What To Read

New Arrivals for April: Notable Book Releases Updated Weekly

Tertulia •

Apr 24th, 2023

Today is New Books Tuesday! Here’s a selection of the new and notable releases out this week including: the latest release from the queen of fun summer rom-coms, the first release published by singer John Legend's Get Lifted imprint, an inquiry into how (or whether) to appreciate great art made by terrible people and a queer sci-fi fantasy with nods to Pinocchio.

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FICTION

The Eden Test by Adam Sternbergh

This unnerving thriller from an Edgar Award finalist is about a seemingly picture-perfect couple who retreats to a secluded upstate New York cabin for a last-ditch effort to save their marriage. This psychologically intense tale is brimming with headgames, deception, surly locals and a radical couples therapy program that threatens to expose their deepest secrets and desires.

Happy Place by Emily Henry

So many readers—including Drew Barrymore—have become obsessed with Henry’s knack for writing fun and addictive romances. Just in time for beach read season comes this latest novel featuring a broken up couple pretending they’re still together while on vacation in Maine with friends. Add a charming cottage, some wine and cheese, plus an abundance of buttery local lobster, and you’ve got one tasty seaside escape. *A Tertulia staff pick for April.

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

This captivating, dark thriller set amid the racial strife of 1970s Boston is already on deck to become an Apple TV+ series. When a teenage girl from the city’s hardscrabble Irish enclave Southie goes missing during a sweltering heat wave, her mother’s desperate search begins to rankle the city’s feared Irish mob. Lehane’s brutal page-turner captures a bitterly divided city on edge during the historic desegregation of its public schools.

Rosewater by Liv Little

This debut novel is the first offering from singer John Legend's Get Lifted imprint, which includes both fiction and non-fiction with an eye toward critical inquiries around race, culture, history and social justice. The coming-of-age tale follows a financially-strapped Black queer poet from South London who gets evicted from her flat and moves in with an old friend, thus embarking on a hookup-filled, couch-surfing journey towards self-discovery and healing.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

A delightful and whimsical queer retelling of Pinocchio from the author of the celebrated The House in the Cerulean Sea. When their beloved android progenitor is sent back to the factory for reprogramming, an unlikely family—including a neurotic Roomba, a sassy nurse bot and a human named Vic—sets off on a daring rescue mission to a strange and unforgiving land. *A Tertulia staff pick for April.

NONFICTION

Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic by Simon Winchester

The British author of popular history, Simon Winchester (The Professor and the Madman) has taken on the ambitious topic of how humans have acquired, retained, and disseminated information over time. From the earliest encyclopedias to the now-omnipresent Wikipedia, Winchester expertly navigates the evolution of knowledge diffusion, and raises vital questions about the very nature of knowing in a world where information is easily accessible.

Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love (and Banana Pudding) by Laura Dern

When Academy Award winner Laura Dern’s mom, the actor Diane Ladd, got sick with a difficult illness, her doctors prescribed long walks to rebuild her lung capacity. Dern and her mother were soon taking long walks together while engaged in deep conversations that broke down the few barriers that remained between them. The result is this ode to the cherished bond between mothers and daughters.

Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer

Can we still love a Picasso painting despite the undeniable pain he caused women, or groove to MJ in light of the sexual abuse claims against him? In the age of #MeToo, it’s become next to impossible to separate art from the person making it, an issue the author tackled in her viral Paris Review essay in 2017. Here she digs deeper for a thought-provoking take on how modern audiences grapple with the work of “monstrous” geniuses like Woody Allen, Miles Davis, Roman Polanski and other deeply flawed artists.

The Ugly History of Beautiful Things: Essays on Desire and Consumption by Katy Kelleher

From blood diamonds to silk harvested by child labor, lipstick made from crushing bugs to the hidden hazard of your marble countertop, there’s a concealed cost to the things we cherish. Veteran journalist and style writer Katy Kelleher does a deeply researched dive into the darkness that lurks beneath the things we cherish most in this unique book. Blending science, history and memoir, the book is a provocation that asks readers to examine their own relationships with the beautiful objects that adorn their body and grace their homes.

