A fun, gripping fantasy epic for summer reading; an overlooked '00s European thriller; and more

Roundup 06/06/25

Greetings from Read Max HQ, and welcome to our weekly roundup column, in which I pick out some worthwhile and often overlooked books, articles, movies, and music to recommend to paying subscribers. For this week’s round-up, I’ve got:

• A great new fantasy doorstopper, perfect for summer reading, that reminds me of The Goblin Emperor and Gideon the Ninth;

• essays and columns on Trump vs. Musk, sports gambling, and more;

• a terrific and overlooked ‘00s thriller with a fantastic performance at the center; and

• three tracks I’ve been loving (and one mix).

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I love to hear from readers who want to recommend a cool book or movie (or whatever!) to me, or from readers who are looking for specific kinds of recommendations. Just leave a comment or drop me a line at maxread@gmail.com.

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Now, the roundup: