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The best new books on Everand
Here are the latest and greatest additions to our ever-growing catalog.
Published on April 24, 2024
Roxane Gay & Everand Originals Presents: Good Girl: Notes on Dog Rescue
Elaine CastilloThe fourth installment in the series from Everand and Roxane Gay, the beloved bestselling author of “Hunger,” “Bad Feminist,” and “Opinions.” Award-winning novelist and essayist Castillo details her life spent rescuing and training dogs, a story that reveals just as much about modern society and culture as it does our relationship with humankind’s first domesticated animal.
Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent
Judi DenchDench may have a long list of credits on the silver screen, but much of her career has been spent on the stage, immersed in Shakespeare. This memoir is an account of her favorite roles, backstage memories, and insights on the plays themselves, collected via conversations with fellow Shakespeare actor Brendan O’Hea. In typical fashion, the Dame (born in 1934) is warm, witty, and well-deserving of our attention.
Lucky
Jane SmileyMeditative, nostalgic, and comforting, this novel by Smiley — who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction with “A Thousand Acres” — follows Jodie Rattler, a St. Louis local who grows up to become a successful folk rock musician in 1960s America. An immersive slow-burn, we see Jodie navigate childhood, attend college, and follow her passion across the globe, while still keeping her family and hometown near and dear. There’s also a surprising twist in the epilogue, proving Smiley’s enduring and versatile talent across genres.
Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder
Asako YuzukiThe first novel translated into English by Yuzuki, “Butter” is based on a real Japanese serial murderer, nicknamed “the Konkatsu Killer.” When journalist Rika Machida is tasked with interviewing an imprisoned killer who lured her male victims in with delectable meals, it leads to unexpected camaraderie, the effects of which reverberate across Rika’s personal life. Mouth-water descriptions of food (with lots and lots of butter) blend with social commentary on misogyny and female friendship.
Late Bloomer: A Novel
Mazey EddingsAfter winning the lottery, Opal Devlin buys a flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina, hoping for some peace, quiet, and a chance to work on her art. But there’s one big problem: Pepper Boden has been running Thistle and Bloom for years, and she’s not ready to let it go. Forced proximity builds sexy tension in this sapphic romance, making it all the more sweet when love begins to bloom.
An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s
Doris Kearns GoodwinGoodwin, a presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize–winning writer (“No Ordinary Time”), blends personal and political history in “An Unfinished Love Story.” Goodwin and her husband Richard worked closely with key government figures during their careers, including Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy. In the last years of Richard’s life, the couple mined the hundreds of documents, journals, and artifacts he had gathered, compiling them into this fascinating time capsule of 1960s America. “It became the last great adventure of our lives,” says Goodwin.
One of Us Knows: A Thriller
Alyssa ColeKen Nash is rarely alone: She has dissociative identity disorder, with seven distinct “alters” to manage. When Ken becomes a caretaker for a remote manor, she discovers the old estate is eerily familiar — and then someone dies within its walls. This gothic thriller by the Edgar Award-winner author of “When No One Is Watching” has a dual-mystery plot (one of which unfolds within Ken’s inner world) that deals with trauma and mental health in a refreshingly respectful way.
Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real About the End
Alua ArthurDeath comes for us all, but speaking of it often feels taboo. Arthur, an end-of-life counselor (or “death doula”) and founder of Going With Grace, explores how reflecting upon the inevitable end — and making emotional space for the dying — allows us to live more wholly, peacefully, and authentically. As she gracefully weaves stories of her clients with the personal journey that brought her into this unique line of work, Arthur encourages us not to turn away from death, but to treat it with thoughtful respect.
Weird Black Girls: Stories
Elwin CotmanSpeculative fantasy and horror reveal the intricacies of Black American experiences in this collection of imaginative stories by Cotman. From narcissistic activists to LARPing gone wrong to memory-based time travel, the plots vary wildly, but they remain consistent for their thought-provoking probes into race, gender identity, and what it means to be othered.
Hit and Run
John FreemanThe titular hit and run that kills a pedestrian on John’s late-night walk home winds up fracturing his life in this engrossing and contemplative story. Freeman’s propulsive work of autobiographical fiction puts everyday horrors of lived experience on a collision course with the mind’s imagined terrors and saviors to trauma. Just like when seeing a real car crash, it’s impossible to turn away.
