Amazon reveals best books of the year so far: Suzanne Collins, S. A. Cosby make the list

Amazon reveals best books of the year so far: Suzanne Collins, S. A. Cosby make the list
Amazon Books Editors have once again emerged from the literary battlefield, crowning "Wild Dark Shore" by Charlotte McConaghy the "Best Book of the Year So Far."
Around the halfway point every year, the Amazon Books editorial team of eight gathers in Seattle to read, argue and craft a Top 20 list, advocating for their favorite titles published from January to June. They're looking for books that resonate, the ones 'you want to hand to everybody that you know,' says Al Woodworth, senior editor at Amazon Books.
"Wild Dark Shore" was a clear example of the community-building power of books, Woodworth says – it was an "easy" winner for the team because they just couldn't stop talking about it.
Amazon reveals Best Books of the Year (So Far)
Unlike Amazon's bestseller list, this one is curated based on editorial judgment, not sales data. A team of former publishing reps, booksellers, writers, journalists and agents read hundreds of books to prepare. Their most beloved make it to the overall Top 20 list, and they create additional genre-specific lists with favorites in nonfiction, romance, history, sci-fi and more.
1. 'Wild Dark Shore' by Charlotte McConaghy
What it's about: A family on a remote island fiercely protecting the land's seed bank encounters a mysterious woman who washes ashore.
Why Amazon Books Editors loved it: 'Wild Dark Shore' has characters you feel 'emotionally, intellectually' invested in. "Her ability to build tension feels unparalleled," Woodworth says. 'This story made us all think a little bit differently about the planet that we live in and what we would do for our families."
2. 'King of Ashes' by S. A. Cosby
What it's about: In the vein of 'The Godfather,' an eldest son returns home after his father's car accident to keep his family together and save his younger brother, indebted to dangerous criminals.
Why Amazon Books Editors loved it: Cosby 'packs such a punch' in what Woodworth calls his 'most commercial, fast-paced book yet.' The story is "completely immersive," she adds. "It is so juicy, you can feel it kind of be a movie.'
3. 'No More Tears' by Gardiner Harris
What it's about: An investigative journalist uncovers unethical sales practices, cover-ups and dangers behind the image of the trusted, child-friendly Johnson & Johnson.
Why Amazon Books Editors loved it: 'No More Tears' is reminiscent of Patrick Radden Keefe's Sackler family exposé 'Empire of Pain,' Woodworth says. 'It's shocking, it's page-turning. You will have a visceral reaction to this company.'
4. 'The Emperor of Gladness' by Ocean Vuong
What it's about: A 19-year-old finds unexpected community in small-town New England suburbia after an old woman saves him from attempting suicide.
Why Amazon Books Editors loved it: Amazon Editors knew they were going to be in for a treat with Vuong's latest and, true to form, it swept them off their feet. 'It's a super emotional book, but I think there's also a lot of levity in it and this idea of the redemptive powers of humanity and the good things we could do for one another, and that people do do for one another,' Woodworth says.
5. 'Sunrise on the Reaping' by Suzanne Collins
What it's about: 'The Hunger Games' returns with curmudgeonly mentor Haymitch Abernathy's perspective, set 25 years before the events of the series' first book.
Why Amazon Books Editors loved it: Both a nostalgic and fresh read, the team devoured the prequel. '(Collins is) so good at weaving these tales, and I think too, that you can read this book without having read the Hunger Games, and feel like it's super satisfying,' Woodworth says.
