15 New Books for June
This month, we’ve got our eyes on The Catch, Out There in the Dark, So Far Gone, and 12 other titles of the West.
WHAT IS QUEER FOOD? HOW WE SERVED A REVOLUTION, BY JOHN BIRDSALL
Critic Birdsall’s most recent endeavor into food culture enlivens the history of dishes like quiche, potlucks, and rainbow icebox cake with narratives about the people who created them and the culture that they were liberating themselves from in the process. Tracing recipes from the past century, Birdsall looks at instances of food as recovery and community amid the LGBTQ civil rights movement and the AIDS crisis and emphasizes the importance of gathering and coalition-building in a shared, delicious revolution. W.W. Norton and Company, June 3
THE CATCH, BY YRSA DALEY-WARD
In this twisty debut, Daley-Ward introduces twin sisters Clara, a writer, and Dempsey. Separated as infants in 1995 when their mother disappeared into the River Thames, they have grown up in different families and worlds. An atmosphere of mystery pervades the novel’s opening, and it only intensifies when Clara sees their mother—or a version of their mother from decades earlier—in a store. What follows is an exploration of the sacrifices women make for family and what it means to seek fulfillment and self-actualization. Liveright, June 3
THE WOLF WANTS ANSWERS, BY JOSHUA MOHR
The punk rock antihero from Saint the Terrifying is back in the second installment of Mohr’s Viking punk saga. Picking up in Oakland a few weeks after where the first book ends, The Wolf Wants Answers finds Saint joined with lead singer Trick Wilma’s punk band; he is beginning to move on from his chaotic past. But all of that gets derailed when Saint’s old girlfriend turns up and a cartel ambushes the group on their way to a performance, claiming that Saint still has a debt to settle with them. Readers are taken on a wild ride as Mohr continues to expand this wonderfully zany story. Saint puts the idea of the past returning eloquently: “Being alive meant we caught ghosts in our hearts like fish in nets.” Unnamed Press, June 3
DESI ARNAZ: THE MAN WHO INVENTED TELEVISION, BY TODD S. PURDUM
Purdum relates the biography of Desi Arnaz, the Cuban American entertainer who helped shape modern television. Arnaz did more than just make people laugh as Ricky Ricardo: He formed his own band and through the production of I Love Lucy popularized the idea of filming in front of a live studio audience—setting a standard for later sitcoms. Purdum goes beyond the fame, exploring how Arnaz was often underestimated because of his accent and background. Using unpublished materials and interviews, Purdum brings to life the story of a trailblazing visionary. Simon & Schuster, June 3
ATMOSPHERE, BY TAYLOR JENKINS REID
Los Angeles author Reid is back with her ninth book, another sure-to-be summer bestseller, this one centered on a cast of aspiring astronauts in the 1980s, competing and collaborating to make it to space. Sapphic love and friendship bloom at training camp, and protagonist Joan joins a cohort of the first women bound for the atmosphere. But the stakes are high and the work is risky. Once again, Reid’s propulsive storytelling is the star. Ballantine Books, June 3
THEIR ACCOMPLICES WORE ROBES: HOW THE SUPREME COURT CHAINED BLACK AMERICA TO THE BOTTOM OF A RACIAL CASTE SYSTEM, BY BRANDO SIMEO STARKEY
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments of the Constitution had the potential to combat centuries of discrimination against Black Americans, but the Supreme Court has routinely chosen not to uphold this promise to the American people, Starkey argues in this bold and unflinching book. Drawing on his law background, Starkey points to an array of cases in which the court sided against desegregation and equal rights, instead opting to uphold white supremacy. It’s a critical history lesson for our present day. Doubleday, June 3
OCEAN OF CLOUDS, BY GARRETT HONGO
National Endowment for the Arts and Guggenheim Foundation Fellow Hongo writes rolling, surging poems that shade into the musical, and his latest collection is no exception. From Hawaii to France to the Caribbean, he mimics the rhythms of peaceful and rugged coastlines shaped by the seas. But he also finds inspiration in his commute, his record player, and his daughter’s hair, committing each to paper and to memory. He is a master of pulling from the ordinary unexpected, specific imagery. For instance, in “I Got Heaven”: “I swear that, in Gardena, on a moonlit suburban street, / There are souls that twirl like kites lashed to the wrists of the living.” Knopf, June 10
THE GREAT MANN, BY KYRA DAVIS LURIE