The Familiar: A Novel
Leigh BardugoBardugo, the author behind the beloved Grishaverse (which spans many series, including “Shadow and Bone” and “Six of Crows”), delivers an adult historical fantasy inspired by her own ancestors. When influential people discover Luzia Cotado, a lowly kitchen servant, has magical powers, she suddenly has to navigate court intrigue and shifting loyalties. There’s also training under an immortal familiar (who may become something more than a friend) — all while hiding her Jewish heritage.
The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality
Amanda Montell“I wrote this book for anyone who feels like it’s just incredibly hard to exist as a human in the world right now but can’t quite put their finger on why,” says author Montell (“Wordslut,” “Cultish”). In illuminating and relatable essays, Montell explores the fallout of information overload, including our unhealthy obsession with keeping up appearances on social media and the commodification of mental health. This book is the inspiration we all need to step away from the screen (and the chaos), even for just a moment.
Facing the Unseen: The Struggle to Center Mental Health in Medicine
Damon Tweedy, M.D.Tweedy, a physician, psychiatry professor, and author of the memoir “Black Man in a White Coat,” makes a compelling case for integrated healthcare. Today, mental health channels like psychiatry are far-removed from other forms of physical care, but in Tweedy’s experience, the issues are usually interrelated. As it stands now, due to a lack of integrated medicine options, providers potentially miss treatment opportunities and patients may suffer unnecessarily.
Fi: A Memoir of My Son
Alexandra FullerShortly before her 50th birthday, author Fuller was mourning the loss of her father and a recent breakup. But then the unimaginable happened: Fuller’s 21-year-old son died suddenly in his sleep. This is a memoir of her grief — in all its piercing, astonishing power. Chronicling Fuller’s suffocating feelings and her determination not to succumb to them (and thus abandon her remaining children), Fi is what Kirkus calls “simultaneously beautiful and devastating.”
The Wives: A Memoir
Simone GorrindoThis memoir about friendship and community found through shared hardship peels back the curtain on U.S. military families. Gorrindo’s boyfriend-turned-husband enlisted and upended their lives, taking them from New York City to Columbus, Georgia, which may as well have been another planet. But amid her loneliness and anxiety (especially after her husband’s deployment), Gorrindo found a comforting community of military wives — and saw a kind of strength she’d never before witnessed.
The Cemetery of Untold Stories
Julia AlvarezIn another captivating tale by Alvarez (“How the García Girls Lost Their Accents”), Alma Cruz retires after a long writing career and returns to her homeland in the Dominican Republic. She creates a graveyard to bury and honor her unpublished manuscripts, but the characters therein aren’t ready to be silenced. Weaving magical realism into a family and historical saga, Alvarez demonstrates how stories endure — even the ones that go untold.
A View from the Stars: Stories and Essays
Cixin LiuFrom the author of “The Three-Body Problem,” a Hugo Award winner that inspired a Netflix Original series, comes a collection mixing nonfiction and short stories perfectly suited for sci-fi fans. Essays explore the evolution of sci-fi and Liu’s decades-long career immersed in it, while short stories — including one about scientists who will trade their lives to unlock the secrets of the universe — remind us of this author’s extraordinary talent for bringing the genre to life.
Sociopath: A Memoir
Patric GagneGagne doesn’t fit the mold of what people believe a sociopath to be. She’s a wife and mother, holds a PhD in psychology, and has worked as a therapist and crisis counselor. But it’s true — Gagne has antisocial personality disorder. This fascinating memoir of her life, much of which has been spent seeking to understand her diagnosis, not only challenges stereotypes of sociopathy, but also inspires empathy for those of us who can’t experience it for themselves.
The Stone Home: A Novel
Crystal Hana KimIn 2011 South Korea, wounds are reopened and loyalties re-examined when a stranger arrives at Eunju Oh’s door asking about the past. A story of the extreme measures people will take to survive and how bonds are formed through trauma, “The Stone Home” unveils a dark time in Korean history. Kim’s (“If You Leave Me”) author’s note provides historical context for this lyrical and devastating novel.
Clear: A Novel
Carys DaviesIn this novel set in late 19th-century Scotland, John, a penniless minister, arrives on a remote island to evict its only resident — a plot inspired by the real-life Highland Clearances. But Ivar, the island loner, saves John from a near-fatal accident, sparking a new friendship that tests John’s convictions in more ways than one. Davies delivers a quietly stirring story of finding connection under oppression.
I Cheerfully Refuse
Leif EngerIn a speculative future America marred by climate destruction and ruled by billionaire elites, narrator Rainy sets sail on Lake Superior hoping to reconnect with the spirit of his recently murdered wife. Despite its dark setup (and setting), “I Cheerfully Refuse” highlights hope, wonder, and resilience.
