Wonders of winter, and beyond
No holiday slump for book lovers as noted authors, titles pour forth
“My Name Is Lucy Barton” by Elizabeth Strout, Jan. 12, Random House, 208 pages, $26
In this new novel, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Olive Kitteridge” and “The Burgess Boys” continues her exploration of fraught relationships.
“The High Mountains of Portugal” by Yann Martel, Feb. 2, Spiegel & Grau, 352 pages, $27
The best-selling “Life of Pi” author is back with a 20th-century-spanning novel set in Portugal.
“My Struggle: Book Five” by Karl Ove Knausgaard, April 19, Archipelago, 500 pages, $27
The fifth book in Knausgaard’s six-part autobiographical series finds the author at age 19 in Bergen.
“Zero K” by Don DeLillo, May 10, Scribner, 288 pages, $26
The forthcoming novel by DeLillo (“White Noise,” “Libra,” “Underworld”) tackles death and dying and the will to carry on.
“In Other Words” by Jhumpa Lahiri, translated by Ann Goldstein, Feb. 9, Knopf, 256 pages, $26.95
The author of “Interpreter of Maladies,” “The Namesake,” “Unaccustomed Earth” and “The Lowland” writes lyrically about her love affair with the Italian language and determined attempts to master it.
“The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone” by Olivia Laing, March 1, Picador, 336 pages, $26
Laing (“The Trip to Echo Spring”) experienced loneliness in a crowd after moving to New York City in her mid-30s, but by exploring themes of loneliness in art — from Henry Darger to Andy Warhol — she changed her perspective.
“The Abundance: Narrative Essays Old and New” by Annie Dillard, March 15, Ecco, 304 pages, $25.99
This collection of Dillard’s meditative, lyrical essays covers wide ground, probing unlikely events, contradictory ideas and situations both haunting and humorous.
“Lust & Wonder” by Augusten Burroughs, March 29, St. Martin’s, 304 pages, $26.99
The author of memoirs “Dry” and “Running With Scissors” returns with more wry, personal stories, this time chronicling relationships he has had while living in New York City. “Cities I’ve Never Lived In” by Sara Majka, Feb. 16, Graywolf, 192 pages, $16
Majka’s debut story collection, which Graywolf describes “a book about belonging,” explores the distances between people, between our past and present selves, and between who we really are versus who we imagine ourselves to be.
“What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours” by Helen Oyeyemi, March 8, Riverhead, 336 pages, $27
The key symbol in this new collection from British author Oyeyemi (“Boy, Snow, Bird”) is just that: a key.
“Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist” by Sunil Yapa, Jan. 12, Lee Boudreaux, 320 pages, $26
Set amid the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle, Yapa’s much-buzzed-about first novel brings together the stories of seven disparate characters, including a runaway teenager, cops, protesters and a Sri Lankan diplomat determined to meet with the president of the United States.
“The Mirror Thief” by Martin Seay, May 10, Melville House, 592 pages, $29.95
Spanning distinct cities (from Las Vegas to Venice) and time periods, “The Mirror Thief” was 10 years in the making.
“Neither Snow nor Rain: A History of the United States Postal Service” by Devin Leonard, April 5, Grove, 288 pages, $26
Whether it seems like it or not, the United States Postal Service is considerably more efficient than other mail services. This book explores the rich history of this formidable operation, as well as its slow decline.
“Paper: Paging Through History” by Mark Kurlansky, May 17, W.W. Norton, 416 pages, $27.95
In a time where people and businesses are increasingly “going paperless,” Kurlansky argues that paper isn’t going anywhere.
“Children of Paradise: The Struggle for the Soul of Iran” by Laura Secor, Feb. 2, Riverhead, 528 pages, $30
Secor, a journalist who has spent more than a decade reporting on Iran, delves into the Islamic republic’s history and politics, including its violent repression and potential for progress.
“The Profiteers: Bechtel and the Men Who Built the World” by Sally Denton, March 1, Simon & Schuster, 448 pages, $30
Sally Denton builds a complex narrative of the Bechtel Corp.’s big business and the government connections that made it possible.
“Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States,” edited by Maya Schenwar, Joe Macare and Alana Yu-lan Price, May 10, Haymarket, 250 pages, $18
Truthout and Haymarket Books collaborated on these reports and essays concerning the disturbingly timely subject of police bias and brutality — especially against black, brown and indigenous people — and miscarriages of justice.
“Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging” by Sebastian Junger, May 24, Twelve, 160 pages, $22
You can’t go home again — at least, not from war, not as the exact same person. Junger, author of “The Perfect Storm” and “War,” analyzes what it’s like for veterans to return after their service and the many challenges they face.