Here are the new releases and new-to-the-shop books for we’re excited about this August. Click the cover images to learn more about and purchase the books or scroll down for my brief blurbs.
This month’s selection includes two cookbooks that will be your family’s go-to this Fall:
What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking: Make It Fast — Caroline Chambers
A collection of 100 flavorful, complete meals designed for busy nights, with minimal prep, cleanup, and no more than 30 minutes of hands-on time.
More, Please!: Feel-Good Meals for Busy Families and Their Picky Eaters — Rachel Mansfield
A practical collection of quick, kid-friendly recipes designed for busy families, with flexible options for different dietary needs and plenty of make-ahead ideas.
In Fiction:
Cool Machine — Colson Whitehead
Set in 1980s New York, the final book in Whitehead's Harlem Trilogy (Harlem Shuffle, and Crook Manifessto) follows Ray Carney through heists, family struggles, and a city undergoing dramatic change.
200 Monas — Jan Saenz
A wild, darkly funny debut about a college senior who discovers 200 pills in her late mother’s closet and has 48 hours to sell them—or die. Part thriller, part romance, and part exploration of grief, sexuality, and self-discovery. This book is not new this month, but stood out to me on the newly announced longlist of The Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize Longlist, and is recommended to fans of Miranda July’s All Fours.
Life of M — Rachel Cusk (Aug 25th)
A writer observes the extraordinary life of M, a world-famous movie star, in this provocative novel about fame, beauty, power, identity, and the stories we create about ourselves. This book is rumored to be about Cusk’s real-life (perhaps former due to this controversy) friend Nathalie Portman, but promises to be so much more than a celebrity tell all. Isn’t it kind of fun that this summer’s scandals are so literary?
Etna — Paul Yoon
After years of war, an ex-military dog sets off across a devastated landscape to find his way home. A spare, moving story about survival, loss, trust, and hope. This book is receiving lots of critical acclaim, and you may want to snag the last copy off our shelves right away because it is selling out everywhere.
Kitten — Stacey Yu
A young woman fresh out of college becomes unexpectedly obsessed with her boyfriend's cat, prompting her to question her relationship, her family, and what she wants from adulthood. A witty, unsettling debut about love, loneliness, and finding yourself. This is another standout from the longlist of The Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize Longlist.
You Won’t Get Free of it: Stories of Mothers and Daughters — Rachel Aviv
A collection of reported stories that explore the relationship between mothers and daughters, from the finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing for her work in The New Yorker. Aviv’s 2022 book, Strangers to Ourselves, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and a New York Times bestseller