Ordinary Notes by Christina Sharpe

Through a series of 248 notes that blend personal and public artifacts, the author of the acclaimed In the Wake: On Blackness and Being has created an immersive collage of everyday Black existence. Sharpe, currently the Black Studies chair at York University in Toronto, mines history, art, photos and literature, as well as her own family memories, to arrive at a deeply personal yet broadly relatable portrait of the Black experience.

Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution by Rainn Wilson

Judging from his books, Rainn Wilson couldn’t be more different from the socially awkward dork, Dwight, he famously played on The Office. As the co-founder of Soul Pancake, a hit digital media company dedicated to producing uplifting content, the comedic actor regularly spreads the gospel of positive thinking. And in this earnest yet humor-inflected call to action, he expounds on his belief that spirituality can offer a path forward in a world besieged by mental health challenges, racism, climate change and economic injustice.

Other New Releases This Week

FICTION

Ascension by Nicholas Binge

For You and Only You: A Joe Goldberg Novel by Caroline Kepnes

Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater

Ghost Girl Banana by Wiz Wharto

Tsalmoth by Steven Brust

The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher

NONFICTION

Affinities: On Art and Fascination by Brian Dillon by Brian Dillon

Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You: A Memoir by Lucinda Williams

Chita: A Memoir by Chita Rivera

Class War: A Literary History by Mark Steven

The Wellness Trap by Christy Harrison

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New Arrivals | Notable Releases for the Week of April 17, 2023

FICTION

The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel

A mother and her teenage daughters set out on a seemingly mundane Arctic expedition, but things take an exciting turn when they discover a perfectly preserved baby mammoth. From Siberia to Iceland to Italy, they embark on a wild journey to bring life to a creature that could forever change their world. This tale explores the possibilities and perils of scientific exploration, the resilience of women in male-dominated fields and the beauty of family bonds.

The Chicago Review of Books' Michael Welch described it as “an incredibly sharp and sweeping novel about our modern planet with an intimate emotional core.”

Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb

When renowned professor Bern Hendricks discovers that the most famous American composer of all time, Frederick Delaney, may have stolen his music from a young Black composer named Josephine Reed, Bern becomes determined to uncover the truth and give credit where credit is due.

Kirkus gave the book a rave review: “The dialogue in the novel sparkles, and the author does a brilliant job building suspense... writing with a refreshing looseness and well-earned confidence. This is a superb novel that will appeal to any thriller fan... Sophomore novels don’t get much better than this.”

Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina

Follow Anna Horn, a young Native girl, as she embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearances of women from her tribe's reservation. After her own sister disappears, Anna must delve into her people’s myths and stories to uncover the source of the reservation’s hauntings. Part thriller, part mythological horror, Medina’s debut was one of Goodreads’ Most Anticipated Books of Spring.

City of Dreams by Don Winslow

The latest from a celebrated crime novelist, this is the second book in “The City” trilogy. The first volume in the series, City on Fire, was a runaway bestseller last year, and is already being adapted for a film on FX with Oscar nominee Austin Butler.

In his review of the first book of the trilogy, Richard Lipez wrote in The Washington Post: “The gangland history is fascinating and seems to be based loosely on the rise and fall of the real-life Patriarca family. But it’s Winslow’s ways with character, as well as his fluid narrative and highly visual scene-setting, that suggest this novel, the first in a planned trilogy, could well end up in the American-mob canon along with the works of Puzo, Scorsese and Chase.”

Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal

Mariel Prager and her husband Ned are struggling to keep her family’s beloved restaurant afloat amidst financial and personal challenges. Ned, who is heir to a chain of home-style diners, must decide whether to prioritize his wife’s restaurant or the potentially more lucrative, but soulless chain. When tragedy strikes, both families are left reeling, and the fate of their legacies hangs in the balance. With richly drawn characters and a vividly painted setting, this novel is a portrait of resilient and kind-hearted Midwesterners and a testament to the enduring power of love and hope.

