Books
The world may be on fire (literally — climate change is warming the Earth at unprecedented rates) but at least you can always depend upon thing to be true: every Tuesday, there will be new books, and this week's new book releases might just distract you from the world outside for a little while.
This week, the United States gets new books from two beloved fiction authors: Haruki Murakami and Tana French. Murakami's, as to be expected, is a vividly imaginative tale about a painter who holes himself away in a home of a famous artist after separating from his wife. There, he discovers a never-before-seen painting and unintentionally launches a series of strange, magical events. French's, as to also be expected, is a gritty murder-mystery about privilege, memory, and the lengths to which one will go to protect oneself and one's family.
If neither of those sound like your thing, there's plenty more to look forward to this week, including the YA rom-com What If It's Us and a charming celeb memoir, written by Ellie Kemper.
Grab your cider and a cozy blanket, and get comfortable with one of these 10 new books, all out this week:
'Killing Commendatore' by Haruki Murakami
Well, it's never been a safer time to bet on it: Haruki Murakami will definitely not be winning the Nobel Prize in Literature this year. That being said, 2018 is still a pretty big year for the Japanese literary rockstar, as his new book Killing Commendatore hits U.S. bookstores in its English translation this October. It's fanciful, sprawling, and emotionally poignant, and will definitely hit all the sweet spots for Murakami fans.
'What If It's Us' by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Love, Simon author Becky Albertalli and fellow YA superstar Adam Silvera team up for a rom-com about meet-cutes, missed connections, queer love, and Broadway super fandom. It's the perfect distraction from the frenzied, anxiety-inducing news cycle, and will definitely give you — as they say — all the feels.
'Odd One Out' by Nic Stone
Coop just got dumped, and his best friend, Jupiter, is ignoring him in favor of texting her new crush, Rae. Rae is the new girl in school, and she's perplexed by her attraction to both Coop and Jupiter. There's three sides to this coming-of-age story, and no easy answer.
'Heart's Unbroken' by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Shortly after dumping her boyfriend for his disrespect of Native people, Louise finds herself with a major story to cover for the high school newspaper: the school's musical director is staging a diverse version of The Wizard of Oz — and many people in their small, white, middle class town aren't happy about it. Hearts Unbroken is a necessary reflection on race and prejudice — and the teens who are affected by it and fighting it.
'Blanca Y Roja' by Anna-Marie McClemore
Magical realism superstar Anna-Marie McLemore spins a lush and gorgeous story about sisterhood in her latest novel, a Swan Lake retelling about two sisters who are cursed by a generations-old spell: One of them will be damned to spend their entire life as a swam. But which will it be?
'My Squirrel Days' by Ellie Kemper
The Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt star Ellie Kemper makes her debut in My Squirrel Days, a collection as zany, colorful, and unexpected as the book cover. (Yes, that's a real squirrel.)
'The Witch Elm' by Tana French
Tana French's latest novel — a stand-alone — begins with an unexplainable attack on its protagonist, Toby, for whom nothing ever goes wrong. While he recovers from the emotional and physical tolls of the attack, he moves in with his uncle, who has recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness. But he's not been there long when one of his young nephews accidentally uncovers a skull in the witch elm in the yard — and sets off a chain of events that threaten to destroy his entire family.
'The Clockmaker's Daughter' by Kate Morton
In the summer of 1862, a group of artists descend upon Birchwood Manor with plans to spend the entire summer in the throes of creative inspiration. But then someone is shot dead, another person goes missing, and a priceless heirloom is stolen. One hundred and fifty years later, a young archivist in London finds herself engrossed by the mystery of the manor and the horror of that one summer. Told in multiple perspectives, this novel is a mystery that will keep you spellbound until the final page.
'Women Who Rock: Bessie to Beyonce. Girl Groups to Riot Grrrl' edited by Evelyn McDonnell
The perfect gift book for your friend with a Spotify playlist for every occasion, Women Who Rock celebrates the legacy of 104 female musical artists — from The Supremes to Beyonce to Dolly Parton to Taylor Swift.
