends their favorites through the Best of the Month program, the Amazon Book Review , and Amazon Book Clubs ; the editors’ selections are curated and independent, and are not sponsored content. The editors also curate celebrity picks , and interview authors as well.

After reading titles released between January through June 2022, the Amazon editorial team has made its selections for best books — so far — across a variety of categories.

Below are the Top 20 picks of 2022 — so far — within the general-interest science category:

By Johann Hari

By Susan Cain

By Carlo Rovelli

By Dan Saladino

By Vaclav Smil

by Galit Atlas

By Todd Rose

By Daniel H. Pink

By David McRaney

By Ananyo Bhattacharya

By Riley Black

By Serhii Plokhy

By Jack E. Davis

By Lindsey Fitzharris

By Neil Bradbury, PhD

By The Carbon Almanac Network , forward by Seth Godin

By Adam Nicolson

By Stephanie Cacioppo

By Lindy Elkins-Tanton

• Amazon Books

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The 10 books you should read in April, according to Amazon editors — from Molly Shannon's heartwarming memoir to new novels by bestselling authors

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

• Amazon's book editors rounded up the best new books being released this month.
• April's books include new works from bestselling authors as well as unforgettable debuts.
• Need more books? Here are the most anticipated books of 2022, according to Goodreads.

The saying goes that April showers bring May flowers — but they also bring plenty of opportunities to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and a great new book.

If you're looking for candidates for said book, let us introduce you to 10 worthwhile ones being released this April — including new works by Susan Cain (author of the bestselling nonfiction book " Quiet "), Pulitzer Prize-winner Jennifer Egan ( of " A Visit from the Goon Squad " fame), Booker Prize-winner Douglas Stuart (author of " Shuggie Bain "), and Emily St. John Mandel (" Station Eleven ").

Other exciting new books include a memoir by Molly Shannon, a new novel that feels like a mix between "Emily in Paris" and " Big Little Lies, " and a debut everyone you know will eventually be talking about.

Learn more about how Insider Reviews reviews and researches books .

The 10 best new books in April, according to Amazon editors:

Descriptions are provided by Amazon and lightly edited for clarity.

"Memphis" by Tara M. Stringfellow

"Memphis", from $13.99, available on  Amazon

Set in Memphis, this novel traces three generations of unforgettable Black women as they gather strength from one another's fortitude, humor, and care amidst heartbreak, racism, and violence. Filled with songs from the '50s – you'll be carried away by Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, and Nina Simone – you will bask in the lives of these very real women who hope, who desire, who find joy. — Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor 

"Bittersweet" by Susan Cain

"Bittersweet", from $13.99, available on Amazon

"Bittersweet" feels like a natural follow up to Cain's 2012 blockbuster " Quiet " and deserves just as many readers. Sorrow and longing are at the heart of compassion, and compassion is at the heart of being human. And that's not actually as bad as it seems. "Bittersweet" will be a timely and welcome read for so many, and it will serve as a guide to process how they are feeling –  indeed, how we all feel sometimes. — Chris Schluep, Amazon Editor

"The Candy House" by Jennifer Egan

"The Candy House", from $14.99, available on Amazon

Jennifer Egan won the Pulitzer Prize for 2010's " A Visit from the Goon Squad " and she revisits some of the characters in this sibling novel, "The Candy House." While you don't have to have read 'Goon' to feel the potency of this deft critique of the commodification of privacy (though why wouldn't you?), it definitely enhances it. But on its own, this imaginative and exhilarating offering delivers, and proves fiction's power to convey what even the best nonfiction can't. — Erin Kodicek, Amazon Editor 

"Sea of Tranquility" by Emily St. John Mandel

"Sea of Tranquility", from $11.99, available on Amazon

A memorable and moving story of the pandemic, time travel, and what it means to be a person. The pristine writing is there as always, as is Mandel's ability to create intimate portraits at the same time she is addressing the big, essential questions of existence. But in "Sea of Tranquility" there's a little more freedom to the writing. Emily St. John Mandel is a novelist who has written herself to a very high level. — Chris Schluep, Amazon Editor

"The Younger Wife" by Sally Hepworth

"The Younger Wife", from $14.99, available on Amazon

After opening with blood-spattered nuptials, Sally Hepworth's "The Younger Wife" takes us back to the engagement lunch, where the first domino fell. From there, it's an engrossing, engaging, often-horrifying trek through the dark secrets of the affluent Aston family, and how those secrets led to murder. Hepworth's knack for writing characters readers will feel they have known and loved for years is on full display here, as she weaves a mesmerizing whodunit that reveals itself as a whydunit, too. — Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor

"Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus

"Lessons in Chemistry", from $14.99, available on Amazon

If you're looking for delicious hilarity, characters filled with competency and quirk, and pure entertainment, then read Bonnie Garmus' exuberant novel, "Lessons in Chemistry," about an accomplished scientist-turned TV cooking star. With " Where'd You Go, Bernadette " vibes, this novel will make you laugh and admire a woman who does exactly what she wants. — Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor

"Young Mungo" by Douglas Stuart

"Young Mungo", from $9.45, available on Amazon

Douglas Stuart's debut novel, " Shuggie Bain ", won the Booker Prize in 2020, and two years later, he's back with another triumph. Young Mungo tells the story of a young Scottish boy trying to make sense of himself, the boy across the street, his drunk mother, gang-leader brother, and big-hearted sister. With a gentleness that defies the hard-scrap poverty and social order around him, Mungo is a character you root for. Young Mungo feels both cinematic and so intimate you don't want it to end. — Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor

"The Caretakers" by Amanda Bestor-Siegal

"The Caretakers", from $14.99, available on Amazon

Think Liane Moriarty's " Big Little Lies " meets "Emily in Paris" and you've got something close to Amanda Bestor-Siegal's debut novel, "The Caretakers." Set in a wealthy Parisian suburb in 2015, the book opens with a young boy dying and his au pair being arrested. Told from the points of view of six women – three au pairs, the boy's mother, the boy's sister, and the suburb's local French teacher – The Caretakers kicks off on an ominous note, and doesn't ease up until the suspenseful ending. — Sarah Gelman, Amazon Editor

"Four Treasures of the Sky" by Jenny Tinghui Zhang

"Four Treasures of the Sky", from $14.99, available on Amazon

A shocking, heartbreaking, and utterly absorbing story of a young girl stolen from her rural home in China and brought to America where she is made to be someone she isn't: a whore, a man, and an orphan. Set during the Chinese Exclusionary Act, Zhang's novel looks at personal identity, racism, and how one brave young woman survives amidst a world she cannot trust. — Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor

