Hardcover fiction

1. James by Percival Everett (Doubleday: $28) An action-packed reimagining of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

2. Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $29) Two grieving brothers come to terms with their history and the people they love.

3. All Fours by Miranda July (Riverhead Books: $29) A woman upends her domestic life in this irreverent and tender novel.

4. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Grove Press: $20) During the 1985 Christmas season, a coal merchant in an Irish village makes a troubling discovery.

5. The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami (Knopf: $35) A love story and ode to books and the libraries that house them.

6. The Women by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin’s Press: $30) An intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time.

7. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Riverhead Books: $30) Two worlds collide when a teenager vanishes from her Adirondacks summer camp.

8. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Knopf: $28) An orphaned son of Iranian immigrants embarks on a search for a family secret.

9. Playground by Richard Powers (W.W. Norton & Co.: $30) The Pacific Ocean-set novel explores one of the last truly wild places.

10. The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Henry Holt & Co.: $29) An unexpected wedding guest gets surprise help on her journey to starting anew.

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Hardcover nonfiction

1. Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten (Crown: $34) The Barefoot Contessa shares the story of her rise in the food world.

2. Cher by Cher (Dey Street Books: $36) The superstar reveals her true story in the first of a two-part memoir.

3. The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer, John Burgoyne (Illustrator) (Scribner: $20) The “Braiding Sweetgrass” author on gratitude, reciprocity and community, and the lessons to take from the natural world.

4. Patriot by Alexei Navalny (Knopf $35) The memoir of a political opposition leader who paid the ultimate price.

5. The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates (One World: $30) The National Book Award winner travels to three sites of conflict to explore how the stories we tell, and the ones we don’t, shape our realities.

6. Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik (Scribner: $30) Eve Babitz’s diary-like letters provide a window into her fellow literary titan, Joan Didion.

7. Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown & Co.: $32) The bestselling author reframes the lessons of his first book 25 years later.

8. Carson the Magnificent by Bill Zehme (Simon & Schuster: $30) A biography 20 years in the making of the entertainer who redefined late-night television and reshaped American culture.

9. The Wager by David Grann (Doubleday: $30) The story of the shipwreck of an 18th century British warship and a mutiny among the survivors.

10. The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides (Doubleday: $35) An epic account of Capt. James Cook’s final voyage.

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Paperback fiction

1. Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Grove Press: $17)

2. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper Perennial: $22)

3. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Vintage: $19)

4. North Woods by Daniel Mason (Random House Trade Paperbacks: $18)

5. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (Ballantine: $20)

6. The Best American Short Stories 2024 by Lauren Groff, Heidi Pitlor (Editors) (Mariner Books: $20)

7. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (Europa Editions: $17)

8. The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters (Catapult: $18)

9. The Hunter by Tana French (Penguin: $19)

10. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (Entangled: Red Tower Books: $21)

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Paperback nonfiction

1. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (Knopf: $35)

2. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (Crown: $12)

3. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (Vintage: $18)

4. Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe (Vintage: $20)

5. All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley (Simon & Schuster: $19)

6. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Milkweed Editions: $20)

7. All About Love by bell hooks (Morrow: $17)

8. World Travel by Anthony Bourdain, Laurie Woolever (Ecco: $22)

9. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (TarcherPerigee: $20)

10. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey (Crown: $20)

Mollywood icon, Mohanlal has now ventured into the director’s chair and his directorial debut film Barroz has made its theatrical release today, December 25, 2024. The Malayalam fantasy movie, within hours of release, has gotten some vivid reviews from fans, who have highlighted their opinions on social media.

Well, it seems that Barroz has received mixed opinions from some fans, who have significantly highlighted how the film has not lived up to the expectations considering it being the senior actor’s directorial debut.

Fans have expressed disappointment at the fact that the film’s storyline is weaker, and it is only the specialised use of VFX that has been pulling it all together.

On the other hand, some other fans have appreciated the impeccable acting chops of Mohanlal himself, with special mention to the excellent 3D presentation appealing to mass audiences for more than one reason.

There have been specific references to a few underwater scenes, which have been touted as an epitome of masterclass cinematic presentation, not to forget how it would not hit as a mass entertainer.

Check out the fans’ reviews about Barroz on Twitter:

Ryan Levert, the youngest child of O’Jays lead vocalist Eddie Levert, has died. She was 22.

LeMicah Levert and Carlysia Levert, grandchildren of Eddie Levert, confirmed Ryan’s death this week on Instagram. They are the children of Gerald Levert, Eddie’s late first son. “Whenever you don’t answer the phone I knew something was wrong and now I’m going to have that feeling forever,” LeMicah captioned an Instagram tribute to his late aunt.

“I love you @missryanlevert! I wasn’t prepared for this,” he added.

Carlysia remembered Ryan by posting a photo of her aunt accompanied by purple heart and dove emojis to her Instagram story. Neither of the social media posts revealed further information about Ryan’s death, including a cause of death. According to her Instagram biography, Ryan had been battling lupus.

A representative for Eddie Lavert, 82, did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

Ryan died nearly 20 years after her older brother Gerald died in November 2006 of a heart attack. He was 40. Sean Levert, the O’Jays singer’s second son, died in April 2008 after falling ill while carrying out a jail sentence in Cleveland. He was 39.

Ryan was born in March 2002 and is the daughter of Eddie and his wife Raquel. She often shared her personal life with followers on Instagram, posting pictures of sweet moments with her father and videos of memorable moments, including her 21st birthday celebration in 2023. In her final Instagram post, Ryan looked forward to 2024.

“Happy 2024,” she captioned photos from a chic photo shoot, “praying for good health, more love, and more laughter.”