Is Cohabitation the Feminist Future?
Stories about women living together are proliferating—and offering alternative visions to the nuclear family.
Books
Introducing The Atlantic’s expanded books coverage: essays, criticism, fiction, poetry, and recommendations from our writers and editors
Peter Hujar’s Photos Are All the Rage. He’d Be Shocked.
A new biography brings the late photographer’s relationship with the artist Paul Thek to vivid life.
If You Want a Better World, Act Like You Live in It
We’ve had Henry David Thoreau the environmentalist, the libertarian, the life coach. To understand his influence, think of him first as a dissident.
The Publishing Mystery That No One Wants to Talk About
A minimally speaking autistic man just wrote a best-selling book. Or did he?
The Paradox of Modern Medicine
Testing has become so advanced that doctors now miss important elements of diagnosis.
What To Read
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Eight of the Most Fascinating Biographies to Read
Each is animated by the author’s love—for their subject, for language, and for pushing the boundaries of what the genre can do.
Six Books That Simply Must Be Talked About
These six books demand discussion—with a pal, a date, or a book club.
Nine Books to Reset Your View of the World
Each of these titles will widen your perspective, offering you original insight and vision.
Seven Books to Read When You Have No Time to Read
These titles are worth picking up, even if you have only a moment to spare.
Newsletter
The Books Briefing
Our culture editors’ weekly guide to the best in books.
Subject to The Atlantic's Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions
Fiction
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Scars
A short story
Fortunes
A short story
The Honor of the Layward Brothers
A short story
We Are Not One
A short story
The Owls Are Not What They Seem
The birds possess even uncannier powers than we’ve imagined.
Lost Histories of Coexistence
James McBride’s new novel tells a story of solidarity between Black and Jewish communities.
Working Class Does Not Equal White
In her new book, Blair LM Kelley explores an overlooked history: what it means to be a Black worker in the time since slavery.
Seven Books That Will Make You Put Down Your Phone
These titles self-consciously aim to grab their reader’s attention.
Reading in the Dog Days of Summer
Dive back into our summer reading list for some new suggestions.
Putting Trump on the Couch
A new novel from the psychiatrist famous for Listening to Prozac imagines a Trumplike president’s sessions with a shrink.
After Viewing the Bowling Match at Castlemary, Cloyne (1847)
Published in The Atlantic in 1995
Life Has Always Been a Performance
Nicole Flattery’s new novel shows that human nature hasn’t really changed, just our technologies.
The Actor Who Documented His Grief—And Shared It With the World
After his wife died two years ago, Richard E. Grant began to film himself talking about his bereavement, creating a remarkable record of life after loss.
24 Books to Get Lost in This Summer
The Atlantic’s writers and editors recommend titles to match some warm-weather moods.