"Hello, Molly!: A Memoir" by Molly Shannon

"Hello, Molly!: A Memoir", from $14.99, available on Amazon

Molly Shannon's life was shaped by early tragedy and a love of acting that led her to appreciate every opportunity to laugh and learn along her hard-won rise to fame. In "Hello, Molly!" Shannon shares both challenging and hilarious insider moments from Hollywood and "Saturday Night Live," and from living with a "break-the-rules, everything-is-an-adventure, people-are-mostly-good," mentality. Reading "Hello, Molly!" gave me a new sense of admiration for this caring, wild, witty, woman who is true comedy gold. — Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor

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June 14, 2023

Written by Morgan Jerkins

The 20 best books of 2023 so far, according to Amazon's book editors

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Page overview

Hello Beautiful

by Ann Napolitano

"With gusto and compassion, Ann Napolitano crafts a tear-jerker of a story that centers on the Padavano sisters, who are thick as thieves—until they aren’t. Hello Beautiful offers big emotion, and that’s exactly what makes it so powerful and so page-turning, which is why we named it the Best Book of 2023 So Far." —Al Woodworth

by S.A. Cosby

"This Southern Gothic serial killer mystery comes out of the gate dark, and S.A. Cosby rarely takes his foot off the gas, but his storytelling—lean but vivid, and emotionally intelligent—nails every beat. I couldn’t read it fast enough." —Vannessa Cronin

by Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D.

"Mind-changing revelations, fascinating facts—Jean M. Twenge's compulsively readable book will transform the way you see yourself and everyone you know, and finally put all those tired tropes about baby boomers, millennials, and more to rest. You’ll quote it every day." —Lindsay Powers

by Emilia Hart

"Though divided by centuries, three women, who share a unique connection to the natural world and to one another, tell their fascinating stories of persecution, danger, and resilience in a beautifully written novel that is a fierce and dazzling read." —Seira Wilson

by Paul Kix

"This is the best kind of narrative nonfiction: Your heart will pound, your blood will boil, you’ll feel the rush of adrenaline as Paul Kix tells the history—complete with the unsung heroes, villains, and funders—of how Martin Luther King Jr., his team, and thousands of children in Birmingham, Alabama, changed America." —Al Woodworth

by Helen Elaine Lee

"Sorry/not sorry for the simile: This empathy-expanding novel, a sly paeon to the power of great fiction and its ability to be a Trojan horse delivering the truth, is like a pomegranate—open it and you’ll find a treasure trove inside." —Erin Kodicek

by Deepti Kapoor

"Power, pleasure, drugs, and violence collide in this page turner with Crazy Rich Asians , Narcos , and The Godfather vibes. From extreme wealth to extreme poverty, and narrated by a cast of characters on both sides of the spectrum, Deepti Kapoor’s juicy novel centers on a sprawling Indian family that controls—or attempts to control—all that’s around them, at any cost." —Al Woodworth

by David Grann

"Batten down the hatches, this true story of mayhem and murder, adventure, and reckless ambition on the high seas is a thrill to read. You can almost feel the salt spray on your skin as the HMS Wager and its hurly-burly crew fight the elements and each other in pursuit of fame and fortune. David Grann, once again, has made history come alive." —Al Woodworth

by Abraham Verghese

"We didn’t want this book to end—told over the course of three generations, Abraham Verghese weaves a magnetic story of how cultural, social, and racial politics play out in the lives of wives, doctors, and artists who strive to find a home and purpose in a shifting and dangerous world. Filled with characters who love deeply and dream big, this novel will sweep you off your feet." —Al Woodworth

by Emily Henry

"Emily Henry's latest has all the feels! More than your standard second-chance romance, Happy Place is about the beauty, pain, and joy that come with biological families, chosen families, growing up and apart, and how—as adults—we deal with this thing called life." —Kami Tei

by Jonathan Eig

"Eig’s definitive and engrossing portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. is a remarkable feat of writing and research, revealing the gutting hardships and heroics of a man who changed the world. This is biography at its absolute finest." —Al Woodworth

by Lisa See

"I will not soon forget Lady Tan. A historical fiction grounded in women, medicine, and tradition, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is immersive and relatable, and I found myself underlining throughout this absorbing read." —Kami Tei

by Dennis Lehane

" Small Mercies comes in quiet, as a missing-daughter story set in Boston’s Southie neighborhood, but as it picks up steam and readers ride shotgun with Mary Pat Fennessy, a "tough Irish broad," as she hunts for her girl, an explosive story of racism, revenge, and reckoning ignites and leaves readers slack-jawed to the very last page." —Vannessa Cronin

by Jeannette Walls

"A feisty tomboy, bootleggers, wheelin’ and dealin’ family members, quickie marriages, and a shootout juice the pages of Jeannette Walls’ beguiling new novel. Set in Virginia during prohibition, Hang the Moon charts the life of Sallie Kincaid, a young woman with grit and gumption, who wrestles with the legacy of her family—however good, bad, and ugly it may be." —Al Woodworth

by Brendan Slocumb

"Engrossing and heart pounding, this one had me on the edge of my seat from the beginning to the end. A cautionary tale about how some secrets can grow and create havoc for generations. A must read!" —Kami Tei

by Angeline Boulley

"Boulley brilliantly weaves together a suspenseful heist thriller about the theft of Indigenous peoples’ ancestral objects and human remains with an eye-opening look at repatriation, injustice, and the lengths one young Native American woman will go to right terrible wrongs." —Seira Wilson

by Rachel Heng

“Coming-of-age story, love story, historical fiction—Heng manages to do it all. You’ll ache for these characters, and the ending will leave you feeling equally satisfied and bereft. The Great Reclamation begs to be a classic” —Sarah Gelman

by Matthew Desmond

“In 200 searing pages, Matthew Desmond lays out a clear explanation of inequality that will make you rage, sob, capitulate, and feel shame. This book may not be the easiest read, but it's one of the most important ones.” —Lindsay Powers

by R.F. Kuang

"Satire at its finest! Yellowface puts a spotlight on the pressure some authors face trying to quickly and consistently produce the next great novel. Challenges around public opinion and cultural appropriation, specifically within the Asian community, are consistent themes throughout. Smart, cheeky, immersive, and thought-provoking." —Kami Tei

by Curtis Sittenfeld

“Sittenfeld shape-shifts her talent yet again in this fun and thought-provoking romantic comedy. A fun summer read that is begging to be made into a movie, Romantic Comedy also proves, once more, that Sittenfeld is a writer who can’t be put in a box.” —Sarah Gelman

Amazon Studios has optioned 'Woke Up like This' and 'The Vibrant Years.' Meet the authors and learn more about the inspiration behind their books.

Amazon Kindle (2022) review: The e-reader for most

The amazon kindle (2022) gets a refresh worth every penny.

Tom's Guide Verdict

The Amazon Kindle (2022) gets an upgraded 300 ppi display and USB-C charging while staying below $100. While it’d be nice if it was waterproof, this is now the e-reader most readers should choose.

