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Business Wire
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy Claims Top Spot on Amazon's Best Books of 2025 So Far List
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ: AMZN) today revealed the Amazon Books Editors' Best Books of the Year So Far list, with Charlotte McConaghy's taut, psychological novel Wild Dark Shore earning the coveted No. 1 position. The Amazon Books Editors describe the novel as 'leaving you breathless, wide-eyed, and in awe of the extraordinary power of fiction.' Rounding out the top five selections are King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby, No More Tear s: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris, The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong, and Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. The Amazon Books Editors recommend titles from the widest selection of books available to make it convenient for customers to discover new titles. Share The Amazon Books Editors recommend titles from the widest selection of books available to make it convenient for customers to discover new titles that will delight, inspire, and educate. The Editors read thousands of books annually across genres to inform their Best Books of the Month, Best Books of the Year So Far, and Best Books of the Year selections, as well as publishing themed round-ups and author interviews on the Amazon Book Review. The Best Books of the Year So Far list showcases their top 20 picks from January through June, along with the top 20 books in popular categories including literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers, romance, history, biographies and memoirs, cookbooks, and children's books. This year, the Amazon Editors also added the top 20 books in romantasy and discovery reads (debut novels). Wild Dark Shore joins an illustrious lineup of previous Best Books of the Year So Far No. 1 selections, including James by Percival Everett, Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré, and Educated by Tara Westover. McConaghy's work is no stranger to the Amazon Editors. Her debut novel, Migrations, was named the Amazon Editors No. 1 Pick for the best fiction book in 2020. Upon learning that her novel was named the Best Book of the Year So Far, Charlotte McConaghy remarked, 'I'm so grateful for this honor. It moves me deeply to think of my novel making its way into the hands of readers, and for encouraging that I'd like to thank the wonderful editorial team at Amazon.' 'Selecting the Best Books of the Year So Far is a tireless—and fun—process for the Amazon Books Editors. Over thousands of hours, we read across genres from authors both new and established, searching for the very best books that make us smile, think, cry, cringe, and pique our sense of wonder,' said Sarah Gelman, editorial director, Amazon Books. 'Our top pick of the year so far, Wild Dark Shore, is a novel that masterfully evoked each of these emotions in our team, and beautifully highlights the imperfections of human nature even when we have the best intentions.' Below are the top 10 literary standouts of 2025 so far. To explore the complete Best Books of the Year So Far list, visit and check out the Amazon Book Review for in-depth reviews of the books on our list. Book enthusiasts can also join an Amazon Live conversation with Charlotte McConaghy, author of the No. 1 selection Wild Dark Shore, on Tuesday, June 10 at 4:30 p.m. ET. Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy: 'Shot from a cannon in the dark, Wild Dark Shore is a novel that hooks you from the start and doesn't let you go until the last page; it will leave you breathless, wide-eyed, and in awe of the extraordinary power of fiction. McConaghy's exquisite gift is that she creates characters that you know you shouldn't trust with your whole heart, but you do anyway. The result is a gutting, magnificent story of the things people will do—or won't do—for the people and things they care about.' —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby: 'In King of Ashes, S.A. Cosby conjures up a prodigal son tale with a little of The Godfather in its DNA, but this is S.A. Cosby we're talking about, so it's both business and personal, with all the family secrets, hubris, conflicts, brotherly love, lethal betrayals, and retribution that involves. He's firing on all cylinders here and we couldn't be happier to be along for another great ride.' —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris: 'This exposé into one of America's most trusted companies is mind-blowing. Just as you'll be appalled by the villains, you'll also be inspired by the brave whistleblowers who put their careers, and possibly lives, on the line to bring truth to light. A must-read.' —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong: ''Life is good when we do good things for each other.' This Dostoyevsky quote provides a powerful refrain for Vuong's moving sophomore novel. If he wasn't already referred to as 'the patron saint of the lonely,' this story would earn him that moniker.' —Erin Kodicek, Amazon Editor Sunrise on the Reaping (A Hunger Games Novel) by Suzanne Collins: ' Sunrise on the Reaping took me back to the thrill of reading The Hunger Games years ago. With the backstory of Haymitch Abernathy and the 50th Hunger Games, this action-packed popcorn read also has a dark kernel you'll chew on long after the shocking end.' —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley: 'This beautifully told novel about three teen moms in the Florida Panhandle is a banner example of what the best fiction can do: put us in other people's shoes, challenge our thinking, and expand our empathy.' —Erin Kodicek, Amazon Editor Memorial Days: A Memoir by Geraldine Brooks: 'Emotional, pragmatic, and filled with the keen observations of a literary luminary's broken heart, Geraldine Brooks' memoir is a euphoric love story, and a meditation on grief and curiosity…Incandescent and necessary.' —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor Dead Money by Jakob Kerr: 'So much fun. Set among Silicon Valley's