Overview of the big books of the summer [Advance Cash ]

"The Librarian", by Patrick deWitt

DeWitt, the wildly imaginative author of genre-defying novels like "The Sisters Brothers" and "French Exit," returns with a more melancholic story about a silent retired librarian named Bob Comet who begins volunteering at a center for seniors in Portland, Oregon. ( 4th July)

"The Crooks' Manifesto", by Colson Whitehead

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Whitehead's new novel ("The Underground Railroad," "The Nickel Boys") is a sequel to his bestselling "Harlem Shuffle" (2021). Set in the 1970s, it reintroduces Ray Carney, a furniture store owner who – at the start of the book, anyway – has left behind a life of crime. (July 18)

'Family Lore', by Elizabeth Acevedo

Acevedo is a champion slam poet and winner of the National Book Award as an author for young readers ("The Poet X"). Her first novel for adults is the polyphonic story of women from a Dominican American family who prepare for their sister's "vigil", an occasion to celebrate her while she is still there. (1st of August)

"Tom Lake", by Ann Patchett

Patchett's highly acclaimed first novel since The Dutch House, which was a Pulitzer finalist, tells the story of three sisters who reunite on the Michigan family farm at the start of the pandemic. For readers who like their stories with an extra dose of star power, Meryl Streep is recording the audiobook. (1st of August)

"The Heaven & Earth Grocery", by James McBride

McBride (author of "The Color of Water" and "The Good Lord Bird," among other acclaimed books) returns with the story of a small town of Jewish immigrants and African Americans who must contend with long-held secrets after the discovery of a skeleton at the bottom of a well. (August 8)

History and news

'Fire Weather: A True Story of a Warmer World,' by John Vaillant

Vaillant is known for his propelling narrative nonfiction, and in "Fire Weather" he tells the story of a massive fire in 2016 in Fort McMurray, an oil sands town in Alberta, Canada. A terrifying story in itself - it caused the largest fire evacuation in Canadian history - it also has some ominous things to say about the future of the planet. (June 6)

"The Rough Rider and the Professor: Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge, and the Friendship that Changed American History", by Laurence Jurdem

Jurdem's book recounts the 35-year friendship between Roosevelt and Lodge, and how the older Massachusetts senator helped Roosevelt get to the White House as the youngest man ever to become president. (4th July)

"The Heat Will Kill You First", by Jeff Goodell

Goodell's previous book was about sea level rise. This one is about the warming planet. Goodell argues that rising temperatures will not only put lives at risk, but will transform the way our societies and values ​​are shaped. (11 July)

"Under the Eye of Power: How Fear of Secret Societies Shapes American Democracy", by Colin Dickey

Dickey's idiosyncratic and fascinating books shed light on myths, aliens, ghosts and grave robbers. In his latest, he traces the pervasive tension of paranoid thinking in American life and in the corridors of American power, from the Salem witch trials to QAnon. (11 July)

"When Crack Was King: The Story of a People of a Misunderstood Age", by Donovan X. Ramsey

Through the stories of four people, journalist Ramsey tells the larger story of the crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s, tracing the history of the end of the civil rights movement through Ronald's war on drugs. Reagan to today's debates on mass incarceration. (11 July)

'Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud', by Ben McKenzie with Jacob Silverman

Journalist Silverman and actor McKenzie ("The OC") team up for this cryptocurrency controversy, spurred by McKenzie's initial interest in it at the start of the pandemic. (July 18)

"Pageboy" by Elliot Page

The actor recounts his career, including what it was like to star in "Juno" (2007) and discusses the nature of sexual scrutiny in much of what has been written about the film and Page. In addition to recalling his experiences with anti-queer bigotry, Page ruminates on its effects in Hollywood and beyond. (June 6)

"The Power of One", by Frances Haugen

In 2021, Haugen identified herself as the Facebook whistleblower who copied documents to show the social media giant was aware its algorithms were bolstering extremist and hateful content on the site. In this book, she tells her story, from growing up in Iowa to testifying before Congress. (June 13)

"Directions to Myself: A Four-Year Memoir", by Heidi Julavits

Acclaimed novelist Julavits writes here about her own life: growing up in Maine, her concerns about her son's upbringing in today's world, and our current national debates about accountability and justice. (June 27)

"Twentieth Century Man: The Wild Life of Peter Beard", by Christopher Wallace

If biographers are blessed with off-the-charts stories, then Wallace is really lucky. Photographer, artist and environmentalist, Beard could hardly have had a more interesting life. He spent a lot of time in Kenya, photographing the wildlife there. In New York, he partied at Studio 54 and, himself a handsome movie star, was friends with A-list celebrities. (4th July)

'Toy Fights: A Boyhood', by Don Paterson

The award-winning poet recounts the first two decades of his life in working-class Scotland, including his lackluster performance as a student and his obsession with music. "Music is what I love the most," Paterson told the Guardian earlier this year, "but unfortunately you can't choose what you're better at." (11 July)

'The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing and Healing' by Lara Love Hardin

Hardin went from suburban soccer mom to heroin addict to convicted felon (32 counts). There's a lot of drama in this story, but there was more to come - after her release from prison, she became a highly successful ghostwriter and ended up rubbing shoulders with Oprah, the Dalai Lama and others, while struggling to come to terms with his past. (1st of August)

"They Called Us Exceptional: And Other Lies That Elevated Us", by Prachi Gupta

Gupta writes about growing up in a supportive, high-achieving Native American family in suburban Pennsylvania — and how the model minority myth heightened the tension between outer success and inner turmoil. herself and her family. (August 22)

"Necessary Trouble: Growing Up in the Mid-Century", by Drew Gilpin Faust

Faust recalls her conservative upbringing in the 1950s and how her rebellion led her to take a deep interest in gender and race and to play an active role in the political movements of the 1960s. Eventually, Faust would become the president of Harvard and an acclaimed historian whose previous books include "This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War". (August 22)

"All Sinners Bleed", by SA Cosby

Cosby's "Razorblade Tears" was one of the biggest hits of 2021. In his first novel since, a black Virginia sheriff investigates the murder of a schoolteacher by a student and must deal with an extremist group that plans a celebration of Confederation. . (June 6)

"Zero Days", by Ruth Ware

In Ware's latest thriller, a husband and wife work together to help companies test their security systems. The husband is murdered, the wife is a suspect - and with echoes of "The Fugitive", she goes on the run to try to clear her name. (June 20)

"The Only One Left" by Riley Sager

This novel is about a Lizzie Borden-like character (sinister nursery rhyme and all) now in her 70s. Fifty years after being suspected (but not proven) of killing her family, she's ready to confess - to what exactly, we'll find out. (June 20)

"Prom Mom", by Laura Lippman

Lippman returns to his Baltimore stomping ground with the story of a woman named Amber Glass who escaped from that city after a disastrous prom night led to her conviction for manslaughter, although this what actually happened is unclear. Two decades later, she returns to town and becomes involved with an old beau, sparking high-stakes complications. (July 25)

"After That Night", by Karin Slaughter

Slaughter's series of novels about a Georgia Bureau of Investigation special agent inspired the television series "Will Trent," which debuted on ABC this year. In this 11th novel starring Trent, Dr Sara Linton helps rescue a woman who has been brutally attacked – then learns the incident has a connection to her own traumatic past. (August 22)