Lightweight, comfortable design

Bright, crisp display

Incredible battery life

Not waterproof

Lacks warm display light options

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

Price: $99 Display size: 6-inch Resolution (pixels per inch): 300 ppi Storage: 16GB Battery life: 6 weeks (claimed) Dimensions: 6.2 x 4.3 x 0.32 inches Weight: 5.56 ounces Ports: USB-C

Amazon didn’t need to reinvent the wheel with the Kindle 2022 ($99). E-readers can have all the bells and whistles they want, but in the end they have one job: to allow you to read. Well, more accurately, allow you to read a collection of books comfortably, all on one device. 

So it was a pleasant surprise when Amazon decided to refresh the Kindle in a noticeable way. This latest version’s e-ink display got upgraded to a 300 pixels per inch (PPI) resolution and Amazon swapped the old micro-USB charging input for USB-C. 

There are still enough differences to make the Kindle Paperwhite the superior choice. The new Kindle 2022 is still not waterproof and it lacks the softer display lighting options of its more expensive counterpart. It’s also smaller, but whether or not that is better or worse is subjective. If you want a Kindle and don’t care about it being waterproof, the $40 cheaper price point makes the Kindle 2022 the better value for most readers. 

Amazon Kindle (2022): Price and configurations 

If you’re someone who gets overwhelmed by choices, then I have good news. The Amazon Kindle 2022 comes in just a single 16GB model for $99. There are two color options though: Black or Denim. So if you want a little choice you’re covered there too. I tested the Black model and it was nice, though fingerprints did show up on the Kindle where I handled it.

Some may complain that the price went up $10 versus the $89 price point of the Amazon Kindle (2019), but at least you get something for that price increase. Between the upgraded resolution and the switch to USB-C, Amazon did at least make some improvements that could justify a price hike. 

Amazon Kindle (2022): Design 

The Amazon Kindle has always had a relatively simple design, and that has not changed with this latest iteration. The 6.2 x 4.3 x 0.32-inch Kindle (2022) is slightly smaller than the Kindle (2019), but you probably wouldn't notice. It remains comfortable to hold, and at 5.56 ounces it’s even easier to bring with you anywhere.

It also remains a no-frills device in terms of extra physical features. Aside from a power button and the USB-C charging port, there’s nothing else. To be fair, there isn’t really a need for anything else. Some people like to have physical page-turn buttons, but personally, I don’t view the lack of those as a negative. 

The only design change I would advocate for is upgrading the chassis for the Kindle to be IPX8 waterproof resistance rated. I think that Amazon could accomplish this without undercutting the more expensive Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, which still offers improved lighting options and a larger size than the base 2022 Kindle.

Amazon Kindle (2022): Display 

One of the biggest complaints about the previous iteration of the Kindle in our review was the mediocre display resolution. While the Amazon Kindle 2019 upgraded the display by adding four front lights, which allow for a better and more energy-efficient reading experience, it still featured a relatively low resolution at just 167 ppi. That's fine for reading, but noticeably below the resolution of the rest of the Kindle lineup.

Now, Amazon is fixing that with the Kindle (2022). This Kindle has an upgraded 300 ppi 6-inch display that felt incredibly comfortable for this former Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (3rd generation) user. The e-ink grayscale display looked fantastic and was easy to read. 

The biggest complaint I had was that I found the light to be a bit harsher than the warmer tones you can get on the Paperwhite. However, I found with a little tinkering — and turning on the Kindle 2022’s dark mode — I was able to land on an enjoyable display experience. 

Amazon Kindle (2022): User experience and features 

The Kindle user experience is pretty simple, and I found it easy to use and intuitive. When the Kindle boots up, you’re presented with a home page that displays some selections from your library and recommendations from Amazon. There’s also a search bar to allow you to just search for content directly from the home page.

At the bottom there’s also a “Library” tab that shows everything you have in your Kindle library. You can filter this library by using the filters icon located directly under the search bar, which is great if you’re in the mood for something you haven’t read yet or searching for an Audible audiobook.

Speaking of Audible, you can listen to your Audible audiobooks on the Kindle using Bluetooth. I found it easy to connect my headphones to the Kindle, but be warned — it may be loud at first. Make sure to set your volume using the Settings pull-down menu (drag your finger down from the top of the screen to access) once you’re connected. The volume slider only appears with Bluetooth connected.

Finally, our past reviews have spoken at length about the awfulness that is Goodreads, Amazon’s widely-disliked social network for recommending books. Unfortunately, it hasn’t entirely gone away. While I’ve had a largely Goodreads-free experience, when you open a new book there is an annoying “About this book” pop-up that appears. While technically not a Goodreads feature, it’s still an annoying distraction that the Kindle could do without. Still, overall Amazon largely didn’t overwhelm me with distractions, so it's a vast improvement over some of the previous Kindles in that regard.

Amazon Kindle (2022): Battery life 

While the 6-week battery life of the Amazon Kindle 2022 is less than the Kindle Paperwhite’s 10-week, it’s more than enough. Amazon claims that the Kindle can hit six weeks on a single charge based on 30 minutes of reading a day with Wi-Fi off and the brightness set at 13. Using the Audible audiobook streaming feature over Bluetooth will reduce battery life below this figure.

While I have not tested the battery life of the Kindle as rigorously as Amazon has (I haven’t even had 6 weeks to try and drain the battery) I can tell you so far I’ve been impressed. I’ve been using it for a while now and still have not had to charge it. While it may fall short of the six weeks Amazon promises, it won’t be by much.

Amazon Kindle (2022): Content

Content is both a major advantage and disadvantage of the Kindle ecosystem. Amazon Kindles, of course, have access to the massive Kindle Store and its millions of books. You also get access to Audible audiobooks, which as mentioned you can listen to using Bluetooth. If you have an Amazon Prime account, you can even download a free eBook a month from a selection of new books curated by Amazon. You even get free cloud storage for all Amazon content.

Unfortunately, alongside offering this wealth of content Amazon does everything it can to lock you out of other ecosystems. The Kindle can download eBooks from your public library through the Overdrive service, but other services (like Hoopla, which works on Kindle Fire tablets) don’t work on the Kindle 2022. And if you have Google Books eBooks, those won’t work either.

Amazon Kindle (2022): Verdict 

The Amazon Kindle (2022) is nearly a perfect device for what it is, and some of its flaws are more down to Amazon than the device itself. Being locked into Amazon’s ecosystem is a drag, but you can’t really knock the Kindle for that.

That’s not to say there aren’t improvements that could be made. The fact that the Kindle 2022 isn’t waterproof is probably the biggest reason that I couldn’t rate it above four stars, and the ability to adjust the warmth of the display light is something I sorely miss from the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021) — though if you’re fine with using dark mode it’s easy to move past that shortcoming. Admittedly, if Amazon fixed those things there would be no reason to get the Paperwhite, so while I’m disappointed, I’m not shocked.

