New books that were first published in your country this year.
And if you can tell why, I'd be eternally grateful.
Here are mine:
Helm by Sarah Hall (genre: literary fiction)
Why? Did you like The Vaster Wilds? Do you enjoy books with gorgeous writing, nature and big themes? This is for you.
The Artist by Lucy Steeds (genre: historical literary fiction)
Why? Hot summer in France and recluse world renowned artist Tata, his niece and the journalist who travels to write about Tata.
Exquisite.
by WarpedLucy
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Spent: A Comic Novel — Alison Bechdel. A wonderfully humorous look at life in 2025 in the western world. There is a lovely level of self deprecation. I really like that there are lots of funny things happening in the background as the main story unfolds. One of her best books.
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green. because John Green.
A very close second: The Mailman: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home by Stephen Starring Grant.
The blurb describes it well–Steve Grant was laid off in March of 2020. He was fifty and had cancer, so he needed health insurance, fast. Which is how he found himself a rural letter carrier in Appalachia, back in his old hometown.
Suddenly, he was the guy with the goods, delivering dog food and respirators and lube and heirloom tomato seeds and Lord of the Rings replica swords. He transported chicken feed to grandmothers living alone in the mountains and forded a creek with a refrigerator on his back. But while he carried the mail, he also carried a whole lot more than just the mail, including a family legacy of rage and the anxiety of having lost his identity along with his corporate job.
And yet, slowly, surrounded by a ragtag but devoted band of letter carriers, working this different kind of job, Grant found himself becoming a different kind of person. He became a lifeline for lonely people, providing fleeting moments of human contact and the assurance that our government still cares. He embraced the thrill of tackling new challenges, the pride of contributing to something greater than himself, the joy of camaraderie, and the purpose found in working hard for his family and doing a small, good thing for his community.
Fog and Fury by Rachel Howzell Hall – first book in a new mystery/thriller series about a Black woman ex-LAPD cop turned PI who has just moved yo a seemingly idyllic small California town that has a lot of darkness under the surface
Sandy Yellow Footprints. Got me a hard copy but kindle is free for people that love kindle. Was amazing. Made me cry.
Katabasis; I fear I would read the phone book if RF Kuang wrote it 🫣
Edit: for an actual reason why, I find her writing to be very visual, it’s like watching a movie for me – plus I love an academia setting!
Radio Treason Rebecca West
Old School Indian by Aaron John Curtis — A story about a middle-aged man battling a mysterious illness who reconnects with his roots and purpose. I liked the writing style and the story. I found this take on coming of age unique and moving.