A Good Happy Girl
Marissa HigginsHelen, an attorney who grew up in an abusive household, craves both comfort and pain. She enters a masochistic relationship with a married lesbian couple and begins unpacking her youth — a journey that gets murkier when her incarcerated father offers an uncomfortable proposition: He’ll talk about Helen’s childhood if she’ll help secure his freedom. This debut novel about self-destruction and healing doesn’t shy away from how people cope with trauma.
The Black Girl Survives in This One: Horror Stories
Tananarive DueThe Black girls in this YA horror anthology are the heroines we’ve all been waiting for. Featuring stories by acclaimed authors like Zakiya Dahlia Harris (“The Other Black Girl”), Justina Ireland (“Dread Nation”), and Vincent Tirado (“Burn Down, Rise Up”), this collection challenges stereotypes and brings #BlackGirlMagic to the forefront. Tananarive Due (“The Reformatory”) pens the foreword, providing historical and cultural context about how Black characters have traditionally been treated in the horror genre.
Roxane Gay & Everand Originals: My Year of Psychedelics: Lessons on Better Living
Gabrielle BellotThe third installment in the series from Everand and Roxane Gay, the beloved bestselling author of “Hunger,” “Bad Feminist,” and “Opinions.” In this fascinating and literally trippy memoir, acclaimed essayist and columnist Bellot shares the story of how magic mushrooms, ayahuasca, and other psychedelics transformed her life for the better.
Like Happiness: A Novel
Ursula Villarreal-MouraThe past comes screeching back into focus when Tatum Vega receives a call from a journalist. Mateo Domínguez, the famous author Tatum shared a close bond with during her college days, is accused of sexual misconduct. As Tatum remembers the relationship that defined her life for years, she attempts to understand the more troubling aspects of her experiences. This dual-timeline novel reckons with power imbalance, betrayal, and the complexities of abuse.
The Angel of Indian Lake
Stephen Graham JonesOur favorite final girl gets her final confrontation in the conclusion to Jones’ “Indian Lake” trilogy, following “My Heart is a Chainsaw” and “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” After yet another unjust stint in jail, slasher flick aficionado Jade Daniels resettles in Proofrock, Idaho. But then death and disaster start plaguing the town once again — and if anyone can stop the violence, Jade can. Jones delivers blood and gore aplenty, with high-octane action and whip-smart commentary on America’s sordid history.
Icarus
K. AncrumAncrum (“The Wicker King”) remixes the Greek myth “Icarus” into a queer YA love story with a suspenseful mystery and high stakes. Icarus Gallagher is a young, isolated art thief who works for his controlling father. When he meets Helios during a job, Helios — who’s held under house arrest by his own father — promises to keep silent about the heist if Icarus agrees to be his friend. Before long, companionship becomes something more, leading Icarus to realize he must free them both no matter the costs.
Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present
Fareed ZakariaLooking to the past can help us make sense of the present — and create a better future. That’s exactly what CNN host Zakaria hopes to accomplish with “Age of Revolutions.” By combing through some of history’s most significant upheavals, including the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, Zakaria helps make sense of today’s divisive culture and politics while exploring how to restore unity. It’s an encouraging read for anyone feeling hopeless about the state of our world.
Expiration Dates: A Novel
Rebecca SerleDaphne Bell knows exactly how long her relationships will last. When she meets a new man, she receives a postcard listing the number of days they’ll be together — and these cards are never wrong. So when Daphne meets Jake and receives a blank card, the truth seems obvious: He’s the one. Isn’t he? Serle, who brought us bestsellers like “In Five Years” and “One Italian Summer,” pens another moving story that questions fate versus free will.
Under This Red Rock
Mindy McGinnisTo distract herself from overwhelming hallucinations, 16-year-old Neely takes a job at a cavern tourist attraction in Ohio. But when her favorite coworker is found dead after a raucous, drug-fueled work party, Neely must confront the possibility that she’s to blame. It’s impossible to know what’s real, or true, until the shocking end of McGinnis’ YA psychological thriller, which handles sensitive issues like mental health with care while taking readers on a mind-bending ride.
The Last Bloodcarver
Vanessa LeAs a bloodcarver, Nhika is considered a monster, feared and hunted for her ability to manipulate blood and body systems. When she’s captured and sold to a wealthy family who need her powers, Nhika becomes entangled in a murder mystery that tests her loyalties and sense of self. This YA duology opener unfolds against a backdrop of intrigue and romance, with Le infusing her richly imagined world with Vietnamese cultural influences.