Ultimately though, the Kindle 2022 is probably the best Kindle for most people, dethroning the Paperwhite when both are at full price. It’s lightweight and comfortable to hold, the display is bright and crisp — a massive improvement — and the battery lasts for ages. Unless you really need a waterproof Kindle, it’s tough to advocate spending more than the $99.99 for the Amazon Kindle 2022.

Malcolm McMillan is a senior writer for Tom's Guide, covering all the latest in streaming TV shows and movies. That means news, analysis, recommendations, reviews and more for just about anything you can watch, including sports! If it can be seen on a screen, he can write about it. Previously, Malcolm had been a staff writer for Tom's Guide for over a year, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), A/V tech and VR headsets.

Before writing for Tom's Guide, Malcolm worked as a fantasy football analyst writing for several sites and also had a brief stint working for Microsoft selling laptops, Xbox products and even the ill-fated Windows phone. He is passionate about video games and sports, though both cause him to yell at the TV frequently. He proudly sports many tattoos, including an Arsenal tattoo, in honor of the team that causes him to yell at the TV the most.

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The best Kindles you can buy: Expert tested

It's ramping up to be a busy summer travel season, and if you're anything like me, your summer vacation isn't complete without a few novels in tow. But who has the suitcase space for every single Emily Henry novel? I don't. Those hefty books become a lot lighter when you read them on an e-reader, like a Kindle. Kindles can hold a near-infinite number of books, newspapers, and magazines in one compact, lightweight device. My Kindle even fits in my jacket pocket -- talk about portable. Plus, you can save lots of money when you switch from physical books to e-books. 

Also:  The best iPad models you can buy

While most Kindle tablets have a fixed amount of internal storage, many support Amazon Cloud backup or microSD cards for expanded onboard storage. Plus, many Kindle readers are waterproof up to 2 meters, so you can take your e-reader to the beach or pool and not have to worry about splashes and sprays ruining your e-reader. With anti-glare screens and auto-adjusting backlights, it's easier than ever to read your favorite books indoors and outdoors in direct sunlight. And as a bonus, many of our top choices are on sale for Memorial Day , so be sure to snag a deal before they're gone.

What is the best Kindle right now? 

ZDNET rounded up the best Kindle readers available to buy right now, with the best Kindle reader overall being Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite for its excellent battery life, easy readability, and mainstream appeal. We broke down their features and price points to help you decide which is the best fit for your reading needs and budget. Keep reading below to find the perfect Kindle for you.

The best Kindle readers of 2024

Amazon kindle paperwhite, best kindle reader overall.

• Post-consumer materials
• Excellent battery life
• Waterproof up to 2 meters
• Easy to use
• Audible requires separate app
• No headphone jack
• No microSD card support

Spend any time on Reddit threads, and you will quickly realize that there is one Kindle that reigns supreme among the rest: the Kindle Paperwhite. 

I use my Kindle Paperwhite to read on the subway because of how pocketable and light it is to carry in my bag and because I can download tons of library books onto it and read them at my leisure. The battery life blows me away. I've only had to charge it two or three times since using it for around three to four months. Compared to the Kindle Oasis, the refresh rate on the Paperwhite is as smooth as butter, and reading is as enjoyable as can be with adjustable lighting, page sizing, and more. 

Also:  The Kindle Paperwhite gets a new look

The Kindle Paperwhite is a simple, no-fuss e-reader that allows you to download and store thousands of comics, novels, and audiobooks to enjoy at home or on the go. The 6.8-inch display provides 300 points per inch for crystal-clear text, and the glare-free coating makes reading more manageable by a direct lamp or in sunlight. The integrated battery can last up to ten weeks on a full charge, letting you read for almost two months before needing to plug in. It uses a USB-C cable when you need to recharge, so you don't have to worry about keeping a special charging cable handy.

Furthermore, the Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof up to 2 meters for 1 hour in freshwater or .25 meters for three minutes in saltwater. This means you won't have to worry about spills and splashes while reading at the beach, pool, or dinner table. Additionally, the Kindle Unlimited app lets you browse hundreds of thousands of titles, including Kindle exclusives. 

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite specs: S creen size:  6.8 inches |  Storage:  8GB, 16GB, Amazon Cloud |  Battery life:  Up to six weeks at 30 minutes per day |  Lock screen ads:  Yes, removable with fee |  microSD card support:  No

Kindle Scribe

Best kindle for note-taking.

• You're able to sign documents, take notes, and draw
• Robust 10.2-inch screen
• Battery life for literal days
• It's expensive
• Limited note-taking capabilities

The Kindle Scribe combines a digital library with a digital notebook. You can use the basic pen to create notes either through an app or on the book you're reading, making it convenient if you're studying for a test and want to organize what you're reading and your notes in one place. Additionally, you can upgrade to the Kindle Scribe Premium Pen to easily erase notes.

The display is remarkable, with a high-resolution 10.2-inch screen. You'll also have access to ample storage options, and the battery life will let you read the next bestseller without worrying about finding the nearest plug for charging. 

Review:  Amazon Kindle Scribe

When Matthew Miller reviewed the Scribe last year, he called it his on-the-go note-taking tablet of choice. "My desire to find something that doesn't waste paper and also provides the ability to preserve and share my notes has been met with the Amazon Kindle Scribe," Miller said. He adds that the writing and erasing capabilities are top-tier, too, especially with the add-on Premium Pen. 

One Scribe owner on Reddit said that the wider screen is "a joy to read on," while other Redditors reported that the writing software is "half-baked" with minimal note-taking capabilities. So, if you're looking for a Kindle with a great screen and some beginner note-taking options, this one is for you. 

There is certainly room for improvement. Currently, you can export notes to a PDF and email them. However, sending notes to other programs like Microsoft Word would be ideal, as it will be part of a future software update. Additionally, we found that organizing your notes on the Kindle Scribe is impossible. Overall, it's an excellent foray into the digital note-taking market, and with future software updates, it should become one of the more popular models in the Kindle lineup.

Kindle Scribe specs:  Screen size:  10.2 inches |  Storage:  16, 32, or 64GB |  Battery life:  Up to 6 weeks at 30 minutes per day |  Lock screen ads:  Yes, removable with fee |  microSD card support:  No

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

Best kindle reader for travel.

• Wireless charging capable
• Water resistant
• Cloud storage backup
• Accessibility options
• A bit on the heavy side
• Some owners on Reddit say that the extra storage is unnecessary

The best part of having an e-reader is taking dozens, if not hundreds, of books with you while you travel for work, errands, family gatherings, or vacations. Ayman from @aymansbooks on TikTok is one of BookTok's most successful accounts, with over 900,000 followers. She creates content and memes about novels and recommends the books she reads on the platform. 

