Editor's note: As we're publishing the Advisory a little earlier than usual, you may notice fewer reviews accompanying our recommendations (these tend to come out later in the week). The Advisory will be back to the regular schedule from our next edition, which drops on June 10 :)
We recommend: The best new book releases
The best of new fiction
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood: Ali Hazelwood is back with another romance novel set in the world of STEM. This time, we meet Elsie Hannaway, a physicist who works as an adjunct professor in three universities but hustles on the side by pretending to be a fake girlfriend to get men through awkward family situations. This finally catches up to her when she’s up for a big job. The interviewer is the brother to one of her fake boyfriends and someone who hates theoretical physicists. What follows is an exciting story about her side hustle and the one man who is in the way of her dream job. (June 13)
Ride or Die by Gail-Agnes Musikavanhu: ‘Baby Driver’ fans might want to pay attention to this adrenaline-fueled debut! This book follows the adventures of best friend duo Loli Crawford and Ryan Pope—whose love for adventure might come at a price. Loli finds herself wrapped up in a dangerous game with an unknown entity ‘X’ who threatens everything she holds most dear to her heart. Kirkus describes this story as having lots of charm despite it being led by an “imperfect protagonist.” (June 6)
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See: New York Times bestselling author Lisa See is back with another historical novel that is inspired by the true story of a woman physician from 15th-century China who gets trapped into the patriarchal chains of not being allowed to keep friendships or practise her craft. This doctor—Yunxian—learns and practises the pillars of Chinese medicine, the Four Examinations—looking, listening, touching, and asking. This is a heartwarming story of women helping other women through the many multifaceted challenges of life. (June 6)
The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende: Allende has managed to weave yet another powerful and moving story—this time following a tale of love and sacrifices that exist in a parent-child relationship. The book traces two lives affected by war and immigration simultaneously—one of Samuel Adler in Europe in 1983 and the other of Anita Diaz in America in 2019. Interestingly, these two lives converge with themes of irony and hope. Allende has found “real depth” in these characters and the dual storyline makes for a solid historical narrative, says Publishers Weekly. (June 6)
The Wife App by Carolyn Mackler: In this debut novel, Carolyn introduces us to three divorced mothers (and friends) who were highly successful in the past, but now bear the sole burden of taking care of their children. At the same time, their ex-husbands shy away from responsibilities. They decide to create an app that will monetize the chores and the ‘mental load’ undertaken by women—Wife App. The app became extremely popular, but the women are now faced with many other struggles in their lives—relationships with ex-husbands, the business, and their own friendships. (June 27)
This month’s poetry pick
Negative Money by Lillian-Yvonne Bertram: Bertram, a National Book Award nominee, has released a collection of poems following the speaker who battles the many binaries of life—racial and gender identity, violence and safety, security and precarity, love and loneliness. This is especially recommended to readers of poets like Claudia Rankine, Torrey Peters, Ocean Vuong, and Jericho Brown. (June 27)
The best of the non-fiction list
100 Places to See After You Die: A Travel Guide to the Afterlife by Ken Jennings: If you were worried about what you might do after death, this guide to the afterlife by Ken Jennings has got you covered. In this book, written in the style of a travel guide, Ken has scoured through over 5,000 years of how the afterlife has been depicted in our culture and finalised a list of 100 destinations worth visiting. These range from Valhalla, NBC’s ‘Good Place’, the astral plane, circles of hell from Dante’s ‘Inferno’ and many more. Stay for the funny and light-hearted tour of life beyond as imagined by humans. (June 13)
Pageboy by Elliot Page: ‘Pageboy’ is a groundbreaking and much-awaited memoir by Oscar-nominated star Elliot Page, who is also one of the most influential trans-rights advocates today. Page pens down his journey with gender identity, love, mental health and relationships. Vanity Fair writes that this memoir will delve into never-before-heard details of “his relationship with his body” and the “cesspool that Hollywood can be.” (June 6)
What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds by Jennifer Ackerman: In this novel, Jennifer explores the story behind owls and how they have captivated us. She illustrates the rich biology and natural history of these birds and explains the different scientific discoveries we have made about their brains and behaviour. If owls have fascinated you, you are in for a ride. Kirkus notes that this is “sure to please any lover of immersive treks into the lives of birds”. (June 13)
