We recommend: The best new book releases

The best of new fiction

The Fraud: by Zadie Smith. The bestselling novelist Zadie Smith is back with her first work of historical fiction, set in Victorian England. At the centre of the novel is Mrs. Touchet who works as a housekeeper to William Ainsworth a rival of Charles Dickens. It’s through the eyes of Mrs. Touchet that we see the celebrated Tichborne trial, where a scamster claims to be Sir Roger Tichborne, who is the inheritor of a great fortune. In his quest to prove himself as Tichborne, the scamster has amassed a big following that believe him and decry everyone else who are in a conspiracy against him.

The reviews are good. Vox writes that there is “so much joy in watching Zadie Smith deconstruct a lie” that other flaws in the book don’t matter. The Guardian claims that the book is a “curious combination of gloriously light, deft writing and strenuous construction” (September 5)

Evil Eye: by Etaf Rum. The acclaimed New York Times bestselling author weaves a story about the exploration of the expectations of Palestinian-American women through Yara—an ambitious woman and mother—trying to balance her personal desires with her familial responsibilities. An added layer to the book is narratives that Yara must reckon with about the difficulties of the childhood she thought she left behind. Kirkus Reviews thinks Rum’s “nuanced approach to difficult questions of individual and cultural identity is refreshing.” (September 5)

Holly: by Stephen King. The lead of King’s latest is the beloved private detective Holly Gibney who has appeared in his previous books ‘Mr Mercedes’, ‘Finders Keepers’, ‘End of Watch’ and ‘The Outsider’. While dealing with a personal loss—her mother succumbing to the Covid 19—Holly takes up a case of finding Bonnie Dahl who is connected to two respectable professors harbouring a secret in their basement. New York Times calls it “a thriller scary enough to test its readers’ mettle — and toughen them up.” The Guardian writes: “Lyrical and horrifying, Holly is a hymn to the grim pursuit of justice.” (September 5)

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library: by Michiko Aoyama. Recommended for fans of the ‘The Midnight Library’, Aoyama’s novel follows the story of Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi. Komachi has read every book lining her shelves—but she also has the unique ability to read the souls of her library guests. An ode to the magic of libraries and the ability to form community through reading, this book is perfect for anyone who needs a bit of inspiration. New York Times says, “the novel is an undeniable page-turner.” (September 4)

This month’s poetry pick

The Lights: by Ben Lerner. The Lights is a personal, intense and ambitious collection of not just poetry—but also prose, voice mails, vignettes and songs. Lerner wrote this over a span of fifteen years, and focuses on making art and meaning from life’s multiple pleasures and risks. Washington Post writes: “‘The Lights’ might be the best showcase for Lerner’s set of themes: Here we find a book caught between the puzzle of prose and poetry, public and private speech, past and present.” (September 5)

The best of the non-fiction list

Elon Musk: by Walter Isaacson. There have been several biographies into the life of Elon Musk, but this time it’s Walter Isaacson who’s writing his biography. Walter has written popular biographies on multiple innovators like Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci. Walter shadowed Musk for two years and this biography promises to share the behind-the-scenes stories behind the Twitter takeover, SpaceX’s rise and Elon Musk’s controversial journey over the last few years. (September 12)

The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn, and the Transformation of Journalism: by Adam Nagourney. Adam Nagourney, a journalist from the New York Times offers an insider’s view into the newsroom of NYT from 1976 to 2016 when the Times had to adjust to the rise of the internet, diversify its staff, adapt to new norms of journalism and manage its business during these turbulent times. For anyone interested in the world of media, and curious about what happens inside one of the most prominent journalism institutions, this is a must-read. (September 26)

The Less You Preach, the More You Learn, Aphorisms for Our Age: by Shashi Tharoor and Joseph Zacharias. This book is a wise and witty read on aphorisms—old literary expressions that are concise statements or observations that express a general truth, principle, or nugget of wisdom, ideally in a memorable or witty manner. We’re excited about this one as Tharoor and Zacharias themselves have coined 200 aphorisms on every aspect of life! (September 5)

The Indian Village: Rural Lives in the 21st Century by Surinder S Jodhka. In this book, author SS Jodhka, an award-winning sociologist—critically looks at the idea of Indian villages and its lived reality. She studies the villages as republics within the colonial and post-colonial contexts to highlight the paradigm shift in rural studies, with a focus on agrarian development. The author suggests, “The Indian village is not a relic of the past. It has always been a dynamic reality and it lives on in an active relationship with the wider world.” (September 5)