6. 'The Girls Who Grew Big' by Leila Mottley
What it's about: Three teenage mothers at the crossroads of girlhood and motherhood face complicated criticism from family and neighbors in the Florida panhandle.
Why Amazon Books Editors loved it: Mottley's novel 'subverts your expectations about motherhood,' both funny and beautiful as well as empowering, Woodworth says. 'She has so much grace and wisdom and humor in her writing that defies most 23-year-olds' capacities, in my mind,' Woodworth says. 'To read this next one and realize (her debut 'Nightcrawling') was not a one-hit wonder – she is here to stay. She will, I think, probably change the course of literature, win really big awards.'
7. 'Memorial Days' by Geraldine Brooks
What it's about: The author of 'Horse' catalogs the immediate shockwaves and later rebuilding after her partner of three decades, Pulitzer-winning Tony Horwitz, dies unexpectedly.
Why Amazon Books Editors loved it: 'Memorial Days' is on par with literature's most famous grief books like 'The Year of Magical Thinking,' but is also a love story filled with light, Woodworth says. 'There are sentences in there that will make your heart stop. They are absolutely beautiful. And I think that this is a book that, if you are grieving, it gives you permission to.'
8. 'Dead Money' by Jakob Kerr
What it's about: A 'problem solver' for Silicon Valley venture capitalists has to put on her detective hat when the company's chief investor is murdered.
Why Amazon Books Editors loved it: 'Slick' and 'juicy,' this is the perfect book for the beach. 'What Jakob Kerr has done is thrust this really smart, really driven, really strategic woman at the center of this mystery, and it's another book that you can read in two days,' Woodworth says.
9. 'Atmosphere' by Taylor Jenkins Reid
What it's about: A physics and astronomy professor finds passion, success and love when she becomes one of the first women scientists accepted to NASA's space shuttle program.
Why Amazon Books Editors loved it: Woodworth found 'Atmosphere' to be a 'rocket ship of a love story,' a popcorn read but with a deep, complex kernel. 'The depth of this makes for such satisfying reading,' Woodworth says. 'That's the case with so many of these books – yes, they're (fiction), but actually it's looking at society and what we value. Where do we put our money, and where do we put our time? Where do we put our effort?'
10. 'Matriarch' by Tina Knowles
What it's about: The mother of Beyoncé and Solange Knowles writes an ode to Black motherhood in her memoir of family, grief and creative risks.
Why Amazon Books Editors loved it: 'Tina Knowles is a force of nature. I think so many people will come to this book thinking that they're going to get all these juicy stories about Beyoncé and yes, you get some of those. But what makes this memoir soar is Tina Knowles and her resiliency, her sense of family,' Woodworth says.
Amazon's Top 20 Best Books of the Year So Far
"Wild Dark Shore" by Charlotte McConaghy "King of Ashes" by S. A. Cosby "No More Tears" by Gardiner Harris "The Emperor of Gladness" by Ocean Vuong "Sunrise on the Reaping" by Suzanne Collins "The Girls Who Grew Big" by Leila Mottley "Memorial Days" by Geraldine Brooks "Dead Money" by Jakob Kerr "Atmosphere" by Taylor Jenkins Reid "Matriarch" by Tina Knowles "Lloyd McNeil's Last Ride" by Will Leitch "Waste Wars" by Alexander Clapp "When We Ride" by Rex Ogle 'Mark Twain" by Ron Chernow "Heartwood" by Amity Gaige "Careless People" by Sarah Wynn-Williams "The Names" by Florence Knapp "The Poppy Fields" by Nikki Erlick "Seeking Shelter" by Jeff Hobbs "One Golden Summer" by Carley Fortune
Need a new book?: 10 new releases to read right now from romance to thriller
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@usatoday.com.

