18 New Books for October
This month, we’ve got our eyes on In Light of All Darkness, A Man of Two Faces, and 16 other titles by writers on the West.
A MAN OF TWO FACES: A MEMOIR, A HISTORY, A MEMORIAL, BY VIET THANH NGUYEN
Nguyen’s memoir seeks to grapple with issues of national identity, dualism, and cultural guilt. Drawing on anecdotes from his childhood and adolescence, Nguyen questions what it means to be both an American and the son of Vietnamese immigrants, a riddle that ultimately leads him back to Vietnam in an attempt to reunite with a long-lost sister. Grove Press, October 3
A SELF-PORTRAIT IN THE YEAR OF THE HIGH COMMISSION ON LOVE, BY DAVID BIESPIEL
Hailing from a long line of rabbis, 18-year-old Jon “Duke” Wain is expected to study the Torah but instead indulges in debauchery and recreational drugs. After he befriends a gay teen named Manolo Salazar, the two decide to run away from their homes in Houston. As they journey down the Texas coastline, Duke meets a mysterious young woman, who makes him question everything he thought he knew. Stephen F. Austin University Press, October 24
ARTIFICIAL: A LOVE STORY, BY AMY KURZWEIL
Kurzweil’s graphic novel spans three generations, beginning with her celebrated musician grandfather fleeing the Holocaust. Her father, Ray, is a futurist on a mission to bring that grandfather, Fred, back to life through AI, and he recruits his daughter to help. In capturing a version of the man they’ve both lost, the two encounter big questions about memory, creativity, what history takes from us, and what can be recovered. Catapult, October 17
BLACKOUTS, BY JUSTIN TORRES
In Blackouts, Torres unfolds a haunting narrative of forgotten histories. Drawing inspiration from an anthology—Sex Variants: A Study of Homosexual Patterns—Torres introduces our narrator and Juan Gay, a man facing the end of his life and seeking to pass on his stories and thoughts. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, October 10
CHARLIE CHAPLIN VS. AMERICA: WHEN ART, SEX, AND POLITICS COLLIDED, BY SCOTT EYMAN
In this new book, biographer Eyman delves into not only the success Charlie Chaplin attained but also the travails that plagued him: political persecution, a paternity suit, and exile from the United States. The book paints a vivid portrait of a complex and enigmatic personality. Simon & Schuster, October 31
DEATH VALLEY, BY MELISSA BRODER
With illness and death all around her, Broder’s protagonist escapes to Death Valley for some relief. Then, an innocent hike reveals a fantastical cactus that should not exist in California, with a hole through which she is beckoned to adventure inside the plant. As she turns her visits to the cactus into a routine, she must confront her own grief and sorrow and survive the subtle brutality of the desert. Scribner, October 3
THE DELICACY OF EMBRACING SPIRALS, BY MIMI TEMPESTT
Tempestt is a self-proclaimed “daughter of California,” and her collection begins by gazing inward, before moving seamlessly into questions of queerness and Blackness that drive a searing social and political critique. City Lights Books, October 3
THE DESERTS OF CALIFORNIA: A CALIFORNIA FIELD ATLAS, BY OBI KAUFMANN
Kaufmann, a remarkable author-illustrator, invites readers on an extraordinary journey through California’s deserts in this new work. The book includes a myriad of watercolor maps and illustrations of the Great Basin and Sonoran Deserts. Focusing on wilderness areas and national and state parks, Kaufmann uncovers an oft-overlooked natural richness. Heyday Books, October 10
EXTREMELY ONLINE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF FAME, INFLUENCE, AND POWER ON THE INTERNET, BY TAYLOR LORENZ
Washington Post reporter Lorenz has been the first—and one of the best—to break big stories on the development of the influencer economy, new social media platforms, and emerging online communities. Her first book looks at the strengths and pitfalls of the creator industry, the way social media has rewired our brains, and the overlooked pioneers in internet fame and monetization. Simon & Schuster, October 3
FAMILY MEAL, BY BRYAN WASHINGTON
Washington’s novel begins with Cam, who after the death of his partner flees Los Angeles for his Houston hometown, where he crosses paths with his former best friend, TJ. The encounter, marked by time and distance, leaves both uncertain. While TJ grapples with his changed old friend, Cam remains haunted by his late lover’s memory. Both must decide whether to move forward with a friendship or leave the past behind. Riverhead Books, October 10
FIRE IN THE CANYON, BY DANIEL GUMBINER
In Gumbiner’s second novel, grape-grower Ben Hecht returns to his small vineyard after a prison sentence for growing marijuana, seeking a fresh and quiet restart. Yet as he attempts to reconcile with his wife and estranged son, a fire hits their land, forcing the family to leave. On the move, they become part of a community of climate refugees on the California coast, facing unique obstacles. Astra House, October 3
GOING INFINITE: THE RISE AND FALL OF A NEW TYCOON, BY MICHAEL LEWIS
When Sam Bankman-Fried put his cryptocurrency company FTX into bankruptcy last year, he became a widely vilified tech bro. In this new book, Lewis wades deep into the murky waters of digital money, high-frequency trading, and liquidation to explain what Bankman-Fried was doing—and what it means. W.W. Norton & Company, October 3
IN LIGHT OF ALL DARKNESS: INSIDE THE POLLY KLAAS KIDNAPPING AND THE SEARCH FOR AMERICA'S CHILD, BY KIM CROSS
Cross delves into one of the FBI’s largest manhunts, recounting the kidnapping of 12-year-old Polly Klaas during a sleepover with two friends. Offering insights from investigators and presenting never-before-seen case files, crime-scene visuals, and insider accounts, her meticulously crafted narrative revisits a harrowing abduction and its aftermath. Grand Central Publishing, October 3
MONICA, BY DANIEL CLOWES
This new graphic novel by acclaimed cartoonist Clowes features nine loosely connected stories. Illustrated in the styles of many genres of comics, including horror, romance, war, and crime, the stories here span thousands of years, but the main plot is centered on the figure of Monica, to whom Clowes refers to as a whole person more than a character. Fantagraphics Books, October 3
OPINIONS: A DECADE OF ARGUMENTS, CRITICISM, AND MINDING OTHER PEOPLE’S BUSINESS, BY ROXANE GAY
Gay’s new collection gathers pieces from the past decade, many of which address politics and culture. Featuring a contextualizing introduction that reflects back on the essays, the book offers sharp and clever perspectives, certain to challenge and engage. Harper, October 10
SMALL IN REAL LIFE: STORIES, BY KELLY SATHER
Sather’s collection features nine stories of love, fame, and Hollywood, bringing together characters on all sides of the social and economic stratum. In one of these pieces, a paparazzo befriends, and spies on, his famous companion in a rehab clinic. In another, an actor and a judge meet on a date. In all the stories, the myth of Los Angeles emerges, whether fulfilled or not. University of Pittsburgh Press, October 3
STRAW DOGS OF THE UNIVERSE, BY YE CHUN
Chun’s novel is centered by 10-year-old Sixiang, who arrives in 19th-century California from China with a few coins and a photograph of her long-lost father—a railroad worker. As she searches for her family, she encounters violence, isolation, and homesickness. Catapult, October 17
THIRTEEN QUESTION METHOD, BY DAVID L. ULIN
In this novel by Alta Journal’s books editor, a man hiding out in a Hollywood apartment speaks with his neighbor after she apologizes for screaming in the courtyard. When he learns that she is engaged in a dispute with her stepmother over an inheritance, he agrees to help her but soon finds himself in a world of secrets and hidden motivations. Eventually, as the situation grows darker and more desperate, he questions his own sanity. Outpost 19, October 3
