I’m looking at the weather for this upcoming week, and  oh boy it’s going to be a scorcher! If you’re looking for me, you will find me within the cool embrace of the nearest air-conditioned library/bookstore, where these new books will be available.

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Joan Didion: The Last Interview
(Melville House)

“Little about her writing goes undiscussed.   The Last Interview highlights the complex person behind both the image and the pen. ”
–Alta

Lidia Yuknavitch, Thrust
(Riverhead)

“Lidia Yuknavitch’s extraordinary new novel is the weirdest, most mind-blowing book about America I’ve ever inhaled…Part history, part prophecy, all fever dream,   Thrust offers a radical critique of the foundational ideals that conceal our persistent national crimes. ”
–The Washington Post

Patrick Radden Keefe, Rogues
(Doubleday)

“Each of these stories could make a book in itself, not to mention an engrossing feature or documentary film … [Keefe] does pay his unique subjects the compliment of his world-class attention, in works of deadline prose that shock, inform and entertain. ”
–The Wall Street Journal

Davey Davis, X
(Catapult)

“Davis ( The Earthquake Room ) delivers an astonishing speculative tale associated with sex, power, and gender … It’s just one of many ravishing explorations of the margins of a punishing world. This one hits hard. ”
–Publishers Weekly

Tomi Obaro, Dele Weds Destiny
(Knopf)

“The intricacies of female friendships and the complex nature of mother/daughter relationships are at the heart of this absorbing novel from BuzzFeed culture editor Obaro, a sharp new voice on the literary scene. ”
–Library Journal

Wesley Straton, The Bartender’s Cure
(Flatiron)

“This illuminating paean to mixology is best read at your favorite bar or even with ingredients nearby. ”
–Kirkus

Jess Walter, The Angel of Rome
(Harper)

“Reading Walter’s perceptive collection (after  The Cold Millions ) is like sitting next to the guy at a dinner party who has something hilarious to say about everyone and knows all their secrets. ”
–Publishers Weekly

Mat Johnson, Invisible Things
(One World)

“His writing style is fairly cerebral, which mutes some of the emotional impact, and that’s the point: Johnson has an argument to make, and the story humanizes it enough for it to really hit home. ”
–Booklist

Shashi Bhat, The Most Precious Substance on Earth
(Grand Central)

“Bhat ( The Family Took Shape ) balances humor plus pathos in this savvy coming-of-age story set in Halifax, Nova Scotia. ”
–Publishers Weekly

Julia Shaw, Bi
(Abrams Press)

“She is persuasive in the girl insistence that bisexuality is an important and overlooked dimension of the human story. An accessible, often insightful consideration of a misunderstood sexual identity. ”
–Kirkus

Meron Hadero, A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times
(Restless Books)

“Told with fierce honesty and compassion, Madero’s selection lives up to its title, providing a flavorful, nourishing feast. ”
–Shelf Awareness

Maddie Mortimer, Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies
(Scribner)

“Using word placement, font, and shape to create images on the page, Mortimer deepens the reader’s engagement with the story and characters … Through breathtaking attention to detail, Mortimer crafts a stunning novel that touches on the expanses one life can contain. ”
–Booklist

Miranda Seymour, I Used to Live Here Once
(W. W. Norton)

“ I Used to Live Here Once —the biography takes its brilliantly apt name from one of Rhys’s ghost stories—is shot through with madness … Half its cast are half crazy, and most of the rest are as creepy as hell. ”
–The Guardian

Nikki Erlick, The Measure
(William Morrow)

“Perfect for book clubs, Erlick’s  The particular Measure  is equal parts charming and thought-provoking. ”
–Marie Claire

Andrew Liptak, Cosplay: A History
(Gallery/Saga Press)

“Seasoned writer, journalist, and historian Liptak dives deep into the research plus history surrounding cosplay with this debut book. Delving into cosplay’s past and present, he also writes in detail about how this genre-bending art form will continue manifesting itself into the future. ”
–Booklist

Steve Sem-Sandberg, tr. Saskia Vogel, W.
(Overlook Press)

“ W. , by Swedish novelist Steve Sem-Sandberg, is the latest work of tribute and elaboration. Though the bleak, despairing mood of this novel comes from Büchner, Mr. Sem-Sandberg takes his story from Woyzeck’s real life rather than the play’s many distortions. ”
–The Wall Street Journal

James Gavin, George Michael: A Life
(Abrams Press)

“Gavin’s real tales of triumphs and tragedies poignantly explain one of pop’s most enigmatic stars. ”
–Kirkus

Jay Wellons, All That Moves Us
(Random House)

“…engaging … The author provides vivid, often gruesomely detailed chronicles of his procedures. ”
–Kirkus

Alfred Sadler and Blair Sadler, Pluck
(Silicon Valley Press)

“An inspiring story of crucial and familiar aspects of the health care system. ”
–Kirkus