August Release Love + a Guest Rec

So many books, not enough time

It’s the first Tuesday of the month, so that means it’s time to talk new releases – and this time, I have a special guest!

As always, give this post a heart or leave a comment to let me know what new books you’re excited about. Our TBRs can never be too long, right? 😉

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Ones I’ve Read

• The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid 🎧 (narrated by author) – Exit West is one of my favorite books (and my husband loved it too!), so I knew I had to read this one. And while I really enjoyed it, it’s one that I’m still trying to digest. Hamid’s familiar fantastical elements were there, as well as his impeccable writing. I think the length (192 pages/3 hours) was almost too short, although it did make for a propulsive story. It might be one that would have been better for me in print, and I definitely plan on rereading it that way at some point. This is a good one to discuss with friends or in a book club. Pairs well with We Cast a Shadow and The Measure. (Releases today, 8/2)
  Bookshop | LibroFM | Amazon

• Thank You for Listening by Juila Whelan 🎧 (narrated by author) – This was a highly anticipated book for me, and I knew I’d want to listen to it since Whelan narrates. Thankfully it more than lived up to my expectations, in part because of the audio performance. This isn’t just a romance, it’s a fascinating peek behind the scenes of the audiobook industry, an ode to the romance genre, and a story of self acceptance. (One warning/caveat: The main character is disabled/disfigured, and I haven’t seen any own voices reviews. I can’t speak to that specific experience and how it was represented.) For fans of Lease on Love and The Unsinkable Greta James. (Releases today, 8/2)
  Bookshop | LibroFM | Amazon

• Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid – I almost didn’t include this one because if you like TJR you most likely plan on reading it. BUT, it was just so. good. And I know some folks are either nervous it won’t live up to the hype or didn’t love Malibu Rising and are afraid this might be more in line with that one. Rest assured, in my opinion, this feels like Evelyn Hugo/Daisy Jones TJR – and it’s definitely in my top three favorites of hers, if not top two. (I even plan on rereading it via audio pretty soon because I just want to experience it again.) I cried multiple times, and it’s been a while since a book made me cry, and hugged it at the end. Pairs well with Open by Andre Agassi. (Releases 8/30)
  Bookshop | LibroFM | Amazon

I’ve been wanting to incorporate guest reviews for a while, and I’m so honored to be sharing this one from my good friend and one of my favorite book people, Sara Hildreth. A former high school English teacher, Sara’s love of books runs deep: she's the reader and writer behind Fiction Matters, which includes @fictionmatters, her newsletter, and her Patreon. (She also co-hosts Novel Pairings, a podcast that discusses various classic books and pairing them with more contemporary reads.) Sara is sharing her review of Mercury Pictures Presents, a book I added to my TBR based on her recommendation. I hope you’ll consider subscribing to her newsletter to get her take on a range of books and book-related topics. (I particularly enjoyed her discussion of Pamela Paul’s opinion piece in her latest newsletter.

August is set to be an abundantly rich month for book releases, and today I’m thrilled to share one I absolutely loved. Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra is a compulsively readable story filled with rich historical detail and thoughtful commentary. The book opens on Artie and Maria, a movie executive and his right-hand woman trying to keep the flailing Mercury Pictures International afloat as the world descends into World War II. Marra takes us from Mussolini’s Italy to 1940s Hollywood with a tightly interconnected core cast of flawed, but lovable characters. Throughout the story, Marra offers witty and perceptive commentary on American life, the Hollywood film industry, and the mid-century immigrant experience. Anthony Marra is one of those rare writers who effortlessly blends compelling characters, intriguing plot, and fantastic writing, and I won’t be surprised if Mercury Pictures Presents becomes a new favorite of many readers.

Other books Sara loves: Possession by AS Byatt, A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza, On Beauty by Zadie Smith, A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, Emma by Jane Austen, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

For more recommendations from Sara, be sure to subscribe to her newsletter and follow her on Instagram.

On My Shelf

Those marked with a 🎧 I plan to read via audio. My favorite audiobook platform is Libro.fm, and you can use my code (KATHARINE) or this link and get 2 audiobook credits for the price of 1.

• When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff 🎧 (narrated by Marin Ireland) – From the publisher: “An electrifying, twisty, and deeply emotional family drama, set on Manhattan’s glittering Upper East Side, that explores the dark side of love, the limits of loyalty, and the high cost of truth.” (Releases today, 8/2)

• How to Fall Out of Love Madly by Jana Casale 🎧 (narrated by Kristen Sieh) – Jennifer Close, author of Marrying the Ketchups (which I LOVED) says it’s “an honest and compelling look at female friendship, romantic relationships, and infatuation.” (Releases today, 8/2)

• The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford – From the publisher: “The New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet returns with a powerful exploration of the love that binds one family across the generations.” (Releases today, 8/2)

• Stay Awake by Megan Goldin 🎧 – From the publisher: “A murder she doesn’t remember committing. A killer she doesn’t remember meeting. Megan Goldin’s Stay Awake is an electrifying novel that proves memory can be deadly.” (Releases 8/9)

• Mother in the Dark by Kayla Maiuri – From the publisher: “A novel about family secrets and a volatile relationship between a mother and her daughters.” (Releases 8/9)

If I were BOTM…

• Perish for contemporary fiction

• Mother in the Dark for literary fiction

• Stay Awake for a thriller

• Just Another Love Song for a romance

• The Many Daughters of Afong Moy for a sweeping family saga

• The Feeling of Falling in Love for the YA choice

Q: What would your picks be?

Paperback Releases

• We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride + Jo Piazza

• All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle (one of my favorite books of 2021!)

• All’s Well by Mona Awad

• The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

Thank you for reading all the way to the end! To help support this work, considering sharing this with a friend who might enjoy my recommendations. And let me know what August releases you’re planning on reading 📚