This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors’ weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. Though we know about this loophole from the opening pages of the first volume, it is more ...

Few dates on the calendar get shorter shrift than poor old November 18. Bereft of major holidays, all but anonymous, and cold — but not even cold enough to snow (at least in a lot of the U.S.) — it ...

From fake dating in “Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie” to forbidden lovers in “The Unmatchmakers” and forced proximity in “Donut Fall in Love,” Jackie Lau is no stranger to conjuring up creative stories for ...

In at least one respect, all time loop stories repeat themselves endlessly. The protagonists — Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day,” Tom Cruise in “Edge of Tomorrow,” Andy Samberg in “Palm Springs” — start ...

When life gets really hectic, sitting quietly with a book can feel like an impossible luxury. And when does a smartphone-mediated world feel less than hectic? Any shred of free time is too easy to ...