The 10 best books of November set a bountiful table for readers

Time of the Child,

Niall Williams' novel returns to the Irish village of Faha during Christmas 1962. When an abandoned infant is brought to the local doctor on a cold, wet night, it leads to a situation that proves transformative for the widower and his solitary eldest daughter.

Lazarus Man,

Why We Wrote This

Our picks for the 10 best books of November include poems by Billy Collins, nature essays by Robin Wall Kimmerer of "Braiding Sweetgrass" fame, and biographies of Woodrow Wilson, Johnny Carson, and Benjamin Franklin.

Richard Price plumbs the aftermath of an apartment building collapse in East Harlem in 2008. As the paths of neighbors cross and collide, the tale takes on the ideas of truth and renewal.

Munichs,

David Peace's exploration of the Manchester United football team's 1958 plane crash in Munich cuts among players and their families, coaches, owners, and fans. The novel – at times a hard read – tracks the drive to rebuild a team and the lives that support it. It's a comeback, however imperfect, for the ages.

Ghosts of Waikīkī,

Journalist Maya Wong begins ghostwriting the biography of a wealthy, controversial landowner in Hawaii. When he dies under mysterious circumstances, Maya investigates, to the chagrin of her detective ex-boyfriend.

Running Out of Air,

Lilli Sutton's debut novel about professional mountaineering sisters struggling with betrayal is a thrilling adventure story. A perilous snowstorm tests the sisters' capacity for forgiveness.

Water, Water,

In "Water, Water," Billy Collins includes a poem about teaching others his craft. He starts "by telling them about the miniature orange tree / with its miniature oranges / in a terra cotta pot by the pool." These poems offer variations on the theme of finding wonder in everyday things. They shimmer with wry revelation, a bright tonic in a fading year.

The Serviceberry,

Robin Wall Kimmerer is best known for "Braiding Sweetgrass," her 2013 bestseller exploring how Indigenous wisdom about plant life might inform modern views of stewardship. In "The Serviceberry," she considers what the serviceberry, which feeds creatures that in turn ensure its survival, might teach humans.

Woodrow Wilson,

Former Rep. Christopher Cox has written a powerful reappraisal of the 28th U.S. president that reaches devastating conclusions. While acknowledging Woodrow Wilson's achievements in domestic and foreign policy, Cox focuses on his white-supremacist beliefs and his abiding opposition to suffrage for women.

Carson the Magnificent,

A lifelong Johnny Carson fan, Bill Zehme had written most of this compelling biography before his own death in 2023. Journalist Mike Thomas has completed the book, which offers insights into the "Tonight Show" host.

Ingenious,

Benjamin Franklin isn't simply a skilled political thinker, diplomat, and satirist in Richard Munson's biography. Here, the Founding Father is a veritable poster child for irrepressible curiosity and joyful problem-solving. It's inspiring stuff. Thanks to Franklin's experiments with electricity, "He converted a mystery into a wonder."