"First Chance"

Coming September 8 from Blackstone: First Chance by Kasey Lansdale.

About the novel, from the publisher:

First Chance is a suspenseful thriller that readers won't be able to put down--perfect for fans of Sue Grafton and Michael Connelly.

Chance Kirby isn't new to detective work, but starting over in Hopeful, Texas, is a big step. Determined to leave behind her father and stepmother's shadow and carve out a future of her own, she opens a small PI agency, expecting missing heirlooms and marital disputes. But when the cold case of a murdered teenage girl is dropped on her doorstep, Chance finds herself in the middle of an investigation with no leads.

With her adopted sister Tia, her loyal dog Sissy, and the town's newly arrived police chief Isabella Lopez at her side, Chance soon begins to suspect this murder may be only one piece of a much bigger, and more disturbing, pattern.

To stop a predator who, it seems, has managed to evade authorities for decades, Chance must stay one step ahead ... or risk becoming the next target.

Visit Kasey Lansdale's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

"Cloudy with a Chance of Starships"

New from Princeton University Press: Cloudy with a Chance of Starships: How the Drake Equation Reveals the Odds of Life in the Cosmos by Seven Rasmussen.

About the book, from the publisher:

An entertaining tour of the seemingly simple formula guiding the search for extraterrestrial intelligence

Cloudy with a Chance of Starships takes readers on an irreverent expedition through the marvelous world of astrobiology, using as a guide the most important equation in science since E=mc2. With an irresistible blend of wit, insight, and the latest cutting-edge research, Seven Rasmussen looks at the thrilling possibilities of life in the cosmos through the lens of the Drake equation, a seven-variable mathematical expression that calculates the number of civilizations in our galaxy that humans could potentially contact.

First proposed in 1961 by astrobiologist and SETI scientist Frank Drake, the equation begins with simple and well-known numbers such as the rate of star formation in the Milky Way and the fraction of stars with planetary systems. It then wades into thornier topics such as the number of planets with environments suitable for life, the fraction of suitable planets on which life appears, and the likelihood of intelligent life emerging on a planet and becoming technological. It concludes with the truly unknowable average lifetime of a civilization. While we will never resolve all its variables, the Drake equation offers an invaluable road map to the questions and challenges that lie before us in our quest for alien life.

Cloudy with a Chance of Starships guides readers from the basics of astronomy to the very frontiers of planetary science, along the way covering subjects such as the Big Bang, the formation of solar systems, the origins and evolution of life, and the fascinating methods used by astrobiologists today. This extraordinary book shares a tantalizing vision of the dawning era of space exploration and invites enthusiasts of all ages to join in the discovery.

Visit Seven Rasmussen's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

"Our Cut of Salt"

Coming soon from Tor Nightfire: Our Cut of Salt by Deena Helm.

About the book, from the publisher:

In this lyrical debut, three generations of Palestinian women must put the haunting of their ancestral home to rest, before the secrets of the past drown them all. Our Cut of Salt is a powerful and intimate look at what it means to make a home, to lose it, and to return, only to find it irrevocably changed.

There is something haunting Nuhad’s childhood home in Haifa. Cats avoid its perimeter, strange noises come from within, and residents have mysteriously vanished without a trace. Although Nuhad has not returned to her home since the Nakba in 1948, she always held a place for the house in her heart.

And, in return, the house did the same for her.

After Nuhad passes away, her granddaughter, Marina, is determined to visit her grandmother’s home after a lifetime of being kept in the dark about her culture and family history. Marina's mother, Haifa - named for the city that was lost to their family - reluctantly agrees to her trip, though she knows firsthand that some secrets are better left buried.

But the house is no longer a home. It is a painful, festering wound that infects everything it touches. The more Marina digs into her family’s past, the sicker she becomes. Despite Nuhad’s ghostly warnings, Haifa rushes to help her daughter.

As the three women converge in their ancestral home, they must put the haunting to rest before the secrets of the past drown them all.

Visit Deena Helm's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

"The Country People"

New from the University of Georgia Press: The Country People: An Agricultural History of the American Revolution by R. Douglas Hurt.

About the book, from the publisher:

Although historians have given considerable attention to the American Revolution, the agricultural history of the American War for Independence exists only in pieces found in scattered articles and passing references in various books dealing with the war. Nonagricultural historians have ignored it or treated it almost as an aside and unworthy of analysis, even when it is related to other war topics. Yet, the revolution had profound effects on American agriculture during the war and after.

