If you — like me — have been streaming To All The Boys I've Loved Before on repeat, your brain is probably pleasantly occupied with thoughts of love letters, young romance, and satin bomber jackets. Alas, the world is not all cherry cokes and chocolate milkshakes, and it might be time to temporarily set aside your fantasies of Peter Kavinsky and pick up a book to read. Luckily, you can just read the book upon which the movie is based (plus it's two sequels: P.S. I Still Love You and Always and Forever, Lara Jean) or one of these six new releases, all out this week.
I am sorry to say that the books below will not all give you the same feel-good vibes as Jenny Han's romance. They include a dystopian thriller from Christina Dalcher that's already drawing comparisons to The Handmaid's Tale, a new Karin Slaughter thriller about a mother and daughter whose bond is shattered by a violent secret, a graphic novel from Kate Gavino about growing up as a Catholic Filipino girl in Texas, and an analysis by Anne Boyd Rioux of the history and legacy of Little Women.
Whatever your mood, there's a new book for you this week — and all of the ones I've recommended below are written by women. Happy reading:
'Vox' by Christina Dalcher
To many people — myself included — it probably seems like 2018 is the prequel to the The Handmaid's Tale, which is probably why so many new book releases have been so... dystopian. Vox by Christina Dalcher is one of the buzzier new dystopian titles of the year, with good reason. The thriller is set in a near-future America where women are only allotted 100 words per day, and they aren't allowed to read, write, or work. When Dr. Jean McClellan, the narrator of the novel, is offered the unprecedented opportunity to use her voice, she must find a way to channel her privilege into change for all women.
'Pieces of Her' by Karin Slaughter
Karin Slaughter is an international bestseller renowned for her twisty plots, propulsive prose, and two-faced characters with motives as murky as the sky before a summer thunderstorm. In her latest novel, Pieces of Her, a woman named Andrea reckons with the fact that her mother, Lisa, has been hiding a horrifying, violent secret her entire life. When this secret is revealed the world and Lisa is taken into police custody, Andrea embarks on a journey to discover the truth of her mother's past.
'Heartbreaker' by Claudia Dey
Seventeen years ago, Billie Jean fell from a stolen car and made her home in a remote town. She was never really accepted by the people who lived there — yet, when she disappears into thin air, they can't help but be worried. Meanwhile her daughter, Pony, is navigating all the usual teenage angst — with the added pressure of having a missing mom and living in a town with a whole lot of secrets.
'The Only Girl: My Life and Times on the Masthead of Rolling Stone' by Robin Greene
In 1971, Robin Green interviewed with Jann Wenner and scored a gig at Rolling Stone. She was, at the time, the only woman on the masthead. In this recollection of her years spent at the iconic magazine, she writes about the all-boys club and her own rock-n-roll adventures alongside legends like Hunter S. Thompson, Dennis Hopper, and Robert F. Kennedy.
'Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters' by Anne Boyd Rioux
If you define yourself as a "book-lover," there's a solid chance you've read Louisa May Alcott's Little Women — or at least seen the movie and swooned over Christian Bale as Laurie. (The truly devoted bookworm has also read Little Men and Jo's Boys.) In the new nonfiction book Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy, Anne Boyd Rioux explores the history of the classic novel and dives deep into Louise May Alcott's writing process. Perhaps more importantly, she also examines the novel's enduring legacy and its impact upon readers and writers, including J.K. Rowling, bell hooks, Ursula K. Le Guin, and more.
'Sanpaku' by Kate Gavino
You know how there's a word for everything in other languages? Well, "sanpaku" is probably one you haven't heard yet: It's the Japanese word for the white that can be seen below and above the irises of your eyes. And if you have it, it's a bad omen, according to legend. In this new graphic novel, Kate Gavino introduces readers to Marcine, a Catholic Filipino girl who is plagued by her obsession with sanpaku — and burdened by the insecurities that define the growing up process.
