Judi Dench’sIs It Too Late to Make a Run for It?, Ian Rankin’sThe Heights, Louise Kennedy’sStations, and Simon Garfield’sThe Pen: A Human Historyall feature among the best reviewed books of the week.

1. Stationsby Louise Kennedy(Riverhead)

“Extraordinary—and indeed bittersweet … There’s a lived-in circumspection to Kennedy’s work … Kennedy has earned a spot alongside contemporary Irish greats such as Eimear McBride and Sally Rooney, authors whose next project I’ll race to read, whatever they choose to write about.”

–Cory Oldweiler (The Boston Globe)

2. West of Lovelandby Tom Drury(Grove Press)

“Richly imagined … The novel’s measured pacing and cumulative power yield a deeply humane meditation on fate, belonging, and the unseen threads that connect seemingly ordinary lives.”

3. The Heightsby Ian Rankin(Cardinal)

“While some may worry that a move away from Edinburgh has diluted his power as a storyteller, The Heightscaptures everything that makes the Rebus books so popular and shows that even after 40 years at the top of his game that he has plenty left to offer.”

–Chris Connor (Crime Fiction Lover)

4. Sweet Peaby Kit de Waal(St. Martin’s)

“Her prose sings in moments of quiet humor and heartwarming details, such as when Paulette lapses into Caribbean phrases whenever she’s grumbling about her friends. It’s a story of radical forgiveness, made all the more moving by its unsentimental honesty.”

5. Gloria Don’t Speakby Lucy Apps(Mariner)

“Apps successfully brings readers into Gloria’s perspective, writing with sharp attention to language and conveying Gloria’s understanding of the world around her while allowing readers to recognize what Gloria may not. A well-crafted character study with a story that will linger.”

1. The King Under the Mountain: In Search of J. R. R. Tolkienby D. J. Taylor(Pegasus)

5 Rave • 1 Positive • 3 MixedRead an excerpt from The King Under the Mountainhere

“Freed from the obligations of biography, Taylor offers instead a wittier, shorter and more irreverent book that traces Tolkien’s life, while grappling with the mysteries and contradictions of his personality and his achievements … Thorough, insightful and deeply researched, The King Under The Mountainmanages to smile at Tolkien’s quirks and absurdities while paying tribute to his mysterious and undoubted gift.”

–Marcel Theroux (The Financial Times)

2. Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?by Judi Dench(St. Martin’s)

“Despite the shoptalk and the haphazard structure, there are enough witty anecdotes and oddball facts to keep it clipping along … The whole project is kept afloat by Dench’s rare humor and warmth which long ago elevated her to national treasure status.”

3. Castles: A Fortified History of the Worldby Dan Jones(Viking)

“[A] charming tour … The book is richer and deeper than a pitch deck. At its best, Castlesbrilliantly shows how myth, scholarship and material history intertwine.”

–Spencer Strub (The New York Times Book Review)

4. The Pen: A Human Historyby Simon Garfield(Crown)

“Engrossing … Proves that a writing utensil is more than its barrel. At its core, The Penis about values, and in particular, what we make of this writing tool in our digital age.”

5. Just a Shot Away: Martin Scorsese’s Life in Filmby Mark Binelli(Metropolitan)

“While Scorsese’s public image is well-known as the fast-talking film guy who seems to have an opinion about everything movie-related, Binelli presents him in a more subdued light, as a deeply dedicated artist who brings a keen eye, and a sharp intellect, to every project he undertakes. Think of this portrait as capturing the Martin Scorsese who lives behind the man we think we already know.”