If you’re a glass is half full person, and someone who loves books, then you know the year is still young for new books. And typically, most publishers save their most anticipated releases for fall and winter, with the holiday seasons being an especially lucrative time for the industry.
Sarah Gelman, editorial director of Amazon Books, says that her editorial team is particularly excited about the upcoming Celeste Ng book, Our Missing Hearts, coming out this October. But in the meantime, the team is also eyeing several summer releases, including Dele Weds Destiny by Tomi Obaro, Acceptance by Emi Nietfeld, and Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
“One trend that I love is that what we used to think of as ‘self-help’ is now called ‘wellness,’ and in our pandemic world, these titles have become increasingly more mainstream. I loved Susan Cain’s excellent book Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole and how it challenged the American idea of turning your frown upside down,” says Gelman, who recently launched her own book club on Amazon called Sarah Selects. “There’s also been a real desire for escape. I’m thinking about the success of author Emily Henry, whose books are pure candy.”
Here are 22 new books being published during the next six months of 2022 that you should consider reading before the year is out.
NSFW: A Novel by Isabel Kaplan
Available July 5
This author’s debut novel starts off as a tale as old as time: a young woman trying to succeed in Hollywood without selling her soul. Easier said than done, of course, especially in fiction. Born with some amount of privilege—the unnamed protagonist is the daughter of a prominent feminist attorney—her first job out of college is with a major television network. But she quickly discovers the all-too-real dark side of climbing up the ranks, especially as she becomes aware of the sexual misconduct and abuse going on, and just how little power or voice women have over it.
Crying in the Bathroom: A Memoir by Erika L. Sánchez
Available July 12
Following up her best-seller I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, Erika L. Sánchez tackles many of the same issues addressed in her first novel—including Mexican culture, race, identity, feminism, ambition, and more—in a series of essays that are humorous, heartfelt, and honest.
Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence by Ken Auletta
Available July 12
The truth about Harvey Weinstein wasn’t the surprise so much as the swiftness of his downfall given the stranglehold he had on power in Hollywood. Longtime New Yorker scribe Ken Auletta says he was the first one to report about the topic 20 years ago. But because so many sources were too (understandably) afraid to go on record at the time, much of the story has either been on ice or sprinkled in stories over the years. Now, Auletta is reporting the full story he wanted to tell, going on record with former Miramax employees as well as former colleagues and friends of Weinstein—as well as Harvey himself from prison.
Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy by Damien Lewis
Available July 12
Josephine Baker has been making headlines for nearly a century—most recently as the American-born singer, movie star, and civil rights activist became the first Black woman to be inducted into the French Panthéon in December 2021. But even though she was known for being a spy during World War II, there’s so much more we don’t know about her, as revealed in a new biography by best-selling author Damien Lewis about the little-known history of her secret life.
Do the Work!: An Antiracist Activity Book by W. Kamau Bell and Kate Schatz
Available July 19
This revolutionary antiracism workbook was produced in response to millions of Americans asking “What can I do?” to support the Black Lives Matter movement and dismantle white supremacy. Written by Emmy-Award winning comedian W. Kamau Bell and New York Times bestselling author Kate Schatz, the workbook gives readers a hands-on understanding of systemic racism, white privilege, and Black disenfranchisement—and what to do about it all.
The Big Lie: Election Chaos, Political Opportunism, and the State of American Politics After 2020 by Jonathan Lemire
Available July 26
It’s hard to sum up everything that “The Big Lie” as a noun entails regarding the 2020 presidential election. But in his new book about just that, Politico’s White House bureau chief Jonathan Lemire says The Big Lie is not just about the 2020 election, but rather it’s a political philosophy that sums up the great cultural and political divide in the United States.
