11 New Books for August
This month, we’ve got our eyes on Sun House, What Never Happened, and nine other titles by writers on the West.
CALIFORNIA GOLDEN, BY MELANIE BENJAMIN
Benjamin’s novel brings to life 1960s California through the filter of a single family. Carol Donnelly is a record-breaking surfer (a rarity for women at the time), and her daughters, Mindy and Ginger, grow up feeling the impact of her lifestyle. Mindy embraces the vagaries of fame, attending Playboy Club parties and entertaining love affairs. Ginger, however, turns to drugs and cults. Both struggle to move on from their childhood and to build and nurture their relationship. Delacorte Press, August 8
DARK DAYS: FUGITIVE ESSAYS, BY ROGER REEVES
Acclaimed poet Reeves delivers his first work of nonfiction in this series of provocative essays. Addressing subjects as diverse as the McLeod Plantation in South Carolina, which once enslaved Africans, and the Syrian civil war, these pieces share a common thread: the author’s dogged insistence on highlighting moments of humanity that transcend the darkest circumstances. Graywolf Press, August 1
EVERGREEN, BY NAOMI HIRAHARA
After surviving internment at Manzanar and relocation in Chicago, the Ito family have returned home to California. But in Hirahara’s novel—a sequel to 2021’s Clark and Division, which is Alta Journal’s August California Book Club pick—nothing is the same. The Japanese American community is still reeling from the aftereffects of wartime internment and struggles to find housing. On top of that, the mysterious violence that plagued the family in Chicago seems to have followed them out West. Soho Crime, August 1
LEANING TOWARD LIGHT: POEMS FOR GARDENS AND THE HANDS THAT TEND THEM, EDITED BY TESS TAYLOR
In this anthology, editor Taylor, a poet and enthusiastic gardener, gathers poems of joy, peace, and reflection about the rhythms of growth. The collection features work by Alta Journal contributors Brenda Hillman, Forrest Gander, Jane Hirshfield, Maw Shein Win, and Katie Peterson, among many others. Storey Publishing, August 29
MOBILITY, BY LYDIA KIESLING
In Kiesling’s new novel, Bunny is the child of a Foreign Service family in Azerbaijan on the heels of the Cold War. As she grows up, her desire for power and wealth leads her to a career in the murky oil industry. Later, while living in Houston, she is drawn by her work back to Azerbaijan, where her internal ethical conflict becomes stronger, exacerbated by the complications of being an American woman in such an industry. Crooked Media Reads, August 1
SAN FRANCISCO’S FORGOTTEN CEMETERIES: A BURIED HISTORY, BY BETH WINEGARNER
Think you know the history of San Francisco’s cemeteries? The city that once moved 150,000 graves to Colma—to make room for its expansion—might be hiding more than a few skeletons. What started as an Alta Journal story has evolved into a full-length book. Winegarner traces the history of San Francisco’s early cemeteries and exposes the more than 50,000 graves that have been unearthed or are still resting beneath the city. History Press, August 28
SUN HOUSE, BY DAVID JAMES DUNCAN
A follow-up to The River Why and The Brothers K, Duncan’s novel tells the story of a handful of strangers and the peculiar events that lead them to find spiritual healing in Montana. Among this community of seekers is a young woman who uses her extraordinary empathy to help those around her. Set within a hauntingly beautiful landscape, Sun House presents a rare version of the American West, one teeming with mysticism, yearning, and compassion. Little Brown and Company, August 8
THIN SKIN, BY JENN SHAPLAND
In Thin Skin, Shapland gathers essays about boundaries, barriers, choices, and consequences. These topics are addressed through a variety of lenses: the author’s personal struggles, historical explorations, and meditations on social codes and expectations that have ramifications for us all. Pantheon, August 15
THIS IS WILDFIRE, BY NICK MOTT AND JUSTIN ANGLE
As wildfires become more catastrophic, Mott and Angle offer practical tips that will help readers, especially those in vulnerable areas, become safer and more prepared. They also argue that understanding the difference between fires that simply wreak havoc and those that may be necessary for plant growth is essential for societies in an increasingly hotter world. Bloomsbury Publishing, August 29
TIME’S MOUTH, BY EDAN LEPUCKI
The woman at the center of Lepucki’s latest novel can travel back in time to moments she has experienced, and after choosing to return to California’s 1950s counterculture, she develops a cult-like following in and around Santa Cruz. It’s a decision that, as the narrative progresses, will have long-lasting fallout for her granddaughter. Counterpoint, August 1
WHAT NEVER HAPPENED, BY RACHEL HOWZELL HALL
Hall’s most recent novel begins with a restorative homecoming to Catalina Island for obituary writer Coco Weber, who is fleeing a life with her ex. But it all goes awry when the deaths of a surprising number of elderly residents are revealed to be the work of a serial killer. As she begins to investigate, Coco discovers connections between the current threat and her own traumatic past. Thomas & Mercer, August 1
14 New Books for September
15 New Books for August
New Releases for July
Upcoming Releases: Moderation and Cozy Dystopias
