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Weekly Top 5

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

Recommending stories from Ivy Knight; David Enrich, Matthew Goldstein, and Jessica Silver-Greenberg; Eva Holland; John DeVore; and Nathaniel Rich.

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

Showcasing stories from Eric McHenry, Michael W. Clune, Patrick Galbraith, Jay Miller, and Harley Rustad.

Editors’ Picks

What’s so Great about Britain? 14 Very Modern Icons on the State of the Nation

Oliver Franklin-Wallis, Rebecca Dolan, Jack King, Mike Christensen, Jessie Atkinson and Josiah Gogarty | GQ | September 15, 2025 | 9,324 words

“Emma Thompson, Andrew Garfield, Ian Wright, FKA Twigs, Anthony Joshua, Munroe Bergdorf, Brian Cox, Jade Thirlwall, Jason Isaacs, Ambika Mod, Will Poulter, Chloe Kelly, Amelia Dimoldenberg and yes – Mr…

The Artwork that Spawned 9/11 Conspiracy Theories and Mystery

Kyle MacNeill | Rolling Stone | September 10, 2025 | 5,732 words

“Twenty-five years ago, art collective Gelitin illicitly built a balcony, installed it on the 91st floor of the World Trade Center, and stood above New York City. A year later,…

Ecological Warfare

Nathaniel Rich | Harper’s | August 20, 2025 | 5,222 words

“A swamp-rat slaughter on the bayou.”

How JPMorgan Enabled the Crimes of Jeffrey Epstein

David Enrich, Matthew Goldstein, and Jessica Silver-Greenberg | The New York Times Magazine | September 8, 2025 | 7,278 words

“A Times investigation found that America’s leading bank spent years supporting—and profiting from—the notorious sex offender, ignoring red flags, suspicious activity and concerned executives.”

Jan. 6 Rioters Walked. Prosecutors Were Shown the Door.

Dan Barry and Alan Feuer | The New York Times | August 24, 2025 | 3,559 words

In its campaign of “uprooting the foot soldiers,” the Trump Justice Department has fired or demoted more than two dozen Jan. 6 prosecutors, even as those they sent to prison…

Stew Kids on the Block

John Devore | Taste Cooking | September 8, 2025 | 2,370 words

“The rise of the stewfluencer is more than a TikTok trend. It’s a way of life.”

The Humanities Aren’t Dead Yet

Simon Lewsen | The Local | September 9, 2025 | 2,625 words

“Enrollment in the liberal arts has been in freefall for years. But despite apocalyptic declarations about the end of the humanities, in my own classroom I see signs of life.”

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All of our year-end lists, since 2011.

Favorite stories from across the web, picked by Longreads staff, guest curators, and readers.