Alexandra Jacobs

The Hunter by Tana French. Candy Darling, Dreamer, Icon, Superstar by Cynthia Carr.

I read 70 books this year. I'm not telling you how many I read for pleasure. I read more than 100 books this year.

I'm Alexandra Jacobs, and I'm a critic for The New York Times Book Review. And a book I loved in 2024 was Candy Darling, Dreamer, Icon, Superstar by Cynthia Carr. Candy Darling is a biography of the transgender pioneer and Andy Warhol intimate who lived only till 29 but had a sort of blazing, event-filled life.

This is someone who was radical in her very existence at an extremely conformist time in America. She was insisting on not only going through life as a woman, but as a star. And, you know, I think this book did her justice. It showed the beauty of her gorgeous, challenging, ironic, sardonic life. It's just a sparkling book. It sparkles like Candy Darling would wish.