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Big Books of the Week

Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva (Harper) leads holds this week.

Other titles in demand include:

Shattered by James Patterson and James O. Born (Little, Brown)

Grace Under Fire by Julie Garwood (Berkley)

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center (St. Martin’s Pr.)

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier (Minotaur)

These books and others publishing the week of July 18, 2022 are listed in a downloadable spreadsheet.

Librarians and Booksellers Suggest

Five LibraryReads and five Indie Next picks publish this week:

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier (Minotaur)

“Famous comedian Jimmy Peralta is found dead, and his wife Paris, covered in blood at the crime scene, is arrested. In the second part, Drew Malcolm, a reporter with a popular podcast, is chasing the story of Ruby Reyes, the infamous Ice Queen, who stomped her lover to death with an ice skate. As these two people become connected, the reader is drawn into a web of lies and compelling characters. For fans of These Toxic Things and Blood Will Tell.”—Cari Dubiel, Twinsburg Public Library, Twinsburg, OH

Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey (Tor Books)

“After years of being away, Vera returns to the home her father built to take care of her dying mother. Except her father was a serial killer, and the house has its own secrets. This book is a horror genre blend of serial killer/true crime meets haunted house. What makes the novel work is how it centers on family dynamics and the relationship we have with our parents changes when we get older.”—Cal Rydzinski, Acorn Public Library, Oak Forest, IL

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“Just Like Home grabs you and doesn’t let go. Vera returns to the home where her father committed a series of gruesome crimes. With her dying mother in a hostile small town, Vera grapples with her past — and something moving under her bed.”—Jo Swenson, Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord, NH

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Del Rey; LJ starred review)

“Carlota Moreau is the daughter of a scientist who runs morally ambiguous experiments on his jungle estate on the Yucatán peninsula. Though she lives in luxury, she has questions about her father’s secrets. Her story is revealed through hallucinatory episodes from alternating perspectives. The surreal setting is infused with historical realism that conveys the opulence enjoyed by the Moreau family and their patrons. This genre blend of horror and adventure is in the spirit of the HG Wells classic that inspired it,. For fans of Chapelwaite.”—Jeff Corber, Montgomery County Public Libraries, Rockville, MD

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center (St. Martin’s Pr)

“Hannah, a bodyguard with an elite firm, is hired to protect Jack, a celebrity who has a crazy stalker. Predictably, their pretend relationship develops into a real one, but the twists and turns it takes are fun and interesting. A heartwarming story for fans of The Unhoneymooners and The Hating Game.”—Sandy Ruhmann, Allen Park Public Library, Allen Park, MI

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“The Bodyguard is the perfect comfort read. You’ll feel your shoulders drop in the safety of the world of this book. There’s great chemistry between the characters and it’s a joy to get to know them. I’m already rooting for a movie version.”—Tiffany Phillips, Wild Geese Bookshop, Franklin, IN

Grace Under Fire by Julie Garwood (Berkley)

“Romantic suspense at its best. A beautiful woman who is a talented songwriter and a great listener is at her sister-in-law’s awaiting a trip to Scotland. During a brief walk around the block, her whole world changes. Of course, a handsome man helps her save the day. Loads of fast-paced fun. For fans of Catherine Coulter and Karen Robards.”—Susan Willis, Chanute Public Library, Chanute, KS

Three additional Indie Next picks publish this week:

The Work Wife by Alison B. Hart (Graydon House)

“Three women, a Hollywood high roller, and an explosive day set the stage for a novel that will blow you away. Any woman whose work has been overlooked, underestimated, uncredited, or unrewarded needs a copy of The Work Wife. Hear her roar!”—Pamela Klinger-Horn, Valley Bookseller, Stillwater, MN

The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green (Celadon)

“Totally immersed myself in the deep south and long-standing family secrets with this delightful read. An engaging story with a wealth of history. Very much looking forward to more of Jaq and Ransom!”—Kappy Kling, HearthFire Books, Evergreen, CO

Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional by Isaac Fitzgerald (Bloomsbury)

“Isaac Fitzgerald’s empathy shines while his conversational prose enthralls. We hear a lot about ‘nature versus nurture,’ but neither explains that rare ability to be dealt a rough hand and say ‘I will do better than this.’ He’s a gem.”—Amy Van Keuren, Charter Books, Newport, RI

In the Media

Why Didn't You Tell Me? by Carmen Rita Wong (Crown) is People’s book of the week. Also getting attention are What Jonah Knew by Barbara Graham (Harper Paperbacks), and The It Girl by Ruth Ware (Scout; LJ starred review). A “New in Paperback” section features Dream Girl by Laura Lippman (Morrow Paperbacks; LJ starred review), The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris (Atria; LJ starred review), and The Maidens by Alex Michaelides (Celadon). The “Self-help pick” is Be the One You Need: 21 Life Lessons I Learned While Taking Care of Everyone but Me by Sophia A. Nelson (Health Communications Inc: S.&S.).

The “Picks” section spotlights Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder, with assoc. titles. Plus, Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering (William Morrow Cookbooks), shares a recipe.

