The start of Hollywood’s awards season has been marked by highs and lows for Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi.

On Monday night, the writer and director was present when his film It Was Just an Accident won big at New York’s Gotham Awards, which celebrate independent movies. Hours earlier, his lawyer shared that Panahi was sentenced in absentia to a year in prison in Iran.

According to his lawyer, Mostafa Nili, who posted about the sentence on X and shared the news with Agence France-Presse, the sentence also includes a two-year ban on travel from Iran and a prohibition of any association with political groups, on charges of “propaganda activities against the system.” Nili added that Panahi’s legal team plans to appeal the ruling.

Last month, Panahi toured the U.S. for the first time to promote It Was Just An Accident, which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The film follows a group of ex-prisoners in Iran who consider seeking revenge on a man they believe to be their former jailer. The international co-production from Iran, France and Luxembourg is France’s submission for best international feature for the Oscars. It Was Just An Accident was shot in secret, a common practice for Iranian filmmakers.

At the Gotham Awards, which many consider to be the starting point for awards season, Panahi picked up three major prizes, including best international feature and best director. In his acceptance speech for best original screenplay, he dedicated the award to “filmmakers who keep the camera rolling in silence, without support, and at times risking everything they have, only with their faith in truth and humanity.”

“I hope that this dedication would be considered a small tribute,” he added, through an interpreter, “to all filmmakers who have been deprived of the right to see and to be seen, but continue to create and to exist.”

Panahi’s sentencing was not his first. The director was previously arrested in Iran in 2010, sparking public outcry from filmmaking giants such as Martin Scorsese, who denounced the ruling at Cannes that year. Although his sentence in 2010 included a 20-year ban on filmmaking, Panahi continued to make films in secret, including two documentaries, This Is Not a Film (2011) and Taxi (2015), the first of which was smuggled out of Iran on a USB stick.

In 2022, he was again arrested after seeking information on the charges against fellow Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof. He was detained for seven months and released in 2023 after a hunger strike.

Panahi is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers to come out of Iran in recent decades. He is one of only four directors to win the highest competitive prizes at the “big three” film festivals — at Cannes, Venice and Berlin — and is especially celebrated for his defiance of the Iranian government’s censorship. Despite his multiple arrests, Panahi has repeatedly stated that he can’t see himself leaving Iran for good, and he remains committed to making his films there and nurturing the next generation of filmmakers in his home country.

Instagram/@lewishamilton

The transition of Lewis Hamilton, the reigning world champion in Formula 1, from the racetrack to the retail store as a Lululemon store educator was completely unexpected. The Lululemon‘s official account released a short video of the undercover operation, where the driver mingled with the customers and the staff trying to remain inconspicuous at the same time. The stunt reveals the duality of the sportsman as a brand supporter and his willingness for unanticipated and direct de facto experiences.

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The clip depicts Lewis Hamilton wearing Lululemon’s casual wear, greeting customers, and assisting them in product selection. His voice can be heard acknowledging, “I’m going undercover as a Lululemon store educator,” even though his world-renowned status made the disguise quite tricky. The film portrays him as somewhat tense saying, “I am a little bit nervous,” and then expressing his understanding of retail workers, he states, “I got massive respect for people that work in these spaces.”

Instantly and humorously, viewers commented on Hamilton’s operation, which was almost too much to take. One person pointed out the irony saying, “‘Im going undercover’ and by undercover, he meant not wearing his racesuit.” The statement precisely brought out the soft absurdity of a star athlete trying to be a common man. Moreover, a third person joined in with almost the same idea, saying he deserved to be granted some prize for being the most pleasant and kindest F1 driver.

The reactions of the most honest and true customers came through the interactions recorded in the video. At one point, a customer could be heard whispering, “I heard he’s got money,” and that particular line ignited a firestorm of discussions in the comments. The original comment had an immense impact, and one user jokingly insinuated that “Things at Scuderia Ferrari have gotten so bad that Lewis Hamilton had to take a retail job.” This was a playful remark directed at Hamilton’s recent team change, the joke was widely shared and liked.

A lot of comments were about the disbelief of the video shoppers being so cool and calm. “How are people so calm? It’s Lewis Hamilton for heaven’s sake,” was one comment and it was exacting the opinion of many. I would just die,” was one dramatic statement and it was such a universally accepted one. The fainting with excitement scenario was very popular and one person said, “I would literally pass out.”

The video followers also engaged in witty puns. One of the funniest comments was “Lew Lew in Lulu, am I delulu?” The brand’s Instagram account replied with “We’ve got the solulu,” which turned the situation into a joke among friends. This clever and playful interaction between the brand and its followers not only drew praise for the creativity involved but also for the brand’s engagement with the audience.

However, apart from the laughter, a considerable part of the reaction was directed toward Hamilton’s character. The viewers kept on tagging him as “nice,” “down to earth,” and “a sweetheart.” One viewer pointed out his awkward shyness, commenting, “This is sooo cute he was so shy lol.” Another one saying, “He’s such a sweetheart,” gets rejoined, “Proof that kind souls create the best moments.” The continuity of the kind words overshadowed the public’s view of Hamilton as a champion on and off the racecourse.

For the mass, this was nothing short of the ultimate “what if” situation. “Imagine not coming to work that day,” one person voiced, picturing the misery of missing up the shift with the F1 star. Another user wished, “Can you please send him to Lululemon Melbourne,” hoping for such occurrences in their city. The mutual daydream of encountering Hamilton in a normal setting was a significant reason for the video’s popularity.