In her review in the StarTribune, Christine Brunkhorst wrote: “There are tensions and tragedies but also joy throughout the 85 years of the novel. Stradal is a genius at world-building. And his is a pleasant world filled with charming folk such as those you might encounter in a Lorna Landvik novel.”

NONFICTION

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

“For fascinating and gripping voyages into the past, few do it better than David Grann,” wrote Tobias Carroll for InsideHook. The prolific New Yorker staff writer’s latest story begins in 1740, with His Majesty's Ship the Wager setting sail from England on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. When the ship crashes off the coast of Patagonia, the marooned crew quickly falls into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for control. After two opposing groups wash up on the coast of Brazil a few months a part, accusations of mutiny and murder are tossed by each side, and a court martial is assembled to determine who to set free and who to hang.

Culture writer Chris Vognar tweeted about the book, “narrative nonfiction at its finest, a dark seafaring saga that lets you feel the sting of freezing saltwater against the face.” Also on Twitter, academic Norman Ornstein called author David Grann “a master storyteller and a great historian, a rare combination” and described the book as “a page-turner, a compelling tale that could make a great novel, but is even better as a non-fiction book.”

Life in Five Senses by Gretchen Rubin

Known for her writing on happiness and habits, Rubin shares her journey toward living a fuller and more mindful life by tuning into the world around us through using the five senses. Drawing on science, philosophy, and literature, she shows readers how to connect with the world, find happiness and ultimately live with more vitality and love.

In his regular appearance on Today, author Harlan Coben recommended the book, calling Rubin “the perfect guide for those seeking new ways to find joy and fulfillment in our daily lives.”

Good Girls: A Story and Study of Anorexia by Hadley Freeman

This memoir is a first-person account of one of the most widely discussed but least understood mental illnesses: anorexia. The author combines personal experience with deep reporting about the illness, and ultimately presents a hopeful outlook on how it can be overcome.

The Guardian’s Fiona Sturges called it a “clear-eyed, sometimes upsetting but also bleakly funny account of this most slippery illness and what it feels like from the inside.”

The Earth Transformed: An Untold History by Peter Frankopan

From the rise and fall of civilizations to the collapse of empires, Frankopan demonstrates how the earth's climate has always played an influential role in shaping human life. The book illuminates how past societies, like the Moche civilization in South America and Vikings in Scandinavia, were profoundly affected by nature's unpredictable forces. The narrative, which blends historical writing with cutting-edge scientific research, provides a radical perspective on climate change.

Historians Simon Sebag Montefiore and Jessie Childs were full of praise for the book on Twitter. Montefiore described the book as “Something beautiful but also fascinating and exciting… superb,” while Childs said she was “in complete awe at how [Frankopan] has distilled so much research & science with such economy, clarity & narrative brio. An extraordinary, urgent, vital book.”

Not Funny: Essays on Life, Comedy, Culture, Et Cetera by Jena Friedman

In this debut collection, Academy Award-nominated writer and comedian Jena Friedman fearlessly tackles some of today's most controversial topics with her trademark wit and incisive commentary. In this subversive take on modern life, Friedman’s unique ability to find humor in even the darkest of situations is on full display. Not Funny is a must-read for fans of the observant comedy of Hannah Gadsby, Lindy West, and Sarah Silverman.

On Twitter, stand-up comedian and actor Patton Oswalt called the book “hilarious” and had particular praise for the section where Friedman “asks male comics every cringey question female comics get asked.”

Tasting History: Explore the Past Through 4,000 Years of Recipes (a Cookbook) by Max Miller

Embark on a culinary journey across space and time with this cookbook from YouTube star Max Miller, who shares his passion for food and history by bringing ancient recipes back to life with a modern twist. Delight in more than 60 dishes from Ancient Rome to Ming China, and beyond, all accompanied by stunning photographs and illustrations. Tasting History is not just a cookbook, it's an invitation to explore the fascinating stories and legacies behind each recipe.

