10 New Books for December
This month, we’ve got our eyes on How We Know Our Time Travelers, The Last One, and eight other titles by writers on the West.
CABIN: OFF THE GRID ADVENTURES WITH A CLUELESS CRAFTSMAN, BY PATRICK HUTCHISON
Washington State–based journalist Hutchison gets a sudden notion to purchase a 120-square-foot cabin in the forests of the Cascade Range. He sets out to renovate the structure, a process that takes six years. Hutchison endures mishaps and setbacks but ultimately glories in the realization that nothing beats building one’s dream. St. Martin’s Press, December 3
THE CLOSE-UP, BY PIP DRYSDALE
In Drysdale’s novel, 29-year-old Zoe finds her hopes for a glamorous life in Los Angeles fading after both her debut novel and her love life fall flat. But when a famous actor reenters her life, she begins to think her luck may have changed. Then, news of the relationship breaks, and Zoe is thrust into the limelight at the same time that an obsessed stalker begins enacting her darkest fears. Gallery Books, December 3
DEEP FURY: A CORDELL LOGAN MYSTERY, BY DAVID FREED
A naked man falls from the sky and smashes through the roof of an elderly couple’s home. Did he fall from an airplane, or was he pushed out? Cordell Logan knew the victim; in fact, the man saved his life when the two served as fighter pilots in Desert Storm. Freed’s novel digs deep into the danger Cordell faces as he looks for answers, unsure if he knows the truth of his friend’s past. Blackstone Publishing, December 17
GIANT LOVE: EDNA FERBER, HER BEST-SELLING NOVEL OF TEXAS, AND THE MAKING OF A CLASSIC AMERICAN FILM, BY JULIE GILBERT
Edna Ferber won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, but it was the 1956 adaptation of her novel Giant that cemented her reputation in Hollywood, with a cast including Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean. Gilbert’s thoughtful and thorough look at the author’s life follows her from scrappy reporter to key player on the set. Shot in Marfa, the film caused controversy for Ferber because of its brutally honest portrayal of the state. Pantheon, December 3
HOW WE KNOW OUR TIME TRAVELERS: STORIES, BY ANITA FELICELLI
In this bold, genre-bending collection, California Book Club editor Felicelli crafts stories that reinvent time travel by way of the heart, the mind, and technology. Bouncing between pre- and post-pandemic life, Felicelli takes on climate change and death with innovation and creativity. In one story, a group bottles jars of fog to sell. In another, a woman encounters the love of her life in a version of his younger self. WTAW Press, December 3
KINGDOM OF NO TOMORROW, BY FABIENNE JOSAPHAT
Set in 1968, Josaphat’s novel begins as Nettie Boileau falls in love with Melvin Mosley, a leader of the Black Panther Party. After meeting in Oakland, at one of the Panthers’ Free Health Clinics, the couple heads to Chicago to support a chapter there. But Nettie soon finds that there are fights for social justice both inside the organization and outside of it, even as federal law enforcement begins to investigate. Algonquin Books, December 3
THE LAST ONE, BY RACHEL HOWZELL HALL
In her romantasy debut, Alta contributor Hall holds nothing back. When her protagonist, Kai, awakens in mysterious woods with no recollection of her previous life, a haunting urge pushes her to reach the Sea of Devour. But the kingdom of Vinevridth is dangerous, and to pay off a debt, she must join forces with an enigmatic—and icy—village blacksmith and his sister. This first book in the series will hook readers. Red Tower Books, December 3
ROLAND ROGERS ISN’T DEAD YET, BY SAMANTHA ALLEN
Allen’s latest novel masterfully blends romance and the supernatural. Adam Gallagher finds himself in the home of beloved Hollywood icon Roland Rogers, where he has been assigned to ghostwrite the story of the actor’s life. The task seems simple enough, except that Rogers is a ghost communicating through a kitchen speaker and Gallagher has a month to get the story before his subject’s body is found. Sparks fly as their connection deepens, adding emotional layers to this unique queer romance. Zando, December 3
SAM GILLIAM, BY ISHMAEL REED, MARY SCHMIDT CAMPBELL, AND ANDRIA HICKEY
Reed, an Alta contributor, collaborates with Campbell and Hickey to deliver a portrait of Sam Gilliam, a Black artist from Washington, D.C., who came to fame during the civil rights movement. With a provocative and playful style, Gilliam introduced the experimental spirit of jazz into his visual art. Reed highlights key chapters of the artist’s life and work over a period of 50 years while weaving insightful commentary on his ever-changing modes of expression. Phaidon Press, December 3
SWEET VIDALIA, BY LISA SANDLIN
After her husband of 30 years dies, Eliza Kratke is left to pick up the pieces of her life. Reeling from grief, she uncovers bits of evidence that lead her to believe her life has been a lie. Determined to move forward, she takes a room at the Sweet Vidalia, a motel brimming with ambitious young people. As Sandlin’s novel comes to a crescendo, Eliza realizes that embracing honesty is the only way to heal and find peace. Little, Brown and Company, December 3
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