Who's Afraid of Gender?
Judith ButlerButler, the renowned gender studies scholar who authored “Gender Trouble,” analyzes how the far right weaponizes gender to prop up their conservative agenda and distract from urgent issues like climate change. With cultural and historical insight, Butler makes clear that the policies and beliefs said to “protect” children and families are, in reality, stripping human beings of their rights and dignities. This is a vital read that addresses one of the most alarming issues of our time.
Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality
Venki Ramakrishnan“Why We Die” is an absorbing exploration of longevity from a Nobel Prize-winning structural biologist. Ramakrishnan digs into the science behind aging while addressing the latest theories on ways to extend the human lifespan. The author also questions the ethics and fallout of these ventures, and whether living longer is actually better for us. This book blends science and philosophy in an accessible — and thought-provoking — way.
Nazi Hunting: A Love Story: The husband and wife who, for six decades and counting, have made catching war criminals the family business
Nazi Hunting: A Love Story: The husband and wife who, for six decades and counting, have made catching war criminals the family business
Jess McHughBeate slapped German chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger, a former Nazi, across the face to call attention to his crimes. Her husband, Serge, held a former Nazi official at gunpoint. These are some of the flashier moments of the married couple’s dangerous, tireless, and wholeheartedly inspiring work bringing Nazis to justice. If ever you needed reassurance that ordinary people wield extraordinary power to do good, Serge and Beate’s story is it.
The Moon That Turns You Back: Poems
Hala AlyanIn this heartrending collection, Palestinian American poet Alyan (“The Twenty-Ninth Year”) explores diaspora, identity, and belonging. Displacement — literally and metaphorically — is a common thread in the poems, which include creative explorations of form (for example, choose-your-own-adventure stanzas). “The Moon That Turns You Back” unspools ideas of homeland, womanhood, and family, with a powerful balance of grief and hope.
Sunbringer: A Novel
Hannah KanerIn the immediate aftermath of Kaner’s “Godkiller,” the animosity between humans and gods continues. Our band of protagonists face ever-greater challenges and reckon with the loss of Godkiller Kissen, who died heroically — or so her friends think. Inara and her god-companion Skedi search for answers about their hazy pasts, while knight-baker Elo faces a seemingly impossible choice. Epic world-building and complex character growth abound in this continuation of the “Fallen Gods” fantasy thriller series, which deserves additional accolades for fantastic representation.
The Manicurist's Daughter: A Memoir
Susan LieuWhen Lieu was only 11, her Vietnamese American mother — a successful businesswoman who owned multiple nail salons — died from a botched plastic surgery. Grief-stricken, Lieu would spend the next two decades searching for answers, both about what happened in that operating room and about her mother’s early life in Vietnam. This emotional memoir chronicles the many ways she sought to make sense of her loss and reconnect with her remaining family members.
Lessons for Survival: Mothering Against “the Apocalypse”
Emily RaboteauBlurring the line between memoir and investigative journalism, Raboteau’s essay collection mines the climate crisis, COVID-19 pandemic, loss and grief, and many other hardships facing families of color. “Lessons for Survival” offers just that — a glimpse of how people around the globe navigate the issues that stifle their potential and threaten their safety and happiness.
Selling the Dream: The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans
Jane MarieAmway, Mary Kay, Herbalife, LuLaRoe, and more: Multi-level marketing schemes (MLMs) use self-made wealth and freedom as the proverbial carrot on a stick — a reward that rarely, if ever, materializes. Marie, the Peabody-winning journalist who previously produced “This American Life,” delivers an exposé on MLMs and the only people who profit from them (hint: it’s those at the top of the pyramid). “Selling the Dream” is a fascinating companion to Marie’s podcast about MLMs, “The Dream.”
I Finally Bought Some Jordans: Essays
Michael ArceneauxWhat’s an aging millennial to do amid crises like global warming, the COVID-19 pandemic, an insane (and ever-racist) housing market, difficult parents, and more? For Arceneaux, the answer is writing through it — with a pitch-perfect blend of humor and insight about the anxieties that plague his generation.
Anita de Monte Laughs Last: Reese's Book Club Pick (A Novel)
Xochitl GonzalezGonzalez follows up her lauded “Olga Dies Dreaming” with this novel inspired by the true story of late artist Ana Mendieta. In 1985, up-and-coming artist Anita de Monte dies after falling 33 stories from the apartment she shares with her husband, an established white artist. Over a decade later, an art history student stumbles upon Anita’s story and is determined to find out more, especially as her own life starts to mirror Anita’s. Commentary on classism, racism, and sexism in the art world makes this whip-smart tale even more cutting.
