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Hugo Awards & More

 2022 Hugo Awards are announced. A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (Tor), wins best novel. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (Tordotcom; LJ starred review), wins best novella.

The 2022 African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) Nommo Awards are announced. The Library of the Dead by T.L Huchu (Tor), wins best novel.

Shelley Parker-Chan wins the Astounding Award for Best New Writer. Locus reports.

The September 2022 Earphones Award Winners are posted at Audiofile.

Big Books of the Week

Fairy Tale by Stephen King (Scribner) leads holds this week.

Other titles in demand include:

Desperation in Death by J. D. Robb (St. Martin’s)

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell (Knopf)

Spy School Project X by Stuart Gibbs (S. & S. Books for Young Readers)

The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas (Atria)

These books and others publishing the week of Sept. 5th, 2022 are listed in a downloadable spreadsheet.

September Book Clubs

Jenna Bush Hager selects Solito by Javier Zamora (Hogarth) for the Read With Jenna pick. 

Barnes & Noble selects Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen (St. Martin’s). B&N talks with Allen about the book on its Poured Over podcast.

Amazon’s Sarah Selects book club picks The Lost Girls of Willowbrook: A Heartbreaking Novel of Survival Based on True History by Ellen Marie Wiseman, (Kensington).

The Good Housekeeping book club pick is On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton (Ecco: HarperCollins).

The Rumpus picks Hysterical : A Memoir by Elissa Bassist (Hachette).

The Target Book Club pick is Songbirds by Christy Lefteri (Ballantine).

Librarians and Booksellers Suggest

Five LibraryReads and nine Indie Next picks publish this week:

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn (Berkley; LJ starred review)

“Celebrating their retirement with a luxury cruise after four decades working for the same organization, four assassins discover they are now targets. This page turner offers the unique thrill of seeing women in their 60s as intelligent action heroes who can outmaneuver top assassins from an organization possessing limitless resources. For fans of What Rose Forgot and the “Thursday Murder Club” series."—Di Herald, Mesa County Libraries, Grand Junction, CO

Back to the Garden by Laurie R. King (Bantam)

"King’s latest, featuring neurodiverse police detective Raquel Laing, blends together evocative stories of the robber baron era of the American West, a counterculture commune in the 1970s, a present day mystery involving bones discovered beneath a massive statue, and the tale of a dying serial killer. An exciting departure from a consummate storyteller."—Patricia Uttaro, Rochester Public Library, Rochester, NY

The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris (Sourcebooks Landmark)

“When World War II starts, Fenna Vos is recruited by MI9 to use her skills to make escape aids. Based on true events about one woman's journey, this is a thrilling look at a little known part of the war effort, with well developed characters and terrifying adventures.”—Melanie Liechty, Morgan Library, Morgan, UT

The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas (Atria)

“The follow-up to The Spanish Love Deception has all the makings of a great rom-com: a good slow burn, forced proximity, a mix of steamy and funny scenes, and two leads that are easy to root for. Recommend to anyone in need of a delightful contemporary romance in the vein of The Bride Test and Get a Life, Chloe Brown.”—Danielle Willett, Grace A. Dow Memorial Library, Midland, MI

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“The American Roommate Experiment is a fun friends-to-lovers, forced-proximity, fake-dating romance! Read it as a stand-alone or an exciting follow up to The Spanish Love Deception with guest appearances of its beloved characters.”—Katie Harveson, Rediscovered Books, Boise, ID

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell (Knopf)

“In 16th-century Italy, teen Lucrezia de Medici passes from her father’s control to her husband’s, with neither considering her a person with a right to her own life. O’Farrell’s poetic writing pulls you into this tale based on the likely subject of Robert Browning’s poem My Last Duchess. For fans of Geraldine Brooks, Isabel Allende, and Hilary Mantel.”—Diana Armstrong, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“Lucrezia de’ Medici’s brief spark of a life is granted lush, compassionate detail in The Marriage Portrait. The frills and deceits of medieval court society come alive as our dear protagonist fights to survive them. An outstanding read!”—Celina Muñoz, Brick & Mortar Books, Redmond, WA

Seven additional Indie Next picks publish this week:

The Deceptions by Jill Bialosky (Counterpoint)

“The Deceptions is a wonder. A story of love, family, aspiration, and betrayal through a kaleidoscope of history and myth, we follow a middle-aged poet among the statues of the Met. Bialosky packs an impactful story in a dreamlike package.”—Luisa Smith, Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA

Ithaca by Claire North (Redhook: Hachette)

“Rich with detail and compelling characters, this gorgeously written novel left me brimming with warmth and courage. The often-misunderstood Hera provides a perfect lens for a faithful, unique, and satisfying retelling of a beloved story.”—Julie Goodrich, Beaverdale Books, Des Moines, IA

The Two Lives of Sara by Catherine Adel West (Park Row)

“A beautifully written, complex story of motherhood, found family, grief, reinvention, and redemption. West captures the challenges of fleeing a difficult past and explores profound questions about racial justice in the Jim Crow South.”—Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books, Beverly, MA

One Hundred Saturdays : Stella Levi and the Search for a Lost World by Michael Frank, illus. byMaira Kalman (Avid Reader Pr./ S. & S.; LJ starred review)

“Saturday after Saturday, Stella Levi’s story forms the lively, tragic tale that is One Hundred Saturdays. This is the best book I’ve read all year, and with Maira Kalman’s brilliant illustrations, it may be the best book of the decade.”—Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC

The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh (Atria)