The Fishermen and the Dragon: Fear, Greed, and a Fight for Justice on the Gulf Coast by Kirk Wallace Johnson
Available August 2
Journalist Kirk Wallace Johnson, author of The Feather Thief, returns with a richly reported and dramatically rendered investigative work about two towns on the Gulf Coast of Texas in the 1970s and 1980s. This clash between white shrimpers and Vietnamese refugees is a sweeping story about racism, oil, big business, and climate change. Part thriller, part courtroom drama, and part environmental crusade, the Hollywood rights have already been sold to George Clooney’s production company, and Dave Eggers and Thi Bui are currently working on a script for a multi-part series.
How to Navigate Life: The New Science of Finding Your Way in School, Career, and Beyond by Belle Liang and Timothy Klein
Available August 2
There’s no blueprint on how to live your life, but there are no shortage of books that will tell you how to do so. But not all books are alike, and How to Navigate Life stands out by addressing stress and anxiety for readers as young as those coming out of high school, aiming to help them get a better, more secure footing with their mental health before embarking on their collegiate and post-collegiate careers.
Diary of a Void: A Novel by Emi Yagi
Available August 9
Workplace culture is constantly in the public conversation, from hot takes and think-pieces in the real world, and those grievances reflected in fictional TV shows (see: Severance on Apple TV+) and movies on screen. A subversive new novel from award-winning Japanese author Emi Yagi takes office toxicity and how we cope to new heights with a protagonist in Japan who avoids harassment at work by perpetuating the lie—for months—that she’s pregnant.
Please Sit Over There: How To Manage Power, Overcome Exclusion, and Succeed as a Black Woman at Work by Francine Parham
Available August 9
Francine Parham, founder and CEO of her own eponymous consulting firm dedicated to women’s leadership and the advancement of women of color in the workplace, shares her experience and knowledge learned as a Black woman—not to mention a former global executive of two major corporations—on how to move up in the workplace while maintaining a sense of sanity. According to Parham, the key skill that Black women are rarely taught is understanding power dynamics within the organization and learning how to “shift the power” to one’s advantage. Thus, Parham outlines how to build the right relationships and how to use your voice—as well as how to pay it forward once in a position of power—to build a more fulfilling career.
A Waiter in Paris: Adventures in the Dark Heart of the City by Edward Chisholm
Available August 9
In what could be the Kitchen Confidential for Generation Z, this memoir chronicles the underbelly of one of the (if not THE) food capitals of the world, as seen through the eyes of a young waiter scraping out a living. Certainly, one dreams of cooking, let alone eating, in Paris. But to work in the city’s ruthless restaurant industry means dealing with inhumane hours, little to no sleep, aggressive landlords, sadistic managers, low wages, and meals of consisting of little more than bread and cigarettes.
Nomad Century: How Climate Migration Will Reshape Our World by Gaia Vince
Available August 23
Not to mince words, award-winning journalist Gaia Vince argues that climate migration “is the biggest human crisis you’ve never heard of.” That might sound bold to some people who do care deeply about climate change, and yet it seems we are all still too complacent about it. As Vince writes, global migration has doubled in the past decade, and that the world is on track to see billions of people displaced in the coming decades. Drawing on a career of environmental reporting and over two years of travel to the front lines of climate migration across the globe, Vince outlines how the changes already in play will transform our food, cities, politics, and much more.
Skirts: Fashioning Modern Femininity in the Twentieth Century by Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell
Available September 6
Fashion historian Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell recounts the history of 20th century womenswear, highlighting monumental styles—like Chanel’s Little Black Dress and Dior’s Bar Suit—that changed how women dress for work and home forever. And while the general consensus would seemingly suggest that the acceptance of pants were the most liberating fashion-related change for women, Chrisman-Campbell argues that the most important and influential female fashions of the era featured skirts.
Less Is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer
Available September 20
Andrew Sean Greer’s 2017 satirical comedy Less—about a man who takes a whirlwind trip around the world just to avoid his former partner’s wedding—met rave reviews upon release, eventually garnering the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. The story picks up with our protagonist Arthur Less doing much better than he was in the first book—until the death of an old lover (not to mention a financial crisis) prompts him to take another long trip: this time a road trip across America.
