What To Read

Every month, we share the books we can't wait to read. Our September staff picks include: the latest from Brit lit star and Booker winner Ian McEwan, a tour of iconic cemeteries from queen of horror Mariana Enriquez, a memoir from Grammy-winning DJ and producer Mark Ronson, and a fresh cookbook from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat author Samin Nosrat.

FICTION

What We Can Know by Ian McEwan (Sep 23)

Selected by Emmanuel Hidalgo-Wohlleben

It's 2119. Much of our world is submerged in water following a nuclear catastrophe, making information about the past elusive. Atonement author Ian McEwan has conjured up this setting for the story of a lonely scholar obsessed with the remnants of 21st century literature, namely one particular poem read during one particular dinner party in 2014. Sounds super smart, eerie and prescient - McEwan at his best!

Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela (Sep 9)

Selected by Lynda Hammes

Andrew Sean Greer called the latest novel by this National Book Award finalist “a sly, analytical opera of the heart." I adored his last story collection, The People Who Report More Stress, so I plan to be there in the front row in cocktail attire.

Happiness and Love by Zoe Dubno (Sep 2)

Selected by Fernanda Gorgulho

I love a story that traps you in a single night, and this New York art-world satire sounds like it gets the setup just right: a Lower East Side dinner party hosted by an artist-curator couple, where the guests sip natural wine, posture about art and money, and behave just as badly as you hope they will.

NONFICTION

Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave by Mariana Enriquez (Sep 30)

Selected by Romina Raimundo

Who better to wander the world’s cemeteries with than Mariana Enriquez—the queen of literary horror? In Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave, her first nonfiction, Enriquez leads us through Paris’s catacombs, Prague’s ancient graveyards, and Buenos Aires’s haunted Recoleta with wit, gothic flair, and a fascination for the spaces where the living and the dead blur. Part travelogue, part memoir, I can't wait for this spooky, life-affirming tour from a writer who never disappoints.

Night People by Mark Ronson (Sep 16)

Selected by Lynda Hammes

For anyone as nostalgic as I am for NYC’s golden club era, Night People is a love letter to ’90s New York from one of its defining icons. From chasing DJ heroes to spinning his way to stardom, Ronson captures the thrills and danger that shaped so much of the culture for my generation.

Tomorrow Is Yesterday by Hussein Agha and Robert Malley (Sep 16)

Selected by Emmanuel Hidalgo-Wohlleben

Well, if I even came close to a streak of light summer reads, it's over with this book that's required reading for me. The co-authors come with impressive credentials – Hussein Agha worked on the Oslo Accords in the 90s and Robert Malley helped negotiate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Given their expertise and decades of experience, few are likely better placed to describe and discuss the failures and mistakes that led to the horror we are now witnessing in Gaza.

Replaceable You by Mary Roach (Sep 16)

Selected by Fernanda Gorgulho

Mary Roach is known for turning meticulous research into funny, page-turning nonfiction. I had a lot of fun reading Fuzz—I still think about the 1659 Italian court case where caterpillars were put on trial for destroying gardens and even assigned their own plot of land. Her new book, Replaceable You, looks at how we repair the human body, from animal organ transplants to stem cells and 3D printers.

How to Be Free by Shaka Senghor (Sep 9)

Selected by Natalie Shaw

Shaka Senghor’s story begins in the depths of shame—19 years in prison, seven in solitary, carrying the weight of violence and the harm he caused. What makes his transformation so inspiring to me is how he used writing, meditation, and mindfulness not only to rebuild his own life, but to help others find their voice and freedom. He shows that true liberation comes when you release the shame that keeps you small and use your gifts in service to others. This book is a guide to the kind of inner freedom that no system, sentence, or past can take away.

FOOD

Good Things by Samin Nosrat (Sep 16)

Selected by Fernanda Gorgulho

I think it’s fair to say we’ve all been counting down to another Samin Nosrat cookbook since Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat made us feel like we actually knew what we were doing in the kitchen. If that book taught us how to cook, this one feels ready to remind us why, with 125 of her most-loved recipes and the generous, practical tips that make them stick.

American Soul by Anela Malik (Sep 9)

Selected by Iliyah Coles

If we tallied up all the minutes in a singular day when I thought about food--even briefly--I'm not sure there'd be a single one left behind. Black culture has such a joyful connection to food, and as much as it pains me to think up something for dinner every night, I try to honor that culture. I love soul food recipe books, so I know this will be no exception. I think I'll even try to bring a new dish to Thanksgiving this year!