Weiner welcomes ‘Summer’; ‘Born’ tells true tale of pirates

In search of something good to read? USA TODAY’s Barbara VanDenburgh scopes out the shelves for this week’s hottest new book releases. All books are on sale Tuesday.

1. “The Summer Place,” by Jennifer Weiner (Atria, fiction)

What it’s about: From the master of the summer beach read comes the story of a family in all its messy glory forced to face its issues – secrets, misunderstandings, regrets and unhealed wounds – as a Cape Cod beach house wedding looms. The buzz: “This engrossing novel will please her legions of fans,” says Publishers Weekly.

2. “Star Wars: Brotherhood,” by Mike Chen (Del Rey, fiction)

What it’s about: Set just after the events of “Star Wars: Attack of the Clones,” “Brotherhood” finds Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker investigating an explosion on Cato Neimoidia. As peace hangs in the balance, the contentious master and apprentice must stand together as brothers.

The buzz: Sci-fi author and geek culture connoisseur Chen is stoked to be part of the “Star Wars” canon. “Very surreal to be holding a @delreystarwars book with my name on it. I grew up in the 80s with original trilogy toys and PC games like Dark Forces and X-Wing in the 90s, so Star Wars is in my blood,” he wrote on Instagram.

3. “Her Country: How the Women of Country Music Became the Success They Were Never Supposed to Be,” by Marissa R. Moss (Henry Holt, nonfiction)

What it’s about: Veteran Nashville, Tennessee, journalist Moss tells the inside story of the past two decades of women in country music and how such artists as Maren Morris, Mickey Guyton and Kacey Musgraves charted paths to stardom in a traditional boys’ club. The buzz: “The author’s reporting and storytelling shine as brightly as her subjects,” says a starred review from Kirkus Reviews.

4. “First Time for Everything,” by Henry Fry (Ballantine, fiction)

What it’s about: After losing his boyfriend and his flat, newly single Danny Scudd is forced to move in with his childhood best friend, a nonbinary artist with an East London “commune” of eccentrics who help Danny navigate modern queer life.

The buzz: A starred review from Kirkus Reviews says this “queer coming-of-adulthood story told with humor, tenderness, and quirk” is an “entertaining, fast-paced read.”

5. “Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a Fortune,” by Keith Thomson (Little, Brown and Company, nonfiction)

What it’s about: This swashbuckling history recounts a two-yearlong pirate raid in the 17th century along the Pacific coastline, with more than 300 dastardly buccaneers in search of Spanish gold.

The buzz: “Readers will be swept along by this brisk and entertaining adventure story,” says Publishers Weekly.