"Like Julie & Julia with a little Indiana Jones (or maybe National Treasure), Miller good-naturedly and with obvious passion shares not only his experiments (some more successful than others) but also his research... With gourmet photography and thoughtful period artwork, the book (and videos) are the perfect way to make history come alive, in your imagination and on your palate." — Shana Nys Dambrot in LA Weekly

Other New Releases This Week

FICTION

Simply Lies: A Psychological Thriller by David Baldacci

Where Are the Children Now? By Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook

Greek Lessons by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith and Emily Yae Won

NONFICTION

Without Children: The Long History of Not Being a Mother by Peggy O'Donnell Heffington

Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues by Jonathan Kennedy

Under Alien Skies: A Sightseer's Guide to the Universe by Philip Plait

The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions by Jonathan Rosen

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New Arrivals | Notable Releases for the Week of April 10, 2023

FICTION

The Trackers by Charles Frazier

The National Book Award-winning author of Cold Mountain is back with a paint-splattered mystery set in the American West during the Great Depression. When a wealthy patron’s wife absconds with a valuable painting, a plucky New Deal artist embarks on a mission to track her down amidst the grit and turmoil of 1930s America. *A Tertulia staff pick for April.

Calling Ukraine by Johannes Lichtman

The Such Good Work author’s second act is a darkly comical expat novel about a clueless American who takes a job in pre-invasion Ukraine on a whim, training call center employees to sound more American. Despite little knowledge of the language or culture, he’s soon caught up in a romantic entanglement that leads to disastrous consequences.

Life and Other Love Songs by Anissa Gray

This family saga is set against the backdrop of the Great Migration, 1970s Detroit, and 1990s New York. When a beloved father disappears on his 37th birthday, his wife and daughter must piece together the complex life of a man they thought they knew.

Old Flame by Molly Prentiss

An introspective novel about friendship, love and life choices from the author of Tuesday Nights in 1980 that dissects the complexities of modern womanhood. The plot revolves around a New York ad copy writer struggling to find herself when her world is upended by an unplanned pregnancy.

Hit Parade of Tears by Izumi Suzuki

A collection of 11 newly translated short stories from the Japanese sci-fi author and actor whose brilliant, strange life ended tragically in 1986. Anyone ready to dip a toe into the cult following of Suzuki will encounter weird space babies, punished husbands, medical mishaps and references to seminal Japanese rock, with the author’s wild imagination and dark humor interwoven throughout.

Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah

In mid-aughts England, a Black gay college dropout hits rock bottom, but his life is forever changed by an unexpected friendship with a birdwatching, rugby-loving Oasis fan and their close-knit group of pals.

NONFICTION

Lebron by Jeff Benedict

A bestselling sports biographer known for blockbuster books on Tiger Woods and the New England Patriots turns his attention to the reigning king of hoops. This carefully researched portrait follows King James’ storybook ascent from an impoverished childhood to teen phenom to basketball superstar, social activist and business tycoon.

On the Origin of Time by Thomas Hertog

One of Stephen Hawking’s closest collaborators reveals the dramatic story behind Hawking’s final and perhaps most radical theory. This extraordinary yet accessible memoir guides readers through the fascinating possibilities of our cosmic beginnings.

True West: Sam Shepard's Life, Work, and Times by Robert Greenfield

Late American theater and film icon Sam Shepard was famously private, and this biography marks the fourth attempt to unmask his enigmatic life. A veteran rock biographer with books about Jerry Garcia, Bill Graham and Timothy Leary under his belt, Greenfield follows the prolific Pulitzer winner’s long journey from a small town in California to internationally known playwright and movie star.

