Books
The Fourth of July has come and gone, but there's still plenty of lazy day-off reading to be done in the weeks ahead and plenty of incredible new book releases to entertain you in the final months of summer.
This week's new releases are vast and varied, and there's something for every reading mood. One of the standouts of the week is the latest novel from Man Booker finalist Ottessa Moshfegh, My Year of Rest and Relaxation. It is arguably one of the most anticipated fiction books of the year, and it certainly lives up to the hype: the dark comedy is all-too-timely in this era of constant news alerts and never-ending anxiety about the state of the world.
But that's not the only book you should probably check out this week. Thriller writer Riley Sager is back with The Last Time I Lied, a heart-pounding mystery set in a summer camp, and on the nonfiction side of things, investigative reporter Anna Clark is releasing her scathing and informative account of the Flint water crisis, The Poisoned City.
Plus, there's also new books from historical fiction superstar Beatriz Williams, YA legend Kiersten White, fantasy VIP Naomi Novik, and many more. Here are the 12 new books you need to know this week:
'My Year of Rest and Relaxation' by Ottessa Moshfegh
As of publication of this article, My Year of Rest and Relaxation is listed as the #1 Best Seller in "Dark Humor" on Amazon. That pretty much sums it up. This book is a twisted account of one unnamed woman's year spent in virtual hibernation to escape the boredom of her glamorous but low-paying job, insecurity of her on-again-off-again relationship, and trauma of her past.
'The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water and the American Urban Tragedy' by Anna Clark
By now, you should know at least some of the story of the Flint water crisis and the injustices that caused it. But in The Poisoned City, investigative journalist Anna Clark examines the situation in Flint from the very beginning, reflecting upon the government action (and inaction) that led to the crisis and continue to contribute to it.
'The Summer Wives' by Beatriz Williams
Beatriz Williams is back with another perfect summer novel. The Summer Wives circles Miranda Schuyler, a schoolgirl who's not quite high-society, as she arrives on Winthrop Island, a beautiful hideaway on the New England coast that serves as the summer playground for rich and wealthy vacationers and the year-round home for working class Portuguese fisherman and domestic workers. So when Miranda falls in love with someone from the "wrong side of the island," so to speak, she unintentionally causes a fissure that shakes up the entire community.
'You’re on an Airplane: A Self-Mythologizing Memoir' by Parker Posey
You probably know Parker Posey from her roles in movies like You've Got Mail and Dazed and Confused, but in her memoir, she shows you what it's like behind the movie screen. If you love a good Hollywood memoir, this just might be the summer read for you.
'Spinning Silver' by Naomi Novik
Nebula Award-winning author Naomi Novik is back with an inventive retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale. Spinning Silver follows Miryem, the daughter of a moneylender who is wonderful at lending money and terrible and getting about it back. When she takes over the family business, she's more ruthless than she knew she had the capacity to be — but it's not long before her cold-blooded business practices land her in trouble with the king of the Staryk.
'The Last Time I Lied' by Riley Sager
Emma, a rising artist in New York City, is still haunted by the disappearance of Vivian, Natalie, and Allison, her three cabin-mates at Camp Nightingale. It's been years since she attended camp, but when she's asked back as an art teacher, she accepts in the hopes that she can finally figure out what happened to the missing girls.
'No One Tells You This' by Glynnis MacNicol
In this memoir of her fortieth year, Glynnis MacNicol tackles one of the most fraught questions asked by women: what's next, if I don't have kids or a partner? A reckoning and examination of modern womanhood, No One Tells You This is necessary reading for anyone who's unsure about their life path.
'Bright We Burn' by Kiersten White
The final book in Kiersten White's thrilling And I Darken series, Bright We Burn circles the character fan have grown to know and love: mercurial Lada, a woman with a mission to build the country she wants — at any cost, even the demise of her relationships with her brother, Radu, and the man who loves her, Mehmed.
'Notes from My Captivity' by Kathy Parks
When Adrienne is offered the chance to fly to Siberia to investigate a mysterious family of hermits, she jumps at the opportunity. She's always wanted to be a journalist, and this is the perfect opportunity to dive deep into a fascinating project with a personal connection to her. But when she's kidnapped and held captive by the family, she has to throw herself entirely into a plan of escape.
'From The Corner Of The Oval' by Beck Dorey-Stein
Beck Dorey-Stein never expected that she would answer a Craiglist ad and end up in the Oval Office as one of Barack Obama's stenographers. In this memoir of her time spent serving the president, Dorey-Stein recounts the ups-and-downs of working for the most powerful man in the world and tells the story of her romance with a D.C. insider.
'The Seas' by Samantha Hunt (Re-release)
The unnamed, 19-year-old narrator of The Seas (originally released in 2004 by Picador) has a lot going on: she lives in a remote fishing town, she's in love with a much-older Iraq War veteran, her father walked into the sea over 10 years ago and never returned, and she thinks she's a mermaid. In this dazzling, wrenching novel, Hunt challenges traditional mermaid mythology and constructs an unforgettable story about young womanhood in the process.
'The Brink of Darkness' by Jeff Giles
The follow-up to The Edge of Everything, this novel transports readers right back into the thick of things between Zoe, a 17-year-old girl, and X, the guy she's falling for who just happens to be a bounty hunter from hell.
'Suicide Club' by Rachel Heng
Set in a near-future New York City where people live hundreds of year, Suicide Club centers on Lea, a "Lifer" who has the opportunity to live forever, if she does everything absolutely right. Her life is perfect — great job, great partner, great apartment — until she spots her estranged father on the street and she's drawn into the world of the "Suicide Club," a group of individuals who reject society's pursuit of immortality.
'Eden' by Andrea Kleine
Hope and Eden were abducted as children — an incident that continues to haunt them in adulthood. They no longer speak, but with their kidnapper up for parole, the two will have to reunite and find a way to keep him in prison.
'All These Beautiful Strangers' by Elizabeth Klehfoth
When Charlie was seven years old, her mom mysteriously vanished from their family lake house. Ten years later, Charlie is a student at an elite boarding school, where she gets caught up in a secret society that puts her through a hazing process that could destroy her entire life.
'Clock Dance' by Anne Tyler
Clock Dance, the latest novel from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Tyler, is a gorgeous gem of a novel about family and second chances. The book follows Willa as she travels across the country after receiving a sudden phone call to care for a young woman she's never met, her daughter, and their dog.