Ayman told ZDNET that the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is her Kindle of choice. Whether she's at the DMV, sitting at a cafe, or waiting in a line, she always takes along her Paperwhite Signature Edition and pulls it out when she has a spare second to read. "I love how I can easily highlight and make annotations as I'm reading; it feels just as though I'm reading a physical book," Ayman said. 

Review:  Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is built with travel in mind. It supports USB-C and Qi wireless charging, so you don't have to keep a special charging cable for a single device. The internal battery can also last up to 10 weeks on a full charge, allowing you to enjoy your beach reading even if you forget your charging cable.

The screen features an anti-glare coating for better visibility in direct lamplight or sunlight and an auto-adjusting backlight to suit dim rooms. With 32GB of internal storage, you can store tens of thousands of titles on the tablet. However, some Reddit owners say extra storage is unnecessary, given how many books the Kindle Paperwhite already holds. The water-resistant tablet is excellent for reading by the pool, on the beach, or anywhere accidental spills may happen. Additionally, it has a screen reader function for blind and visually impaired users and supports Bluetooth headsets for audiobooks.

When former ZDNET contributor Jason Cipriani reviewed the Signature Edition, he said: "If you opt to spend a little bit more for the signature edition, you're gaining some notable features in wireless charging and a light sensor, improving even more on an already reliable experience." 

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition specs:  Screen size:  6.8 inches |  Storage:  32GB, Amazon Cloud |  Battery life:  Up to 10 weeks at 30 minutes per day |  Lock screen ads:  Yes, removable with fee |  microSD card support:  No

Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus

Best non-kindle e-reader.

• Up to 1TB microSD card support
• Good battery life
• Alexa built-in
• On the heavy side

Since an e-reader like the Kindle is usually a single-purpose device, spending a ton of money on one may not always make sense. Fortunately, the Amazon Fire 8 Plus is an exceptionally affordable Kindle-capable tablet. For just $120, you can get an 8-inch tablet with 32GB of internal storage, which you can expand with up to a 1TB microSD card. The internal battery lasts up to 13 hours, allowing you to listen to audiobooks or read all day before needing to plug in. Moreover, since the Fire 8 Plus is closer to a typical tablet, you can download apps like YouTube to turn it into an entertainment hub for kids and adults.

Also:  Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus

With Alexa built-in, you can use voice commands to launch apps, play music, and even make video calls to friends and family. This is an excellent way to keep in touch with your book club or reading circle in a post-COVID world. Alternatively, you can switch Alexa off to prevent misuse of your Fire 8 Plus camera and microphones to gather information about you and your family. Most Reddit users prefer the Fire 8 Plus over the Fire 8, given its negligible price difference. 

This tablet is for casual browsing, streaming, mobile entertainment, or even for your little one. "At $120, the latest model is not the cheapest of the Fire tablet bunch, but it's certainly a compelling option for its sharp visuals, enduring build quality, and exceptional battery life," June Wan writes in his review of the tablet. 

Amazon Fire HD 8  Plus specs: S creen size:  8 inches |  Storage:  32GB or 64GB |  Battery life:  12 hours |  Lock screen ads:  Yes, removable with fee |  microSD card support:  Up to 1TB

What is the best Kindle?

The best Kindle e-reader is the Kindle Paperwhite. You can choose between 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB of internal storage to download thousands of comics, novels, and audiobooks. Additionally, you can opt for cloud storage syncing for near-infinite storage space for your digital library. The screen features an anti-glare coating for better visibility in sunlight and flush bezels for better handling. Plus, the integrated battery can last up to six weeks on a full charge, allowing you to read as much as you want worry-free.

*Lowest price at the time of writing. Please note that prices may vary based on retailer and available promotions, sales, or discounts.

Which is the right Kindle for you?

When shopping for a new Kindle reader, aside from price, you should also consider how much storage space you'll want or need for your digital bookshelf. The Kindle Paperwhite has 8GB of storage, which is enough for hundreds of books, audiobooks, PDF files, and graphic novels. On the other hand, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition has 32GB of storage, which allows your digital bookshelf to store almost 14,000 titles. Furthermore, no matter which model of Kindle reader you use, many support either microSD cards up to 1TB or cloud syncing for near-infinite storage.

Below is a table that outlines which Kindle corresponds to specific needs:

Factors to consider when choosing a Kindle

• Price: The Kindles and Kindle alternatives on this list range from $120 to $340. With more features, like drawing capabilities, strong battery life, and large storage, you will pay a higher price. 
• Storage capacity: The point of a device like a Kindle is to store as many books in one compact device as possible. We looked at Kindles with wide storage capacities that can hold thousands of titles. 
• Extra features: Some Kindles are kid-friendly or offer customizable displays and more. Lots of models offer water resistance and have anti-glare features so you can read in whatever environment you're in -- whether that's on the sandy beach or in a bathtub. 
• Battery life : The e-readers on this list should last you a few days, and ideally a few weeks, before recharging. 

Also: How to buy books on Kindle

How did we choose these Kindle readers?

ZDNET only recommends products we have used and can speak to. We do this by spending a few weeks constantly using the products we write about and evaluating them for performance, battery life, usability, special features, and more. Then we write a product spotlight or review of the product and add it to one of these best lists. Each month we evaluate which products still deserve a spot on this list, and switch out older models with newer models. 

What's the point of a Kindle?

If you have only ever read books through physical copies, not digital e-readers, you might think buying a Kindle is a waste of money. There's the argument that you don't even need the Kindle e-reader when you can download the app on your phone and read digital books and magazines from there. Sure, that's a good point. But many readers see having the Kindle app on a phone more distracting, while a Kindle whose sole purpose is to function as an e-reader is distraction-free. 

Then there's the fact that carrying paperbacks while you travel, commute to work, or lug around in that small bag of yours can get heavy, and sometimes we don't have the space for every book we'd like to read. A Kindle is slim, lightweight, and easy to plop into a purse or even put in your coat pocket. 

Holding a physical book is not the same as holding an e-reader, but for certain use cases, like portability and space optimization, a Kindle e-reader reigns supreme. 

Can I bring my Kindle to the beach?

Yes, you certainly can. Many readers enjoy taking a Kindle to the beach instead of a paperback book, thanks to select Kindle models' waterproof build and glare-free display. If your beach bag is too heavy for a thick book, a thin Kindle could be a splendid alternative. Plus, you don't have to choose between two or three books to read -- you can bring them all on your Kindle. 

How many books will 32GB hold?

It all depends on what kinds of books you want to download, as different media files have different sizes. For example, a single comic book issue file can be as small as 650MB, while a graphic novel can be up to 1.5GB. On the other hand, plain-text files like novels, nonfiction titles, and even school textbooks have fairly small sizes, allowing you to have up to 13,500 books in your digital library with 32GB of storage space.

