Abdulrazak Gurnah's 'Afterlives,' Emma Donoghue's 'Haven': 5 can't-miss new books

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.

For more new must-read book recommendations, check out our summer books guide of the 20 hottest books of the season; our favorite books of 2022 so far; the most swoon-worthy August rom-coms, including Julia Whelan's "Thank You for Listening" and Alexis Hall's "Husband Material"; and the juiciest celebrity memoirs released this year from Jennette McCurdy, Kenny Loggins, Christine Quinn, Jennifer Grey and more. 

To see what everyone else is reading, check out the USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list for this week's best sellers.

'Afterlives'

By Abdulrazak Gurnah (Riverhead, fiction)

What it's about: From the Tanzanian-born British author and winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature comes a saga set against the colonization of east Africa, where as a boy, Ilyas was stolen from his parents by German troops.

The buzz: A starred review from Kirkus Reviews calls it "a novel with an epic feel, even at 320 pages."

'A Place in the World: Finding the Meaning of Home'

By Frances Mayes (Crown, nonfiction)

What it's about: The author of "Under the Tuscan Sun" is known for her wanderlust and travels across Italy, but her latest is a collection of personal stories reflecting on the comforts of home.

The buzz: A starred review in Publishers Weekly calls it a "rich testament to the pleasures of wanderlust and permanence is a gift as well."

'My Government Means to Kill Me'

By Rasheed Newson (Flatiron, fiction)

What it's about: Newson's debut novel is a queer coming-of-age story about Earl "Trey" Singleton III, a young, gay, Black man in 1980s New York City who finds himself in the midst of the AIDS crisis.

The buzz: Publishers Weekly calls it "an eloquent story of the struggle for gay liberation."

'Haven'

By Emma Donoghue (Little, Brown, fiction)

What it's about: The author of "Room" returns with a new novel set in 7th-century Ireland, where three monks vow to leave the sinful world behind and find refuge – and tribulation – on an isolated island.

The buzz: Kirkus Reviews calls it "more fine work from the talented Donoghue."

'Amy Among the Serial Killers'

By Jincy Willett (St. Martin's Press, fiction)

What it's about: In Willett's third book in the series, Amy Gallup, a retired writing instructor, hears from her former student Carla Karolak when her therapist turns up dead and finds herself swept up in a murder investigation.

The buzz: A starred review in Kirkus Reviews calls it "a riotous, breathless, winking, strangely feel-good romp."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Abdulrazak Gurnah's 'Afterlives,' Emma Donoghue's 'Haven': 5 new books