It’s only a third of the way into 2025, and The New York Times Book Review has already highlighted hundreds of books—some good, some unforgettable. A few of these just might end up on their best-of-the-year list.
In How to Tell When We Will Die, Johanna Hedva expands on their groundbreaking essay "Sick Woman Theory," which reframes illness as a social and political condition rather than merely a biological one. Drawing from personal experience and cultural critique, Hedva explores the intersection of disability, capitalism, and care through essays that span mysticism, kink, death, and the failures of the healthcare system. With sharp wit and profound insight, Hedva challenges ableist norms and urges a radical reimagining of care as a revolutionary act in a world that often devalues sick and disabled bodies.