The deluge of Big Big Books has slowed down a bit, but we’ve still got some bangers coming out this month. There’s a story collection by Annie Proulx (Annie Proulx Stories: New and Selected), and a few iconic celeb memoirs (Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It? by Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea, Cher: Part Two by Cher, and LeVar Burton’s, which is discussed below). There’s also what feels like a necessary essay/poetry collection in Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times by Tracy K. Smith, and another endearing influencer cookbook release in Come Here and Cook: Stories and Recipes from a Life at the Table by Jordan Howlett
As for the books below, there is grief-stricken literary fiction, very original post-apocalyptic romantasy, Bollywood body horror, and more.
Literary Fiction
Sweet Peaby Kit de Waal
This has already been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. It’s a tender look at grief, love, and what could have been. The Sweet Pea is Paulette, who is given the precious nickname by her Granny before she moves from St. Kitts to England as a young girl. Once in England, she tries to follow her Gran’s advice as best as she can—she avoids temptation, focusing instead on love and forgiveness. In fact, she’s 29 when it feels like she has reached the pinnacle of a perfect life. She’s an assistant nurse who is about to marry a handsome man, but then her hopes are struck down by tragedy. Denton’s friend is there, but then he isn’t, and Paulette is alone again, having to contend with the perfect life she almost had. There is a little light, though. There’s a boy, Bird, who would have been her son’s age. He makes her laugh and he calls her Sweet Pea.
Sci-Fi
Line of Descent by Adam Oyebanji
If you haven’t acquainted yourself with the novels of Adam Oyebanji, you should fix that now. He’s written a couple of great mysteries, and his sci-fi thrillers like Braking Day and Esperance are out of this world! This upcoming thriller is about a generation ship, the Archimedes, where a strange kidnapping leads to mystery and murder
Nonfiction
Take My Word For It by LeVar Burton
Very few actors have been front and center in so many culturally historic moments as LeVar Burton. From playing Kunta Kinte on Roots to Geordi La Forge on Star Trek, and being the host on Reading Rainbow—one might even say that Burton has embodied and portrayed many aspects of America’s past, present, and its (hopeful) future. Here, he traces his life, first as a child experiencing the Civil Rights Movement, then his acting career, and later his advocacy for literacy. He fills in the moments in between his major roles to show the struggle and resilience it has taken to lead such a remarkable life.
New Books
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Romance
For the love of K-Dramas by Lyla Lee
The behind-the-scenes drama is just as compelling as the on-screen in the world of K-dramas. When Clara Kim gets her big break on a new romantasy show, she’s laser-focused on succeeding. But her co-star, Shin Min-joon, might ruin her chance. Min-joon has criticized Clara on social media in the past. Since they’re thrown together for this job, they focus on understanding each other and making the chemistry look real
Romantasy
Defy the Dusk by Danielle L. Jensen
This is a romantasy-post-apocalyptic mashup that is the first book of what is sure to be one of the next big romantasy series—and it has such an interesting premise. Just a couple of decades ago, Lirien basically broke the world, unleashing nocturnal monsters that made people restructure their entire lives. What came of the restructuring was a world split into two: those who could survive and those who were left for the night creatures. The survivors could board the Dawnrider, high-speed transport that was heading towards a new future. But as you might have imagined, an opportunistic king rose over the chaos to become a tyrant, and now, Lirien is determined to overthrow him. There’s just the issue of having been abducted by Vox, who gives her a harrowing ultimatum: fight the night creatures or be their food.