tech bros, this twisty closed-door mystery follows Mackenzie as she races to solve a CEO's murder. Is she in over her head, or does she know more than she lets on? This is a one-sitting read that's slick, cynical, and surprising, with an absolutely delicious last line.' —Abby Abell, Amazon Editor Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid: 'This heart-wrenching and exhilarating journey to the cosmos masterfully captures both the thrill of space exploration and the complexities of human connection. Atmosphere is a testament to resilience and how far we'll go to chase our dreams, even when those dreams seem as distant as the stars.' —Kami Tei, Amazon Editor Matriarch: A Memoir by Tina Knowles: 'Come for Beyoncé, but—trust me—you'll stay for Tina. Tina Knowles is a force of a nature, which is why we devoured this memoir in one sitting, and discovered why it was almost inevitable that this driven, creative, and savvy businesswoman would raise two girls who would reshape American music—and culture.' —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor About Amazon Books Editors The Amazon Books Editors are a group of literary experts with extensive experience spanning publishing, journalism, and communications. They read thousands of books every year across genres to help customers discover their next favorite read, and put together Best Books of the Month, Best Books of the Year So Far, and Best Books of the Year lists on Amazon. To read Editor reviews, discover recommendations of new books in popular categories, and explore author interviews, visit the Amazon Book Review. You can also follow the Amazon Books Editors' recommendations and conversations @amazonbooks on Instagram and Facebook. 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 and follow @AmazonNews.
Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The week's bestselling books, June 8
1. The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (Penguin Press: $30) An unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond. 2. Nightshade by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown & Co.: $30) The bestselling crime writer returns with a new cop on a mission, this time on Catalina Island. 3. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (Berkley: $29) Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of an heiress. 4. Never Flinch by Stephen King (Scribner: $32) Holly Gibney is back on the case, this time facing both a serial killer and a stalker. 5. My Friends by Fredrik Backman (Atria Books: $30) The bond between a group of teens 25 years earlier has a powerful effect on a budding artist. 6. Spent by Alison Bechdel (Mariner Books: $32) The bestselling writer's latest comic novel takes on capitalism and consumption. 7. James by Percival Everett (Doubleday: $28) An action-packed reimagining of 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' 8. Fever Beach by Carl Hiaasen (Knopf: $30) Two Floridians are plunged into a mystery involving dark money and darker motives. 9. My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende (Ballantine Books: $30) A young writer in the late 1800s travels to South America to uncover the truth about her father. 10. Audition by Katie Kitamura (Riverhead Books: $28) An accomplished actor grapples with the varied roles she plays in her personal life. … 1. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (Hay House: $30) How to stop wasting energy on things you can't control. 2. Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson (Penguin Press: $32) Inside President Biden's doomed decision to run for reelection and the hiding of his serious decline by his inner circle. 3. Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $30) A call to renew a politics of plenty and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life. 4. The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad (Random House: $30) A guide to the art of journaling, with contributions from Jon Batiste, Salman Rushdie, Gloria Steinem and others. 5. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin (Penguin: $32) The music producer on how to be a creative person. 6. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (Knopf: $28) Reckoning with what it means to live in a West that betrays its fundamental values. 7. Steve Martin Writes the Written Word by Steve Martin (Grand Central Publishing: $30) A collection of greatest hits from the beloved actor and comedian. 8. Mark Twain by Ron Chernow (Penguin Press: $45) The Pulitzer-winning biographer explores the life of the celebrated American writer. 9. Notes to John by Joan Didion (Knopf: $32) Diary entries from the famed writer's journal. 10. Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane (W. W. Norton & Co.: $32) The naturalist explores rivers as living beings whose fate is tied with our own. … 1. All Fours by Miranda July (Riverhead Books: $19) 2. Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood (Berkley: $20) 3. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Ecco: $20) 4. Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Grove Press: $17) 5. Sandwich by Catherine Newman (Harper Perennial: $19) 6. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Vintage: $18) 7. The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $19) 8. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (Transit Books: $17) 9. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune (Berkley: $19) 10. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (Bloomsbury … 1. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (Crown: $12) 2. The Wager by David Grann (Vintage: $21) 3. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (TarcherPerigee: $20) 4. All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley (Simon & Schuster: $19) 5. Cultish by Amanda Montell (Harper Perennial: $20) 6. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (Amber-Allen: $13) 7. All About Love by bell hooks (Morrow: $17) 8. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (Vintage: $18) 9. The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk (Penguin: $19) 10. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (Knopf: $36)