Reviews

The Washington Post reviews Crying in the Bathroom by Erika L. Sánchez (Viking): “this insightful memoir might not resonate with the easily offended. But those looking for an unfiltered, feel-good story will find it here.”

NYT reviews Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional by Isaac Fitzgerald (Bloomsbury): “There is much sin in Fitzgerald’s confessional, although none of it mortal. Instead, it is an endearing and tattered catalog of one man’s transgressions and the ways in which it is our sins, far more than our virtues, that make us who we are.” And Picasso's War: How Modern Art Came to America by Hugh Eakin (Crown): "once Eakin has introduced all the key figures and set them in motion, the book soars. His achievement is keeping the complex plotline moving, while offering sharp insights and astute judgments.”

WSJ reviews Good Medicine, Hard Times: Memoir of a Combat Physician in Iraq by Edward P. Horvath (Trillium): “Many readers may feel similarly fascinated by the exotic, under-reported world of military medicine that Dr. Horvath so vividly delivers in his memoir. His book is valuable for its on-the-ground details about the Iraq conflict, its granular evocation of day-to-day life during wartime, but even more so for its witness to the selflessness of emergency doctoring.”

Autostraddle reviews Pretty Baby by Chris Belcher (Avid Reader Pr.: S. & S.): “On top of everything else that is fascinating and wonderful about Belcher’s work here, her insistence on leaving this conversation unfinished reveals her faith in her readers and in her communities to come up with the answers to these questions that feel most appropriate to how we are living our lives.”

Briefly Noted

Frances Stonor Saunders wins PEN Ackerley Prize for outstanding memoir and autobiography for The Suitcase: Six Attempts to Cross a Border (Jonathan Cape).

The 2022 Library of Congress National Book Festival, set for September 13, announces speaker lineup, including Janelle Monáe, Nick Offerman, Nyle DiMarco, Geraldine Brooks, and more.

The Millions chats with Sopan Deb about the inspiration behind his debut novel, Keya Das's Second Act (S. & S.).

CrimeReads talks with Ruth Ware, The It Girl (Scout; LJ starred review), about “it girls, dark academia, and the pervasive British class system.”

People reflects on Ivana Trump’s 2017 memoir, Raising Trump: Family Values from America’s First Mother (Gallery), and recounts its dedication to her former husband Donald Trump and their three children.

Elle shares a conversation between authors and longtime friends, Carmen Maria Machado and Rebecca Rukeyser about The Seaplane on Final Approach (Doubleday), Rukeyser’s debut novel.

The Guardian talks with Tess Gunty about writing her debut novel, The Rabbit Hutch (Knopf), Catholicism, and the midwest.

Tess Geritsen talks about the books in her life at The Guardian.

NYT explores how several new novels, including Chinelo Okparanta's Harry Sylvester Bird (Mariner), Mohsin Hamid's The Last White Man (Riverhead; LJ starred review), and Mithu Sanyal's Identitti (translated by Alta L. Price; Astra House),  use satire to grapple with "racism, identity politics and the pain of being 'on the other side of whiteness'."

USA Today picks five books for the week.

CrimeReads suggests 10 books out this week.

NYPL releases a National Parks booklist.

WSJ has “16 Books We Read This Week.”

The Washington Post suggests “12 noteworthy books for July and August.”

HipLatina shares “13 Books by Latina Authors You Need to Read This Summer.”

Smart Bitches Trashy Reads shares July 2022 New Releases, Part Two. See Part One here.

Entertainment Weekly recommends the best comics for fans of Thor: Love and Thunder.

“David Weiss Halivni, Controversial Talmudic Scholar, Dies at 94.” NYT has an obituary.

Authors On Air

NPR’s All Things Considered examines unanswered questions about Where the Crawdads Sing author Delia Owens as the film adaptation is released. Pop Culture Happy Hour reviews the new film. The Atlantic also reviews, saying the adaptation “obfuscates the questionable morality at the novel’s center.”  USA Today breaks down the biggest changes between the book and movie. Plus, PopSugar explains why the author is wanted for questioning in an Africa murder case. Parade also reports. 

CBS Sunday Morning has an interview with Jason Reynolds.

Chrysta Bilton, author of Normal Family: On Truth, Love, and How I Met My 35 Siblings (Little, Brown; LJ starred review), joins her husband Nick Bilton on Vanity Fair’s Inside the Hive podcast for a conversation about her book.

NPR’s All Things Considered reviews “ten of the top cookbooks of 2022, so far.”

Salon highlights Lifetime’s limited series, Flowers in the Attic: The Origin, based on the books by V.C. Andrews, calling it “the one Gothic to rule them all.”

Vox looks at Netflix’s new Persuasion adaptation with a critical eye.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien, gets a trailer.

Sen. Raphael Warnock, A Way Out of No Way: A Memoir of Truth, Transformation, and the New American Story (Penguin Press), will be on The View today, and Paul Hollywood, Bake: My Best Ever Recipes for the Classics (Bloomsbury), visits with Seth Meyers tonight. 

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