22 New Books You Should Read This Summer
Hand-picked reads from Strand.
Summer is just around the corner with warm weather, rooftop hangs, and summer reads! Make sure you add some of these upcoming releases to your summer list of things to do, and you’ll be cooler than ice cream 🍦. Pencil these book birthdays into your planner, and get fresh new books just in time for a picnic in the park.
Pops by Michael Chabon (available now)
The author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay has returned, this time with a with a collection of essays illuminating the meaning of fatherhood. This collection is centered Chabon’s essay in GQ, which focuses on his experience witnessing his son’s passion for fashion in at Paris Fashion Week.
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware (available now)
In true Agatha Christie style, this book will make a fantastic summer read. Misplaced inheritance, tarot readings, and a good dose of suspense round out this mystery pick, which is also featured in our June Book HookUp.
Sexographies by Gabriela Wiener (available now)
This is the first English-translated work of Peruvian journalist Gabriela Wiener, and it does not disappoint. From visiting an exiled polygamist family to attending a dominatrix’s workshop to interviewing famed author Isabel Allende, Wiener’s journalistic explorations are fascinating and diverse, keeping readers enthralled chapter to chapter.
Florida by Lauren Groff (June 5)
tbh, literally everyone is buzzing about this book, and with good reason. Fates and Furies author Lauren Groff has made a resounding return with this short story collection focused on the experiences in life that make us feel most alive. Signed copies will be available after June 8th at Strand!
There There by Tommy Orange (June 5)
A debut for the ages. There There jumps off the page and shines a light on the lives of Native Americans in the city who are traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow, all for different reasons. Poetic and complex, Tommy Orange shares a culture that is often underrepresented in this novel, which is our featured fiction pick in the June Book HookUp.
Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl (June 5)
High school friends reunit at the seaside, but end up stuck in a rift of time while haunted by unanswered questions surrounding one friend’s sudden death. Featured in the Young Adult book box, this pick is checking all the right boxes.
The Terrible: A Storyteller’s Memoir by Yrsa Daley-Ward (June 5)
In her memoir that is part poetry, part prose, Yrsa Daley-Ward beautifully recounts her life thus far, equally reflecting on the wonderful and the terrible. Meet Yrsa in person and get a signed copy of The Terrible at Strand on June 11th.
Sick: A Memoir by Porochista Khakpour (June 5)
Porochista has spend much of her life suffering from an unknown illness, and though a diagnoses was eventually found, years of mental illness and addiction had taken their toll. Read as Khakpour boldly chronicles the broken medical systems, uncertainty of the future and her own transformation.
The World as It Is by Ben Rhodes (June 5)
Ben Rhodes rose from being a speechwriter for Barack Obama during his initial presidential campaigns to serving as one of his closest aides. Spanning 10 years, The World As It Is lends a narrative to one of the most iconic presidencies in history.
The Book of M by Peng Shepherd (June 5)
In the near future, people begin to lost their shadows at random. This phenomenon is a prequel to gaining surreal powers, but at the cost of losing all of your memories. Peng Shepherd has created thought-provoking novel that explores memory and human connection in The Book of M, which is featured in our June Book HookUp.
Niblet & Ralph by Zachariah Ohora (June 5)
Niblet and Ralph are two cool cats who may look alike, but are very different. When they decide to meet face to face, they accidentally end up in each other’s apartments, and their families can’t tell them apart! This adorable picture book is featured in the June Book HookUp.
Who Is Vera Kelly? by Rosalie Knecht (June 6)
It’s 1962, and Vera Kelly is just trying to get by with her late night radio show and mesh with the underground gay scene in Greenwich Village. When her quick wit and technical skills catches the attention of the CIA, we’re taken on a journey with a first-class, modern day female spy.
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai (June 19)
Two lives are dramatically affected in different ways by the AIDS epidemic in 1980s Chicago. Praised to become a fixture in the modern classics cannon, The Great Believers centers on the ability to find goodness when all feels lost.
Dead Girls by Alice Bolin (June 26)
I Survived. The Handmaid’s Tale. Serial. There’s a pop culture phenom that is fixated on true crime and women who are abused, killed & disenfranchised. Why are we obsessed with this trope? We are excited to hear Alice Bolin’s insights on the matter for her event in the Rare Book Room on June 27th. Want a signed copy but can’t make it to the event? This book is also featured in our Feminist Literature Book Box this June.
How To Be Famous by Caitlin Moran (July 3)
There can never be enough Caitlin Moran! In her latest novel, magazine writer Johanna Morrigan has lost her bestie and long-time crush John to the famous BritPop scene. She hatches a plan to win him back via a monthly advice column that reads a manual on how to be famous. But will it work? Ask Caitlin more about How To Be Famous on July 9th when she is at Strand!
Unclean Jobs for Women and Girls: Stories by Alissa Nutting (July 3)
Nutting’s latest story collection focuses on women overcoming all too common issues in surreal situations. Pushing through the unbelievable, the core the these tales are “ringing with deep truths about gender, authority…and the female body”.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh (July 10)
From the outside, it looks as though our narrator has everything she needs to live a fabulous, comfortable life. But her sizable inheritance came at the price of losing her parents, and her boyfriend and best friend both frequently teeter between being toxic and terrific. By truly extreme measures, the narrator tries to escape her circumstances. Meet Ottessa Moshfegh at Strand on July 30th.
Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott (July 17)
Their friendship bloomed in high school, but was shut down by a dark secret. 10 years later, Kit and Diane must confront each other as they rival for a coveted, career-making job and become caught in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
I Can’t Date Jesus by Michael Arceneaux (July 24)
In a style that hearkens to Phoebe Robinson and David Sedaris, Michael Arceneaux’s collection of essays boldly illuminate a small faction of society that deserves a stronger voice. Speaking frankly and humorously about life as a creative, gay black man growing up in Texas, you can hear from Michael in person at Strand on July 25th.
The Incendiaries by RO Kwon (July 31)
Phoebe and Will, two college students who met on their first day, are pulled toward the safety of religious inclusiveness when they’ve lost there way, willingly and not. When Phoebe’s group turn out to be an extremist cult who is tied to the bombings of several buildings, Will begins to obsessively search for Phoebe, who has disappeared.
Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras (July 31)
Seven-year-old Chula is safe from the violent rule of the drug lord Pablo Escobar inside her gated community in Colombia. But when her family hires a young girl, Petrona, as a live in maid, Chula is determined to understand her unusual ways and begins to get a taste of what is happening in the world outside. Based on the author’s real life, this one is un-put-down-able.
American Fix by Ryan Hampton (August 28)
Where is the action? Where is the rage? Author Ryan Hampton, tired of action-less politicians, addresses the opioid crisis in America using his personal addiction and recovery experiences to provide concrete plans of action.
