The best new books out today 📚
  Hello, book lovers! Each week, dozens of new releases hit the shelves. Here are our favorites. ❤️📚 –The BuzzFeed Books team
 Credit: Unnamed Press, Dzanc Books The Confession of Copeland Cane by Keenan Norris (Unnamed Press)
Alerts from Soclear Broadcasting — the state-run media that is always on the watch in Norris's novel — punctuate this debut with an alarming resonance in terms of how people are surveilled in America. Set in postpandemic Oakland, Copeland Cane is a young Black man trying to find his way. He's recruited to an elite private school at the same time his parents face eviction, and he's also identified by Soclear as a fugitive and a radical. A significant new voice in fiction, Norris has written what may be one of the defining novels of the era at the intersection between Black Lives Matter and COVID-19. —Wendy J. Fox
And Then the Gray Heaven by RE Katz (Dzanc Books)
Jules survived being abandoned as a baby and being placed in the Florida foster care system only to lose their partner, B, in a devastating accident years later. Adding insult to heartbreak, B's family pretends not to know who Jules is to B, refusing to recognize them as a couple. This gorgeously written book is the epitome of a novella: as compressed as a short story and as complex as a novel. Gorgeous and biting, And Then the Gray Heaven is a debut from a writer to watch. —Wendy J. Fox
 Credit: Counterpoint Press, Harper Wave The Natural Mother of the Child: A Memoir in Nonbinary Parenthood by Krys Malcolm Belc (Counterpoint Press)
In this poignant memoir-in-essays, nonbinary, transmasculine author Krys Malcolm Belc considers the ways parenthood honed his understanding of his gender, diving into the experience of pregnancy and birth — and the attendant expectations — from the perspective of someone who isn't a woman, and who doesn't feel at home within the category of "mother." Reminiscent of Maggie Nelson's The Argonauts, Belc's memoir is both personal and philosophical, resisting mainstream notions of gender and family while exploring the interplay between the body and the self. —Arianna Rebolini
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell (Harper Wave)
In her phenomenal new book, Cultish, linguist Amanda Montell reveals the ways leaders use language to entice, manipulate, and control their followers, and how these tactics pervade the culture at large, not just in religious fringe groups but also around tech innovators, wellness influencers, #girlbosses, politicians, and more. Montell balances thorough anthropological analysis with personal anecdote and interviews to create an illuminating read that will leave you wiser — and better equipped to identify exploitation — than when you started. —Arianna Rebolini
 Credit: Berkley Books, Pamela Dorman Books, Celadon Books Shutter by Melissa Larsen (Berkley Books)
Twentysomething Betty has recently escaped to New York City after the death of her father, where she's temporarily living with her old friend from high school and her boyfriend. As an aspiring actor, she's introduced to indie filmmaker Anthony Marino, who finds that Betty is the perfect lead for his next movie. All she needs to do is commit to living in a cabin on a private island off the coast of Maine for two months. But when Betty arrives with little information about the film, she finds Anthony wants her to reinvent herself and become her character — and she's suspicious as to why. Larsen's thriller is dark, atmospheric, and suspenseful. —Farrah Penn
The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer (Pamela Dorman Books)
Set in a small town in New England, tragedy strikes when a twentysomething named Nick is sexually assaulted off campus. Nick's protective older brother, Tony, is beyond distressed. His wife Julia, who happens to be a lawyer, feels like Nick is in good hands when Detective Rice takes his case, but as things escalate with the suspect and the media, Julia becomes worried about Tony and his desire for revenge, unsure of how far her husband will go. This is a raw, sharp crime drama that puts a family at the center of seeking justice. —Farrah Penn
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides (Celadon Books)
Mariana Andros is a group therapist who rushes to Cambridge when a friend of her niece is murdered there and becomes fixated on a charismatic Greek Tragedy professor. It's revealed to Mariana that Professor Fosca has a female-only secret society named The Maidens and when another body is found, Mariana begins following the connection between the dead women. But snooping where she is not wanted has its consequences, especially when the investigation does not take her seriously. That doesn't stop Mariana from wanting to take down Fosca, no matter what it costs her. Mariana as a character is soft and sharp, and her determination is compelling. Michaelides' includes twists and turns I certainly didn't see coming. —Farrah Penn
Romance  Credit: Berkley Books, G.P. Putnam's Sons The Layover by Lacie Waldon (G.P. Putnam's Sons)
After 10 years, flight attendant Ava Greene is finally ready for something new. But the memory of her final flight is tainted by the presence of Jack Stone, the good-looking, cocky pilot who she's held a grudge against ever since he played a part in the most embarrassing night of her life. Things go from bad to worse when the plane experiences mechanical issues and a few hours on a flight turns into a few days in Belize. But the white sand, strong cocktails, and warm sun of a luxury resort have a way of softening the edges of even the most stubborn of grudges. As the two spend time together trapped in paradise, Ava begins to wonder if it's the island changing her feelings...or if maybe she had Jack all wrong from the beginning. —Shyla Watson
Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey (Berkley Books)
Nearly 30 years old, Teddy Phillips isn't exactly living the life she thought she'd be. Recently dumped and working at a toy store, the one thing that occasionally makes her feel better is her not-so-guilty pleasure, Everett's Place, a local children's program hosted by a calm — and surprisingly cute —man who seems to have it all figured out. Hoping he has answers to questions she hasn't quite figured out yet, Teddy writes him a fan letter and the two strike up a correspondence, never actually meeting in person. But when their worlds collide and Teddy and Everett finally come face to face, they'll have to figure out what they want in life...and if that life includes each other. —Shyla Watson
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton (Berkley Books)
Cecilia Bassingwaite is a picture perfect Victorian lady — overlooking the minor detail that she's a thief. A member of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she spends her days blackmailing and treasure hunting...all while sipping tea of course! When sometimes-assassin Ned Lightbourne encounters her, he's immediately smitten. Too bad he's been hired by a pirate to kill her. When the Wisteria Society and Celia's beloved aunt are put in peril, Cecilia and Ned team up on a dangerous adventure with surprising results. —Shyla Watson
Now in paperback: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: This twisty horror fantasy is engrossing and wonderfully repulsive. Noemà Taboada is a socialite who delights in parties, fancy dresses, seducing men, and anthropology. After receiving a garbled letter from her recently married cousin and dear friend Catalina, she travels to the distant village of High Place and the decaying mansion that is now Catalina's home. There, she finds Catalina incoherent and lethargic while the family she's married into exudes white-colonialist patriarchy — except for the youngest son, Francis, whose shy demeanor and pallid looks are the exact opposite of the men Noemà typically enjoys. But in this rank home with no friends, Francis becomes an anchor for NoemÃ. Meanwhile, the house itself seeps into her dreams and slowly comes alive around her. This is a must-read for fans of gothic writers like the Brontës, Daphne du Maurier, and Shirley Jackson, and also for those who enjoy the feminist, surreal fiction of Carmen Maria Machado. —Margaret Kingsbury (from 17 Summer Must-Reads For Fantasy Lovers)
Read Silvia Moreno-Garcia's list of horror books that take place around the world.
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