Roxane Gay and Channing Tatum have written a romance novel together that is coming out in 2027, which Gay said is “very sexy.” What I would pay to hear the conversations between them, my god today. Gay continues to be a beacon of light in these trying times.
Speaking of beacons of light, Librarian Luanne James is fighting the good fight in Rutherford County (southeast of Nashville, Tennessee): when the board voted to ban trans books for minors, James refused. Kelly Jensen wrote about it here.
Now, the last day of March is kind of doing a lot when it comes to new releases. There are a couple of big-name celebrity memoirs, a release from the queen of Irish mysteries, a few of the most anticipated books of the year (one horror and one messy millennial mystery), and more.
Son of Nobody by Yann Martel
In this inventive retelling of the Trojan War from the author of Life of Pi a new epic joins the ranks of the Odyssey and the Illiad: the Psoad, a free verse saga of a goatherd who leaves behind his home to join the fighting in Troy. Psoas, and his story, never make it out alive. But centuries later, when a Canadian academic discovers fragments of the poem, he contends with his own questions about ambition and responsibility in both the ancient and modern world. —Rachel Brittain
Phases: A Memoir by Brandy
This is the debut memoir from Grammy Award-winning performer Brandy. Starting with her childhood singing at church in McComb, Mississippi, the artist recounts her journey to superstardom. Brandy got a record deal at the age of 14, her first platinum album at 15, and a starring role in the sitcom Moesha at 16. At a young age, Brandy became an icon, but behind the scenes, she was in turmoil. Brandy examines the pressure she felt to be perfect while also striving to be her authentic self. —Emily Martin
Also out this week is Arsenio Hall’s new memoir, aptly titled Arsenio.
All access members continue below for more of the best books out this week.
The Keeper by Tana French
For fans of Irish settings, literary crime novels, and completed trilogies!
Retired American detective Cal Hooper is divorced and a father to an adult daughter. He’s recently built a quiet life for himself in a remote village in rural Ireland, where he’s made ties with locals and also regularly found himself dealing with criminals. Now a young woman’s murder threatens the town and Cal’s relationships, thanks to a long-standing feud. —Jamie Canaves
Nothing Tastes as Good by Luke Dumas
This must-read horror novel is a scathing look at contemporary diet culture. Emmett Truesdale feels stuck in his dead-end job as a retail worker and in his 300+ pound body. He’s tried every diet imaginable, but nothing has worked. So when Emmett hears about a clinical trial for a mysterious new weight loss drug called Obexity, he signs up right away. Right away, he starts shedding pounds. But that’s not the only thing he’s losing. As Emmett continues to take the drug, big chunks of time go missing from his memory, and apparently, there’s also a cannibalistic killer on the loose. —Emily Martin
A Good Person by Kirsten King
Lillian has a thing going on with Henry—a “situationship,” as her homegirl calls it, though Lillian would rather just call it a regular relationship. And it’s exactly that desire of Lillian’s to make things official with Henry—and not just in the bedroom, as they have been doing—that drives her to engage in some pick-me behavior. But then Henry dumps Lillian, and ole girl is driven to performing a drunken hex on him to make him come back to her. Well, he does do something, but instead of coming back on hands and knees, begging to be with her again, he gets murdered. Worse yet, Lillian is a prime suspect. And worser yet, she finds out he had a longtime girlfriend the whole time they were bumping uglies. Lillian goes after the truth to clear her name, but it gets really messy. —Erica Ezeifedi
The Celestial Seas by T. A. Chan
Sci-fi fans, take note: you’ll want this one on your radar.
The Bellena is a legendary sentient spacecraft. It takes out whatever it wants, wherever it wants. Ishara Ming knows this intimately, as she’s the only survivor from a whaler that had a run-in with the Bellena. Now, she’s out for revenge.
Ishara assembles a ragtag crew to take down the Ballena. Among the team is Quinn, the only person who has always been by Ishara’s side–even and especially as people call Ishara’s desire for vengeance a surefire way to die.
When Augustus comes along and asks to be part of the team to take down the Bellena, Ishara says yes. He’s developed a way to track the evil ship, and though he won’t explain why he wants revenge, Ishara isn’t worried. Orders on the ship are getting riskier and riskier, while at the same time, Ishara finds herself torn between loyalty to Quinn and Augustus. Will her heart steer her and the team off course? Or will delving into the past help her better understand the present and bring success? —Kelly Jensen
Where No Shadow Stays by Sara Hashem
Seventeen-year-old Mina has always just kept her eyes on the prize. Asking her father to tell her anything about her Egyptian heritage or her mother’s mysterious death leads to silence.
So when Mina is invited by her aunt to visit her mom’s childhood home, Haikal mansion, in El Agamy, she’s stoked to walk the grounds of her family’s homeland and learn more about the mother she never got to know. Sure, she’s going to need to tell some lies to make this happen, but it’s worth it.
But when Mina returns home from Egypt, she’s not alone. A sinister entity has returned to California with her, and Mina realizes she must abandon those she loves to prevent the entity from possessing them. Fighting alone is no longer an option, so Mina must team up with Jesse. He’s the son of a local mortician and is extremely hostile, appearing to be completely immune to the entity’s power. Too bad Jesse doesn’t want to ally with Mina–that is, until he realizes he has to and that the secrets both his family and Mina’s hold may be the key to defeating this monster.
You can grab this book in your preferred format, hardcover or paperback, as it’s a dual/simultaneous release. —Kelly Jensen
Other Book Riot New Releases Resources:
- All the Books, our weekly new book releases podcast, where Liberty and a cast of co-hosts talk about the books out this week we’re most excited about.
- The New Books Newsletter, where we send you an email of the books out this week that are getting buzz.
- Finally, if you want the real inside scoop on new releases, you have to check out Book Riot’s New Release Index! That’s where I find 90% of new releases, and you can filter by genre, age category, and even LGBTQ new releases!
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