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Tom's Guide

an hour ago

• Tom's Guide

This mind-bending sci-fi thriller movie you missed in theaters is now streaming — and it's a dark cosmic nightmare

Sci-fi horror is the ultimate combo and no one can convince me otherwise. In fact, if you asked me to name my all-time favorite franchise, 'Alien' would be right at the top, no question. It set the gold standard for space terror and nothing will ever take its place. So when I first saw the trailer for the sci-fi flick called 'Ash,' I couldn't help but be curious given my intense passion for the genre. 'Ash,' in a few simple words, is a neon-soaked thrill ride that made me feel a little delirious once it finished. It centers around an astronaut who wakes up alone on a deserted space station with no memory of what happened to her crew. From there, she must try to piece together the mystery. It's a simple premise, really. But this is one to go in with zero expectations, because once you think you've got a grasp on where 'Ash' is headed, it completely derails those thoughts. While its experimental nature may be divisive to some (just look at its Rotten Tomatoes score), I think it's a solid watch, and one worth adding to your watchlist now that it's on Shudder and PVOD platforms like Amazon and Apple. If you're a fan of horror-thrillers set in space or just looking for a wild experience on Shudder, 'Ash' is a perfect pick. Here's why it deserves your time now that it's streaming. 'Ash' follows Riya (Eiza González), an astronaut who awakens alone on a remote space station orbiting a distant planet. She quickly discovers that her entire crew is dead under mysterious circumstances, and her own memory is fragmented, making it difficult to piece together what happened. As Riya explores the eerie, dimly lit station, she encounters Brion (Aaron Paul), a man who claims to have come to rescue her. Together, they attempt to unravel the cause behind the crew's demise. However, Riya's fragmented recollections and growing suspicion about Brion's intentions create a tense and uncertain dynamic between them. The space station itself is filled with malfunctioning systems and unexplained phenomena, increasing the danger at every turn. I'd easily buy the idea that 'Ash' began as a music video for Flying Lotus that was later expanded into a full-length movie. The movie's pacing and vibe have that loose, experimental feel you often see in music videos, as it drifts between moments, sometimes focusing on story, other times just soaking in striking, surreal imagery. Flying Lotus, who wrote and directed the movie, mixes a small-scale sci-fi drama with bursts of intense, sometimes unsettling scenes. The result is less a conventional story and more a mood piece that invites you to experience its world without the usual narrative rules holding it back. González pretty much carries this movie on her shoulders. From the opening moments of waking up on the floor to blaring red lights, then navigating the eerie space station and the brutalized corpses in her path, she holds your attention completely. She portrays fear and confusion so convincingly that you genuinely feel for her being trapped in such a horrific situation. 'Ash' is genuinely so impressive in terms of its mind-bending visuals and soundtrack. Flying Lotus creates a world that feels dreamlike and disorienting, soaked in neon reds, purples, and eerie shadows. It reminded me of 'Prometheus' meets 'Annihilation,' but run through a blender of fever-dream surrealism. There's also gnarly practical gore and textured effects that make the horror feel real. I guarantee that pausing the frame at any second will give you something visually pleasing. Aside from the look of this movie and a strong performance from González, the story is where 'Ash' loses a few points. It plays with some really familiar sci-fi horror ideas (like amnesia, mysterious deaths, and a stranger who may or may not be trustworthy), and doesn't really do much to push them in a new direction. The pacing is painfully slow in the middle section, and I wish González had a stronger script to work with, because it felt as though she was being held back. Basically, if you're going in for the visuals and atmosphere, you'll have a great time. But if you're hoping for a tightly written, emotionally rich story, this one might leave you cold. Either way, it's some intense stuff. 'Ash' had a pretty limited run in theaters, so there's a good chance it slipped under the radar for a lot of people. That makes its arrival on Shudder the perfect opportunity to finally check it out. What Flying Lotus does is take a familiar setup and twist it into something totally his own. The movie plays out like a brutal, cinematic version of a space survival game, where the tension builds alongside the strange, atmospheric score that never lets you get too comfortable. Watching it feels a bit like being pulled into a surreal void. 'Ash' has a respectable 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the site's critic consensus reading: 'Flying Lotus' Ash delivers the phantasmagorical goods with vivid visuals and a throbbing soundscape, elevating a predictable sci-fi story into a memorably stylish head-trip.' Audiences rated it lower at 55% for its pacing issues and weak plot, which are points I can't really disagree with. So, if you're in the mood for something that looks incredible, plays with your expectations, and isn't quite like anything else streaming right now, 'Ash' is worth the watch on Shudder. For more streaming recommendations, see the top new movies to stream this week.

Fox News

4 hours ago

• Fox News

Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez to wed during three-day Venice extravaganza that's sparking local fury

Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sanchez's highly anticipated nuptials are just around the corner. The 61-year-old billionaire and the 55-year-old former TV journalist will reportedly tie the knot during a three-day wedding extravaganza in Venice, Italy, next week with numerous high-profile guests, including celebrities, politicians and business leaders. Bezos and Sanchez reportedly met in the mid-2010s and went public with their relationship in 2019 after Sanchez separated from Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell and Bezos divorced his Mackenzie Scott. The pair announced their engagement in May 2023 after Bezos proposed to Sanchez with a 30-carat pink diamond ring estimated to be worth between $3 million and $5 million. Though the preparations have mostly been kept under wraps, Sanchez shared a glimpse of her wedding plans during a November appearance on "Today." "I'm very excited about it, thinking about the dress. I have to say, I do have a Pinterest. I'm just like every other bride," Sanchez told hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. "I never thought at 54 — I'm going to be 55 — that I'd be an author, that I'd be getting married. I mean, life is just beginning," she added. Bezos has denied any involvement in the wedding planning. "Oh, God, no. Do I look that dumb?" he told Vogue in 2023. In March, Sanchez's older brother Paul Sanchez shared his excitement over the upcoming nuptials with TMZ, which he compared to the royal wedding of the late Princess Diana and then Prince Charles. "I think it's gonna be like a Princess Di thing," Paul said. "Just huge and fun and just a blast. "I'm thrilled beyond belief," he added. "It's gonna be an amazing event. It's gonna be star-studded and fun." However, the upcoming festivities have some Venice locals up in arms over fears of disruptions in a city already affected by mass tourism. Early protests have already been held, and some Venetians have posted banners decrying the event and Bezos on historic landmarks around the city. More demonstrations are expected during the celebrations. Here's everything to know about what has been called the "wedding of the year." In March, the city of Venice confirmed it would host the lavish affair. At the time, Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said Venice is "mutually working and supporting the organizers to ensure that the event will be absolutely respectful of the fragility and uniqueness of the city." City officials said it will be "easy" for Venice to "accommodate" the couple's nuptials "without any disruption whatsoever to the city, its residents and visitors," noting only around 200 guests "will have been invited" to the Amazon founder and his fiancée's nuptials. Venice, home to sites like the Rialto Bridge, Doge's Palace and Saint Mark's Basilica, is home to about 50,000 people and gets around 20 million visitors yearly, mostly day-trippers from cruise ships or other cities. Officials told NBC earlier this week that about 30 of the 280 water taxis have been reserved for the wedding festivities, and only three or four hotels will be used for the event. According to the BBC, wedding organizers have booked the entire island of San Giorgio Maggiore, which is located across from Venice's famed St. Mark's Square. People magazine reported that the official ceremony will take place on Bezos' $500 million yacht, Koru, which will be anchored in the Venetian lagoon. According to Architectural Digest, Bezos first commissioned Koru in 2018, and it was delivered to the Blue Origin founder in 2023. At 417 feet long, Koru is the largest sailing yacht in the world, according to the outlet. Koru is accompanied by a $75 million support vessel named Abeona, which features a helipad and a hangar. Bezos proposed to Sanchez while aboard Koru in May 2023, she told Vogue in November of that year. In August 2023, Bezos and Sanchez hosted a star-studded engagement party on Koru when it was anchored off the coast of Positano, Italy. Guests who attended the event included Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, Queen Rania of Jordan, Ari Emanuel, Kris Jenner and Tobey Maguire. The exact dates for the wedding have not been revealed, though Luca Zuin, spokesperson for themayor of Venice, told CNN this week it will be held from June 24-26. In a report published Friday, a source told the Daily Mail the island of San Giorgio Maggiore will be "'off-limits to visitors" from June 24-29. In March, Puck News reported Bezos and Sanchez had mailed wedding invitations. There is expected to be a star-studded guest list, with friends of the couple making appearances. Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Mick Jagger, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Eva Longoria, Gayle King and Jewel are among the stars expected to attend, according to multiple reports. In addition, Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner are said to have been invited along with Joshua Kushner and wife Karlie Kloss and Fox Sports journalist Charissa Thompson. In addition to Sanchez's brother Paul, members of the couple's family are also expected to be in attendance, including their children. Bezos shares three sons and one daughter with Scott, while Sanchez and ex-husband Whitesell are parents to son Evan, 18, and daughter Ella, 17. Sanchez also shares son Nikko Gonzalez with former professional football player Tony Gonzalez. According to The Associated Press, Bezos and Sanchez are sourcing 80% of their wedding vendors locally. Two historic Venetian companies will add artisanal touches to the celebration, including Rosa Salva, the city's oldest pastry maker that has been in business since 1876, and Laguna B, a design studio known for its distinctive handblown Murano glass prized by fashion and design clients. Antonio Rosa Salva, the sixth generation in his family to run the business, said the wedding order of a selection of surprises for goody bags was an important recognition of his family's long tradition of baking Venetian specialties dating back nearly 150 years. The pastries include the bussola buttery biscuit that was long a fisherman's staple and small zaletti cookies, made from the Veneto region's cornmeal, flavored with raisins and lemon zest. However, the Daily Mail reported Rosa Salva would not be creating the couple's wedding cake. According to the AP, Laguna B would not disclose what its master glassblowers on Murano have created for the wedding, but the company is known for distinctive glassware that at times features an undulating lip – no two alike. Venetians have already staged protests in advance of the event with more expected during the proceedings. Some locals have united under the protest group named "No Space for Bezos," according to the BBC. The outlet reported Wednesday that protesters have posted anti-Bezos banners from the bell tower of the San Giorgio Maggiore basilica and the Rialto Bridge. "Venice is being treated like a showcase, a stage," Federica Toninelli, a No Space for Bezos activist, told the BBC. "And this wedding is the symbol of the exploitation of the city by outsiders," she added. "Venice is now just an asset." Though most of the details surrounding the wedding have been kept secret, one Venice citizen said, "We have our moles," according to The New York Times. According to the NYT, Toninelli said one of the wedding venues could be The Misericordia, a famed event hall. "Bezos will never get to the Misericordia," she said during a protest. "We will line the streets with our bodies, block the canals with lifesavers, dinghies and our boats." "We have to block Bezos. We have to block this idea of this city as a tourist haven that has driven up housing costs so that most ordinary Venetians can no longer afford to live here," she said, according to the NYT. Despite the backlash, Mayor Luigi Brugnaro told The Associated Press Venice is taking pride in playing host to the celebrations. "We are very proud,'' Brugnaro said. "I don't know if I will have time [to meet Bezos and Sanchez], or if he will, to meet and shake hands, but it's an honor that they chose Venice. Venice once again reveals itself to be a global stage.'' In a statement to NBC Wednesday, city hall officials said Venice is prepared for the festivities. "The city is fully accustomed to hosting high-profile events of this nature and scale, including other celebrity weddings, international summits such as the G7 and G20, as well as traditional events like the Festa del Redentore and the Venice Biennale," the statement said. "The celebrations, attended by 250 guests, will blend into the daily rhythm of a city that, with dignity and respect, welcomes thousands of visitors from around the world while safeguarding the quality of life for its residents, workers, and students. "Protest initiatives are in no way representative of the majority of citizens, who are proud that Venice has been chosen as the wedding location".