Here, The Great Gatsby gets a retelling that features a different community and perspective. In 1945, Charlie Trammell departs from the bleakness of a segregated World War II front to live in West Adams Heights, a thriving Black enclave whose opulence promises never-ending parties and alluring women. James “Reaper” Mann, host of the biggest galas in town, is modeled on Jay Gatsby himself—he’s in love with Charlie’s cousin. However, the jealousy and racism of West Adams Heights’ white neighbors infect the wealthy paradise, leading to a lawsuit over housing covenants. The novel presents an affecting portrait of postwar identity and class. Crown, June 10
SO FAR GONE, BY JESS WALTER
Walter’s latest absorbing novel begins in a remote house in the woods of his hometown, Spokane, Washington, where retired reporter Rhys Kinnick has lived for seven and a half years after a Thanksgiving altercation with his far-right conspiracy-theorist son-in-law led him to retreat from society altogether. But after his estranged grandchildren show up at his doorstep and later become involved in a kidnapping scheme related to his son-in-law’s militant politics, Rhys draws himself out of isolation. Working with an eccentric cast of locals—sketched with Walter’s usual élan—Rhys comes face-to-face with the true cost of extremism. Harper, June 10
CROWN, BY EVANTHIA BROMILEY
Bromiley’s debut novel takes place over the course of three suspenseful days in the life of Jude Woods, a 25-year-old pregnant and unemployed mother, and her kids, Evan and Virginia. With an eviction from their trailer park in the Southwest looming, Jude goes into labor and trusts her twins to wait for her in a hidden spot to avoid being taken by the authorities. Bromiley carries the reader through this precariousness with her gentle attention to language and an intimate familiarity with the psyches of children, informed by her background working with children in the public schools. Grove Press, June 17
OUT THERE IN THE DARK, BY KATHARINE COLDIRON
Coldiron’s latest work, a collection of essays on the subject of Hollywood, synthesizes her incisive criticism with her own diorama of memories and associations with films. These pieces are braided with disquisitions on truth and fact, horse love and the mythology of the American West, and the arrogance of making art, among other topics. From Singin’ in the Rain to Apocalypse Now, Coldiron renders personal the films and images that have taken on cult status, offering a fresh and rich lens on a ubiquitous medium. Autofocus Books, June 17
PORTHOLE, BY JOANNA HOWARD
In this witty romp, director Helena Désir drops out of her high-profile film production after her leading man’s accidental death on set and finds herself among fellow unhinged, privileged seekers at a wellness retreat. Howard’s latest work cuts close to the bone on questions of art and sacrifice, hedonism and power, performance and authenticity, using a high dose of absurdity to highlight uncomfortable truths. McSweeney’s Publishing, June 17
ECSTASY, BY IVY POCHODA
This reimagining of Euripides’s The Bacchae follows Lena, a wealthy woman once controlled by her late husband who now finds herself controlled by her son. Her life of luxury has always come at the cost of her own desires. When she arrives in Naxos for the unveiling of her son’s latest real estate project, she meets a group of women who stir something in her, and she’s forced to choose between the comfort of her current life and reconnection with who she once was. A moving novel about power, desire, and society’s expectations of women. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, June 17
THE GIRLS WHO GREW BIG, BY LEILA MOTTLEY
In Florida’s Panhandle, a group of young women—caught between girlhood and motherhood—come together to raise their kids and build friendships. There’s Adela Woods, sent away by her parents after they find out she’s pregnant; Emory, a high schooler with a newborn; Simone, a young mother of twins; and the rest of the group of struggling young moms called the Girls. This novel reframes common narratives about teen pregnancy. Knopf, June 24
BELLE STARR: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE WILD WEST LEGEND, BY MICHAEL WALLIS
In his latest biography of a touchstone American legend, Wallis retells the story of Belle Starr, the Wild West bandit immortalized in the Western films and pulp fiction of the 1940s, as well as in the folk songs of Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. Through rigorous research, Wallis takes care to contextualize Starr’s villain status, righting the narrative on the infamous subject of an unsolved murder and one of history’s most misunderstood outlaws. Liveright, June 24
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.
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.
Maisie Hurwitz is a freelance contributor to Alta Journal living in Los Angeles. She is a recent graduate of Wesleyan University, where she received her bachelor's degree in English and creative writing.
14 New Books for September
15 New Books for August
New Releases for July
Upcoming Releases: Moderation and Cozy Dystopias