The House of Hidden Meanings: A Memoir
RuPaul“Your vulnerability is where your real power is,” says RuPaul to Vogue when discussing his purpose and process behind this moving memoir. Get to know the Queen of Drag as he was: Young, queer, and Black while navigating family strife in San Diego, coming-of-age in Atlanta, and spending early adulthood in New York City. This story peels back the layers on a cultural icon to celebrate found family and self acceptance.
The Great Divide: A Novel
Cristina HenriquezHenríquez (“The Book of Unknown Americans”) fashions an epic historical novel out of slice-of-life fragments. In 1907, the construction of the Panama Canal affects people from all walks of life — including Ada, a Barbadian teenager desperate to support her family, and Omar, a local young man who joins a digging crew against his father’s wishes. Their stories, and many others in the story, unveil a forgotten history shaped by imperialism (or, what some call progress).
Maktub: An Inspirational Companion to The Alchemist
Paulo CoelhoCoelho’s “The Alchemist” has been inspiring readers for decades. Now, previously published columns by the author are available to English readers for the first time thanks to this book. Coelho is quick to clarify that it is “not a book of advice — but an exchange of experiences.” Filled with fables inspired by a variety of cultures and folklore, “Maktub” is a work of collective human wisdom from around the world.
Fruit of the Dead: A Novel
Rachel LyonWith no plans for college — and no desire to live with her single mother — 18-year-old Cory accepts a nannying gig, complete with an isolated setting and an enigmatic boss. Her mother, Emer, grows continuously more concerned about her daughter’s unsettling situation and sets out to bring Cory home. Lyon (“Self-Portrait with Boy”) retells the Greek myth of Persephone and Demeter with a contemporary gothic spin that’s lush, eerie, and utterly captivating.
Thunder Song: Essays
Sasha LaPointe“Thunder Song,” LaPointe’s memoir-in-essays, explores life as a queer Native woman in America. Weaving first-person experiences with her great-grandmother’s stories, LaPointe reflects on identity, music, politics, and activism, and the ongoing work to decolonize each. This is a welcomed invitation to witness the author’s modern indigenous experience.
What Monstrous Gods
Rosamund HodgeCenturies ago, sorcerer Ruven cursed the royal family of Runakhia with eternal sleep, cutting off the kingdom from the gods. In the present day, 17-year-old Lia kills Ruven, awakens the royal family, and sets things right — or so she thinks. Hodge’s thought-provoking fantasy questions faith, subservience, and personal choice as Lia learns the true nature of her deities (while being haunted by Ruven, who, turns out, isn’t the enemy).
Say Hello to My Little Friend
Jennine Capó CrucetA wannabe gangster and a captive orca yearn for something else — be it freedom or belonging — in this surreal, melancholy, and genre-defying story. Ismael “Izzy” Reyes’ quest to embody Tony Montana leads him to the Miami Seaquarium, where he meets the lonely Lolita in her too-small tank. As Izzy mourns his late mother, Lolita wonders what became of the pod she was taken from 50 years ago.
Burn Book: A Tech Love Story
Kara SwisherFor as long as tech billionaires have been disrupting our world (for better or worse), journalist Swisher has been chronicling and commentating on their every move. “Burn Book” spills the tea on Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and the like, but it also explores how tech has evolved, the failed promises of its leaders, and the dangers of unchecked innovation. Despite her warnings, Swisher remains positive about technology (or at least its potential) in this highly readable account.
Grief Is for People
Sloane CrosleyIn 2019, writer Crosley (“Cult Classic”) came home to a burgled apartment. One month later, she lost her best friend to suicide. As recounted in this memoir-meets-elegy, Crosley channels her sorrow into a search for the stolen jewelry, with each attempt mirroring a stage of grief. “Grief is for People” is a beautifully and uniquely rendered ode to the ones we miss and how we make sense of the unimaginable.
Roxane Gay & Everand Originals: You Are a Teen Mom: Instructions
Randa JarrarThe second installment in the series from Everand and Roxane Gay, the beloved bestselling author of “Hunger,” “Bad Feminist,” and “Opinions.” Memoirist, essayist, and novelist Randa Jarrar offers an honest and wholly original user’s manual on how to raise a happy and well-adjusted child with little help and even fewer resources, but a fierce willingness to live out loud.
