Fresh Book Hook Ups
New releases and classic must-reads to round out your autumn
Nothing says “read me” like a crisp, smelly, hardcover, fresh-from-the-printer newly release book. We’ve selected 9 of these beauts to pair with enticing paperbacks for our most recent subscription boxes. While it is too late to order the September Book HookUp (also, we kind of sold out of everything!), you don’t have to miss out on this diverse collection of fresh reads. If you’re looking for something new to launch your autumn reading list to the next level, these finds will make it happen.
P.S. We are taking orders now for the December Book HookUp. We’re not saying we’ll definitely sell out again, but just in case, don’t wait too long to grab one!
FICTION
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward stuns with her latest novel about a dysfunctional family living on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. Focusing primarily on a young boy named Jojo and his drug-addicted mother, Ward intertwines narratives from the American past and the current struggles of a black family beset by loss, addiction, and incarceration in order to offer a glimmer of hope and healing.
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
This groundbreaking personal account of racial injustice condemns a racist society and reminds contemporary readers of just how little has changed since Baldwin first wrote these two masterful letters on the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation. One letter informs his nephew of the perils of being black in a white-dominant society while the other contains Baldwin’s commentary on race and society.
YOUNG ADULT
Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
Suspenseful and intriguing, Genuine Fraud follows the lives of two similar-looking orphans turned friends involved in a high-stakes mystery. Both characters defy stereotypically female character roles, one as a swindling runaway heiress and the other as an opportunistic athlete. E. Lockhart’s dizzying thriller takes readers on a journey of identity from end to beginning in an array of big-city locations sure to enthrall any book lover.
POLITICAL NONFICTION
Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder
Award-winning journalist Jessica Bruder offers readers a fascinating glimpse at a community of older transient laborers across America who live in RVs, trailers, and vans. These predominantly white, single, and female low-income Americans seeking seasonal employment exemplify resilience, though many of them were victims of the 2008 U.S. Housing Crisis.
The Trouble With Reality by Brooke Gladstone
This sharp analysis of modern day media in Western culture shows how individuals acquire biases and are shaped by culture’s obsession with social media and sensational television. As an example, Gladstone interprets Trump’s manipulative tweets in order to show how reality is distorted by the Trump team and then consumed by the masses. In addition to her pointed critique, the author also provides a workable solution for those willing to question mass media’s message.
FEMINIST LITERATURE
Crash Override by Zoë Quinn
Game developer Zoe Quinn reveals how she survived one of the most brutal cyber-bullying campaigns against women in internet history, Gamergate. She exposes the depth of the harassment she received online and shares how she not only overcame her overwhelming circumstances, but how she became an important figure in anti-bullying activism as the CEO of Crash Override Network, an organization that aids victims of online abuse.
Women Who Run With Wolves by Clarissa P. Estes
New York Times Bestseller and book club pick for Emma Watson’s “Our Shared Shelf,” this profound exploration of the nature of womanhood examines folklore and myth surrounding female identity. Utilizing intriguing stories and well-established female archetypes, Estés inspires readers to tap into their innate spirituality and learn to trust their feminine intuition, no matter the journey.
MYSTERY & SUSPENSE
The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld
This captivating mystery follows a private investigator, Naomi, as she tries to help a family find their missing daughter. With a talent the stems from her own experiences as a lost child, Naomi find special connection and a unique understanding of misplaced youth and is nicknamed by local law enforcement as “The Child Finder.” Swirling between investigation, memory, and dream, this gripping tale reveals the true strength of a human’s need to survive.
Claire Dewitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran
Sara Gran has captured us with a debut mystery series, much because of the compelling title character. Claire Dewitt is tough, wise-cracking, and determined, much do to her unconventional PI inspirator Jacques Silette. But when Silette’s student (Dewitt’s mentor) is murdered in New Orleans, the PI finds herself searching a post-Katrina New Orleans to find out why. Refresh your love of the genre with this gritty new series.
SCI-FI & FANTASY
Autonomous by Annalee Newitz
In 2144, nothing is free, not even you. Jack has taken up a life undercover as she manufactures and distributes medicines to the poor who cannot afford it via submarine. Jack’s latest hack, however, is highly addictive and leaving a trail of victims of overdose. A military agent and his robotic partner follow her in hopes of covering up the far more sinister origin of her drug’s unfortunate effects. Exploring medical ethics, big pharm, and a future that is all too possible, we are totally in for Newitz debut novel!
Count Zero by William Gibson
This, the second of William Gibson’s cyberpunk trilogy Sprawl, takes places seven years after Neuromancer. Gibson brings to life a world ruled by the rich, corporate overloads and the competition that drives them. We follow Mercenary Turner, charged with capturing a scientist and his highly sought biotech, Bobby, a computer whiz charged with testing the new tech that almost kills him, and art gallery owner Marly, contacted by the mysterious Virek via cyberspace looking to grow a new body as he loses his battle with cancer. It’s a classic, action packed adventure of the future.
TIMELESS FAVORITES
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
A darkly humorous story that is deliciously perfect for the upcoming Halloween season. One seldom visits Blackwood House for a casual social call, due to the high number of deaths that take place there. Four family member are gone, and three remain. Merricat, our narrator and heroine, lives at the manor with her sister Constance and Uncle Julian. There peaceful, albeit odd, existence is disturbed by a cousin who is after the family fortune, and when he pushes to far to get what he wants, dark secrets come creeping out. Full of a macabre atmosphere, Jackson’s novel takes a look at what “normal” is, and why anyone would want such a thing.
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
Shortlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize and recommended by David Sedaris on his 2016 book tour, Eileen is the story of young women who is trapped between caring for an alcoholic father and working a depressing job at a prison for young boys. She escapes through fantasy and petty shoplifting, but it isn’t until she (impossibly) befriends the new girl at work that her life makes an unexpected twist of Hitchcockian proportions. Moshfegh’s impressive debut is strange, dark, and full of surprises that will keep you captivated to the very end.
ART
Nausea by Ron Jude
This collection of photographs, taken in the late 90’s by photographer Ron Jude, showcases public schools in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Atlanta, Georgia from a perspective that is both curious and dark. Ron Jude twists our perspective that institutional learning is stark and banal by providing portraits of empty classrooms through janky windows, cracks, and crevices, offering a nuanced, voyeuristic glimpse into otherwise disregarded facilities.
LITTLE READERS
The Lost Picnic by B.B. Cronin
From award-winning children’s author B.B. Cronin comes another adorable favorite. This colorful treat is about a grandfather and his grandchildren who plan a picnic in the country only to discover that their food is missing! Children will love helping this little family find their lost food while enjoying the beautiful illustrations on every page.
Where’s Waldo Now? by Martin Handford
Where’s Waldo Now? is a lighter, slimmer take on the classic Where’s Waldo series with added puzzles and coloring opportunities. Perfect for connecting with your kids during family time and for teaching your little ones logic and focusing skills, this is a delightful addition to your kid’s collection.
If you like what you read, give us a 👏 so other readers can enjoy it, too!
For more literary content, follow Strand on Instagram 📷, Twitter 🐥, and Facebook 👤. Plus, sign up for our 📩 Strand Insider newsletter 💌!
