5 books not to miss: Natasha Trethewey's heartbreaking 'Memorial Drive,' Al Roker memoir
In search of something good to read? USA TODAY's Barbara VanDenburgh scopes out the shelves for this week’s hottest new book releases.
1. “Memorial Drive,” by Natasha Trethewey (Ecco, nonfiction, on sale July 28)
What it’s about: The Pulitzer Prize winner and former U.S. poet laureate tries to make sense of her mother's brutal murder by her stepfather in this elegiac memoir.
The buzz: A ★★★★ (out of four) review for USA TODAY calls it “gorgeous exploration of all the wounds that never heal.”
2. “I Hold a Wolf by the Ears: Stories,” by Laura van den Berg (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, fiction, on sale July 28)
What it’s about: The latest collection of short stories from a master of the medium features tales of women on the verge, grasping for stability in a surreal world where nothing is quite what it seems.
The buzz: “Witty, painful, and thoroughly unsettling,” says a starred review on Kirkus Reviews.
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3. “The Butterfly Lampshade,” by Aimee Bender (Doubleday, nonfiction, on sale July 28)
What it’s about: Francie was 8 years old the night her single mother had a psychotic episode that sent her to the hospital. Now 28, Francie tries to make sense of that night and of her childhood memories in this poignant novel of love and mental illness.
The buzz: “Rich in language and the magic of human consciousness, Bender’s masterpiece is one to savor,” says a starred review in Publishers Weekly.
4. “You Look So Much Better in Person,” by Al Roker (Hachette Go, nonfiction, on sale July 28)
What it’s about: The popular “Today” show co-host shares lessons learned over his long and successful broadcasting career in a charming memoir that will leave readers feeling inspired.
The buzz: “This sunny, pleasant book is perfect for Roker fans or anyone in need of a quick pick me up,” says Publishers Weekly.
5. “Must I Go,” by Yiyun Li (Random House, fiction, on sale July 28)
What it’s about: Elderly Lilia – a three-time widow who’s raised five children – grapples with her daughter’s suicide as she devotes herself to the diaries of a long-ago lover.
The buzz: Kirkus Reviews calls it a “sensitive portrait of a wounded woman.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New books: Al Roker, Natasha Trethewey memoirs
