Alta Journal’s California Book Club
The book: The Last Fire Season: A Personal and Pyronatural History by Manjula Martin
The book: Marsha by Tourmaline
Our reviewer says: “Artist and filmmaker Tourmaline debuts with an illuminating biography of Marsha P. Johnson, a central force in the Stonewall uprising and nascent LGBTQ+ rights movement…. It’s a poignant portrait of a figure whose ‘greater sense of freedom’ still inspires.” Read more.
The book: How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music, ed. Alison Fensterstock with Ann Powers
Our reviewer says: “Fensterstock, a contributor to NPR’s Turning the Tables draws from it and more than 50 years of the station’s coverage in a rich and resonant collection of essays, interview excerpts, and ephemera…. It’s a buoyant, welcome ode to some of the most influential songstresses of the 20th and 21st centuries.” Read more.
The book: The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater
Our reviewer says: “The beguiling adult debut by YA novelist Stiefvater imbues a little-known chapter of WWII history with a touch of the supernatural…. This accomplished work should earn Stiefvater plenty of new fans.” Read more.
The book: Don't Cry for Me by Daniel Black
Our reviewer says: “Black chronicles a father’s confession of his failures in this heartbreaking narrative…. The painful narrative of regret can feel preachy at times, but it is consistently powerful.” Read more.
The book: Lush by Rochelle Dowden-Lord
Our reviewer says: “A spontaneous invitation to the South of France proves life-changing for four wine-industry insiders in Dowden-Lord’s polished debut.” Read more.
The book: Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle
Our reviewer says: “Lavelle riffs on hungry ghost mythology in her delectable debut…. This inventive tale of food and family is likely to whet readers’ appetites.” Read more.
The book: Some Soul to Keep by J. California Cooper
Our reviewer says: “The five long stories in this volume radiate the same energy that readers of Cooper’s A Piece of Mine and Homemade Love will expect.” Read more.
Good Housekeeping Book Club and Good Morning America Book Club
The book: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Our reviewer says: Reid’s transportive latest revolves around a forbidden love between two female astronauts in the 1980s….The author’s fans will find much to enjoy.” Read more.
Good Morning America YA Book Club
The book: Time After Time by Mikki Daughtry
Our reviewer says: “Sweet sapphic romances progress in parallel a century apart in this slow-burn epic from Daughtry.” Read more.
The book: TBA
The book: The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb
Our reviewer says: “Bestseller Lamb chronicles a family tragedy and its aftermath in this heart-wrenching story of redemption…. This will please the author’s fans.” Read more.
The book: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
Our reviewer says: “Bestseller Schwab (The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue) unfolds an epic and emotionally resonant tale about three lesbian vampires connected through the centuries…. [A] haunting and worthwhile story about cruelty, grace, love, and what it means to live forever.” Read more.
The book: A Good Cry: What We Learn From Tears and Laughter by Nikki Giovanni
Our reviewer says: “Life doesn’t begin and end with the memory of family trauma or past scars, as evidenced by this intimate collection from poet and activist Giovanni, who willingly confronts the uglier moments of her childhood while retaining a belief in the goodness of the human spirit.” Read more.
The book: The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt
Our reviewer says: “DeWitt delivers an explosive rebuke to sensationalistic American publishing in this smart and multilayered story…. DeWitt is at the top of her game.” Read more.
The book: Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh
Our reviewer says: “In Ibeh’s engrossing debut, a gay Nigerian man is ostracized by his family and society as he struggles to be himself…. Readers won’t want to miss this.” Read more.
The book: The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
Our reviewer says: “Nguyen’s poignant debut captures the perspectives of, and essence of the bond between, a parent and child, proving that language—and love—can transcend words.” Read more.
The book: We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes
The book: Moms Like Us by Jordan Roter
The book: A Family Matter by Claire Lynch
Our reviewer says: “Lynch’s subtle and powerful debut novel centers on a family torn apart by a long-ago custody battle in a small English village…. Readers will be heart-struck.” Read more.
The book: The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King
Our reviewer says: “King’s powerful debut blends magical realism, family history, and the power of storytelling in a multigenerational tale of memory and identity…. [A] poignant magical realist tale that’s sure to find fans.” Read more.
The book: Work Nights by Erica Peplin
Our reviewer says: “A lowly media planner pursues friendship and love while trying to stay afloat at her magazine job in Peplin’s witty and emotionally raw debut…. Devotees of The Devil Wears Prada will find much to love.” Read more.
The book: Consider Yourself Kissed by Jessica Stanley
Our reviewer says: “Stanley serves up a charming and intelligent story of a 20-something Australian copywriter and aspiring novelist who builds a new life in London…. Readers will root for Stanley’s endearing heroine.” Read more.
The book: The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
Our reviewer says: “In this masterful true crime account, Finkel traces the fascinating exploits of Stéphane Breitwieser, a French art thief who stole more than 200 artworks from across Europe between 1995 and 2001, turning his mother’s attic into a glittering trove of oil paintings, silver vessels, and antique weaponry…. [A] riveting ride.” Read more.
The book: Thirst by Varsha Bajaj
Our reviewer says: “A 12-year-old investigates water stolen from her Mumbai neighborhood in this clear look at resource access and wealth disparity…. [A]n engaging literary mystery.” Read more.
The book: The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl by Bart Yates
Our reviewer says: “Yates chronicles the eventful life of a gay man through the tumultuous events of the 20th century…. This will move readers.” Read more.
The book: Flashlight by Susan Choi
Our reviewer says: “The ambitious if digressive latest from National Book Award winner Choi spans multiple continents and perspectives in its exploration of a family mystery.… This gripping story of a family in crisis is tough to shake.” Read more.
