11 New Books for February
This month, we’ve got our eyes on The Book of Love, Wandering Stars, and nine other titles by writers on the West.
BLOOD AND LIGHTNING: ON BECOMING A TATTOOER, BY DUSTIN KISKADDON
Kiskaddon explores the mysterious world of tattoo shops, and the artists who work there, in Blood and Lightning: On Becoming a Tattooer. His book highlights the struggles faced by tattoo artists (from the mental to the physical) without sparing any gritty details. Stanford University Press, February 27
THE BOOK OF LOVE, BY KELLY LINK
In Link’s new novel, death is only the start of the trouble for Laura, Daniel, and Mo. A year after disappearing from Lovesend, Massachusetts, they find themselves back at their former high school, where their music teacher offers them a bargain: If they can complete a set of magical labors, they will be allowed to return to their families. The catch is that they cannot tell anyone they have died, even as malevolent supernatural beings plot to destroy their town. Random House, February 13
COCKTAILS WITH GEORGE AND MARTHA: MOVIES, MARRIAGE, AND THE MAKING OF WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF, BY PHILIP GEFTER
Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? portrayed the intimacies of marriage onstage and later on-screen. Gefter’s book explores the trajectory of the work from its theater beginnings to star status in Hollywood and the troubled marriage of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who costarred in the film. Bloomsbury Publishing, February 13
THE FREAKS CAME OUT TO WRITE: THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE VOICE, THE RADICAL PAPER THAT CHANGED AMERICAN CULTURE, BY TRICIA ROMANO
Former Village Voice writer Romano, an Alta Journal contributor, has compiled a definitive account of the weekly newspaper. This oral history includes more than 200 interviews with writers, musicians, critics, columnists, and commentators. Through this chorus, the book captures the alt-weekly that would make a permanent impact on journalism. PublicAffairs, February 27
HITS, FLOPS, AND OTHER ILLUSIONS: MY FORTYSOMETHING YEARS IN HOLLYWOOD, BY ED ZWICK
Leonardo DiCaprio. Anne Hathaway. Brad Pitt. Jennifer Connelly. You name the star and Academy Award winner Zwick probably has a wild story about working with them. Here, he decides to spill the beans, wax poetic about the mystery of filmmaking, and offer tidbits about Hollywood. Gallery Books, February 13
IN ASCENSION, BY MARTIN MACINNES
In MacInnes’s adventurous novel, marine biologist Leigh joins a team asked to explore a newfound trench in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. But the deeper she dives, the more she finds out about the history of the world. Her discoveries lead her to the Mojave, where she’s given the opportunity to explore the heavens but not without giving up her life on Earth. Grove/Black Cat, February 27
KUBRICK: AN ODYSSEY, BY ROBERT P. KOLKER AND NATHAN ABRAMS
Stanley Kubrick’s influence is undeniable, and this first biography in two decades examines his ambitious body of work as well as the projects that never quite panned out. Much of the book’s research is from Kubrick’s archive at the University of the Arts, London and interviews conducted with those close to him. Pegasus Books, February 6
A MAP OF FUTURE RUINS: ON BORDERS AND BELONGING, BY LAUREN MARKHAM
After a 2021 trip, Alta Journal contributor Markham found and started piecing together little-known connections between Greece, the West, and global immigration. Using historical archives, essays, anecdotes, and interviews, Markham digs into the current refugee crisis in this work of narrative journalism. Riverhead Books, February 13
RELINQUISHED: THE POLITICS OF ADOPTION AND THE PRIVILEGE OF AMERICAN MOTHERHOOD, BY GRETCHEN SISSON
The experience of giving up children for adoption varies for every woman. In this inquiry, Sisson uses personal accounts to uncover the experience of American mothers who place their children for adoption. In the aftermath of Dobbs and the Supreme Court’s negation of abortion rights, Sisson’s studies are even more relevant. St. Martin’s Press, February 27
SUPERCOMMUNICATORS: HOW TO UNLOCK THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF CONNECTION, BY CHARLES DUHIGG
Think of the last conversation you had. Was it practical, emotional, or social? Trying to determine may seem difficult, but Duhigg argues that the key to engaging, persuading, and understanding others requires knowing which it is. Random House, February 20
WANDERING STARS, BY TOMMY ORANGE
Pulitzer Prize finalist Orange, the California Book Club’s November 2021 author, is back with his second novel, which examines the tragedy of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the generational impact the Carlisle Indian Industrial School had on Native culture and identity. The book spans more than a century and follows three generations of a family (each dealing with their own hardships and despair). Knopf Publishing Group, February 27
Elizabeth Casillas is an assistant editor at Alta Journal. A graduate of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, she has previously written for the Poly Post and Enspire Magazine.
Jessica Blough is a freelance writer. A former associate editor at Alta Journal, Blough is a graduate of Tufts University where she was editor in chief of the Tufts Daily.
Ajay Orona is an associate editor at Alta Journal. He earned a master’s degree from USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism in 2021 and was honored with an Outstanding Specialized Journalism (The Arts) Scholar Award. His writing has appeared in Los Angeles Review of Books, Ampersand, and GeekOut.
