THE FIFTH ACT by Elliot Ackerman was featured on Lit Hub’s list of “The Most-Anticipated Books of the Year 2022, Part Two.” Lit Hub editor-in-chief Johnny Diamond writes: “The history of the American invasion and occupation of Afghanistan is only beginning to be written, and it will likely be decades before a fuller picture emerges. But an early and important voice in that story will be that of writer and veteran Elliott Ackerman, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The history of any war will always be an ongoing collation of subjectivities—as such Ackerman brings his own deeply personal perspective as a marine (and later as a CIA paramilitary officer) who returns to Afghanistan on the eve of its return to the Taliban to help in impromptu, large-scale evacuations. Ackerman then works backward to look at 20 years of American misadventure in the Middle East, and the deep impact it has on two decades of his life.” Penguin Press will publish the book on August 9, 2022.

STRANGERS TO OURSELVES by Rachel Aviv was featured on Lit Hub’s list of “The Most-Anticipated Books of the Year 2022, Part Two.” Lit Hub deputy editor Emily Firetog writes: “Rachel Aviv’s New Yorker pieces are always stunning portraits of people in crisis, but her stories of complex medical mysteries are some of the most striking and memorable pieces of journalism I’ve read. In her debut nonfiction book, Aviv investigates people who have ‘come up against the limits of psychiatric explanations for who they are’—a woman who lives as a saint, an incarcerated mother recovering after psychosis, a man looking for revenge on psychoanalysts. In examining the way we tell stories about disorders of the mind, Aviv questions the very core of what is normal and what is reality. An incredibly researched, empathetic, and moving book.” Farrar, Straus and Giroux will publish the book on September 13, 2022.

The Irish Times review of DARK EARTH by Rebecca Stott awards the novel immense praise. Reviewer Helen Cullen raves: “A stunningly vivid, elegant historical fantasy that recreates Londinium after the Romans...Stott has created a work of elegant historical fantasy with great intellect, curiosity, imagination and empathy that is utterly compelling. The fusion of the author’s great passions, literature and history, has found a magnificent outlet in this unique and extraordinary novel. No other author would have attempted this challenge, nor could have succeeded in wielding its components into something so powerful. A definite contender for this year’s literary prizes, it is difficult to imagine any reader not becoming bewitched by DARK EARTH.” BuzzFeed also featured the novel on its best-of list for July, with BuzzFeed writer Kirby Beaton describing the book as a “dazzling blend of history and fantasy.” Random House will publish the novel on July 19, 2022.

Danielle Steel’s latest novel, SUSPECTS, made its debut on The New York Times Bestsellers list for the week of July 17, 2022, appearing at #3 on Print Hardcover Fiction and #7 on Combined Print & E-Book Fiction. Delacorte Press published the book on June 28, 2022.

THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV by Dawnie Walton is the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award for 2022 winner. The prize “honors an outstanding debut novel published in the preceding calendar year. Symbolized by a three-dimensional compass, the award is a tribute to writers who have navigated their way through the maze of imagination and delivered a great read, taking the reader someplace new.” Walton will participate in a reading and Q&A session about the book on November 10 at 7pm at the James Branch Cabell Library in Richmond, Virginia. The event will also be live streamed via Zoom. 37 Ink published THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV on March 30, 2021.

Nada Alic’s debut short story collection BAD THOUGHTS welcomed strong press in the weeks leading up to its publication. Document Journal published an interview with Alic, where Alic shares her thoughts on writing: “I took to writing because it was a controlled space for me to get exactly what I wanted to say down. I think it was just finding a voice in a way where I can [say] this exactly how I want to and I will force you to be my captive audience. I’m now using the book as a jumping off point to get more into performance and feel more comfortable with that. But writing is the perfect outlet for someone who has a lot of feelings, but is mostly embarrassed to say them out loud.” Elsewhere, the book received a great review from Mallory Smart’s Maudlin House, where Smart praises Alic as “equal parts outlandish and realistic at all times throughout this dazzling debut.” Lastly, CBC named BAD THOUGHTS one of the “15 Canadian Books [They] Can’t Wait to Read in July.” Vintage will publish the book on July 12, 2022.

Author Sari Botton spoke about her essay collection AND YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF… with Joe Donahue on WAMC’s The Roundtable, and with Paul Zakrzewski on “The Book I Had to Write” podcast. WAMC’s write-up praises: “In a series of candid, reflective, sometimes humorous essays, Botton describes coming to feminism and self-actualization as an older person, second (and third and fourth) chances—and how maybe it’s never too late to find your way…assuming you’re lucky enough to live long.” The book also received a glowing review from Publishers Weekly: “Former Longreads editor Botton debuts with an introspective collection of essays about the joys and pains of feeling like a misfits…Botton recounts her mortifying moments, struggles with body image, and countless anxious encounters, readers are likely to find themselves squirming alongside her. The result offers a cathartic look at an imperfect life lived fully.” Heliotrope Books LLC published the book on June 14, 2022.

Keri Picolla published a wonderful review of Liska Jacobs’ THE PINK HOTEL for Kelp Journal. In the review, Picolla praises Jacobs’s rendering of Los Angeles’s twinned attraction and revulsion in the highest terms: “THE PINK HOTEL leaves a lasting impression, one of strange dichotomies of both hope and despair...Jacobs has deftly captured the bittersweetness of longing for the beauty that comes from hoping for a more perfect world. Even when the world is at its ugliest, spinning in an intoxicated shit show, there is an unbreakable human need to believe in love despite it all…The story of THE PINK HOTEL and its crazy cast of characters [will] stick with you, long after you’ve finished that last page. Hang on for a wild and haunting ride. You won’t be able to put this novel down.” MCD will publish the book on July 19, 2022.

PopSugar included Antonia Angress’ SIRENS & MUSES in a collection of must-reads for 2022, praising: “Antonia Angress’ debut novel SIRENS & MUSES sucks readers into the merciless New York City art scene where four artists wrestle with rivalries, attraction and politics…[with a] tumultuous dynamic.” and praised the characters’ “tumultuous dynamic.” Ballantine Books will publish the novel on July 12, 2022.

GOLDEN AX, the debut poetry collection by Pushcart Prize-nominated poet Rio Cortez, received a beautiful rave in the July/August print issue of Essence. The review reads: “Cortez examines how her family came to the American West after Reconstruction — and reimagines the landscape through the lens of Black people who both embody and defy its realities. In the process, we are pushed to envision our own futures on the frontier, united by a collective aspiration to freedom.” Elsewhere, The Atlantic published a poem from the collection titled “Ars Poetica with Mother and Dog” on July 3. Penguin Books will publish GOLDEN AX on August 30, 2022.