Elle

14 hours ago

• Elle

The Books You Should Actually Be Reading This Summer, According to ELLE Editors

For those of us who believe a packed bag is never complete without two (or ten) books, summer is our time. Nothing compares to the euphoria of a wide-open weekend, warm weather, a good book, a good view, and a sweating glass of something close at hand. If you're craving such synergy, perhaps the trickiest question isn't even where to go; it's what to bring with you. Still, the very definition of 'beach read' is fluid, subject to your taste. With that in mind, ELLE editors have compiled a list of new summer books that run the gamut between realism and fantasy, romance and horror, literary and breezy—with the hopes you'll find a read to fit your itinerary. Without further ado, below are our picks for the best books of summer 2025, as defined by the months of June, July, and August. Don't forget your sunscreen. With contributions from Kayla Webley Adler, Sara Austin, Moriel Mizrahi Finder, Adrienne Gaffney, and Kathleen Hou. Out now. 'In S.A. Cosby's riveting crime thriller King of Ashes, investment manager Roman Carruthers wakes from a dream of his mother—who went missing when he and his siblings were teenagers—only to discover his father has been in a terrible accident. Roman returns home to the former manufacturing epicenter known as Jefferson Run, Virginia, where his sister, Neveah, is struggling to keep the family crematorium running. But it's their brother, Dante, who's in the worst trouble of their trio. As Roman and Neveah discover that their father's accident was no accident at all, they learn Dante is in debt to a dangerous local gang, and Roman's deep pockets might not be enough to placate them. The criminals want Roman's skills, and soon he's embedded with them, fighting for his family while wrestling with the morality—or lack thereof—of his choices. Cosby drives his readers through the story at full-throttle, and yet little ends up rushed: His characters are deeply crafted, and the issues at the heart of his epic are rightfully complex. This is yet another smash hit from the author of All the Sinners Bleed.'—Lauren Puckett-Pope, culture writer ''I grew up fully aware that my father was a brilliant man whose expertise I should never ever question. Did I believe that he was a good man? That's another question entirely,' writes Janelle Brown—from the perspective of her protagonist, Jane—in What Kind of Paradise, a perfect sort of immersive, tantalizing, thought-provoking summer read. The novel centers Jane, who grew up idolizing her father and adhering to his isolationism during her off-the-grid upbringing in mid-'90s rural Montana. But when he decides to publish an anti-tech manifesto and she becomes his inadvertent accomplice-in-crime, Jane ultimately makes a run for it. She lands in the tech mecca of San Francisco, where she hopes to learn the truth about her mother's long-ago death whilst immersing herself in the very technology her father condemns. A thriller and a coming-of-age saga, What Kind of Paradise is a gripping reckoning with family, AI, and what we do in the pursuit of progress.'—LPP Out now.'Early in Susan Choi's latest book, 10-year-old Louisa and her father disappear on a beach. Only one of them will eventually be found. What begins as a standard thriller veers in an unexpected direction as Louisa's parents' histories—her mother's estrangement from her American family and her father's from his in North Korea—become an inescapable factor in this story from the National Book Award-winning author of Trust Exercise. '—Adrienne Gaffney, features editor Out now. 'I'll Tell You When I'm Home is not a straightforward story, but neither is Hala Alyan's. Told in hundreds of bite-sized segments that give her memoir the rhythm of her poetry, Alyan threads together 11 chapters, each organized by a month in the growth cycle of a fetus. (For example, 'Month Three: Your baby has fingers and toes,' and 'Month Seven: Your baby is the size of a coconut.') These passages provide entry points for Alyan to organize—and attempt to make sense of—her ancestral history; her frequent displacement throughout childhood; her relationships; her struggles with addiction, disordered eating, and sobriety; and, after multiple miscarriages, her journey to have a child via surrogate. 'I have never not been Palestinian,' she writes in one section. 'That has never not been written upon my body.' And it is in the writing about her body—its history, its travel, its desires, its pains, its othering, its future, its continuation in the tiny form of her child—that Alyan triumphs. This is a beautiful, soul-bearing book.'—LPP Out now.'A recent college graduate, David Smith is torn between two identities—that of a wealthy Stanford grad and of a Black, queer man. When he's arrested for drug possession, he realizes that the world of elite misbehavior that his friends live in is one that he cannot fully join. Author Rob Franklin beautifully illustrates the bubbly excesses of youth coming up against the sobering realities of racism, addiction, and violence.'—AG Out now. 'A quick read—the kind you can definitely finish in a couple summer afternoons—Jess Walter's latest crackles with the author's wit, even whilst immersing itself in the thick of modern American woes. So Far Gone's protagonist is Rhys Kinnick, a former environmental journalist who opts for an off-the-grid lifestyle after a seismic clash with his son-in-law, a conspiracy theorist whose repeated tirades about 'secular globalists' and the 'lame-stream media' ultimately push Kinnick over the edge. But when, years later, his grandchildren show up outside Kinnick's door, their mother inexplicably missing, Kinnick is pulled into a zany adventure (with an equally entertaining ensemble cast) as he attempts to bring his family back together.'