Editors Select: February 2025

The road no longer taken

A look at a world that is no more. That’s the gift contained in Rick Steves’s 1978 travel diary, which recounts his and pal Gene’s adventures on this countercultural rite of passage. There are days spent with party-hearty Tehran twentysomethings obsessed with American TV Westerns, mere months before the Islamic Revolution. And there's a Kabul trolley ride to the last stop—a standard Stevesian travel tip—where he falls into a robust debate with an Afghan professor as whispers of a Soviet invasion loom. Credit the elder Steves for not editing out some of the ignorant musings of his younger self, be they awkward, cringeworthy or smacking of privilege. As the trip winds down, the self-awareness rises up, and we hear him grappling with the gulf and guilt of negotiating a good taxi price while surrounded by people struggling for sustenance. World events would soon put this popular bucket-list trek out of reach for most people. But the lessons are as indelible as a passport stamp: Go, lose the judgment at the border, be, and savour the time in the place you find yourself in. You may not have the chance to go that way again. —Maggie M.

A circus performer walks into a clinic...

Scythe & Sparrow, the conclusion to Brynne Weaver’s Ruinous Love Trilogy is finally here—and I was hooked from the moment I pressed play. This story has it all: tension, chaos, and steam that had me blushing one minute and literally saying, “Oh, my” out loud the next. Dr. Fionn Kane, trying to leave the darkness of his past behind, is living a quiet life in Nebraska when Rose, a circus performer with a dangerous secret, crashes into his world—literally. After an injury lands her under his care, their connection grows in ways neither of them expected, pulling them into a web of danger and desire. Eric Nolan and Samantha Brentmoor deliver a performance that brings every twist and stabby turn to life. —Patty R.

Put it in a love song

Kristina Forest ends her Greene Sisters series on a high note. In this heartfelt romance, we meet Iris, a widowed single mom who has little time to date between her demanding job as a corporate executive at Save Your Face skincare brand and her spunky six-year-old daughter, Calla. Enter Angel, a popular R&B artist and the newest celebrity ambassador for Save Your Face. A cross-country tour to promote the company’s products brings the couple closer and closer together until there’s no denying their sizzling chemistry. The pacing of this slow-burn romance made every charged moment between Iris and Angel well worth the wait, and as a widow and single mom myself, witnessing Iris’s journey to love after loss was especially moving. Narrators J. Shani Michaels and Ian Hackney worked beautifully together to add emotional depth to their characters’ challenges and triumphs. I will miss the Greene sisters, but thank you, Kristina, for crafting a triumphant trilogy deeply rooted in Black love, Black joy and Black sisterhood. —Margaret H.

Found in translation

Every once in a while, a novel comes along that so perfectly paints the world through a pair of young eyes, it makes me feel like I’m once again observing the world with the perceptiveness of a child. Life Hacks for a Little Alien takes the fundamentally tender experience of childhood and filters it through the lens of a young girl who, as a result of her neurodivergence, senses that she exists on a different planet from those around her. After learning about the indecipherable Voynich Manuscript, she grows determined to put words to what has never been translated before. Narrator Sally Phillips—with her slightly distant yet soothing voice—sounds exactly how I would want a benevolent extraterrestrial to sound, taking this touching debut to the next level. —Haley H.

Make your emotions work for you

I’m a big believer in feeling your feelings. After all, expressing yourself is a part of creating healthy coping mechanisms and helpful communication, and who among us doesn’t enjoy a good cry at the end of a devastating audiobook? But there are also times when our emotions can get in the way of us showing up as our best selves. For example, has anxiety over something in your personal life ever left you unable to complete your tasks at work? Or perhaps you’ve been so angry at your partner for leaving their shoes in the middle of the living room that it led to an explosive argument? In Shift: Managing Your Emotions—So They Don’t Manage You, psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Ethan Kross asks, “What if your emotions could work for you?” Kross offers scientifically backed advice for using your emotions as a tool, whether that’s strategically avoiding a negative feeling when appropriate, or using your feelings to propel you forward. If you’re a human with a pulse, this one is for you. —Rachael X.

I dove headfirst into this listen

I will try to keep my water puns to a minimum, but let me just say that someone may need to douse you with ice water after listening to Ali Hazelwood’s latest. Deep End has all the brainy chemistry (physical and otherwise) I’ve come to love and expect from Hazelwood’s novels ... with a healthy dose of BDSM tossed in. Stanford diving star Scarlett Vandermeer has been laser-focused on coming back from a season-ending injury and getting herself into med school. Romance, relationships, even friendships don’t really factor into that equation. Swim captain and world champion Lukas Blomqvist is similarly focused, until a secret thrusts Lukas and Scarlett together, and their mutual attraction bubbles to the surface (sorry, last one). Performed by Thérèse Plummer with Ben Holtzmuller, Deep End is filled with STEMinist energy, a few Easter eggs for longtime fans and enough steam to quench your thirst[traps] this Valentine’s season. —Katie O.

The definitive bio of a comedy mogul

It’s hard to picture what the comedy landscape would even look like without Lorne Michaels. As the creator and producer of Saturday Night Live, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, he’s not only built a perennially zeitgeist-y cultural juggernaut but has launched hundreds of epic careers. Lorne’s legendary success has made him the subject of boundless curiosity. But he doesn’t do many interviews with the press, and he’s a bit indecipherable even to people who’ve worked with him for years. (“I feel about Lorne how I feel about the ocean. It’s huge and it’s beautiful but I’m afraid of it,” one of his colleagues said.) Which is why I’m extremely excited for Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live, which is being billed as the definitive bio, with unprecedented access to the man himself, written by longtime New Yorker staffer Susan Morrison. —Phoebe N.

