ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE 'S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME • INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A contemporary literary classic and "a n accomplished psychological thriller ... absolutely chilling" ( Village Voice ) , f rom the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Goldfinch. One of The Atlantic ’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them down a dangerous path, beyond human constructs of morality. “A remarkably powerful novel [and] a ferociously well-paced entertainment . . . Forceful, cerebral, and impeccably controlled.” — The New York Times

Recommended on 1 episode:

Inside Trump’s ‘Royal Court’

It has been harder to get insight into the dynamics of President Trump’s White House this term compared with the first one, partly because there have been fewer leaks. But after the attack on Venezuela and the administration’s actions in Minneapolis, I’ve found myself wondering: How exactly is Trump making decisions? Who is he listening to? How does this White House work? Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer cover the Trump administration for The Atlantic and have written a series of big profiles on key figures in this administration. Parker previously won three Pulitzer Prizes for her reporting at The Washington Post.

Books recommended:

• 📕  The Secret History (Vintage Contemporaries) by Donna Tartt
• 📘  Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
• 📗  Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost by Michael C. Bender
• 📙  An Image of My Name Enters America: Essays by Lucy Ives
• 📕  Palimpsest: A Memoir (Vintage International) by Gore Vidal
• 📘  Blood: An Epic History of Medicine and Commerce by Douglas Starr

Ashley Parker , Michael Scherer Feb. 20, 2026 6 books recommended

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