—LPP 'In this superb speculative tale from the author of Lakewood, seven strange and inexplicable portals appear in random locations around the planet. These portals inspire fear and awe and, in some, faith. Years after the doors' appearance, twin daughters Ayanna and Olivia live separately, each with a different parent: Ayanna with their father, who grew up in a religious group devoted to one of the portals, and Olivia with their mother, a traditional Roman Catholic. When Ayanna comes of age and is called to step through the portal, Olivia decides to join her—but then Olivia goes missing. Meet Me at the Crossroads is a stirring, meditative story of spirituality, family, and the desire to love deeply in a difficult world.'—LPP ''How do we not lose ourselves in love? How do we hold on to our beliefs and our ethics in the face of great feeling?' Melissa Febos proposed these questions to me during our ELLE interview last October, during which she announced her next book: The Dry Season, a memoir about her year abstaining from sex. As Febos put it, she spent that year 'trying to let go of this lineage that I think I had belonged to, involuntarily, of these overemotional, romantic people who were thrown around by love and romance and very obsessive and out of control. I spent this time looking for people who had big, self-actualized, beautiful, art-oriented lives that didn't necessarily exclude love, but weren't ruled by it—or at least by this romantic fantasy of it.' Her resulting memoir is indeed 'self-actualized, beautiful, and art-oriented,' weaving literary, cultural, and historical touchstones with her own experience. As Febos showed us with her previous books, including Girlhood and Body Work, it is always a privilege to ponder the big questions through her distinct lens.'—LPP 'After V. E. Schwab's 2020 bestseller The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue blew up during the pandemic, fans have eagerly awaited the next stand-alone adult novel from the author known for her grounded fantasy stories. In Bury Our Bones, which Schwab calls her 'toxic lesbian vampires' book, three women navigate centuries of blood lust in this portrait of queer identity, feminine resilience, and unrelenting thirst. This is without a doubt one of my favorite fantasies of the year.'—LPP Out now.''Few things have I been surer of: the woman at the front at the top row of my double decker is my mother.' And so Yrsa Daley-Ward introduces us to the central conceit at the heart of her debut novel, in which Clara, a high-profile author, sees her long-missing mother in the middle of London—and she looks far younger than her would-be 60-odd years. Who, then, is this woman? Clara's twin sister, Dempsey, thinks she is a con artist. Clara is less convinced. But the story only grows stranger when we learn this version of their mother is childless; she never gave birth to Clara or Dempsey. On top of that, Daley-Ward incorporates a book-within-a-book approach that plants pieces of Clara's blockbuster novel, Evidence, alongside her mother's writing. The results are strange, kaleidoscopic, smart—difficult to describe but hypnotic in their pull. The Catch is a mind-bending feat.'—LPP Out now.'I'll devour just about anything written by or about Toni Morrison, whose incomparable works of literature—including Beloved, The Bluest Eye, Sula, and so many others—continue to inspire readers decades after their publication. But I, along with many others, have understood Morrison mainly in this context: as an author. So it's a gift to peek behind the curtain of Morrison's indeed 'legendary' editorship at Random House (from 1965 through 1983) in Dana A. Williams's Toni at Random. This biography, of course, is intriguing for those of us obsessed with the ins and outs of publishing, but even readers less inclined to weigh the industry's merits will find material to appreciate in Williams's account. Although the book skews occasionally academic, Toni at Random is also a balanced and fascinatingly well-researched account of Morrison's editorial vision—and how it still impacts what we read today.'—LPP 'Despite having no sisters, I love and crave stories of sisterhood. And Kakigori Summer is a tale of sisterhood as delicious and finely textured as the shaved-ice dessert its protagonists relish in, and from which the book draws its title. Bittersweet, nostalgic, and easy to envision, Emily Itami's novel introduces us to three sisters: Rei, a driven finance worker in London; Kiki, a Tokyo-based single mother and retirement home employee; and Ali, a J-pop star whose scandalous kiss with a married man draws the paparazzi a little too close. Rei and Kiki rush in to offer Ali some much-needed insulation, and the three escape to the coastal Japanese town where their grandmother still resides. Over the course of the summer, they reckon with their relationship to one another, as well as the loss of their mother years prior. The coastal setting is itself a character in this book, and perhaps one of the book's biggest selling points—Itami makes the landscape feel as real as the bond between the sisters. A lovely, tender-hearted tale.'—LPP 'In this whimsical beach read from Ashley Poston, known for her magical love stories, songwriter Joni Lark is suffering from a bout of writer's block. She heads home to North Carolina, where her parents want to close the family-owned music venue. But then Joni realizes she has a telepathic connection with a has-been musician. Can they use their link to write the perfect song—and save the summer?'