The New Release of the Summer

It has been so hot here that my options as a parent have narrowed to two: go insane inside the house, or live at the pool. So we live at the pool now.

You’d think this would be great for my reading. What really happens is that my four-year-old cannot comprehend why anyone would look at a page when they could be playing “Sharks”. Sharks is a game he invented. I chase him around the shallow end, grab him, and then throw him as far as the lifeguard will tolerate. It bears no resemblance to actual shark behavior. It also has no ending. There is no winning Sharks, there is only the shark getting tired, and the shark is me.

So my July reading has happened in stolen ten-minute increments while a small wet person yells “AGAIN.” Which brings me to this month’s Release Report.

The usual disclaimer, because honesty matters more in a rec column than anywhere else: I cannot read every new release the week it comes out. Nobody can, and anyone who implies otherwise is selling something. What I can do is triangulate. I read the early reviews closely, I lean on trusted friends whose taste I’ve calibrated over years, and I read real samples of every book I put in front of you. Consider these strong leads from a well-run search party, not sworn testimony.

One new release per color. Find yours.

(Little, Brown, June 30)

I’ve heard that this one is for the fans of Intermezzo and similar books. Bobby Palmer’s debut novel was a smash hit and so I have every reason to believe that this one will be great as well.

The story follows two creatives navigating love in modern London. Yellow readers will devour this one I think.

(Cardinal, July 7)

The guy who lead the production of Abbott Elementary (a show me and my wife love), has written a book. It’s a missing persons story that I think will be finnier than most Red readers are used to.

(William Morrow, June 30)

This is an AI horror thriller which leans more red but is still squarely an Orange book from what I can tell. The premise is cerebral and so relevant to the cultural moment that we are in. What’s interesting is that it is going to take you into a world not so different than ours but that FEELS like it should be — I think that feeling will be worth holding on to!

(OR Books, May)

I’m a SUCKER for stories about fraud and deception. I’m drawn to stories of the rise and fall — someone who fell from grace after achieving great success. I think this book will do that for you while introducing a story that you likely have never heard of — the best green books do that in my opinion!

(Doubleday, July 14)

Family sagas oscillate somewhere between blue and yellow, but I think both colors can enjoy them. I think of family sagas like East of Eden and the recent work of the Australian M.L. Stedman. So anytime I see a family saga I want to look at the prose to determine if we are dealing with blue or yellow. Th prose here is thoughtful enough to land blue over yellow — tell me if I’m wrong if you read it!

(Coach House, July 14)

Fitzcaraldo editions are a mixed bag, but this one is very intriguing to me. I love speculative fiction, and purple readers REALLY love speculative fiction. This premise is great and I suspect the structure and syntax is just as wild as the plot. Purple readers, this is for you!