These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser.
Elif Batuman returned this year with a sequel to The Idiot, which was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. This time around, the precocious and endearing Selin—who knows she will be a novelist, but isn’t quite sure how—becomes the author of her own story. The year is 1996, and Selin finds herself in her sophomore year at Harvard, freshly armed with a prescription for antidepressants. It’s here that the linguistics student distills exactly what happened last summer, tries to figure out who she wants to be, and travels to Turkey—all to the soundtrack of her favorites: Fiona Apple and Lauryn Hill. —Laura Zornosa
Buy Now: Either/Or on Bookshop | Amazon
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Donald Trump Is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year
- Why We Chose Trump as Person of the Year
- Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You?
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- The 20 Best Christmas TV Episodes
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
