Hello! You might have noticed that we skipped doing one of these last month, due in part to some deadlines and in part due to a fairly sparse publishing schedule. That doesn’t mean the publishing schedule was completely bare, though — hence this serving as two months’ worth of recommendations.
Fátima Vélez, Galapagos (translated by Hannah Kauders)
(Dec. 2, Astra House)
This novel should not be confused with Kurt Vonnegut’s book of the same name — though the two do both reckon with mortality on both an individual and community-wide level. Here, Vélez tells the story of a group of dying artists on one last voyage. This essay from translator Hannah Kauders piqued our interest even more.
Amit Chaudhuri, The Immortals
(Jan. 6, NYRB Classics)
NYRB Classics has been at work reissuing the novels of Amit Chaudhuri, and The Immortals hits bookstores this month as part of that initiative. This novel, set in the 1980s, reckons with grand themes of art, family, and financial anxiety — making for a powerful exploration of enduring ideas.
Madeline Cash, Lost Lambs
(Jan. 13, Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
In a recent interview, Madeline Cash offered an especially memorable elevator pitch for her novel Lost Lambs: “Aspirationally, it’s The Corrections meets Eyes Wide Shut. A family saga and crime caper.” It’s a description that’s certainly gotten our attention.
David Fishkind, Don’t Step into My Office
(Jan. 13, Arcade)
First: that’s an excellent title. Second: David Fishkind’s debut novel has an intriguing premise. It’s about a young writer who witnesses a murder — then turns a personal and professional corner, only to come upon threats to his person on a visit to Long Island.
Megan Milks, Mega Milk: Essays on Family, Fluidity, Whiteness, and Cows
(Jan. 13, Feminist Press)
As longtime admirers of Megan Milks’s work, the fact that this book is titled Mega Milk is — the “chef kiss” emoji seems appropriate here. This book is, in fact, a wide-ranging look at milk, both literally and symbolically; for Milks, it’s another unpredictable entry in an impressive writing career.
Brooks Hansen, LucidDream™
(Jan. 15, Astrophil Press)
Brooks Hansen has written plenty of critically acclaimed fiction over the years; with this new novel, he ventures into the realm of the speculative and the satirical. It’s set not too many years from now, when civil engineers work to avoid climate disasters and a virtual game eats into its players’ well-being.
Brian Kiteley, Jack & Emily
(Jan. 15, Astrophil Press)
You may know Brian Kiteley from his influential writing on inspiration and storytelling. His latest book shows off his talents as a novelist, focusing on a fateful meeting in 1980s Crete — one that brings together the aftereffects of some global conflicts, and anticipates geopolitical horrors to come.
Albert Mobillo, Beginning of the Hollow
(Jan. 15, Black Square Editions)
Forrest Gander — someone who knows his poetry inside and out — hailed this book for, in part, “the spellbinding pacing of acrobatic, recursive sentences.” Mobilio’s poetry and criticism have earned him high praise for years; this collection is a fine introduction to his work.
Larissa Pham, Discipline
(Jan. 20, Random House)
We were big admirers of Larissa Pham’s previous book, Pop Song: Adventures in Art and Intimacy, as well as her 2016 novella Fantasian. This novel chronicles the life of a young writer and her conflict with the real-life inspiration for her novel’s antagonist. The result looks to be a haunting exploration of art, ethics, and fraught interpersonal tension.
Note: all cover art and release dates are subject to change.