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith

A bestselling poet’s reflections on grief, renewal, family and endurance in the face of heartbreak. Through candid vignettes, the Goldenrod author grapples with the disintegration of her marriage amid the complexity of middle age. *A Tertulia staff pick for April.

Other New Releases This Week:

FICTION:

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

The Weight by Jeff Boyd

Chrysalis by Anna Metcalfe

I Could Live Here Forever by Hanna Halperin

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda

NONFICTION:

Alexandra Petri's US History: Important American Documents by Alexandra Petri

Irma: The Education of a Mother's Son by Terry McDonell

The Dead Are Gods by Eirinie Carson

Koresh: The True Story of David Koresh and the Tragedy at Waco by Stephan Talty

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New Arrivals | Notable Releases for the Week of April 3, 2023

FICTION

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

In this sexy SNL send-up, an exasperated late-night comedy show writer who’s soured on finding love meets a dreamy pop star who flips her dating worldview upside down. This is the seventh novel from the author of Prep (her break-out bestselling debut), Rodham (an alternative history of Hilary Clinton), and Eligible (a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice).

The People Who Report More Stress: Stories by Alejandro Varela

Anxious everyday New Yorkers are the stars of these interconnected tales spun by the author of National Book Award finalist The Town of Babylon. In his latest, Varela turns his satirical eye on wealthy Scandinavians, politicized speed dates, designer side hustles and the complex hierarchies of gentrified Brooklyn.

Panther Gap by James A. McLaughlin

This thrilling follow-up to the Edgar Award-winning Bearskin follows two estranged siblings as they fight off drug cartels and homegrown terrorists to get their hands on a massive inheritance. *A Tertulia staff pick for April.

Cursed Bread by Sophie Mackintosh

A mesmerizing novel about a mysterious mass poisoning from the Booker Prize-nominated author of the feminist revenge fantasy novel, The Water Cure. Set in a small French town in the early 1950s, Cursed Bread was recently nominated for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

This Bird Has Flown by Susanna Hoffs

This humorous debut from Susanna Hoffs, co-founder of beloved '80s band The Bangles, takes readers on a romantic rollercoaster following a fading one-hit wonder who gets a second chance at love and stardom after meeting a handsome stranger on a flight. *A Tertulia staff pick for April.

House of Cotton by Monica Brashears

A darkly subversive and highly anticipated debut set in the hardscrabble American South. Magnolia is a nineteen-year old gas station clerk struggling to make ends meet when a mysterious stranger offers her a suspicious new job that could finally turn her life around.

NONFICTION

A Living Remedy: A Memoir by Nicole Chung

A highly-anticipated, provocative memoir about a daughter's love for her white adoptive parents and a scathing rebuke of the American health-care system that failed them in their final years. *A Tertulia staff pick for April.

Look at the Lights, My Love by Annie Ernaux

From the 2022 Nobel Prize winner comes a slim volume tackling a giant modern phenomenon. The celebrated French author muses on modern capitalism and consumer culture following a year’s worth of trips to a big box superstore outside of Paris.

The Language of Trees by Katie Holten

A love letter to trees, illustrated and assembled by an acclaimed Irish artist and nature activist. This hefty hardcover features foliage-friendly odes from more than 50 eclectic contributors ranging from Plato to Radiohead to Jorge Luis Borges. This book makes a beautiful gift!

George VI and Elizabeth by Sally Bedell Smith

A carefully researched love story about the devoted couple who helmed the British Monarchy during the dark days of World War II. The veteran biographer was granted exclusive access by Queen Elizabeth II to her parents’ letters, diaries and other private documents to craft this hefty must-read for fans of the English crown.

Flying Green: On the Frontiers of New Aviation by Christopher de Bellaigue

One of the most notable new books on climate and the environment, Flying Green is the story of the search for a way to fly green. Author Christopher de Bellaigue introduces readers to the inventors, visionaries, and entrepreneurs who are at the frontier of new technologies, from a European startup that makes fuel out of thin air, to an airship called the Flying Whale.