Graphic Novel/Manga
In Your Skin by Aditya Bidikar, illustrated by Som
Never have I seen a book with a description involving “Bollywood body horror” before this one, and I am heartily intrigued. Not only that, but in this age of parasocial relationships, I’m kind of surprised we haven’t seen the IRL version of this play out. It starts with Priyanka, who has gorwn up watching Bollywood start Ayesha San all her life. She’s seen all the movies, and knows every step to all the dances. When she gets the chance to meet the Bollywood star, Priyanka’s life gets a wrench thrown in it: Ayesha is retiring. Priyanka has a solution to Ayesha not wanting to live right, though; she’ll just take over her life…
Mystery, Thriller, or True Crime
The Dark Magician: Murder in a Town with No Name by Keigo Higashino, translated by Alexander O. Smith
Master of Japanese Mystery, Keigo Higashino just passed away this year in July. The Dark Magician is one of the last books he wrote, and the latest of his work to be translated into English. It does follow a literal magician, specifically Takeshi, who formerly worked in Las Vegas as a marquee magician. His niece Mayu is about to get married when her father is murdered, and Takeshi decides he’s going to be the one to solve the crime. And it’s just the type of mystery that will need his specific sleight of hand skills.
Fantasy
Bones of Jade, Flesh Like Ice by Gracie Marsden
You don’t often come across historical fantasy inspired by Taiwanese mythology and the enthusiasm around this debut novel is big. Yu’er’s story unfolds in the Eleventh century in a small village. First sold off for marriage in her youth at the advice of a jing, then estranged from the husband she’s come to love, Yu’er takes matters into her own hands. She strikes a bargain with a jing that sets her on a path to riches and agency but away from her humanity
Historical Fiction
Stations by Louise Kennedy
This Ireland-set novel jumps from the 1980s to the 2000s, and is bound to be one of this year’s favorites. Despite his raggedy reputation, Róisín befriends Red when the two are teenagers, starting a friendship that lasts decades. It even survives Red getting in trouble with the law, and fleeing to a new life in England. As they grow up, the two remain bound in a loving friendship, even as Red continues to dip in and out of contact. And, once Róisín goes to London for the holidays one year, she’s once again heartily absorbed into Red’s life. The question is, will she ever truly be where he is, or will he be perpeturally out of reach? I love these meditations on friendship.
Horror
Basilisk by Matt Wixey
Puzzle books are having a moment, and that moment has seeped into horror. At 556 pages, this has been compared to House of Leaves, and follows ethical hacker Alex Webster. Alex and her colleague Jay come across an intriguing game by a questionable person (or group? who knows) known as The Helmsman. As they try to solve the weird puzzles as part of the game, a group called “XXX XXXXXXX XXXXXX” begins to come after them, trying to stop them from uncovering Basilisk. What is Basilisk, you might ask? It’s a weapon that causes anyone who understands it to lose their mind. Spooky stuff, made even spookier when Jay disappears, and Alex is alone trying to solve all the puzzles, most of all the one involving what happened to her friend.
Young Adult
Salt Water Bloodby Manuia Heinrich
In this debut YA speculative thriller, Indigenous teen Moe hears prophesies from the sea. She knew her father was going to die, felt her mother’s relief when she abandoned Moe and younger brother Tao, and she knows Tao will drown if she doesn’t act. But rather than pulling him out of danger, Moe finds Tao with blood on his hands at the location where his missing girlfriend was last seen. It’s up to Tao to figure out what happened and save her brother and her community. —S. Zainab Williams
Children’s/Middle Grade
North, South, East, and Gladys West: How a Mathematician Helped Shape GPS, written by Ainissa Ramirez and illustrated by Tamisha Anthony
In this STEM picture book biography, we see how little farm girl Gladys grows up to help space rockets land. As a kid, she loves math, but doesn’t necessarily see a future in it for herself as a Black girl in Virginia in the 1940s. That is, until a teacher says she would do well in college. With that encouragement, she becomes one of only four other Black employees at a naval base where she calculates trajectories and orbits, and uses satellites to map Earth.
Other Book Riot New Releases Re
- All the Books, our weekly new book releases podcast, where Liberty and a cast of co-hosts talk about eight books out that week that we’ve read and loved.
- The New Books Newsletter, where we send you an email of the books out this week that are getting buzz.
- Finally, if you want the real inside scoop on new releases, you have to check out Book Riot’s New Release Index! That’s where I find 90% of new releases, and you can filter by trending books, Rioters’ picks, and even LGBTQ new releases!