The Country People brings the many pieces of this story together in a synthesis that provides an overview of agriculture during the American Revolution―from 1774 until signing of the Peace of Paris on September 3, 1783. In so doing, preeminent agricultural historian R. Douglas Hurt asks (and answers) three essential questions: What did farmers do in their daily lives during the revolutionary years from 1774 to 1783? How did the war affect farmers and planters, and how did they influence the war? And what were the consequences of the war on American agriculture?

--Marshal Zeringue

"Incarnate"

Coming soon from G.P. Putnam’s Sons: Incarnate by Alma Katsu.

About the book, from the publisher:

From beloved horror maven Alma Katsu comes a terrifying reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray for the internet age.

Beauty doesn’t fade. It feeds.

Dorothy Wagner has spent her whole life wanting nothing more than to be seen. But after failing to make her mark as an influencer, she takes a job working for a brilliant coder whose company is focused on cutting-edge deepfake technology. And there, in secret, is where she creates her salvation.

Isabella. An impossibly gorgeous girl who takes social media by storm. Dorothy's artistry is brilliant, and Isabella seems so real that she garners millions of followers. But everybody knows overnight success doesn’t just happen. And when someone gets a little too close to the truth, a violent confrontation sends Dorothy on the run, forcing her to confront what she’s willing to sacrifice to keep her secrets.

A modern reimagining of a classic tale, Alma Katsu’s Incarnate is an illuminating, haunting tale of algorithmic worship and beauty that can kill.

Visit Alma Katsu's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Taker.

My Book, The Movie: The Hunger.

The Page 69 Test: The Hunger.

Writers Read: Alma Katsu (March 2020).

The Page 69 Test: The Deep.

The Page 69 Test: Red Widow.

Q&A with Alma Katsu.

The Page 69 Test: The Fervor.

Writers Read: Alma Katsu (April 2022).

My Book, The Movie: Red London.

The Page 69 Test: Red London.

The Page 69 Test: Fiend.

My Book, The Movie: Fiend.

--Marshal Zeringue

"Coffee Culture New Orleans"

Coming soon from LSU Press: Coffee Culture New Orleans by Marielle Songy.

About the book, from the publisher:

Starting in the early eighteenth century, importation was New Orleans’s lifeblood, as coffee and other agricultural goods moved through the city’s port and fanned out to all corners of the emerging nation. New Orleans became the United States’ top coffee importer in the nineteenth century, jockeying for position with larger port cities. As the century progressed, coffee importers and brokers built ever-stronger connections between New Orleans and the national coffee trade.

Because New Orleans was such a coffee town, coffee culture began infiltrating the city’s practices. Coffee exchanges opened, creating spaces to share new ideas and partake in important cultural conversations over coffee. For guests, coffee was prepared at home and served black or café au lait with milk. The French Market and similar venues boasted coffee stands, and enslaved women such as Rose Nicaud bought their freedom by selling coffee from carts in the market.

Heading into the twentieth century, Café du Monde and other coffee stands became integral to New Orleans traditions, and Louisiana coffee brands such as Community Coffee and PJ’s made a name for themselves on grocery shelves across the country. When someone wasn’t enjoying coffee at home, they drank coffee with chicory in the French Market―a tradition now closely associated with New Orleans, despite having its origins in Holland and France. Other cultures have also made an impact on the coffee culture of the Crescent City. The Vietnamese integrated New Orleans coffee practices into their own, using Café du Monde coffee in their traditional coffee preparation.

Modern New Orleans has become more interested in specialty coffee grown on small farms and ethically harvested. Multiple coffee roasters call New Orleans home and import their coffee from small farms in Guatemala, Brazil, and Colombia. The next generation of coffee production is creating a heightened interest in farming practices and sustainability, with coffee consumers gravitating toward brands that provide a living wage to farmers. Coffee Culture New Orleans tells the story of the Crescent City’s flourishing coffee traditions from its founding to the present.

Visit Marielle Songy's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

"Golden Boy"

New from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers: Golden Boy by A. J. Symon.

About the book, from the publisher:

When the beloved family golden retriever becomes human, a girl’s relationships with her family and herself transform in ways she never thought possible in this “fun, fast-moving” (School Library Journal, starred review) young adult novel.