“A story about the pushes and pulls of first-generation Americans, of grandmothers, mothers, sisters, and daughters. There is love, accomplishment, community, and it’s laugh out loud funny. Give yourself the gift of reading this book.”—Holly Hendricks, Sunriver Books & Music, Sunriver, OR

Solito by Javier Zamora (Hogarth)

“Man, what a brave and brilliant memoir. It’s hard to imagine what Javiercito endured in his quest to be reunited with his parents, not to mention the mental and physical journey north to La USA. I’ll be putting this in readers’ hands for a long time. Essential.”—Javier Ramirez, Exile in Bookville, Chicago, IL

If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery (MCD; LJ starred review)

“A story collection that reads like a loose novel; Escoffery is a literary master. Images from this book have come unbidden to me long after reading, as though these are people who told me their stories themselves. This is a knockout debut!”—Julie Wernersbach, P&T Knitwear Bookstore, New York, NY

In the Media

The People "Picks" book of the week is Walking in My Joy: In These Streets by Jenifer Lewis (Amistad). Also getting attention are The House of Fortune by Jessie Burton (Bloomsbury), and The Means by Amy Fusselman (Mariner). A “Star Picks” section highlights The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O’Connor (Farrar), Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala (Vintage), and Undaunted Courage : Meriwether Lewis Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West by Stephen E. Ambrose (S. & S.).

The “Picks” section spotlights The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, based on The Lord of the Rings books by J. R. R. Tolkien on Prime, Surfside Girls, based on the graphic novels by Kim Dwinell, on Apple TV+, and Lost Ollie, based on the book by William Joyce on Netflix.

September’s Costco Connection is out featuring interviews with Ellen Marie Wiseman, The Lost Girls of Willowbrook: A Heartbreaking Novel of Survival Based on True History (Kensington), and Nicholas Sparks, Dreamland (Random), both buyers’ picks.

Reviews:

NPR reviews Benghazi! : A New History of the Fiasco that Pushed America and its World to the Brink by Ethan Chorin (Hachette): “He's trying to get answers that a non-partisan investigation into the attack should have tried to find — so that America can learn from what happened so that it does not happen again — and not just score political points."

The Washington Post reviews Has Anyone Seen My Toes? by Christopher Buckley (S. & S.): “In short, Toes is a Walter Mitty story — a shaggy-dog tale about a man whose wild daydreams are at once a coping strategy and a revelation of his character.”

USA Today reviews Fairy Tale by Stephen King (Scribner), giving it 3.5 out of 4 stars: “the life-affirming saga of young Charlie Reade sticks with you more than most. After turning that last page, you’ll feel a little stronger in spirit, yearn for another story and, dare we say, maybe even live happily ever after.”

The Guardian reviews Lessons by Ian McEwan (Knopf): “The novelist’s attempt to capture a man’s existence over eight decades of personal and global change makes you long for the more melodramatic turns of his other books.”

NYT reviews The Betrayed by Reine Arcache Melvin (Europa): “When Melvin dives deep into a scene, her prose is sumptuous and visceral; but we don’t stay in these illuminating spaces for long.” And, The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell (Knopf): “Murder and unwanted sex are primal drivers of narrative. In this novel the characters are so one-dimensional and overwrought that the force of neither driver lands. The novelist begins to resemble a conjurer forcing cards.” Also, The Red Widow : The Scandal that Shook Paris and the Woman Behind it All by Sarah Horowitz (Sourcebooks): “It is a pity that Steinheil’s voice has been effaced, as has her very French, very sly wit, as have the newspapers which chronicled her fortunes. This hardly does the subject justice; Steinheil’s own writings reveal her power to bring anyone to life on the page." And, The Instant by Amy Liptrot (Canongate): “It feels revelatory to read serious, thoughtful writing on the sorts of experiences that so rarely receive it. The book is particularly sharp on the agony of a relationship’s aftermath in a digital age.” And, Status and Culture : How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change by W. David Marx (Viking): “Marx is most convincing when addressing the perennial question of whether money can, in fact, buy class.” Plus, there are short reviews of four crime & mystery novels.

Briefly Noted

NYT features TV Producer David Milch and his new book, Life's Work : A Memoir (Random), which tells about his life and experience with Alzheimer’s.

LA Times talks with A.M. Homes about how her family history influenced her new book, The Unfolding (Viking).

NYT Magazine has a feature interview with cartoonist Lynda Barry.

The Washington Post explores the effects of Wattpad and TikTok on book culture.

USA Today picks five books for the week, and five new thrillers for fall.

The Guardian rounds up the best recent thrillers.

Vulture has “7 New Books You Should Read This September.”

The Millions shares notable new releases for the week.

CrimeReads recommends 10 books out this week.

BookPage has suggestions for Romance, Mysteries, Inspirational Fiction, and Parenting.

“Barbara Ehrenreich, Explorer of Prosperity’s Dark Side, Dies at 81.” NYT has an obituary.

Authors On Air

CBS Sunday Morning talks with Jann S. Wenner about his new book, Like a Rolling Stone: A Memoir (Little, Brown; LJ starred review), which recounts “Rolling Stone's ‘glory days’,” and shares an excerpt. Also, Nina Totenberg discusses her friendship with Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her new book, Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships (S. & S.).

Alex Wagner, Futureface: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging (One World), will visit with Stephen Colbert tonight.

Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, The Book of Gutsy Women: Favourite Stories of Courage and Resilience (S. & S.) will visit The Tonight Show. They will also visit The View tomorrow.

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