What To Read

Every month, we share the books we can't wait to read. This month we've got the newly announced 2023 Booker Prize winner, a psychological thriller set in the theater world, dating advice from a TikTok star, an entertaining history book (great gift!) and a series of dispatches from the International Space Station.

FICTION

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (Dec. 5)

Fresh off winning this year's Booker Prize, Grove Atlantic has responded to clamoring demand and moved up the U.S. release date to 12/5. The book, set in the near future, follows a Dublin scientist and mother-of-four, Eilish Stack, who must contend with the harsh winds of a society in the midst of a dystopian upheaval and a government inching towards tyranny. I was sold on this book as soon as I read The Guardian review which said, “If there was ever a crucial book for our current times, it's Paul Lynch's Prophet Song… a brilliant, haunting novel that should be placed into the hands of policymakers everywhere.” The book was also featured in Tertulia's First Dibs salon in October. You can read an exclusive editor's note about the book here. – Emmanuel Hidalgo-Wohlleben

Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Dec. 5)

Harvey's fifth novel is a brief glimpse into the minds of six multinational astronauts as their eyes, hearts, and minds, look searchingly towards Earth from their positions on the International Space Station. Over the course of 24 hours, the crew witnesses days transition to night and nights to day, they see typhoons swirl, and the unmistakable imprint of humanity on the vast landscapes below. Unsurprisingly, in light of their isolation and the immensity of their vantage point their thoughts are deeply philosophical and questioning. They muse on the meaning of existence and humanity's place in the boundless cosmos. For me, this is an irresistible set-up which I cannot wait to get my hands on. – Emmanuel Hidalgo-Wohlleben

The Wildest Sun by Asha Lemmie (Dec. 5)

The latest historical novel by the author of Fifty Words for Rain (a Good Morning America book club pick) contains a brilliant literary twist. Picture this: an aspiring writer leaves postwar Paris on a mission to find the father she’s never met. This fierce young woman travels from France to Harlem, Havana and Key West to track down her elusive father. There’s just one vital detail you won't believe: her would-be progenitor also happens to be her literary idol and none other than legendary author Ernest Hemingway! I loved the book’s brilliant premise and am excited to see how this bookish coming-of-age story ends! – Fernanda Gorgulho

Here in the Dark by Alexis Soloski (Dec. 5)

I have a feeling this one will read like Only Murders in the Building but with the added sophistication of blurring theater and reality. I'm sure I'll be done in one sitting! – Iliyah Coles

Kafka's Son by Szilárd Borbély (Dec. 6)

A huge Kafka fan myself, the title of this collection by Hungarian poet Szilárd Borbély immediately jumped out at me, touching on the issues of fatherhood explored in much of Kafka’s work. Posthumously published, this masterful collection of prose fragments weaves its way through the story of Kafka and his father’s German-Jewish Prague, as well as Borbely’s own relationship with his father and the struggles of Eastern Europe during his lifetime. – Sam Haecker

NONFICTION

Songs on Endless Repeat: Essays and Outtakes by Anthony Veasna So (Dec. 5)

A posthumous collection of heartfelt and humorous essays first published in places such as The New Yorker and n+1, paired with excerpts from an uncompleted novel, Songs on Endless Repeat touches on themes of queerness, growing up in California, and pop culture that we know and love from Anthony Veasna So's first collection of short stories, Afterparties. For those, like me, who have yet to read his bestselling short story collection, this essay collection seems like the perfect introduction to the author's work. – Laurann Harrington

I Didn't Know I Needed This: The New Rules for Flirting, Feeling, and Finding Yourself by Eli Rallo (Dec. 12)

I first came across Eli Rallo through her jar videos on TikTok and stayed on her page to hear all of her "rules" for dating, surviving cuffing season, being in your 20s, and more. Now she's compiled that helpful information into what promises to be an insightful yet hilariously entertaining how-to guide for milliennials and Gen-Z trying to make it out alive on the other side of dating apps and messy, one-sided friendships. – Laurann Harrington

Black TV: Five Decades of Groundbreaking Television from Soul Train to Black-Ish and Beyond by Bethonie Butler (Dec. 5)

A necessary and long overdue breakdown of the masterpiece that is Black television; I can't wait to see if my favorites made it. I absolutely need to know a critic's perspective on Insecure! – Iliyah Coles

The Rest Is History: From Ancient Rome to Ronald Reagan—History's Most Curious Questions, Answered by Goalhanger Podcasts (Dec. 5)

There are thousands of great podcasts inspired by books and reading, but every once in awhile a great podcast actually inspires a great book. If you haven't already listened to The Rest is History pod from historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, give it a listen. (They are currently in the midst of a riveting series of episodes on JFK that's a great place to start!) This book, a companion to the podcast series, sounds like an accessible and entertaining guide to the essential and often enigmatic moments in history through a Q&A format. Great gift for the history buff too! – Lynda Hammes

PLUS, A COOKBOOK

Dinner Tonight: 100 Simple, Healthy Recipes for Every Night of the Week by Alex Snodgrass (Dec. 26)

Dinner is hands-down the most tedious decision I have to make every day. I get so frustrated that sometimes I just order in. I need this book. 100+ recipes is 100+ days I won't have to worry about dinner. – Iliyah Coles