—LPP 'Taylor Jenkins Reid's latest heroine is going to space. In 1980, astrophysics professor Joan's unexpected selection for NASA's Space Shuttle program puts her in line to be one of the first female astronauts. Atmosphere tells Joan's gripping, sensitive, and romantic story of finding love in a career where disaster is a constant threat.'—AG 'A gorgeous queer literary romance, Marie Rutkoski's Ordinary Love depicts the second-chance romance between former teenage girlfriends Emily and Gen. Years have passed since their relationship ended, and Emily is now married with two children, an Upper East Side townhouse, and an abusive hedge-fund-manager husband she met at Harvard. Gen, meanwhile, is a world-renowned Olympic athlete. When Emily and Gen reunite, much has changed about them both—but the chemistry between them remains. As Emily wrestles with a separation from her husband and all that it portends, she must also contend with Gen's reappearance in her life. There is still anger and hurt between them, and Emily isn't sure she can handle any more emotional damage after years of her husband's abuse. But the connection Gen and Emily share is maybe, just maybe, worth fighting to keep.'—LPP Out June 24. 'Within the first few pages of Hal Ebbott's debut novel Among Friends, I knew I needed to go scrounge up a highlighter. There are so many of Ebbott's lines that sing, each of them elegant and insightful in their clarity. (Here's one favorite: 'They were like scars, these talents, like things learned in war: even when they were of use, part of her wished not to know.') The book depicts the seemingly effortless friendship between two families—and particularly between their two patriarchs, Amos and Emerson, who first met in college. Although their backgrounds couldn't be more different, they are drawn together, their trust implicit and undeniable. Decades later, they remain close friends, as are their wives and daughters, and the families reunite for a weekend upstate—a yearly tradition amongst their group. But when one of them chooses to wield their power in a shocking act of abuse, they each are given a choice: Continue as if nothing's happened, or reckon with the rot that's always been present in their lives. Among Friends is utterly engrossing; I'm already begging my friends to read it so we can discuss the ending.'—LPP 'By now Lisa Jewell is well-beloved for the addicting quality of her thrillers, and her latest, Don't Let Him In, is no exception. From the first page, the book feels taut with danger, its characters tangled in a web they can't yet recognize. The plot is shaped like a classic domestic suspense: A man is not who he says he is. (He is, in fact, utterly awful!) But the identity of that man is not initially known to the women in his life, including a widow named Nina, her daughter, Ash, and a local florist named Martha, whose lives unexpectedly intersect when this man's charm proves a horrible facade. I can't reveal much more without spoiling Jewell's twists, but suffice to say, this is one of those gripping beach reads sure to keep you flipping the pages on your next flight.'—LPP Out June 24. 'Adela's parents are furious when she becomes pregnant at 16, and they quickly send her to live with her grandmother in Florida. But what was intended as a punishment turns into something beautiful. What she finds in her new home is an incredible community of teenage moms, girls who have been looked down on by their community but who have created a family together. Mottley shows that while young mothers face incredible challenges, their lives can still be full of extraordinary love and joy.'—AG Out June 24.'Leesa Cross-Smith—the author behind Half-Blown Rose and This Close to Okay, among others—turns her eye for intimate connection toward three Americans adrift in Seoul in As You Wish. Lydia, Jenny, and Selene have arrived as au pairs hoping to rewrite their own scripts: Lydia longs for a main-character life, Jenny is determined to put romance firmly in the rear view, and Selene believes South Korea holds the key to finding the birth mother she's never met. Their paths—and secret wishes—intertwine on a weekend trip to a mythic waterfall said to grant desires. When one of them circles back for a do-over, the ripple effect forces all three to reckon with what they truly want and what they're willing to risk for it, turning a fizzy drama into something richer: a meditation on friendship as the greatest magic of all. The result is a cozy escape that reminds us every wish carries its own shadow—and that sometimes the happiest ending is finding the people who understand yours.'—Moriel Mizrahi Finder, editorial assistant 'Pitched as Love Island meets Lord of the Flies—which, woof, that's enough of a heady concoction to draw in readers already—Aisling Rawle's debut is an intoxicating literary suspense. It takes place on the set of a reality dating competition—filmed in a desert compound sometime in a dystopian future—in which an uneven number of male and female contestants must compete to spend each night with someone of the opposite sex. Along the way, they must complete tasks and competitions for rewards. Some are relatively harmless ('Wear another girl's clothes without asking'), while others ('Banish a couple from the compound') veer darker. At the center of this game is Lily, who is young, beautiful, and content to do whatever it takes to win. A slow-burning but scathing assessment of consumerism, vanity, and our deep-rooted desires to perform.'—LPP