Whether you read on a tablet, Kindle, or still prefer the smell of a freshly cracked paperback, finding your next book is never easy. You could never read all the new releases each week, so we’re here to help. These are a handful of the new titles we think deserve a space on your eReader or your nightstand.
My Father, the Pornographer: A Memoir
Chris Offutt
Andrew Offutt is considered the “king of twentieth-century smut,” which is a strange title for your dad to have. After Andrew passed away, his son, Chris, helped his mother move out of his childhood home, where he discovered his father’s old manuscripts, memorabilia, journals, and letters. My Father, the Pornographer is Chris’s book about dissecting his late father’s literary output. And while zombie porn sounds like a good old time, the book is a rather heavy, dark family story. Link
Every Song Ever: Twenty Ways to Listen in an Age of Musical Plenty
Ben Ratliff
Every Song Ever is a meditation on the current music scene. It’s a book for those who like to talk about music as much as they like to listen to it. From veteran New York Times music critic Ben Ratliff, the book looks at how genres lines have blurred, why repetition and speed matters, and where music stands in 2016. Link
A Doubter’s Almanac
Ethan Canin
We’re suckers for great stories that span several decades, where you watch as the protagonist you care about changes while getting wrinkles. The latest to add to the list is A Doubter’s Almanac, which tells the story of Milo Andret, a lonely child from the middle of nowhere, whose genius takes him on a lifelong adventure. Over seven decades the story moves from coast to coast, stopping in California, New York, Princeton, and other places along the way. Crazy smart and infused with just the right amount of suspense. Link
Heads: A Biography of Psychedelic America
Jesse Jarnow
While most of the media has been caught up in the hubbub over legalized marijuana, most have missed the fact that we’re also in the midst of a psychedelic revolution. Heads: A Biography of Psychedelic America looks at the history of chemists and spiritual seekers who got the ball rolling decades ago. It also delves into how these drugs have transformed music, so crack the spine and play “Steal Your Face” softly in the background. Link
The Bob’s Burgers Burger Book
Loren Bouchard, The Writers of Bob’s Burgers, Cole Bowden
Fans of FOX’s animated comedy about a burger slinger and his family know that some (all) of Bob Belcher’s creations are a bit out there. If, however, you’ve watched a few episodes and come away with a strange desire to try the psycho patties, here’s your cookbook. The Bob’s Burgers Burger Book is filled with 75 recipes for burgers featured in the show. From the “Sweaty Palm Burger,” which comes with hearts of palm, to the “Shoot-Out at the OK-ra Corral Burger,” assembled with fried okra, the recipes in the book will have you set for chowing down while you watch. Link
The Lost Time Accidents
John Wray
Waldy Tolliver, the protagonist in The Lost Time Accidents, has been booted from the flow of time. And while that sounds like the making of a wild sci-fi tale, The Lost Time Accidents is very much a family drama and trip through history. It’s refreshing and new, while still possessing a familiar backbone. Link
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World
Adam Grant
Come up with a theory, find people who are living examples of it being correct, and put those examples in a book with a white cover and a minimal logo. It worked for Malcolm Gladwell, so tons of authors and publishers followed the formula. While many of these books don’t live up to Outliers and The Tipping Point, Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World certainly does. Adam Grant’s book focuses on innovators who refused to go with the status quo—the Steve Jobs of the world. Grant then goes into tips on how to recognize a good idea and act on it. The book even has a Malcolm Gladwell blessing. Link
The Queen of the Night
Alexander Chee
With praise from the likes of Junot Diaz and Karen Russell, Alexander Chee’s The Queen of the Night came in hot at the beginning of February. A legendary opera singer encounters a new piece that’s oddly based on her past, and from there the historical novel quickly tosses you into dance halls and opera houses, as it unfolds in a swift, haunting manner. We may not be the biggest opera fans, but all the details in Chee’s novel feel right. One of the best reads from the last month. Link
In Other Words
Jhumpa Lahiri
How does a writer as skilled as Jhumpa Lahiri deal with the frustration and difficulty of expressing herself in a new language? That’s the topic of her first nonfiction read, In Other Words. The celebrated short story writer describes the challenges of trying her hand at Italian. How can someone so adept at finding words deal with the frustration of trying to do so in a language she hasn’t mastered? In Other Words is clever, provocative, and totally unique. Link
The Industries of the Future
Alec Ross
Technology is advancing at such a rapid rate that we are being hurled into the future faster than many of us thought possible. What does that mean for us, our careers, and the world itself? Let Alec Ross clue you in on what’s about to go down. The Industries of the Future is about the industries that will thrive in the next decade, along with how work will change in general, whether cyberwarfare will cripple the world, and many other questions you’d probably love the answers to. Pick it up and be prepared. Link