Science-obsessed, teen-genius Emma Branch is used to being the odd one out—in her family, among her classmates, and in her small town that only ever seems to care about football. She doesn’t mind being all alone; in fact, she prefers it. Besides, who needs friends when she has a best friend already—her golden retriever, Hudson.

But when Hudson gets into an accident, Emma can’t bear to lose her only friend. Luckily, she’s been working on an experimental substance for her school science project that could help him out. All it was supposed to do was heal Hudson, not…turn him human?!

Emma, her family, and the whole town is about to learn just how a golden retriever can change hearts and minds for the better—that is, after causing a big, old mess first.

Visit A.J. Symon's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

"Far from the Model Minority"

New from University of California Press: Far from the Model Minority: Face, Class, and Transnational Chinese Families by Jia-Lin Liu.

About the book, from the publisher:

Far from the Model Minority centers the voices of five undocumented and mixed-status Chinese immigrant families in New York City and their sending communities in Fuzhou, China. Challenging dominant narratives about Chinese Americans and the model-minority myth, these families have experienced multigenerational exclusion from educational pathways and developed mobility strategies focused on attaining “face.”

In China, low social standing led them to prioritize immigration and remittance work over education, as overseas success became the primary way to garner face. Yet in the United States, undocumented status and poverty created new barriers to their and their children's acculturation, and the intersection of undocumented life and the culture of remittances often undermined the intended face gain for families back home and reinforced social stagnation. Based on four years of ethnographic research, Jia-Lin Liu's work explores how these transnational families respond to enduring structural exclusions by reimagining achievement and dignity across borders.

Visit Jia-Lin Liu's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

"When Squirrels Fly"

New from She Writes Press: When Squirrels Fly: A Novel by D. E. Carr.

About the book, from the publisher:

For fans of Connie Willis, Lucy Lyons, and Janet Evanovich, a debut cozy mystery with a speculative bent, set in Ann Arbor, that’s replete with wormholes, incorrigible pets, and delightfully quirky characters.

When Allie Caldwell gets a rambling middle-of-the-night call from her very excited aunt Mel, she initially curbs her concern; her aunt has always been a bit eccentric, after all. But when Mel disappears before telling anyone what has her so worked up, Allie drops everything –even her better judgement—to fly to Ann Arbor and find her.

In the ensuing days, Allie inexplicably ignores her gut instincts (and some weird dream-based warnings from angry flying squirrels) and accepts help in the search from her aunt’s handsome, enigmatic neighbor George Bennet. In order to discern how virtual reality goggles, innovative migraine research, hidden treasure, attack drones, and a neighborhood trellis are all connected to the case, they’ll need to survive bungled bids of help from Allie’s well-meaning brother, hidden agendas from multiple neighbors, constant interruptions from Mel’s itinerant Chihuahua and his exuberant pit bull puppy pal—and even some attempts on their lives.

Visit D. E. Carr's website.

My Book, The Movie: When Squirrels Fly.

--Marshal Zeringue

"The Blackish Press"

New from Oxford University Press: The Blackish Press: Content, Ownership, and Audience of Digital Black News Outlets by Miya Williams Fayne.

About the book, from the publisher:

In the new media age, the Black press has undergone significant changes in content, ownership, and audience. Some digital Black news outlets are foregrounding entertainment over hard news stories, others are not Black owned, many are attracting non-Black audiences, and audience engagement is primarily online. These developments raise the questions: How does entertainment content work for or against the goals of the Black press? In what ways does ownership affect the Black press' content? Who is the audience for the digital Black press? And how do journalists interact with their audience?

The Blackish Press uses interviews with Black press journalists, focus groups with readers, and analysis of web metrics to argue that the digital Black press is adapting to meet the current needs of the Black community. Its content often counters mainstream news narratives and is filtered through a Black lens. Legacy and digital-native Black news publications are advocating for African Americans via both entertainment and hard news content. Readers and journalists prefer Black-targeted outlets to be Black-owned, but they still consider those that are owned by the mainstream as part of the Black press. Additionally, although the digital Black press has a significant non-Black audience, Black press editors intentionally target their Black audience and employ organizational codeswitching to signal authenticity. As such, the digital Black press operates both similarly and differently than its historical predecessors. The Blackish Press provides an in-depth analysis of what it means when the Black press acclimates to the new media landscape and questions what is gained and lost in the process.

--Marshal Zeringue