New on the Shelf: Nonfiction

THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY: A compelling narrative that follows the journey of Dorothy (the main character, not to be confused with the recommending bookseller (!!)) who tries to break through a cycle of inherited trauma with a new treatment grounded in hypnosis. As Dorothy travels back through time to help save her daughter from similar struggles, the reader will find themselves flipping pages at a furious rate to find out what happens. 

ORDINARY MONSTERS: Perfect for science fiction + fantasy fans, this book takes place in the Victorian era and follows children who posses special gifts that make them both exceptional and prey to evil forces.

THE MEASURE: In this debut novel, the world is rocked when one morning people wake to find a small box on their doorsteps. Within each box is a string, the length of which tells you just how long you have left on the earth. It's an interesting premise and a great page-turning read. Wonderful for the end-of-summer. 

BABYSITTER: If the thriller game is more your speed, I'm only ten pages into the newest from Joyce Carol Oates but I think it's going to be quite excellent. Creepy, dark, well-written. Another perfect end-of-summer read that follows a series of unsolved murders in late 1970s Detroit. 

THE BAD ANGEL BROTHERS: I'm loving this book about two brothers (Cal and Frank) whose fraught relationship was historically colored by an alpha Frank whose seemingly superior self ruled the house. As the two grow, Cal attempts to leave behind their troubled relationship and strike out on his own. But when his success threatens Frank's familial position, trouble ensues. Will be a hit with fans of psychological thrillers. This book releases on September 6.

THE FAMILY IZQUIERDO: One of Kirkus Reviews most anticipated books of the Fall, Yvette chose this book because it matches her shirt. KIDDING! This fantastic read, due out on September 6, is a debut novel about three generations of a Mexican American family struggling with a series of issues that threaten the future in a myriad of ways. A wonderful read for anyone who loves a family drama.

THE WHALEBONE THEATRE: Due to be released on October 4, this book takes place between the two wars on a beautiful English estate in Dorset between World Wars I and II. A slew of characters, beautifully drawn, spend a lot of time misbehaving but also putting their energy towards producing elaborate theatre productions in the Whalebone Theatre, performed within a space built from a whale skeleton. It's all kinds of delicious, gorgeously written with descriptive prose and a strong sense of place. A welcome change of pace. 

AFTERLIVES: I'm only about twenty pages into this one, the newest from Nobel Prize winning author Abdulrazak Gurnah, and all I can say is that I'm sitting up straight and paying attention. The story is focused on a cast of characters from Eastern Africa whose lives are closely intertwined with German occupiers. Gurnah goes deep on the characters and explores what it means to be both colonizer and colonized. 

SCATTERED ALL OVER THE EARTH: A debatable new habit I've picked up over the last year or so is toggling between one, two, five books at a time. One of the other mid-progress books on my shelf is a work of translation set in a climate-compromised Denmark where language as we know it is also in danger of disappearing. Inventive, wholly original.