12 New Books for July
This month, we’ve got our eyes on The Rent Collectors, Coachella Elegy, and 10 other titles by writers on the West.
BURY YOUR GAYS, BY CHUCK TINGLE
In Tingle’s Hollywood satire, a studio tells screenwriter Misha Byrne to either stop writing leads who are gay or omit gay characters entirely, owing to the suggestion of a powerful AI algorithm. Going against the studio’s wishes, Misha is stalked by monsters from his past horror films, who haunt his everyday life. Tor Nightfire, July 9
COACHELLA ELEGY, BY CHRISTIAN GULLETTE
Gullette’s debut poetry collection rejoices in the Coachella Valley as a gay paradise, a bastion of decadence, and a place of rugged beauty, all while weathering insufferable personal loss. Tinged with mournful longing, the collection celebrates hope and perseverance. Trio House, July 1
CONCERNING THE FUTURE OF SOULS, BY JOY WILLIAMS
Williams is concerned with extinction—with our inevitable demise. In this collection of vignettes, she communes with horses, whales, butterflies, and philosophers, as well as a series of physical landscapes, recounting the end of times through each lens. Tin House, July 2
FEH, BY SHALOM AUSLANDER
This memoir recalls how Auslander rid himself of the biblical story of Feh. Shared with him at an early age, the story has long served to torment the author—making him feel shameful, disgusting, and fallen before he could even comprehend what those words meant. Riverhead Books, July 23
L.A. BIRDMEN: WEST COAST AVIATORS AND THE FIRST AIRSHOW IN AMERICA, BY RICHARD J. GOODRICH
In this new history, Goodrich—who has also written about Halley’s comet—recalls California aviation pioneers such as August Greth, who flew over San Francisco in his airship, the California Eagle, two months before the Wright brothers first took to the air. Culminating in 1910 in Los Angeles, with the earliest international air show in the United States, the book is a reminder that history is often not exactly what we think it is. Prometheus Books, July 2
LIARS, BY SARAH MANGUSO
Manguso’s novel revolves around Jane, an ambitious and talented writer who falls for a filmmaker named John and then into a marriage, executing a familiar pattern of domesticity. But as her husband demands creative and professional freedom and her responsibilities as a partner—and then a mother—demand attention, Jane’s work and joy fall to the wayside. Full of grief and surprising redemption, this is a story of a woman lost and found. Hogarth, July 23
THE NIGHT ENDS WITH FIRE, BY K.X. SONG
Song has written a fantasy-romance inspired by Mulan in which the protagonist, Meilin, evades a forced marriage by entering the army under the name of her dad. As the Three Kingdoms clash, Meilin’s heart is caught between an enemy prince and the leader of her platoon. Adding to her confusion are encounters with a sea dragon spirit that makes ambiguous offers of power and freedom. Ace, July 2
NOTHING LESS THAN MAGIC, BY STACY FINZ
Chelsea is a recently divorced single counselor. Dumbstruck by sadness, she escapes San Francisco for her small lake cabin in a remote hamlet. As she becomes involved with the townspeople, she develops an interest in a man who is fixing her roof and finds consolation in the simplicity of her new environment. Kensington, July 23
OFF THE BOOKS, BY SOMA MEI SHENG FRAZIER
Frazier’s debut novel reworks the great American road trip. Mei works as a limo driver in San Francisco. Things change after she meets Henry, an enigmatic client with curious habits who asks to be driven from San Francisco to Syracuse, New York. Once Mei discovers the reasons for his quirks, she finds herself facing a moral dilemma with dangerous consequences. Henry Holt & Company, July 30
REAP THE WHIRLWIND, BY PETER HOULAHAN
Houlahan recounts a harrowing episode that changed relations between San Diego law enforcement and the city’s POC communities: the trial of Sagon Penn. Beginning with a fatal encounter between Penn and white police officers in the 1980s, Houlahan uses courtroom evidence and interviews to explain what happened and how the trial became a talking point in controversial conversations around policing and race. Counterpoint Press, July 23
THE RENT COLLECTORS: EXPLOITATION, MURDER, AND REDEMPTION IN IMMIGRANT LA, BY JESSE KATZ
Alta Journal contributor Katz takes a look at Los Angeles’s predatory underbelly, spotlighting undocumented black-market workers and the gangs that exploit them. The narrative centers on Giovanni Macedo, a former gang member. Using Macedo’s experience, as well as his own research, Katz chronicles life and survival in Southern California. Astra House, July 16
WHOEVER YOU ARE, HONEY, BY OLIVIA GATWOOD
In the hippie haven turned tech bubble of Santa Cruz, roommates Mitty and Bethel are the last purveyors of an old way of life. Yet when a glamorous and wealthy couple moves in next door, Mitty can’t help but grow close to Lena, who is both friendly and mysterious. Lena’s wealthy boyfriend, however, is reluctant to let her stray too far, making Gatwood’s novel read something like a contemporary, West Coast version of The Stepford Wives. Dial Press, July 9
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.
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.
14 New Books for September
15 New Books for August
New Releases for July
Upcoming Releases: Moderation and Cozy Dystopias
