In publishing, the onset of autumn often means a change of mind-set, away from the frothy beach books of summer and toward weightier quote-unquote literary fare from big-name authors like Jonathan Franzen or Sally Rooney or Gary Shteyngart. (Check, check, check.) This year, the list of fall’s heavy hitters also includes the two-time Pulitzer winner Colson Whitehead — whose new novel, “Harlem Shuffle,” turns out to be a midcentury crime caper, perfect for readers not ready to leave the beach just yet. (“Can I do a heist novel? Yeah, sure. Why not?” Whitehead told my colleague Alexandra Alter recently.) Of course, Whitehead being Whitehead, the book also explores deeper issues of race and class and power and morality, and it cracks a few jokes along the way. It leads our list of recommended titles this week.
New York Times: 8 new books we recommend this week
A man reads a book along a street in Beijing on June 2, 2021.