However, longer titles like War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy will have a larger file size than something like F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. If you like longer reads, you'll probably store fewer books, though you should still be able to download and store thousands of titles.

You can even download audiobooks from the Kindle app, though the audio files are quite large. This means that a 32GB Kindle will only hold about 150 audiobooks, depending on the length of the recording.

What's the difference between the Kindle Paperwhite and a regular Kindle?

The Kindle Paperwhite boasts a bigger display, warm light adjustment feature, longer battery life, waterproof build, and higher price tag.

Do Kindles offer audiobooks?

All Kindles offer text-to-voice narration through Alexa. But if you want to buy an audiobook specifically, you'll have to use Amazon's Audible. Audible is integrated into all newer Kindle models. 

Does a Kindle need Wi-Fi?

For certain things, like downloading new books and accessing the internet, yes. But if you have already downloaded the book you'd like to read on your Kindle you can read it without a Wi-Fi connection. I take my Kindle on the subway, where there's no Wi-Fi connection, and have no problem reading my favorite titles. 

Do I need a Kindle to read Kindle books?

Nope! Whether you have an iOS or an Android, you can download the Kindle app from the App Store or Google Play store and start reading on it. This allows you to buy and download digital books to your phone or tablet.

Also: The best tablets you can buy: Apple, Samsung, and Amazon compared

Can I get Kindle books for free?

You can get Kindle books for free. Whether you're looking to fill out your library or to finally get around to reading those classics that were assigned back in your high school English class, it's pretty easy to find free Kindle books. Lots of classic literature is in the public domain, which just means that they are no longer protected by copyright laws and can be provided for free. If you're looking for new titles, you don't have to spend a fortune. And many free Kindle books can be found on none other than Amazon itself. All you have to do is go to Amazon and search "free Kindle books." 

Also: How to get (great) free books on Kindle

You also can find thousands of titles for very low prices, sometimes as low as 99 cents. However, these are often self-published works. And while self-publishing is a great way for writers to get their work in the hands of readers without going through literary agents and publishing houses, it also means that sometimes the work isn't entirely up to snuff. So if you're tempted to buy that ultra-low-priced title, make sure you read reviews first so you don't end up buying something you won't like.

Are there alternatives to the Kindle worth considering?

If you don't like the idea of a single-purpose tablet taking up space in your home but still want the ease and portability of a digital library, you're able to download the Kindle app to just about any tablet on the market. Here is a short list of Kindle alternatives that I thought were great:

ZDNET Recommends

The best amazon deals right now: may 2024, the best cheap tablets for under $400: expert tested, the best ipad models: expert tested.

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To Understand Amazon, We Must Understand Jeff Bezos

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By Ben Smith

• Published May 13, 2021 Updated June 17, 2021

AMAZON UNBOUND Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire By Brad Stone

After I finished “Amazon Unbound,” I glanced at the sleek black Amazon Echo cylinder sitting on my kitchen counter, right next to a few cans of dog food that had just arrived from Amazon. Instead of the device, I imagined before me the equally sleek, smoothly bald and evenly tanned face of Jeff Bezos himself, eyes peering serenely back at me from below the glowing LED halo.

That minor hallucination made a kind of sense because — as we learn from Brad Stone’s new portrait of Amazon and its founder — Alexa, the voice coming out of my Echo, more or less is Jeff Bezos. He came up with the idea of a smart speaker in January 2011, back in the era of Google Plus and the iPod Shuffle. Bezos emailed his top deputies that month and declared, “We should build a $20 device with its brains in the cloud that’s completely controlled by our voice.”

For the next nearly four years, he obsessively micromanaged the project, pushing teams in Atlanta and Gdansk to make speech recognition seamless. He put in place a surreal testing protocol that involved hiring temps to spend days in empty apartments chattering away to silent speakers, and berated executives who told him it would take decades to develop speech recognition. He took home an early Echo prototype and when, in a moment of frustration, he told it to go “shoot yourself in the head,” it sent a wave of panic through the engineers who were listening in. He even came up with the idea for the LED ring on top, Stone writes, and with the name “Alexa” (in homage to the ancient library of Alexandria).

Stone’s new volume is on its surface a business book that seeks to explain the rise of America’s most important private enterprise, a giant company also notable for its opacity. In that sense, it is a sequel of sorts to his 2013 best seller, “The Everything Store,” which introduced Bezos and explained his relentless and single-minded drive to take over online commerce. “Amazon Unbound” is particularly valuable in explaining how the company makes money, and the day-to-day decisions that end up having a big effect on consumers: Is it worth it, for example, to sell pallets of bottled water, with their low cost and expensive shipping?

Stone looks at turning points in Amazon’s history, like the failure of the Fire phone and the rise of Amazon Web Services, its internet hosting division, as the engine of the company’s financial success. This is the inside story, a kind of corollary to the outside one Alec MacGillis recently sketched in “Fulfillment,” his grim look at how the country has become atomized by Amazon’s economic model. I was, though, left wishing at times for a third book that made a tighter connection between the inside of the juggernaut and its effects on the world.

“Amazon Unbound” shows how the company increasingly wields its enormous scale against potential rivals. After acquiring a key robot manufacturer, for instance, it stopped shipping the machines to competitors. And it used its vast trove of data from third-party Amazon vendors to make competing “private label” products, then simply lied about it.

Significantly, the book is also very much a biography of Bezos. And that makes it timely at a moment when our economy is dominated by giant firms headed by a small handful of men, whose personalities and whims we need to understand whether we like it or not. Amazon in the 2010s was an intensely personal venture, run by one of the wealthiest men in the world according to his own desires and reflecting his own personality. Bezos has recently announced he will be stepping down as C.E.O. before the end of the year, though he will clearly retain some guiding role as the company’s executive chairman.

As biography, the book is both limited and perhaps strengthened by the fact that Stone has lost his former access to Bezos, whom he did get a chance to interview for “The Everything Store.” Stone writes that he later learned the C.E.O. was angry he had tracked down his biological father for that book. (MacKenzie Scott, Bezos’ wife at the time, gave “The Everything Store” a one-star review on Amazon.)

There’s an old journalistic saying that access is a curse, because it puts the author in debt to his source and brings him too close to the person he’s covering. It’s safe to say that “Amazon Unbound” does suffer at times from a lack of psychological insight into Bezos. But it benefits from the author’s distance, and makes for a dense, at times juicy tour of the company Bezos built. Like Alexa, Amazon as a company seems to embody some of Bezos’ best personal qualities (his relentless drive to get you that package on time) and his worst (an “informal cruelty” that defines his company’s culture and requires that his factory workers and executives make personal sacrifices for corporate needs).

