What To Read

The Books People Can't Stop Talking About Right Now

...Plus, a few that we think will make some waves.

Tertulia staff •

Mar 1st, 2024

Sally Rooney Has a New Book Coming Out

On Thursday, news broke that Irish novelist superstar Sally Rooney would release a new book called Intermezzo this coming September. If you haven’t already read Rooney, you’re probably familiar with her fame as a millennial cultural icon whose star rose from cult fave to critics’ darling with the publication of her last novel Beautiful World Where Are You? Advance copies of the forthcoming novel, which follows the lives of two brothers in the wake of their father’s death, will surely be “the status galley of the summer,” as Vanity Fair’s Delia Cai called galleys of her last book. Stay tuned for more updates! Preorder your copy on Tertulia.

Talk is Cheap. Great Communication is Priceless, According to Charles Duhigg

If you’re a podcast listener, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard an interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg, this past week. His new book Supercommunicators seems to be everywhere. We look forward to seeing it give Atomic Habits a good run for its money on the self-help bestsellers lists. Whether you’re on a first date, on the first day at a new job or celebrating your 21st anniversary with a spouse, this book promises communication strategies that can ensure better connection with your conversation partner. Get Duhigg’s tips on how to be a supercommunicator.

"To Be a Jew Today" Comes Out on Tuesday

Law professor Noah Feldman wrote a conversation-starting cover story for TIME this week on antisemitism since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which gives readers a taste of his forthcoming book To Be a Jew Today. In The New Yorker, Gideon Lewis-Kraus wrote that the book invites “a more capacious understanding of Jewish lives and Jewish futures in the diaspora” through “judicious, sober genealogies of the political and spiritual conflicts that have afflicted Jewish communities in light of their relationships to Israel.” Preorder your copy on Tertulia.

The Viral Appeal of Romantasy Phenom Sarah J. Maas Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

Arguably, Sarah J. Maas is the match that lit the entire genre of romantasy (a mash-up of steamy romance and high fantasy) on fire. To give you a sense of scale, the hashtag #ACOTAR, referring to her A Court of Thorns and Roses series on TikTok, has nearly 9 billion views. Curious to understand what is driving the obsession of all those Maassassins? We recommend starting with the Throne of Glass series, but be mindful that it really picks up in book #3 according to the superfans.

Rave Reviews for Tommy Orange’s Follow-up Novel Keep Rolling In

This “dazzling work of literary fiction” is a “towering achievement” that acts as “an eloquent indictment of the devastating long-term effects of the massacre, dislocation and forced assimilation of Native Americans,” and “is also a heartfelt paean to the importance of family and of ancestors' stories in recovering a sense of belonging and identity.” That’s just a sample of this week’s reviews of Wandering Stars in the New York Times, NPR and The Boston Globe. See for yourself why the book is bringing critics to their knees.

Kara Swisher’s Book is So Burning Hot That AI Knock-Offs Are Flooding Amazon

Burn Book, the new memoir-cum-tech-chronicle by reigning tech journalism queen Kara Swisher, was poised to get a ton of attention given her influence and her entertaining knack for takedowns of the tech elite like Bill Gates, who she called in the book “the world’s wealthiest Goofus to Jobs’ elegant Gallant.” Apparently, interest in derivative AI-generated biographies of Swisher have cropped up to capture readers’ curiosity about her insider knowledge of Silicon Valley. Get your copy of Burn Book, an authentic first draft of tech history that will surely have staying power.

Dune: The Blockbuster Behind the Blockbuster

Considered by many to be among the greatest and most influential sci-fi books of all time, Dune has found a whole new fan base of readers with the popularity of Denis Villeneuve’s acclaimed screen adaptation about a future intergalactic feudal society. Even just the first of Frank Herbert’s six Dune novels is a commitment, but we promise you’ll have plenty of company reading along with you and debating whether the adaptation has strayed too far. If you’re already a superfan, check out this exquisite coffee table book that explores the Dune film including writings by actor Josh Brolin and set photography from cinematographer Greig Fraser.

An Open Book About Open Marriage: Molly Roden Winter Touches a Nerve With Her Memoir of Polyamory

It’s not just the unfiltered sexual details that have readers talking about More: A Memoir of Open Marriage. The release of Molly Roden Winter’s debut comes during a period of increased interest in polyamory, and adults have been fascinated by how she recounts her journey of exploring and embracing open marriage over a 10-year period of juggling a career and childcare. The book has gone viral, the subject of many a Reddit thread and trend articles in the New Yorker and The Atlantic. Whether you are polyamorous, polycurious or believe that it’s all a fad, it’s hard not to delve into this book, which is actually beautifully written.

The Legacy of a Geriatric Style Icon in Technicolor

Iris Apfel, who passed away on Friday at the age of 102, was probably cooler than you and probably knew how to have more fun. This one-of-a-kind designer and entrepreneur had planned to release her latest book Colorful this coming August. All the designers and fashionistas suffering withdrawal from her colorful Instagram, and celebrating her legacy, are going to want to get their hands on this book and share their inspo from the 300 photographs inside.