Los Angeles Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The week's bestselling books, June 1
1. The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (Penguin Press: $30) An unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond. 2. Nightshade by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown & Co.: $30) The bestselling crime writer returns with a new cop on a mission, this time on Catalina Island. 3. James by Percival Everett (Doubleday: $28) An action-packed reimagining of 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' 4. Fever Beach by Carl Hiaasen (Knopf: $30) Two Floridians are plunged into a mystery involving dark money and darker motives. 5. My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende (Ballantine Books: $30) A young writer in the late 1800s travels to South America to uncover the truth about her father. 6. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (Berkley: $29) Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of an heiress. 7. Spent by Alison Bechdel (Mariner Books: $32) The bestselling writer's latest comic novel takes on capitalism and consumption. 8. My Friends by Fredrik Backman (Atria Books: $30) The bond between a group of teens 25 years earlier has a powerful effect on a budding artist. 9. The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig (Orbit: $30) A young prophet takes an impossible quest with the one knight whose future is beyond her sight. 10. Anima Rising by Christopher Moore (William Morrow: $30) The tale of a mad scientist, a famous painter and an undead woman's journey of self-discovery. … 1. Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson (Penguin Press: $32) Inside President Biden's doomed decision to run for reelection and the hiding of his serious decline by his inner circle. 2. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (Hay House: $30) How to stop wasting energy on things you can't control. 3. Who Knew by Barry Diller (Simon & Schuster: $30) A frank memoir from one of America's top businessmen. 4. Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane (W. W. Norton & Co.: $32) The naturalist explores rivers as living beings whose fate is tied with our own. 5. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin (Penguin: $32) The music producer on how to be a creative person. 6. Mark Twain by Ron Chernow (Penguin Press: $45) The Pulitzer-winning biographer explores the life of the celebrated American writer. 7. Notes to John by Joan Didion (Knopf: $32) Diary entries from the famed writer's journal. 8. Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $30) A call to renew a politics of plenty and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life. 9. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (Knopf: $28) Reckoning with what it means to live in a West that betrays its fundamental values. 10. Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (Flatiron Books: $33) An insider's account of working at Facebook. … 1. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Vintage: $18) 2. All Fours by Miranda July (Riverhead Books: $19) 3. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Ecco: $20) 4. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $19) 5. The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl (Random House Trade Paperbacks: $19) 6. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (Transit Books: $17) 7. Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Grove Press: $17) 8. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (Harper Perennial: $19) 9. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper Perennial: $22) 10. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (Grove Press: $22) … 1. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (Crown: $12) 2. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (TarcherPerigee: $20) 3. The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk (Penguin: $19) 4. The Wager by David Grann (Vintage: $21) 5. Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $18) 6. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (Vintage: $18) 7. Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch (Tarcher: $20) 8. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (Knopf: $36) 9. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (Amber-Allen: $13) 10. All About Love by bell hooks (Morrow: $17)
Los Angeles Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The week's bestselling books, May 25
1. The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (Penguin Press: $30) An unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond. 2. James by Percival Everett (Doubleday: $28) An action-packed reimagining of 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' 3. Fever Beach by Carl Hiaasen (Knopf: $30) Two Floridians are plunged into a mystery involving dark money and darker motives. 4. My Friends by Fredrik Backman (Atria Books: $30) The bond between a group of teens 25 years earlier has a powerful effect on a budding artist. 5. My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende (Ballantine Books: $30) A young writer in the late 1800s travels to South America to uncover the truth about her father. 6. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (Berkley: $29) Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of an heiress. 7. Anima Rising by Christopher Moore (William Morrow: $30) The tale of a mad scientist, a famous painter and an undead woman's journey of self-discovery. 8. Audition by Katie Kitamura (Riverhead Books: $28) An accomplished actor grapples with the varied roles she plays in her personal life. 9. Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz (Harper: $31) Murder links past and present in a mind-boggling metafictional mystery. 10. The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Henry Holt & Co.: $29) An unexpected wedding guest gets surprise help on her journey to starting anew. … 1. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (Hay House: $30) How to stop wasting energy on things you can't control. 2. Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $30) A call to renew a politics of plenty and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life. 3. We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach and Amanda Doyle (The Dial Press: $34) The guidebook for being alive. 4. Mark Twain by Ron Chernow (Penguin Press: $45) The Pulitzer-winning biographer explores the life of the celebrated American writer. 5. The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad (Random House: $30) A guide to the art of journaling, with contributions from Jon Batiste, Salman Rushdie, Gloria Steinem and others. 6. Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (Flatiron Books: $33) An insider's account of working at Facebook. 7. I Regret Almost Everything by Keith McNally (Gallery Books: $30) The restaurateur relates his gritty childhood and rise in the dining scene. 8. Notes to John by Joan Didion (Knopf: $32) Diary entries from the famed writer's journal. 9. Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green (Crash Course Books: $28) The deeply human story of the fight against the world's deadliest infectious disease. 10. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin (Penguin: $32) The music producer on how to be a creative person. … 1. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Ecco: $20) 2. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Vintage: $18) 3. All Fours by Miranda July (Riverhead Books: $19) 4. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (Harper Perennial: $19) 5. The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl (Random House Trade Paperbacks: $19) 6. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune (Berkley: $19) 7. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Vintage: $19) 8. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $19) 9. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (Entangled: Red Tower Books: $21) 10. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (Grand Central: $20) … 1. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (Crown: $12) 2. The Wager by David Grann (Vintage: $21) 3. Rich Relationships by Selena Soo (Rich Relationships LLC: $20) 4. All About Love by bell hooks (Morrow: $17) 5. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (Knopf: $36) 6. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (Vintage: $18) 7. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (Vintage: $18) 8. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (Amber-Allen: $13) 9. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (TarcherPerigee: $20) 10. The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk (Penguin: $19)
RTÉ News
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Book Of The Week: The Emperor Of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
A title like The Emperor of Gladness conjures images of grandeur, or indeed of a utopian state, writes Conor Hanratty. In fact, Ocean Vuong's new novel is set in East Gladness, a fictionalised small town in Connecticut. It begins with a tense, observant tour through the town, leading to a bridge on its outskirts. Our narrator, as yet anonymous, is planning to jump from it. Before he does, he sees a woman below, losing her laundry to the wind. In a tiny act of kindness, he tries to tell her where her blanket has gone. The elderly woman then convinces the younger man not to end his life. She coaxes him off the bridge, and shares some bread with him. Thus Vuong brings together his two protagonists, Hai and Grazina. Without much ado, in mutual desperation, they agree that Hai will move in and ensure she takes her medicine. Watch: Ocean Vuong discusses the inspiration behind The Emperor of Gladness Much of Hai's story is based on Vuong's own experiences, as the child of Vietnamese war refugees in Connecticut, as a drug user, and as a live-in carer for a real-life Grazina, acknowledged in the novel's end papers. Hai's circle expands further when, desperate for money, he gets a job at a restaurant, joining some other remarkable characters: they include Hai's cousin Sony, Maureen, Wayne, Russia and BJ, their manager. They become what Vuong has elsewhere described as a "circumstantial" family, united by their day-to-day collaboration in the physical labour of reconstituting food. Vuong - speaking again from personal experience - is at his most subversive when describing the mythology behind these "freshly" prepared meals. (His descriptions of the acceptable levels of rat or human remains in processed food are hair-raising.) Vuong's prose is as poetic and luminous as we have already come to expect. Myths are woven through the tapestry of these lives - mythologies as varied but essential as Star Wars, college education, the efficacy of rehab, "customer service" and, most pernicious, The American Dream. In this little pocket of New England, these people live lives far from what they wanted. But even in the strangest, most violent and challenging circumstances, they help each other. Despite a debilitating lack of hope, despite bleak glimpses into their lives outside work, this circumstantial (if not "chosen") family proves generous, supportive and tolerant. This is Vuong's point: even in this hopeless life in a hopeless town, people are good to each other. While he skewers the corporate concerns of the industries behind food production, incarceration and care for the elderly, Vuong shows with no small grace how ordinary people, despite cruel adversity, continually tend toward kindness. In the world today, this feels like a revolutionary observation. Vuong's prose is as poetic and luminous as we have already come to expect. He can - and does - make anything seem delicate and special, from a suicidal walk through East Gladness to a ladies' wrestling match in a biker bar. It is a long book, but Vuong rewards close attention with surprises, belly-laughs and resolutions to almost all the tiny observations that he makes. The novel begins and ends with kindness without any hope of reward. It might not inspire many to visit these corners of Connecticut, but it left this reader with more than a little faith in humanity restored.