At Amazon, nearly every big decision comes down to a meeting with Bezos, at which his deputies hold their breaths, genuinely uncertain of whether he will berate them and tear up their proposals, or double their planned budgets. Some of his fixations, like his determination to create a smart speaker, are visionary. Others are quirky: After reading that a single hamburger can contain meat from a hundred different cows, he decided that Amazon’s fledgling grocery business would distinguish itself by offering a “single-cow burger.” Once his aides got past thinking their boss was joking, they set to work. A few months later, the product manager got another email from Bezos: He was having trouble opening the packaging, and the burger had dripped too much fat onto his grill.

It was, Stone writes, “a different style of innovation,” in which employees “worked backwards from Bezos’ intuition and were catering to his sometimes eclectic tastes (literally).”

On a far larger scale, Stone solves some of the mystery behind Amazon’s HQ2 debacle, in which the company announced plans to build a giant new office complex in Queens, then pulled out in the face of local opposition. That New York City was even a possibility was the result of a decision by Bezos to throw out months of careful study — which had narrowed the choices down to Chicago, Philadelphia and Raleigh — and go instead with his gut.

One of the last-minute additions to the plans, and the ultimate symbol of corporate greed to local foes, were the helipads. Bezos himself once hated helicopters, but all of a sudden they were cropping up everywhere. And it was during this period that he’d grown close to a former actress named Lauren Sanchez, a charismatic pilot who now ran an aviation company.

Bezos is at his most human in the sections where Stone describes how he fell for Sanchez, throwing caution to the wind and courting her so publicly that he was sure to get caught. Stone has the incredible emails between a National Enquirer reporter and her source, who first promised to expose the relationship between a “B-list married actress” and a “Bill Gates type.” The source turned out to be Sanchez’ own brother, a true piece of work who played all angles and insisted to the last that he’d “never sell out anyone.”

So it’s hard not to root for Bezos when, trapped by The Enquirer, he lures the publication into sending him a menacing letter — then cheekily publishes it and exposes the minor scandal himself.

But Bezos isn’t just your average victim of tabloid extortion. He’s the richest man in the world, and has recently fashioned himself as a champion of uppercase “Truth” and “Democracy” by saving The Washington Post. Bezos speculated publicly on the possible political motives behind the revelation of his affair, Stone writes, and tried to shift attention away from the tawdriness and toward the brutal murder of the Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The Post purchase had been a “complexifier” in his public life, Bezos himself once wrote, causing “powerful people” to consider him an “enemy.”

Stone’s reporting makes clear that this was, at best, reasonable paranoia; and at worst, a truly cynical bit of public relations, cashing in on a journalist’s murder to distract from a tabloid scandal. His “noble sentiment,” Stone comments dryly, “had little to do with his yearlong open conduct of an extramarital relationship.” Bezos’ wealth and power will always protect him, but there’s a flip side, too: They can also taint anything he touches.

Ben Smith is the media columnist for The Times.

AMAZON UNBOUND Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire By Brad Stone 478 pp. Simon & Schuster. $30.

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An assault led to Chanel Miller’s best seller, “Know My Name,” but she had wanted to write children’s books since the second grade. She’s done that now  with “Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All.”

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Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world. Listen here .

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Books We Love

20 new books hitting shelves this summer that our critics can't wait to read.

Meghan Collins Sullivan

June is around the corner, meaning summer is almost here! As we look forward to travel and staycations, plane rides and trips to the beach, we've asked our book critics for some advice: What upcoming fiction and nonfiction are they most looking forward to reading?

Their picks range from memoirs to sci-fi and fantasy to translations, love stories and everything in between. Here's a look:

Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope

I was hooked when I first saw the gorgeous cover for Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope. But the novel's premise put it at the top of my summer reading list. Penelope is known for unforgettable characters, world-building, beautiful writing and robust storytelling. Her latest work, inspired by actual events — the drowned Black towns of the American South — promises a magical, mythical and powerful tale of a young woman's quest to save her town. A historical fantasy must-read. (June 4) — Denny Bryce

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The Future Was Color by Patrick Nathan

The Future Was Color by Patrick Nathan has everything I look for in a book: a unique and startling voice, a queer protagonist and a deep understanding of a particular time and place. George — once György — is a gay Hungarian immigrant working as a screenwriter in McCarthy-era Hollywood, occasionally fantasizing about his officemate, Jack. When a once-famous actress named Madeline invites George to stay and write at her spacious Malibu house, she won't take no for an answer — and so George finds himself in a hedonistic milieu where pleasure, politics and strong personalities intermingle. (June 4) — Ilana Masad

Mirrored Heavens: Between Earth & Sky, Book 3 by Rebecca Roanhorse

Rebecca Roanhorse is one of my auto-read authors — and one major reason is because of her fire Between Earth and Sky series. That trilogy comes to a stunning, fevered conclusion with Mirrored Heavens . All of the characters you love, hate and love to hate will converge on the city of Tova. Get ready for an epic battle between ancient gods, their human avatars and the mortals caught in between. (June 4) — Alex Brown

Sing Like Fish: How Sound Rules Life Under Water by Amorina Kingdon

You may know about 52 Blue , whose vocalizations likely go unheard by some other whales; it captured worldwide sympathy and became a pop-culture metaphor. But did you know all whale song is critically disrupted by ships? If that gets you wondering, keep an eye out for Sing Like Fish , which promises to illuminate the fragile symphony of the deep. (June 4) — Genevieve Valentine

Consent: A Memoir by Jill Ciment

I look forward to reading Jill Ciment's Consent and to the discussions it's sure to provoke. In this follow-up memoir to Half a Life, Ciment reconsiders what she wrote 25 years ago about her teenage affair and marriage to her art teacher, 30 years her senior. Half a Life was written before the #MeToo movement, and before her husband died at the age of 93 after 45 years of marriage. Consent promises a fuller picture. (June 11) — Heller McAlpin

Do What Godmother Says by L.S. Stratton

As we continue to experience the frenzy of Harlem Renaissance celebrations, commemorations and historical resonance, Do What Godmother Says by L.S. Stratton is the perfect addition to the litany of works set in this artistic period this year. It examines the intense and frequently degenerating relationship between patrons and artists during this intellectual and cultural movement. In this dual-timeline gothic thriller, a modern writer discovers a family heirloom painting by a Harlem Renaissance artist, which connects her family to a mysterious past. This historical novel is one I'm eager to read because it deftly exposes the layers of creative ownership, especially when race and wealth are involved. (June 11) — Keishel Williams

