Hot News This Week
August 4, 2026
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| “[A] must must must read.” On Instagram, comedian John Mulaney raved about Ethan Rutherford’s North Sun: Or, The Voyage of the Whaleship Esther (Deep Vellum / A Strange Object): “This book is so batshit. Funny, bizarre, violent, reckless, and very moving. I haven’t read Moby Dick because whatever but Ethan Rutherford’s description of catching a whale or failing to catch a whale is one of the most visceral things I have ever absorbed.”
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| Postwar Reckoning, Richard Heinberg, and More Indie Press News
“Deftly setting Günter’s ordeal against the pathological ethos of the society around him, O’Connor explores our notions of sacrifice, decency and complicity, ending with a painful postwar reckoning.” Historical fiction columnist Alida Becker reviewed Stephen O’Connor’s We Want So Much to Be Ourselves (Bellevue Literary Press) for the New York Times Book Review.
Our friends at Do Re Mi Books were featured in Shelf Awareness last week for a celebratory children’s book meet-up they held with Seattle-area booksellers.
We’re saddened by the loss of Richard Heinberg, author, educator, and sustainability expert, who passed away recently at the age of 75. Heinberg’s final book, Power: Limits and Prospects for Human Survival, was published in 2021 by New Society Publishers. Learn more about his life and legacy at Resilience.org.
“If you don’t know this poem, I’m envious that you get to experience it for the first time.” Poet Maggie Smith recently featured a poem from Ronna Bloom’s In a Riptide (Assembly / Brick Books) on The Slowdown podcast.
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| | The Sky
by Radka Piro, illus. Aksana Rashetska
Albatros Media • July 2026 • 9788000078441
“Very informative and surprising book about the sky! Clearly a well thought out book that connects so many different aspects of nature, life, and science to the sky.” — Rebecca Roman, New York Public Library
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| | The Given World
by Melissa Harrison
Biblioasis • October 2026 • 9781771967365
★ “In this beautifully written novel, Harrison explores the interplay between nature and humans and the clash between an old village’s history and culture and modern life.” — Library Journal
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★ “This strikingly original work will appeal to readers of expansive narrative nonfiction, environmental writing, and American cultural history. It’s poised for significant crossover appeal.” — Library Journal
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“A lovable gaggle of competitive quilters attempts to defy the odds. . . . McCann’s prose is bursting at the seams with humor and genuinely tender, touching moments. You’ll root for these misfits from page 1. Simply charming.” — Kirkus Reviews
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“A fascinating, thorough dissection of deeper ideological currents behind the anti-trans backlash.” — Publishers Weekly
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“A hyperfocused novel abounding with big ideas. . . . Much of this novel’s power comes from its narrator’s voice, which gives the impression of a principled person trying not to become jaded.” — Kirkus Reviews
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| FICTION
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, trans. Ros Schwartz (Transit Books)
ABA, MPIBA, PNBA, NEIBA, SCIBA, MIBA, NCIBA, and Indie Press Top 40 (#3) Bestseller
We Were Forbidden by Jacqueline Harpman, trans. Ros Schwartz (Transit Books)
Indie Press Top 40 (#16) Bestseller
Stitched by Eli McCann (Torrey House Press)
Bookshop.org Bestseller
NONFICTION
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This revival of the iconic anthology of best Southern short stories features eminent and emerging voices, with contributions from Deesha Philyaw, Ron Rash, Emily Nemens, and more.
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Woodfeast
by Meg Ripley
Creature Publishing • November 2026 • 9781951971601
A sequel to Necrology, this novel weaves revolutionary politics and dark fantasy for a blisteringly timely look at the rights, communities, and power of women.
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Botany of Madness
by Leon Engler, trans. Alexandra Roesch
New Vessel Press • November 2026 • 9781954404458
In this picaresque novel, a young man comes from a family shaped by mental illness and psychiatric institutionalization, and he’s gripped by one fear: that he’ll lose his mind.
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