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Books We Can't Stop Talking About
We heard about so many amazing upcoming titles last week that we wanted to share some of our very favorites with you, so over the next few months, we'll tell you here about some of the titles we are most excited to see publish.
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
(February 13 / Grove Atlantic / $24)
 Fresh, original, and raw, Emezi’s debut novel about a young girl who was born with “one foot on the other side” embraces a worldview we don’t find often enough in literature. The author said that in writing the book, she wanted to break away from the Western dichotomy of insanity and possession, and instead focus on influences of Nigerian folklore. We can’t wait to dive into this read.
Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore by Elizabeth Rush
(June 12 / Milkweed Editions / $26)
As global warming and rising sea levels come to the fore of the cultural conversation, what sets Rush’s book apart is its lyrical prose in the portraits the author paints of the communities--human, animal, and plant--that are being forced to adapt to changing circumstances. She at once captures personal accounts--a Staten Islander who lost her father during Sandy--and draws out to the larger picture, consulting wildlife biologists and activists in the most affected communities. Anyone living in a coastal city should read this book (that’s us!).
Who Is Vera Kelly by Rosalie Knecht
(June 12 / Tin House Books / $25.95)
 Calling all Nancy Drew and Harriet the Spy fans who have grown up: This book is for you. International spy Vera Kelly comes of age (and out) on a mission in 1960s Buenos Aires, just before the country’s Dirty War years. One of our favorite colleagues, Rachel Kaplan from Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA, sums it up best: “A spy novel that refuses to fit neatly into that genre, Who is Vera Kelly? is as sexy as it is brilliant, and as endearing as it is adrenaline-pumping.”
—Julia
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