Horror Movie: A Novel by Paul Tremblay

Paul Tremblay is one of the most entertaining and innovative voices in contemporary fiction regardless of genre. Horror Movie , a story about a cursed movie that never came out and is about to get a remake, is a love letter to horror novels and horror movies, as well as a tense narrative that will redefine the cursed film subgenre. Tremblay is one of the modern masters of horror, and this new novel promises to be packed with the author's distinctive voice, knack for ambiguity and intrigue, and superb atmosphere. (June 11) — Gabino Iglesias

Cue The Sun! The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum

Every so often there's a nonfiction title I covet like it's the next installment in my favorite mystery series. This summer it's Cue the Sun! Based on in-depth interviews with more than 300 sources from every aspect of the production process, this book is a cultural history of the genre that ate American entertainment, from New Yorker critic Emily Nussbaum. It combines the appeal of a page-turning thriller and the heft of serious scholarship. Juicy and thoughtful, it's a must-read for anyone interested in television or popular culture. (June 25) — Carole V. Bell

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen

In this return to the delightfully wacky world established in one of my personal top-five romance novels of all time, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy , Megan Bannen takes on the friends to lovers trope with a combination of madcap joie de vivre and the exhausted practicality of a mom who's had enough. Also, there are dragons! (July 2) — Caitlyn Paxson

The Anthropologists by Ayşegül Savaş

I am eagerly awaiting Ayşegül Savaş' The Anthropologists . Born in Istanbul, Savaş has lived in England, Denmark and the U.S. also and now resides in France; in this novel she takes up themes of cultural migration through focus on a young couple seeking an apartment in a foreign city. I'm intrigued to discover how Savaş gifts her characters with an anthropological lens of exploration. (July 9) — Barbara J. King

Elevator in Saigon by Thuân, translated by Nguyen An Lý

Elevator in Saigon is a literal and structural exquisite corpse , capturing Vietnam's eventful period from 1954 to 2004. Mimicking an elevator's movement, the novel heightens our yearning for romance and mystery, while unflinchingly exposing such narrative shaft. Channeling Marguerite Duras and Patrick Modiano, the book also offers a dead-on tour of a society cunningly leaping from one ideological mode to the next. As if challenging Rick's parting words to Ilsa in Casablanca , Thuận's sophomore novel in English implies that geopolitical debacles might have been mitigated if personal relations were held in more elevated regard than "a hill of beans." (July 9) — Thúy Đinh

Goodnight Tokyo by Atsuhiro Yoshida, translated by Haydn Trowell

Atsuhiro Yoshida's Goodnight Tokyo begins with a film company procurer who's tasked with finding fresh kumquats for a production. From there, interlinked tales of Tokyo residents unspool in unpredictable directions. Characters range from a cabdriver to a star of a detective TV series who might be an actual detective. Readers will be reminded of Jim Jarmusch's 1991 movie Night on Earth , which also takes place in the wee hours of the morning and threads together the stories of strangers. (July 9) — Leland Cheuk

Navola: A novel by Paolo Bacigalupi

I love when a beloved author — especially one known mostly for a certain type of book — throws us a daring curveball. Navola is exactly such a pitch. Paolo Bacigalupi, who has won pretty much every major award in the science-fiction field with his climate-conscious dystopianism, is veering hard left with his new novel. It doesn't take place in the future, and it isn't a cautionary tale. Instead, it's a hefty tome of high fantasy set in a dreamed-up world akin to Renaissance Florence. Only with, you guessed it, dragons. But also high finance, political intrigue, and de' Medici-esque opulence. Bacigalupi is one of today's most gripping spinners of speculative fiction, and I can't wait to dive into this surprising magical foray. (July 9) — Jason Heller

The Lucky Ones: A Memoir by Zara Chowdhary

In 2002, two train carriages were set on fire in Gujarat, India. Within three weeks, more than 2,000 Muslims were murdered in response by Hindu mobs. By the end of the year, more than 50,000 Muslims became refugees in their own country. The Lucky Ones is a unique memoir in English of this largest-ever massacre in independent India . It is also about a communal crisis bringing a fractured family together. A must-read in our warring world today. (July 16) — Jenny Bhatt

Sharks Don't Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist by Jasmin Graham

Author Jasmin Graham is a marine biologist specializing in smalltooth sawfish and hammerhead sharks. Who are the real sharks in this story? Graham had to face the sharp-teethed truths of academia, while creating a world of curiosity and discovery around the complex lives of sharks. To combat the racism she encountered in academia, Graham created an "ocean of her own" to become an independent scientist and a champion of social justice, a journey she unspools in this new memoir. (July 16) — Martha Ann Toll

Liars by Sarah Manguso

I have long been a fan of Sarah Manguso's crystalline prose, from her fragmented illness memoir The Two Kinds of Decay to her tightly constrained 2022 novel Very Cold People . Her second novel , Liars , marries restraint with rage — in it, Manguso traces the full arc of a 15-year relationship between Jane, a successful writer, and John, a dilettante artist-cum-techie, in aphoristic vignettes. The result is a furious, propulsive meditation on wifehood, motherhood and artistic ambition. (July 23) — Kristen Martin

The Horse: A Novel by Willy Vlautin

Musician and Lean on Pete author Willy Vlautin captures the American West like few other writers. His prose is always excellent, his characters always beautifully drawn, and that promises to be the case with his next novel, about an isolated Nevada man in his 60s who is visited by a blind horse that refuses to leave. (July 30) — Michael Schaub

Einstein in Kafkaland: How Albert Fell Down the Rabbit Hole and Came Up With the Universe by Ken Krimstein

Art and science collide in Ken Krimstein's new graphic biography . In this book, the author of the brilliant and whimsical The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt similarly translates careful research into scenic, emotive comics — in this case tracking the potential effects of an adventitious meeting in Prague between two geniuses on the cusp of world-changing discoveries. (Aug. 20) — Tahneer Oksman

Survival Is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde by Alexis Pauline Gumbs

I'd probably be interested in a new biography of Audre Lorde if it focused on the eating habits of the brilliant thinker, poet, feminist and activist. But biographer Alexis Pauline Gumbs promises to more than exceed that bar. An award-winning poet, writer, feminist and activist in her own right, Gumbs is among the first researchers to delve into Lorde's manuscript archives. The resulting book highlights the late author's commitment to interrogating what it means to survive on this planet — and how Lorde's radical understanding of ecology can guide us today. (Aug. 20) — Ericka Taylor

Et Cetera: An Illustrated Guide to Latin Phrases by Maia Lee-Chin, illustrated by Marta Bertello

To those claiming Latin is dead, I say res ipsa loquitur — the thing speaks for itself — in children's cartoons , Hollywood cartoons and enduring epics . As a fan of both Mr. Peabody and the Muses, the idea of combining Maia Lee-Chin's thoughtful scholarship and Marta Bertello's dynamic artistry is captivating. Their new book reimagines the world of Latin's invention and tops my summer reading list. (Aug. 27) — Marcela Davison Avilés

• summer books