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The unexpected move of Lewis Hamilton at Lululemon became an effective brand activation that combined the power of a celebrity with the sometimes even relatable content strategies. He was the master of moment-sharing, as he conquered the super-long-fame barrier and melted into the character of an ordinary teacher, plus everyone else’s reactions were very genuine and often hilarious, not to mention the huge moment that connected so deeply the fans of both his and the brand. This reminds many of his mother Carmen‘s influence on his character. Ultimately, the incident solidified his image as a global and still open and kind star. His performance in the Mexican Grand Prix showed similar determination, though his qualifying plea at another event ended less favorably.

With more than 200 fiction titles in our annual Books We Love guide, it’s tough to narrow our 2025 favorites down into one single-digit list. But there are always a few standouts, and in the picks below you’ll find a little bit of everything that we enjoyed this year: romance, fantasy and sci-fi, oh my!

Curious about the rest of our fiction recommendations? Head to the full Books We Love site to browse hundreds of selections from 2025, and thousands from years past.

Atmosphere, by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid will agree that Atmosphere is one of her best books yet. This thrilling fictional portrayal of NASA’s space shuttle program in the 1980s doesn’t miss. It opens with Joan in Mission Control managing a catastrophe on the shuttle. Then readers flash back almost five years to learn how each of the astronauts earned their place on the mission. The novel is immediately complex, compelling and high stakes. I recommend listening on audiobook so readers don’t destroy a paper copy with tears. Themes include sexism in the workplace, LGBTQ relationships and found family. — Jenna Molster, manager, Rights and Permissions

The Dream Hotel, by Laila Lalami

Archivist and mother Sara T. Hussein gets detained at an airport. Her crime? A dream deemed too high risk by an AI algorithm. Writing incisively, Laila Lalami brilliantly builds a world where a pre-crime system collides with surveillance capitalism. With the novel’s compelling cast of characters and endless parallels to today, I found The Dream Hotel instructive for navigating a society beset by mass surveillance – where the only escape can be found in shouldering risk together. — Emily Kwong, host, Short Wave and Inheriting

The Everlasting, by Alix E. Harrow

First things first, The Everlasting is not a book you’re going to get over easily. It’s razor sharp and designed to cut you deeply. You’ll be moved, you’ll probably cry, and by the end you’ll say thank you for delivering my suffering so beautifully. This story follows a scholar and a mythical (lady) knight who have lived the same story countless times – caught in a historical time loop. It’s a book about storytelling, and how nationalism cannot exist without the support of a well-told myth. It’s a thrashing examination of how we choose our heroes. And, most importantly, it’s a love story – about two people who learn over and over again that they’re doomed in every possible way but still choose each other anyway. What exquisite agony, wonderfully delivered. — Kalyani Saxena, associate producer, Here & Now

Great Big Beautiful Life, by Emily Henry

Journalist Alice Scott has stumbled upon what just might be her big break – a shot at writing the biography of a tragic heiress and onetime tabloid princess turned recluse no one has seen in years. But to win the book contract, Alice must compete with Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Hayden Anderson. As Alice and Hayden continue to bump into each other on the fictional Little Crescent Island off the Georgia coast, they begin to see beneath the personas both portray to the outside world, and sparks fly. This is a story about romance, but also about family, secrets and betrayal. — Rachel Baye, editor, NPR Politics Podcast

King of Ashes, by S.A. Cosby

Family secrets are something and in this Southern crime drama, they burn! When Roman Carruthers’ elderly father is incapacitated by the local drug gang, this prodigal son returns to set things right and protect his hapless younger brother and his hardworking sister. She needs help keeping the family crematorium business going. Know what’s good for getting rid of a body you don’t want around? A crematorium! Roman gets pulled in deeper and deeper as he tries to take down the gang from the inside, just as his sister thinks she’s uncovered the mystery of what really happened to their long-missing mother. This story spins and spins violently to a dark and satisfying conclusion. — Melissa Gray, senior producer, Weekend Edition

Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

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The South, by Tash Aw

At times, Tash Aw’s The South evokes the quiet intensity of Chekhov. It explores the contradictions within a Malaysian family: generational divides, subtle tensions around sexuality, and class differences – set against the backdrop of late-1990s Malaysia during the Asian financial crisis. At its heart is Jay Lim, a teenager navigating desire and identity amid the disarray of a failing family farm. This coming-of-age novel, longlisted for the Booker Prize, is the first in a planned quartet. It’s a strong opening, and a compelling reason to anticipate the Lim family’s journey in the volumes to come. — Vincent Ni, Asia editor, International Desk

Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins

Rebel plots, bootleg liquor, underdog alliances and Edgar Allan Poe-try all await you in the latest addition to the Hunger Games universe. Sunrise on the Reaping is the long-awaited account of Haymitch Abernathy’s path to victory during the 50th annual Hunger Games. With double the number of children sent into the arena and appearances from a cast of familiar characters, this book provides an entirely new perspective on the history of Panem. While Haymitch’s victory at the the end of this book is not a surprise, the stakes still feel higher than ever in the small wins and losses that Haymitch and his loved ones face both in, and outside, the arena. — Dhanika Pineda, assistant producer, NPR Music

Wild Dark Shore, by Charlotte McConaghy

A father and his three (teen and tween) kids live, not exactly harmoniously, on a sinking research island off Antarctica. It’s home to the world’s biggest seed vault and no other humans – until a mysterious woman washes ashore in a storm. Suspicions arise and trust is tested as the family helps the woman regain her strength. Wild Dark Shore is a thrilling page-turner, but all the action and suspense disguise something deeper: a beautiful meditation on love, loss and resilience in the face of climate change. — Rachel Treisman, reporter, General Assignment

This is just a fraction of the 380+ titles we included in Books We Love this year. Click here to check out this year’s titles, or browse nearly 4,000 books from the last 13 years.