Week’s picks feature stories of mothers, sisters, ‘Humankind’
In search of something good to read? USA TODAY’s Barbara VanDenburgh scopes out the shelves for this week’s hottest new book releases.
1. “The Vanishing Half”
by Brit Bennett (Riverhead, fiction, on sale June 2)
What it’s about: Bennett’s deeply compelling new novel depicts a Southern community born from the legacy of slavery and twin sisters of color who choose to live in two different worlds: one black and one white.
The buzz: “There are moments in ‘The Vanishing Half’ that stun with quiet power,” says a review for USA TODAY.
2. “A Burning”
by Megha Majumdar (Knopf, fiction, on sale June 2)
What it’s about: Three lives become entwined when Jivan, a poor 22-year-old Muslim girl living in the slums, is accused of executing a terrorist attack because of a Facebook comment.
The buzz: “This novel rightfully commands attention,” says a review for USA TODAY.
3. “The Book of Rosy: A Mother’s Story of Separation at the Border”
by Rosayra Pablo Cruz and Julie Schwietert Collazo (HarperOne, nonfiction, on sale June 2)
What it’s about: In this devastating memoir, Pablo Cruz shares her harrowing migration story. After her husband was murdered, the Guatemalan mother fled her country’s violence seeking asylum in the U.S.
The buzz: “This wrenching story brings to vivid life the plight of the many families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border,” says a starred review in Publishers Weekly.
4. “Humankind: A Hopeful History”
by Rutger Bregman (Little, Brown and Company, nonfiction, on sale June 2)
What it’s about: Dutch author and journalist Bregman’s argument is simple but radical: Most people are good, and we do ourselves a disservice by thinking the worst of others. Bregman argues that believing in human kindness is a foundation for lasting social change.
The buzz: “A powerful argument in favor of human virtue,” says a starred review in Kirkus Reviews.
5. “The Persuasion”
by Iris Johansen (Grand Central, fiction, on sale June 2)
What it’s about: This latest Eve Duncan thriller finds the former forensic sculptor’s daughter Jane in the cross hairs of a brilliant psychopath. Meanwhile, romance blossoms between Jane and her former lover, Seth Caleb.
The buzz: “Those who like their romantic suspense with a dash of the paranormal will be pleased,” Publishers Weekly says.