We recommend: The best new book releases

The best of new fiction

Monica by Daniel Clowes. Clowes is an Academy Award-nominated American author and cartoonist of alternative comic books—and a new book from him is always a huge event in comics and literary circles—and ‘Monica’ is expected to be the biggest literary event of 2023. This graphic novel is a multilayered masterpiece in comics form that alludes to many of the genres that have defined the medium—war, romance, horror, crime, the supernatural, etc—and it is likely that you will come back to it again and again. (October 1) 

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll. From the bestselling author of ‘Luckiest Girl Alive’ and ‘The Favorite Sister’, Jessica Knoll gives us a mystery thriller novel inspired by real events. Set in 1978, a serial killer is on the loose and targeting sorority girls from the Florida State University. One day, protagonist Pamela Schumacher who is the president of the sorority, finds two of her sisters dead and other two injured, which propels her to investigate the crime. New York Times writes: “‘Bright Young Women’ is packed with moments when you feel the size of the deck stacked against any woman, young or old, who dares to be ‘bright.’” (October 3) 

A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand. Here’s a Halloween special horror novel. This book cleverly is set in the universe and mansion of Shirley Jackson’s wildly popular ‘The Haunting of Hill House’. Like any other horror trope, protagonist Holly Sherwin and her theatre troupe stumble upon the Hill House on a weekend getaway and start rehearsals of their play. Strange paranormal activities begin to happen around them but they are undeterred by the warnings. The suspense builds when each character’s insecurities start to haunt them. New York Times finds it “compelling and frightening”. (October 3)

Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward. Ward is a the two-time National Book Award winner and MacArthur Fellow—and she brings a haunting story about an enslaved girl—Annis—in the years before the Civil War through a journey from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans and into the fearsome heart of a Louisiana sugar plantation. Kirkus Reviews describes Ward’s language to be “saturated with terror and enchantment”, even though she may not tell you anything new about slavery. (October 3)

Roman Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri. This time around, literary maestro—Jhumpa Lahiri—brings an interesting short story collection in which the city of Rome, is not the setting—but the protagonist of the book. These poignant stories are written in her adopted language of Italian. Kirkus Reviews says these stories are “filled with intelligence and sorrow” and describes them to be “sharply drawn glimpses” of Roman lives that create an impressively unified effect. (October 10) 

The Exchange by John Grisham. The author hardly needs an introduction. Grisham is back, this time with a riveting sequel to his 1991 hit legal thriller ‘The Firm’—which is a favourite among many. This will answer the burning questions of the fans starting with what Mitch and Abby McDeere are up to since exposing the law firm and fleeing the country. As it turns out they are in Manhattan—still practising—and are called upon by a mentor in Rome to look into a case. (October 17) 

This month’s poetry pick

Organs of Little Importance by Adrienne Chung. This is a very unique collection of poems on memories and connections from National Poetry Series winner Adrienne Chung. The title of the book is from Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’ but contrary to being dismissive, she highlights the apparent uselessness of our compulsions, superstitions and first impressions. One of her poems was published in Yale Review. (October 10)

The best of the non-fiction list

Going Infinite by Michael Lewis. We know Michael Lewis for writing some of the most compelling non-fiction novels which have turned into hit movies like ‘Moneyball’ or ‘The Big Short’. This book is about another big financial moment in recent history: the rise and collapse of FTX and its founder Sam Bankman-Fried. Lewis offers the inside story of the collapse of FTX and SBF’s role. The Washington Post praises Lewis’s ability to craft a compelling narrative, but notes that the book fails “to capture the nuances of crypto”. The New York Times writes that Lewis is a talented writer but the topic at hand “doesn’t play to his strengths” (October 3)

Out There Screaming by John Joseph Adams and Jordan Peele. Director Jordan Peele best known for his satirical movies that capture the horrors of otherness—specifically Blackness—like ‘Get out’ and ‘Nope’, dons on the hat of an editor here and presents an anthology of real life horror stories by 20 up and coming Black writers. The book features an introduction by Peele and stories range from police brutality to profiling civil rights activists. According to Publisher’s Weekly: “[T]here isn’t a weak one in the bunch. This is essential reading for any horror fan.” FYI: the book has already topped Amazon's bestseller chart. (October 3) 

A Bollywood State of Mind by Sunny Singh: This is a book for Bollywood lovers. Through a series of essays, Sunny Singh explores the story of Bollywood and how it captured the imagination of millions of people across the globe. She looks at over five decades of Hindi cinema, how it cut across social, political and geographical barriers and writes about its unique place in our history. FYI: she has previously written a book on Big B’s star persona for BFI series called ‘Amitabh Bachchan’. (October 19)