New York Times Books

As the seasons start to change, “Grumpy Monkey Spring Fever,” by Suzanne Lang and illustrated by Max Lang, breaks out on the children’s picture book best-seller list. nyti.ms/3P11LMG

“I am, basically, an 8-year-old who is still laughing at Paddington being chased by a pack of dogs because, unbeknown to him, a piece of bacon is sticking out of his suitcase.” By the Book with Kate DiCamillo. nyti.ms/48EBNWe

Why did the late Scottish writer Alasdair Gray (“Poor Things”) fly under the radar for so long? He published his first book at 46. And his second was about the sadomasochistic fantasies of a middle-aged alcoholic fixated on the actress Jane Russell. nyti.ms/3UXMujo

Three new novels hinge on split-second decisions that change everything. nyti.ms/3Iko2kO

Philippa Gregory’s “Normal Woman” might seem daunting, writes our reviewer, “until you realize you’re actually luxuriating in every word. Some may feel inclined to call this ‘pop history’ and maybe it is, but it’s the pop history of a fevered obsessive.” nyti.ms/3OVlfCA

Unexpected guests show up in two quirky coming-of-age middle grade novels: a friendly ghost from the past in Kate DiCamillo’s “Ferris”; a time traveler from the future in Erin Entrada Kelly’s “The First State of Being.” Gayle Forman has our review. nyti.ms/3V8FMaL

Charles V. Hamilton, a philosophical godfather of the Black Power movement, which he envisioned as the means to subvert what he stigmatized as America’s “institutional racism,” has died at 94. nyti.ms/3T0xm3B

“Sure, CCTVs help, as do centralized facial recognition systems, but Pei scoffs at the idea that China’s dictatorship thrives because of technological innovations,” Annalee Newitz writes in their review of “The Sentinel State,” by Minxin Pei. nyti.ms/42Ufx9M

Ready for your next book? Check out these newly released paperbacks, from Ralph Ellison’s selected letters to Emily Henry’s newest novel, a history of two abolitionist sisters and more. Here are six paperbacks we recommend → Week nyti.ms/3TaMFGM

Kids now grow up in a different media landscape than when she began, but Kate DiCamillo says she writes for them the same way. “That means, I guess, that I am trying to write not for the moment, but for the heart.” A By the Book interview. nyti.ms/3In7bxG

In her new memoir, “Grief Is for People,” Sloane Crosley works through her grief after the death of a beloved friend and mentor. nyti.ms/49w4CWe

6 young adult novels that reimagine and retell Greek mythology. nyti.ms/49TzLm2

In his best-selling memoir, “What Have We Here?,” Billy Dee Williams writes about his friendships with Hollywood icons and literary lions, including James Baldwin. nyti.ms/42ZjslN

“This is a history of women in England, yes, but it is also a history of England, full stop,” our reviewer writes of “Normal Women,” Philippa Gregory’s wide-raging and wildly entertaining new nonfiction book. nyti.ms/49TiUzN

A dazzling humorist returns with a deep dive into loss. nyti.ms/3TetP1w

Memoirs from RuPaul and Christine Blasey Ford; Tana French’s latest crime thriller; new novels by Percival Everett and Téa Obreht — and more. nyti.ms/4bNRqxD

In 2020, publishers promised to fix the glaring lack of diversity in the book business. More than three years later, a new survey of the industry’s workforce from @LEEandLOW shows incremental progress. nyti.ms/49OI1nB

Known for “The Fire Next Time” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” Baldwin wrote with the kind of clarity that was as comforting as it was chastising. Here’s where to start. nyti.ms/4bV7Hkk

“National security officials remain so concerned about TikTok because the United States engages in the same practice: collecting data through apps at scale to project national power,” Byron Tau writes in “Means of Control.” Annalee Newitz reviews. nyti.ms/42Y8rAZ

Can you find the 10 international thrillers hidden in this text puzzle? nyti.ms/3wCvN2Q