Whiskey Tender: A Memoir
Deborah TaffaTaffa’s coming of age was also a coming to terms — with her mixed-tribe Native heritage, her parents’ struggles with addiction and mental health, and the broken promises of assimilation. This memoir weaves Taffa’s personal — often painful — girlhood experiences (which she calls “as common as dirt” for Native Americans) with broader historical reckonings, giving a clear picture of generational trauma and systemic injustice. Tender (as the title suggests), but also unflinching and powerful.
A Tempest of Tea
Hafsah FaizalThink “Ocean’s Eleven,” but cozier and with more vampires. Arthie runs Spindrift, a tearoom that, by night, becomes a bloodhouse for prominent vampires to wine and dine. But someone is out to get Spindrift, and completing a daring, dangerous heist is Arthie’s only hope to save it. Commentary on colonialism and racism adds depth to Faizal’s (“We Hunt the Flame”) action-packed fantasy.
See You on the Way Down: Catch You on the Way Back Up!
Greg BehrendtFrom “He’s Just Not That Into You” to “That Guy From That Thing,” from being Oprah’s relationship guru to rehab and cancer, comedian and author Behrendt has experienced many highs and lows. In this raw memoir, he takes readers behind the scenes of how just one phrase uttered while working on “Sex and the City” altered the course of his entire life — for better, for worse. Even during the darkest times, his humorous, generous spirit shines through.
My Side of the River: A Memoir
Elizabeth Camarillo GutierrezAs a U.S.-born daughter of Mexican immigrants, Camarillo Gutierrez had clear instructions: “You have to be the best.” That pressure mounted when her parents were refused visa renewal, leaving the author, then 15 years old, in charge of herself and her younger brother in America. Both devastating and inspiring, this memoir reveals the enormous burdens placed upon immigrant families, the policies that dehumanize them, and the resilience it took for Camarillo Gutierrez to succeed despite it all.
What Feasts at Night
T. KingfisherIn “What Moves the Dead,” Kingfisher reimagined Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher”; with “What Feasts at Night,” the author continues her “Sworn Soldier” series. After the unsettling events at the Usher house, former soldier Alex Easton longs for respite at a hunting lodge — but something is amiss, and the local villagers talk of an eerie presence that soon begins to haunt Alex’s dreams. Gothic and claustrophobic, this novella creeps up like a ghost in the night.
Convergence Problems
Wole TalabiTalabi (“Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon”) delivers a collection of afrofuturistic stories that unite speculative technology and African folklore, largely set in Nigeria. Especially relevant in today’s AI-focused world, each story explores rampant technology’s impact on humanity and our continued search for meaning. Loss of autonomy is a major theme, giving readers plenty to consider as they move from one mesmerizing tale to the next (and are increasingly made to interact with AI technologies in their day-to-day lives).
Fourteen Days: A Collaborative Novel
The Authors GuildThis is the COVID-19 book we want and need, with a surprising twist. Amid quarantine, residents of a Manhattan apartment building convene on their shared roof, slowly transforming from strangers to neighbors. This remarkable story of how community offers hope in times of sorrow is brought to you by a slew of literary legends, including Margaret Atwood (“The Handmaid's Tale”), Neil Gaiman (“American Gods”), Tommy Orange (“There, There”), Celeste Ng (“Our Missing Hearts”), and more, each of whom writes a different chapter.
Greta & Valdin: A Novel
Rebecca K ReillyGreta and Valdin — queer siblings and flatmates in Auckland — grapple with relationship and career woes, made all the more messy by their Russian-Māori family’s antics. A comedy of errors infused with the familiar hallmarks of 20-something life, Greta & Valdin is equal parts hilarious, moving, and relatable.
I Hope This Doesn't Find You
Ann LiangSadie Wen works hard to be the perfect student, peer, and daughter, but the charade crumbles when her vitriolic email drafts to classmates and teachers — never meant to be sent — are leaked to the entire school. Sadie makes amends by playing nice with her arrogant rival, Julius, and is surprised when their forced proximity sparks newfound closeness. This charming story is more than a rivals-to-lovers rom-com: It’s a lesson on self-acceptance for people pleasers everywhere.
Cahokia Jazz
Francis SpuffordSpufford (“Golden Hill”) reimagines the Jazz Age in an America where Indigenous peoples kept their strongholds (and their populations). When a brutal murder shines a light on racial dissension in Cahokia, a Native-run city, Detective Joe Barrow follows the trail through Cahokia’s diverse enclaves (and many speakeasies). Classic noir, speculative history, and real-world relevancy collide and combine beautifully.
Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story that Awakened America
Joy-Ann ReidCivil rights activists Medgar and Myrlie Evers met in college, married quickly, and went on to leave a lasting imprint on America. Medgar was heavily involved in the NAACP in Mississippi, and progress was made thanks to the support of Myrlie. Their activism could have ground to a halt after Medgar’s assassination by a white nationalist in 1963, but Myrlie carried the torch (and lobbied for a conviction, which didn’t come until 1994). This dual biography of civil rights heroes is a portrait of love — for one another, and for a nation in turmoil.
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead: A Novel
Jenny HollanderThe truth remains elusive right up until the end of Hollander’s twisty thriller. Charlie Colbert has very little memory of the brutal mass slaying she survived nearly a decade ago. But when a producer starts dredging up the past to make a film about it, Charlie's desperate to remember — and to finally understand the role she played in the tragic events.
The Things We Didn't Know
Elba Iris PérezAndrea Rodríguez is growing up in 1950s Woronoco, Massachusetts, when her mother, homesick, sneaks Andrea and her little brother back to their native Puerto Rico — and abandons them. When the children’s father eventually retrieves them, Andrea struggles to feel at home while grieving her mother’s absence and resenting her father’s strict ideals. This coming-of-age story about a girl torn between two worlds — but at home in neither — dissects stifling gender expectations, clashing cultures, and the strength of family bonds.
The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives
Ernest ScheyderAs it turns out, avoiding harmful emissions via green alternative fuels isn’t straightforward: Electric energy requires extensive mining of lithium, nickel, and more. And what happens when digging up those mineral sites disrupts ecosystems, local communities, or sacred lands? From geopolitics to domestic interests, “The War Below” gives a balanced and highly informative account of the complex decisions we face on the path to going green.
The Survivors of the Clotilda: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the American Slave Trade
The Survivors of the Clotilda: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the American Slave Trade
Hannah DurkinIn the vein of Zora Neale Hurston’s “Barracoon,” Durkin recounts the lives and legacies of the African people forcibly transported on the the last slave ship to arrive in America (50-odd years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed). Durkin recounts their capture, tortuous oceanic journey, and subsequent enslavement. But she also reveals the post-Civil War reclamation and preservation of their culture, including the establishment of Africatown in Mobile, Alabama. This is a vital contextual history that gives voice to the 110 men, women, and children aboard the “Clotilda.”
Roxane Gay & Everand Originals: Built for This: The Quiet Strength of Powerlifting
Julia TurshenLet cookbook author Julia Turshen lift you up with her memoir about embracing her inner and outer strength. Turshen shares how she learned to appreciate her appetite for food, started powerlifting to marvel at all the things her body could do, and now knows the meat on her bones is “made of the things [she’s] capable of.” This title kicks off the Roxane Gay & series, a celebration of original voices and the human experience.
Family Family: A Novel
Laurie FrankelFrankel (“This Is How It Always Is”) delivers an ode to the idiosyncrasies of family along with a refreshing take on the concept of choosing our loved ones. When this novel’s heroine, an actress named India Allwood, criticizes an upcoming film she stars in for its treatment of adoption, media and public outrage ensue. Only India’s family (including the daughter she gave up as a teen and the daughter she later adopted) can help her through the firestorm.
Dead in Long Beach, California: A Novel
Venita BlackburnWhen novelist Coral finds her brother dead by suicide in his Long Beach apartment, her grief manifests in denial. Taking Jay’s phone, Coral begins impersonating her late brother through texts, emails, and social media posts. Blackburn braids the increasingly bizarre fallout of these actions with flashbacks of the siblings’ past and excerpts from Coral’s novel. This is a hallucinatory and spellbinding work of experimental fiction.
The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky
The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky
Simon ShusterIn conversational style, Shuster provides a balanced portrait of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a pivotal moment for the man, his nation, and the world at large. Shuster goes back in time, exploring how Zelensky went from actor to politician, before focusing on the Ukrainian president’s actions related to Russia’s recent invasion. Interviews with Zelensky’s family, staff, and more make this account deeply personal.
Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters
Brian KlaasWe often seek to make sense of the seemingly random happenings in life, but as “Fluke” describes, even the most pivotal events are usually a result of chance. This pop science take on chaos theory — perfect for fans of Malcolm Gladwell’s works — gives insight on how our smallest choices have major ripple effects. Rest assured that while we aren’t in control of anything, we can still change the world with one choice (amazingly, sometimes without even realizing it).