Gaslighting extinguished

This debut novel by Roisín O'Donnell immediately grabbed me and would not let me go. I’ve not rooted for a character this hard in a long time. Ciara Fay is a woman propelled into action despite immense internal and external pressure to relent and just go back to her controlling husband. He's almost convinced her that everything bad in their lives is her fault, but deep down she knows his abuse will only get worse. Even more profound to me is how, despite an almost complete loss of self, something in her knows she can regain that self-worth and create a thriving and love-filled life for herself and her children. But the obstacles are relentless—how much can one woman take? The tension is palpable, and so skillfully brought to life by narrator Louisa Harland (of Derry Girls fame). —Tricia F.

Don’t tell anyone I told you this...

But between you and me, Normal Gossip host Kelsey McKinney’s latest is bound to be a listen you tell all your friends about—without sparing a single detail. You Didn’t Hear This From Me is a collection of essays that blends elements of memoir, journalism and criticism, crafting a fascinating glimpse into the role that a bit of salacious chit-chat plays in our society. McKinney’s assessment of gossip circumvents mere shame and scolding to instead examine how eavesdropping and swapped stories are not only part of our nature, but opportunities at building community and gathering information about the world around us. It’s an account both comprehensive and heartfelt, a deeply sincere volume that tackles everything from urban legends to celebrity culture. The author’s narration makes this little gem all the more irresistible. McKinney’s voice is warm, conversational and brimming with intrigue, perfectly suited for spilling all the precious secrets of this book right into your ear. —Alanna M.

Must-hear reflections on gender and identity

The moment I heard that Jennifer Finney Boylan was working on another memoir, I knew I had to hear it. Though most of the audiobook is beautifully performed by Gabra Zackman, I’m so thankful Boylan gave her voice to the introduction. It’s impossible to overstate how impactful her first memoir, She’s Not There, was for trans representation and storytelling in the early aughts, and Cleavage is the perfect follow-up. By delving into Boylan’s firsthand experiences both before and after her transition, it’s a powerful exploration of the differences and common ground between genders. But it’s also incredibly relatable, infused with her trademark humour, wit and compassion, written in a way that invites us to examine our own preconceptions and experiences with gender and identity. It’s timely, it’s important and it needs to be heard. —Michael C.

Quests are better with friends

I’ve had an insatiable appetite for monster fiction since last year’s Someone You Can Build a Nest In, so Molly O’Neill’s debut rocketed to the top of my list this winter. Greenteeth’s monstrous protagonist is Jenny, a centuries-old lake monster who rescues Temperance, a witch who has been cast out of her home and tossed to her death in Jenny’s lake. What follows is a story of friendship and adventure that left me utterly smitten. Catrin Walker-Booth brings such authenticity and charm to these characters. Cozy fantasy fans, I hope your tea is already steeping for this one. —Sam D.

Our garbage, ourselves

Like anyone, I have my share of garbage stories, all disgusting. Most are from having kids, a real turning point in my relationship to trash. After digging into Waste Wars, Alexander Clapp’s mesmerizing account of the global waste trade, I know why. Our trash is just our stuff, only in its near-future, infinitely more permanent form—add a family to the equation, and you’re drowning in it. Clapp is a Greece-based American journalist who got curious about the strangely mobile afterlife of garbage, where slimy spoons and crusty containers, stained shirts and rancid rubbish make their way from community waste bins and gleaming recycling receptacles onto cargo containers bound for towering dump heaps in Turkey, Guatemala, Ghana and beyond. Most people from the global north have little idea of the shadowy mechanics and sheer scale of this thriving, often criminal enterprise, and most officials are keen to keep it that way. But Clapp is a riveting storyteller, and Waste Wars overflows like a bulging Hefty bag with colourful characters, outrageous injustices and sheer ingenuity—it’s sure to be an education for many of us. —Kat J.

Corrupt witches and heartless witch hunters

Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter reeled me in for its creative world of blood-drawing witches and the delightful game of cat and mouse between secret witch Rune Winters and witch hunter Gideon Sharpe. In Rebel Witch, the conclusion to the Crimson Moth duology, the stakes are even higher and the games have turned into war. It’s hard to know which side you want to win—they all have issues—but what I do know is that I’m going to be having a great time listening to Grace Gray’s melodic narration as the trickery amps up and we find out which side Gideon and Rune are going to fight for. —Melissa B.

The first in line

Jennifer Jones danced her way into her dream job in 1987. Never before in the history of the Rockettes, which began in 1925, had there been an African American dancer. It was felt that a different skin colour would upset the continuity of the line, which was always all-white. In fact, there was a rule that Rockettes were never to suntan. Even though Jones is biracial, she still wouldn’t have been fair-skinned enough. She made her Rockette debut at the halftime show of the 1988 Superbowl, a day she can recall with every exciting detail. You root for her with every kick of her 15 years as a Rockette. During that time, she married, had two children, and after each birth went back to the line. But life didn’t always play out with perfect timing. She divorced and had her struggles through the years maintaining her family’s stability and financial security, and then came a cancer diagnosis that gave her, at most, five years to live. Like all of her challenges, she’s aced that and is doing very well and living a fully happy life. Jones’s story will no doubt inspire all who have dreams to keep their eyes on the prize. —Yvonne D.