Patrick deWitt’s ‘The Librarianist,' Mai Nguyen’s ‘Sunshine Nails’: 5 new must-read books
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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 must-read book recommendations, check out the 20 books we are most excited about this summer, including Elliot Page's memoir "Pageboy" and two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead's new novel "Crook Manifesto"; our favorite books of 2022 that received perfect four-star reviews; and the juiciest recent celebrity memoirs from Matthew Perry, Tom Felton, William Shatner, Jennette McCurdy and more.
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USA TODAY Best-selling Booklist is back: How to find the list made for book lovers
‘The Librarianist’
By Patrick deWitt (Ecco, fiction)
What it’s about: From the author of “French Exit” and “The Sisters Brothers” comes a new novel about retired librarian Bob Comet, a quiet, bookish man who volunteers at a senior center and finds himself tenderly reflecting on the small moments that make a life as it nears its end.
The buzz: A starred Kirkus review calls it “a quietly effective and moving character study.”
‘A Good House for Children’
By Kate Collins (Mariner, fiction)
What it’s about: Orla’s husband persuades her to move the family from their cramped city apartment to an old gothic house on the Dorset cliffs. But soon, Orla begins to hear voices and doors opening and closing on their own. Four decades earlier, live-in nanny Lydia experienced the same phenomena. Were they both hysterical, or is something deeper going on?
The buzz: “A harrowing slow burn with feminist undertones,” says a starred Kirkus review.
‘Sunshine Nails’
By Mai Nguyen (Atria, fiction)
What it’s about: An immigrant Vietnamese Canadian family in Toronto is prepared to do whatever it takes to save their modest nail salon when a competing high-end salon opens across the street.
The buzz: “Nguyen imbues her characters with humanity and nuance, making hay from all their imperfections. Readers are in for a treat,” says Publishers Weekly.
‘Business or Pleasure’
By Rachel Lynn Solomon (Berkley, fiction)
What it’s about: Ghostwriter Chandler Cohen is content to put an awkward one-night-stand behind her – until she finds out her hookup, C-list actor Finn Walsh, is her next writing project. She’s determined to keep it strictly business, but pleasure starts to seep in.
The buzz: “A must-read modern romance that emphasizes silliness and sexiness in equal parts. Solomon’s best yet,” says a starred Kirkus review.
More: What to read if you're fresh out of a toxic relationship
‘Excavations’
By Kate Myers (HarperVia, fiction)
What it’s about: Personalities collide over a summer in Greece, where four incompatible archeologists uncover something unusual that forces them to become what they dreaded most: friends.
The buzz: “Fresh, funny, intelligent, and deeply satisfying,” says a starred Kirkus review.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patrick deWitt’s ‘The Librarianist': 5 new books to read this week
