New Arrivals for the Week of April 14

Fans of the unique and thought-provoking work of Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings will find a new translated novel from the Japanese author, set in a world where sex between married couples has disappeared, and children are born through artificial insemination. “Murata's blunt and bizarre humor is on full display, as is her incisive commentary on contemporary Japan,” praised Publishers Weekly. “This nightmarish fable is impossible to shake.”

First acquired by Toni Morrison during her years as a legendary editor at Random House, Fish Tales follows a free-spirited woman living a life of excess, navigating the vibrant worlds of New York City and Detroit. Amidst a whirlwind of champagne, cocaine, and lovers, her carefree existence is upended by a charismatic and dangerous man, launching her into a battle for control and power. "A sharp, fast-paced look at the highs and lows of the human heart,” according to The Atlantic.

This debut from the acclaimed Irish poet and author of the memoir All Down Darkness Wide is set in a remote village in the north of England and unfolds over the course of one year, during which two teenage boys meet and transform each other’s lives. “Hewitt’s language is lush and beaming,” observed The Brooklyn Rail. “Open, Heaven is a soaring demonstration that ‘heaven’ is a place we ourselves create—gilded over and rippling in our imaginations.”

Vital and transformative, What’s Left confirms the Palo Alto author as a next-generation historian-activist, akin to David Graeber or Mike Davis. Harris shows how combining progressive, socialist, and revolutionary strategies can unite us to prevent a climate apocalypse. "A trenchant meditation on the failure of climate politics to avert catastrophic change and on the possibilities now fanned out before us," observed The New York Times.

Featuring rebellious medieval nuns, powerful adolescents and mothers facing otherworldly forces, this magical mix of folklore, fairy tales, Southern Gothic and horror transports readers from a plague-stricken medieval convent to supernatural art colonies in the North Carolina mountains, and beyond. Publishers Weekly promised that the book’s “rich and magical landscape will pull readers in."

The author of the Read with Jenna pick Bright Burning Things returns with a story of two friends at an elite Dublin university whose bond unravels under the sway of a manipulative older student. As secrets mount and tensions rise, one woman must confront the past to reclaim the truth—and her voice.

In 1795, Catherine the Great chose Julie of Saxe-Coburg to be a bride for her grandson, Constantine. But Julie’s life was far from a fairytale—trapped in a turbulent marriage and suffocating court life, she sought freedom at any cost. The Rebel Romanov tells the untold story of a royal woman who dared to defy tradition and live life on her own terms.

In I Have Not Considered Consequences, Sherrie Flick crafts compelling stories that explore grief, desire, and the unexpected connections between humans and bears. From a home inspector in a bear suit to a couple facing the realities of adult life, Flick’s unique characters navigate love, loss, and absurdity in a world both strange and familiar.

In this reissue of her fifth collection, Nobel laureate Louise Glück confronts the myth of the happy family, centering on the death of her father. With unflinching clarity, she explores the complexities of a daughter’s relationship with her parents, weaving a probing portrait of family, loss, and life’s mysteries.

In this twisty thriller, a woman moves to a small town for her husband's research, only to find herself entangled in the eerie secrets surrounding a mysterious lake. As she investigates the death of a young boy’s mother, she uncovers a violent history and a hidden magic. "This is a fascinating mystery with small-town intrigue and a magical, scientific angle based on a real place," praised Booklist.