The Fury
Alex MichaelidesThe author of “The Silent Patient” is back with a thriller starring a former actress, a group of her friends who spend a holiday on her private island, a ferocious wind that spoils the fun (the titular “fury”), and of course, a mysterious death. Combining elements of Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” and classical Greek tragedies, Michaelides slowly builds toward the big reveal. (Be warned: This story does include a spoiler for his aforementioned title, the ever-popular “The Silent Patient.”)
The Heiress: A Novel
Rachel HawkinsTen years after the death of his adoptive mother (the titular heiress, Ruby McTavish), Camden and his wife Jules return to the family estate to finalize Ruby’s will. Mysteries abound, including four potential murders, a child kidnapping, and why Cam wants absolutely nothing to do with the wealth he’s inherited. Hawkins (“The Villa,” “The Wife Upstairs”) pens another gothic thriller filled with dark family secrets and propulsive twists that will intrigue new and old fans alike.
The Storm We Made: A Novel
Vanessa ChanIn the years preceding World War II, Cecily Alcantara is taken with the idea of building an “Asia for Asians,” and begins spying for the Japanese to usurp British rule over her home country of Malaya (now Malaysia). A decade later, the fallout of her choices has devastating consequences — not just for the nation, but within her very family. Chan’s historical fiction offers richly drawn, morally complex characters while exploring the generational traumas of war and occupation.
Prophet Song: A Novel (Booker Prize Winner)
Paul LynchIn a contemporary (but alternate) Ireland, Eilish Stack and her family try to navigate an increasingly oppressive totalitarian government. The story opens as Eilish’s husband, a union worker, is taken in for questioning — and never seen again. Lynch (“Grace”) weaves a claustrophobic dystopian nightmare that, eerily, doesn’t feel as far-fetched as we’d like. “Prophet Song” won the Booker Prize for 2023.
Iron Flame
Rebecca YarrosTo everyone’s astonishment, Violet Sorrengail survived her first year at Basgiath War College. But the challenges and dangers are only beginning as Violet continues her dragon rider training. Stakes and brutalities soar higher than ever in Yarros’ sequel to “Fourth Wing,” and Violet must summon every ounce of her courage, determination, and intelligence if she’s going to defy all odds once again.
The Future
Naomi AldermanWhile Alderman’s electrifying novel “The Power” was dystopian in every sense, “The Future” takes place in a world that feels eerily familiar — where tech billionaires hold all the cards, usually to the detriment of everyone else. But from this familiar setting, Alderman creates something wholly original. AI, cults, survivalists, and an impending apocalypse — this novel is the definition of propulsive.
The Woman in Me
Britney SpearsA memoir by pop sensation Spears would be a must-read under any circumstances, but one published soon after the highly publicized battle to end her conservatorship is all the more compelling. Finally — after 13 years under her father’s control and a lifetime in the public eye — the singer speaks her truth about music, family, heartbreak, and reclaiming her independence. Actress Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”) narrates this testament to strength and resilience.
Blackouts: A Novel
Justin TorresAn unnamed narrator and his elderly friend Juan pore over a research study about gay men and lesbians, while sharing their own experiences being queer. While the narrator and Juan’s stories are fiction, the study is real: It was pioneered in 1941 by lesbian researcher Jan Gay, whose work was twisted by others into a homophobic indictment against queer people. Through this lens, Torres mines erasure, the restoration of truth, and the power of storytelling.
Elon Musk
Walter IsaacsonBiographing the richest person in the world — particularly one who’s a lightning rod for controversy — is no easy task. “Dealing with his life is like trying to take notes while drinking from a fire hose,” says Isaacson (“The Code Breaker,” “Steve Jobs”). This exploration of Musk tracks the tech mogul’s turbulent childhood in South Africa, his fanatical commitment to innovation, and the evolution of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter). Love him or hate him, Musk is undoubtedly a fascinating figure worth learning more about.
Holly
Stephen KingWhen a distraught mother contacts the Finders Keepers detective agency about her missing daughter, Detective Holly Gibney agrees to the job despite a recent personal loss. At the core of the mystery is an elderly married couple no one would suspect of evil intent, but who prove cunning and shrewd. Fan-favorite character Holly, first introduced to readers in King’s “Mr. Mercedes,” is a vulnerable and brave heroine in this character-driven mystery that unfolds during the COVID-19 pandemic.