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Big Books of the Week

The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton (Berkley) leads holds this week. 

Other titles in demand include:

Bad River by Marc Cameron (Kensington)

Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti (St. Martin’s Griffin)

The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves & China Miéville (Del Rey)

Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want To Run the World by Anne Applebaum (Doubleday)

These books and others publishing the week of July 22, 2024, are listed in a downloadable spreadsheet.

Librarians and Booksellers Suggest

Two LibraryReads and four Indie Next picks publish this week:

July’s Bonus pick is The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia by Juliet Grames (Knopf) *Good for Book Clubs

“This mystical, action-oriented read delves into the story of King Arthur. Collum, a young knight traveling to Camelot in hopes of joining the Round Table, arrives to learn that King Arthur is dead. Adventure soon calls, and Collum and the knights set off on a quest to heal Britain. The multiple points of view and diverse characters will keep readers engrossed.”—Kristin Skinner, Flat River Community Library, MI

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“Set in an isolated Italian village, this is so rich in detail, so deep in characterization, that it’s like eating dessert in a fine restaurant: savoring each bite, letting it linger on the palette. Easily one of my favorite books of the year so far!”—Pete Mock, McIntyre’s Fine Books, Pittsboro, NC

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu (Dutton; LJ starred review)

“After the untimely demise of long-time teacher Mr. Lehrer, the lives of the school’s faculty are explored through stories that include a book banning controversy, a man’s evolution from punk rock musician to principal, and a janitor’s poignant friendship with Mr. Lehrer. Mathieu is a high school teacher, and this novel rings with authenticity and love for her subject.”—Angela Strathman, Mid-Continent Public Library, MO

Three additional Indie Next picks publish this week:

Charlotte Illes Is Not a Teacher by Katie Siegel (Kensington)

“Siegel’s humor and heart shine as we follow Charlotte to her new job as a substitute teacher at her old middle school, as she helps her new colleagues solve a mystery. Fan favorites Lucy and Gabe are back to help and their banter remains delightful.”—Andi Richardson, Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA

Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (One World)

“Catalina is such a delightful book—funny and quick-witted, but also thoughtful and heart-rending. I loved Catalina’s smart, singular voice. This is a perfect read for lovers of Lily King’s Writers & Lovers or fans of Sally Rooney’s work.”—Shannon Guinn-Collins, Bookworks, Albuquerque, NM

Nicked by M.T. Anderson (Pantheon)

“A truly immersive, boisterous, playful, and earnest heist story from so far in the past it becomes magical. With a writing style as elusive as the plot twists, a colorful cast of thieves and priests, and a breathless romance, it’s not one to miss.”—Bridget Fenner, BookPeople, Austin, TX

In the Media

People’s book of the week is The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Del Rey). Also getting attention are It’s Elementary by Elise Bryant (Berkley) and Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (One World). “Funny Summer Reads” include Glory Days: Stories by Simon Rich (Little, Brown), Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell (Morrow), and The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood (Berkley). 

“The Picks” section spotlights MGM+’s Emperor of Ocean Park, based on the novel by Stephen Carter, Peacock’s Those About To Die, inspired by the book by Daniel P. Mannix, and Starz’s The Serpent Queen, based on the book Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Frieda.

The forthcoming Devil Wears Prada sequel, based on the book by Lauren Weisberger, and Whoopi Goldberg’s comic The Change, written with Jaime Paglia (Dark Horse), are two of the five things People is talking about this week. There is also a remembrance for fitness celebrity and author Richard Simmons. Plus, recipes from Georgina Hayden, Greekish: Everyday Recipes with Greek Roots (Bloomsbury), and Sara Forte, Around Our Table: Wholesome Recipes To Feed Your Family and Friends (Hardie Grant).

Reviews

NYT reviews The Bluestockings: A History of the First Women's Movement by Susannah Gibson (Norton): “Gibson, an Irish historian, is as attentive to the forces that worked against the Bluestockings as to those—wealth, supportive husbands, stimulating friendship—that enabled their success”; Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want To Run the World by Anne Applebaum (Doubleday): “But the notion of Autocracy, Inc. does offer some consolations for those mourning America’s decline: What we have lost in economic hegemony, we can make up for in moral self-certainty”; and The Modern Fairies by Clare Pollard (Avid Reader/S. & S.): “More compelling than the plot and characters is Pollard’s vibrant language; perhaps unsurprisingly given her background as a poet, translator and playwright, the author’s sentences sing on the page with wit and intelligence.” There are short reviews of four crime novels: May the Wolf Die by Elizabeth Heider (Penguin Bks.), Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts (Minotaur: St. Martin’s), It’s Elementary by Elise Bryant (Berkley), and Seraphim by Joshua Perry (Melville House). Plus, short reviews of three historical novels: The Throne by Franco Bernini, tr. by Oonagh Stransky (Europa), A Killing on the Hill by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer), and The Woman in the Sable Coat by Elizabeth Brook (Tin House).

Washington Post reviews The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take It Back by Madiba K. Dennie (Random): “Madiba K. Dennie, a civil rights lawyer and legal commentator, offers a trenchant, sharply worded critique of originalist theories — and a call for a popular revolt against them.” Plus, short reviews of five feel-good books: A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi, tr. by Hildegarde Serle (Europa), Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life by Helen Fisher (Gallery), Big in Sweden by Sally Franson (Mariner), Experienced by Kate Young (Penguin), and Pets and the City: True Tales of a Manhattan House Call Veterinarian by Amy Attas (Putnam). 

NPR reviews “8 hot new love stories from a stellar lineup of Black authors.”

Briefly Noted 

According the most recent AAP Statshot, US trade publishing was up 16.5 percent in May. Publishing Perspectives has details. Infodocket also reports.

The August LibraryReads list is out, featuring top pick House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen (St. Martin’s)

Vox selects “the best books of the year (so far).”

USA Today recommends books for Disability Pride Month. 

CrimeReads suggests 10 new books for the week.

WSJ highlights 18 books for the week. 

Washington Post highlights 10 books for July and August. 

People shares a list of “Brat Color-Coded Reads.”

Author Lorrie Moore discusses the books in her life, at The Guardian.

Authors on Air

Rebecca Yarros previews her forthcoming third book in the “Empyrean” series, Onyx Storm, which publishes in January 2025, on GMA.

Open Road launches a new industry podcast, The Open Book Podcast with David Steinberger, offering a behind-the-scenes look at books and publishing.

In a landmark deal, Amazon Prime Video has acquired the studio where Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is filmed, Deadline reports.

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