5 Riveting New Books To Read This Summer
From compelling memoirs to binge-worthy novels, these books will keep you captivated all season long.
Things We Do In the Dark by Jennifer Hillier
Paris Peralta wakes up covered in blood and clutching a straight razor; her celebrity husband is dead in their bathtub. She’s (obviously!) the prime suspect—a mess complicated by her secret identity, hidden for nearly two decades. Hillier takes readers for a dizzying spin. July 19.
Where You End And I Begin: A Memoir by Leah McLaren
When journalist McLaren was a teen, her mother revealed a secret: From age 12, she’d had a years-long sexual relationship with her middle-aged riding instructor. The effects of this trauma ripple through both women’s lives, and as an adult McLaren confronts the fraught nature of their tangled relationship. July 26.
Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi, translated by David Boyd and Lucy North
Forced to leave her previous job after being sexually harassed, Ms. Shibata lands a new gig at a manufacturing company. As the only woman, she’s forced to take on menial chores. One day, she announces her pregnancy, instantly affording her better treatment. Trouble is, she isn’t pregnant. This prizewinning debut sheds light on patriarchal attitudes toward motherhood. August 9.
Haven: A Novel by Emma Donoghue
Set in seventh-century Ireland, Haven follows a scholar-priest who is compelled to found a monastery after God, in a dream, instructs him to leave the world and its sins behind. This tale is told with Donoghue’s signature talent for world building. August 23.
Making Love with the Land by Joshua Whitehead
Novelist Whitehead turns to non- fiction in this illuminating exploration of queerness, Indigeneity and mental health. An Oji-Cree/Néhiyaw, Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer author, he employs multiple genres—including essay, memoir and confession—in this vulnerable work. August 23.
