It’s been six years since Lidia Yuknavitch’s acclaimed memoir, “The Chronology of Water,” ignited an epic cult following, and her latest novel, “The Book of Joan,” is bound to stoke the fire. An ambitious retelling of Joan of Arc that takes place in 2049, this speculative narrative (with a literary bent) melds perfectly with the author’s penchant for harrowing prose.
Los Angeles-based humorist and best-selling author of “I See You Made an Effort,” Annabelle Gurwitch explores ad hoc families and the one she was born into in her essay collection “Wherever You Go, There They Are: Stories About My Family You Might Relate To.” Sagacious wit and soulful insights with a dash of Nora Ephron.
There are stories that are grand enough to be published in The New Yorker and then every year there are a few stories that The New Yorker then nominates for National Magazine Awards. Debut author Lesley Nneka Arimah writes those kinds of stories, and her new collection, “What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky,” is teeming with wondrous, surreal narratives, each exploring the ties that bind us.
“Viagra for the brain”? “Gene doping”? Hacking human biology is not a new concept, but journalist Adam Piore takes us to the cutting edge in “The Body Builders: Inside the Science of the Engineered Human.”
One of the most highly anticipated poetry collections of the year, and winner of the 2016 Yale Series of Younger Poets prize, “Simulacra” by Airea D. Matthews explores concepts of want and desire. Formally diverse – Matthews uses tweets, fables, epistolary exchanges and even blocked-out sections of the U.S. Constitution – the work is as emotionally urgent as it is groundbreaking.
Need an escape from tax season and political news? Dana Point author Anita Hughes offers the perfect getaway in her latest novel, “White Sand, Blue Sea: A St. Bart’s Love Story,” a tale of self-discovery with the author’s signature mix of travel, adventure and romance.