Lauren Groff, Michael Pollan, Tayari Jones, and more: 22 new books out today!

A surefire way to escape the winter doldrums lies in store: today marks the release date of not only a collection of Lauren Groff stories, but a novel by Tayari Jones, and a new, eye-opening journey through self-expansion by Michael Pollan. Just one of these books would count as a publishing event, and we’re gifted with all three on one day. This doesn’t even take into account the new memoir by Loubna Mrie, as well as a solid handful of novels we’re very excited about, by Sara Maurer, Brian Platzer, and Elizabeth Day. Dig in, and enjoy another great Tuesday!

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Lauren Groff, Brawler
(Riverhead)

“Groff sketches her characters with scalpel-like precision … Each of these heartbreaking tales will linger in the reader’s mind.”
–Publishers Weekly

Michael Pollan, A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness
(Penguin Press)

“A page-turner that explores the hidden world of the mind.”
–Kirkus

Tayari Jones, Kin
(Knopf)

“The kind of all-encompassing reading experience I’m always hoping to find: smart and funny and deftly profound.”
–Ann Patchett

Gavin Newsom, Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery
(Penguin Press)

“An intimate and poignant account of identity, belonging, and the defining moments that inspired a life in politics.”
–From the publisher

Sara Maurer, A Good Animal
(St. Martin’s Press)

“A stunning, unforgettable, and deeply American novel.”
–Julia Phillips

Loubna Mrie, Defiance: A Memoir of Awakening, Rebellion, and Survival in Syria
(Viking)

“Stunning … A fierce ode to a fight for freedom that helped a generation of Syrian artists find its voice.”
–Kirkus

Ian McGuire, White River Crossing
(Crown)

“A staggering portrait…brought to vivid life by the author’s keen talent for storytelling and willingness to depict the depths of human cruelty.”
–Publishers Weekly

Michael Ondaatje, The Distance of a Shout: Selected Poems
(Knopf)

“A superb and comprehensive collection of selected works, or ‘condensary of time,’ that crystallizes for devotees and new readers alike the poet’s lifelong devotion to place.”
–Publishers Weekly

Mario Vargas Llosa, trans. by Adrian Nathan West, I Give You My Silence
(FSG)

“A graceful, pensive farewell by a master storyteller.”
–Kirkus

Julia Cooke, Starry and Restless: Three Women Who Changed Work, Writing, and the World
(FSG)

“A gripping saga—part history, part travelogue—of three formidable writers who lived through, covered, and shaped our understanding of some of the twentieth century’s most momentous events. An adventure unto itself.”
–Bianca Bosker

Brian Platzer, The Optimists
(Little Brown)

“It manages its complex mix of humor and tragedy, and I found myself consistently surprised by the elegance of its revelations.”
–Andrew Martin

Leslie John, Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing
(Riverhead)

“Witty, warm, and grounded in science, Revealing will change how you think about every decision to open up or hold back with friends, family, and colleagues.”
–Katy Milkman

Anna Quindlen, More Than Enough
(Random House)

“A wise, tender novel teeming with life.”
–From the publisher

Bret Anthony Johnston, Encounters with Unexpected Animals: Stories
(Random House)

“Johnston pulls off the great adventure of short fiction: episodic tours of the heart.”
–Booklist

W. Fitzhugh Brundage, A Fate Worse Than Hell: American Prisoners of the Civil War
(W. W. Norton)

“Gripping … An essential contribution.”
–The Atlantic

Elizabeth Day, One of Us
(Viking)

“Funny, sharp, sophisticated, this is Elizabeth Day’s writing at its finest.”
–Dolly Alderton

Josh Ireland, The Death of Trotsky: The True Story of the Plot to Kill Stalin’s Greatest Enemy
(Dutton)

“A breathtaking swoop into an extraordinary tale … This is lucid, kaleidoscopic history.”
–Rory Carroll

Charleen Hurtubise, Saoirse
(Celadon)

“Hurtubise places her memorable heroine at the center of a propulsive and twisty plot, and makes Saoirse’s desire for freedom palpable on every page. It’s a knockout.”
–Publishers Weekly

Jennifer Doleac, The Science of Second Chances: A Revolution in Criminal Justice
(Holt)

“Essential reading for anyone concerned with criminal justice reform.”
–Kirkus

Rebecca Kauffman, The Reservation
(Counterpoint)

“This is Big Night, but with sandy blond hair and a Southern drawl! So, so good.”
–Emma Straub

Kyle Minor, How to Disappear and Why: Essays
(Sarabande)

“The voice of this book—nerve-wracked, radiant, self-flaying—soars out to the edge of what’s possible, and necessary, to speak aloud.”
–Jonathan Lethem