How to Win Friends and Manage Remotely by McKenna Sweazey
Available September 1
If you ever wanted or needed a step-by-step guide on how to conduct common workplace interactions, this is the workbook for you. Lessons include learning how to digitize the onboarding process, managing new recruits, and how to deliver constructive feedback over Zoom.
A Visible Man: A Memoir by Edward Enninful
Available September 6
Now one of the most powerful voices not just in fashion but in publishing, Edward Enninful was the first Black man to become editor-in-chief of British Vogue. Over the last two years, he’s become a cultural icon through bold and visionary Vogue issues that have put civil rights activists, first-responders, and more people of color on the cover. For the first time, Enninful shares more about his origins as a working-class immigrant who rose to the top title in fashion by championing those who, like him, have been pushed to the margins time and again.
Bliss Montage: Stories by Ling Ma
Available September 13
Ling Ma made a splash in 2018 with the critically acclaimed Severance—not to be confused to with the Apple TV+ show but rather a novel that launches out of another toxic workplace, which actually becomes abandoned in the wake of…a global pandemic. (Certainly, it reads a bit differently now.) Ma revisits some of the same themes in Bliss Montage, an anthology (or montage, if you will) of eight different stories of people about people trying to comprehend and deal with collective delusions around friendship, love, loneliness, and toxic relationships.
Getting Along: How to Work With Anyone (Even Difficult People) by Amy Gallo
Available September 13
Much like your family, you can’t always pick who you work with either. (Unless you’re in charge of hiring, but that’s another story.) You don’t always have to like your coworkers, but when push comes to shove comes to deadline, you’re going to need to work together. In this practical guide on how to handle people at work (whether it be in the office or virtual these days), Harvard Business Review podcast host Amy Gallo breaks down eight different profiles of difficult coworkers—from the know-it-all to the insecure boss—offering the reader strategies on how to handle and work with each of them without losing your mind.
The Family Outing: A Memoir by Jessi Hempel
Available October 4
“Two decades ago, in the space of five years, everyone in my family came out,” writes Jessi Hempel in her new memoir about her family. The former Fortune senior writer describes how her family—who, from the outside, might have seemed like the generic, TV-idealized version of a nuclear family—slowly and painfully collapsed as each family member began to come to terms with their own truths. Hempel, already out, watched as her father came out as gay, her sister as bisexual, and her brother as transgender, while their mother was already dealing with a lifelong trauma buried deep inside since her childhood.
When Women Lead: What They Achieve, Why They Succeed, and How We Can Learn From Them by Julia Boorstin
Available October 11
CNBC senior correspondent Julia Boorstin weaves together more than sixty stories of female CEOs and leaders along with the findings of dozens of studies to illustrate how once-underestimated characteristics—from vulnerability and gratitude to divergent thinking—can be vital superpowers for women in the workplace. Among those interviewed and featured in the book include Gwyneth Paltrow, Katrina Lake, Jenn Hyman, Whitney Wolfe Herd, and Lena Waithe.
Demon Copperhead: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver
Available October 18
One of the most lauded and best-selling American authors in contemporary fiction, Barbara Kingsolver is back with a new take on the hero’s journey, heavily influenced by David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead follows a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, overcoming nearly every hurdle life can throw at someone, including foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, and broken hearts.
The White Wall: How Big Finance Bankrupts Black America by Emily Flitter
Available October 25
New York Times finance reporter Emily Flitter delivers a deeply reported look at how systemic racism permeates through the American financial services industry. Starting from a tip she received in 2018 that Morgan Stanley fired a Black employee without cause, Flitter has been on a three-year reporting journey, investigating how practices dating back to the Jim Crow era are still prevalent, from bank tellers committing racial profiling when serving Black customers to insurers refusing to pay claims by Black policyholders to hiring and layoff policies designed to stall career advancement among Black employees.
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