A wide range of new books hitting shelves this season are exploring everything from art and history to technology, suspense, and personal transformation. From vibrant visual storytelling rooted in Aboriginal culture to thrillers set inside the secretive world of Big Tech, these titles reflect the diversity of voices shaping today’s literary landscape. Readers will also find fresh perspectives on faith, military power, and global politics alongside character-driven fiction and culinary memoirs. Whether revisiting historical figures, exposing hidden systems of influence, or celebrating creativity and culture, these new releases offer thought-provoking stories and ideas for readers looking to discover something compelling.
The Art of Kaylene Whiskey: Do You Believe in Love?
Kaylene Whiskey’s first major monograph, The Art of Kaylene Whiskey, celebrates her vibrant paintings that fuse pop culture and Aboriginal traditions. Based in Indulkana, South Australia, Whiskey depicts iconic female figures—Dolly Parton, Tina Turner, Cher, and Wonder Woman—mingling with her community through dot-painted, journal-style compositions filled with hearts, rainbows, and playful text bubbles. Blending Anangu stories with rock, country, and local songs, her work channels female power and youthful admiration of global media. The richly illustrated volume includes interviews, reflections, and contributions from Taika Waititi, Jazz Money, Zoé Whitley, and others, offering an immersive look at Whiskey’s colorful world.
‘Who Knows You by Heart’ Blends Big Tech, AI and Romance in Social Thriller
C.J. Farley’s novel Who Knows You by Heart mixes social commentary, romance, and suspense in a story set inside the world of Big Tech. The book follows Octavia Crenshaw, a Jamaican American coder in Manhattan who leaves a struggling nonprofit job for a lucrative role at a powerful tech company. As one of the firm’s few Black employees, Octavia begins to notice strange glitches and hidden secrets within the company. When she joins fellow coder Walcott on an AI storytelling project called Zion, ambition and romance collide—until a troubling discovery forces them to question everything about their employer and the technology they’re building.
Rediscovering Mary: James D. Tabor Reveals the Mother of Jesus
In The Lost Mary, historian James D. Tabor uncovers the life of Mary, mother of Jesus, beyond centuries of myth and patriarchal erasure. Drawing on decades of textual and archaeological research, Tabor portrays Mary as a resilient Jewish woman, a single mother of eight, and a central figure in the early Jesus movement. The book challenges traditional depictions, presenting her as a defiant, influential matriarch whose voice shaped Christianity from its roots. Praised by James Cameron and Reza Aslan, The Lost Mary restores her humanity, faith, and leadership, offering readers a revolutionary perspective on one of history’s most consequential women.
Inside Fort Bragg: Seth Harp Exposes Special Forces Cartel
In The Fort Bragg Cartel, investigative journalist and Iraq War veteran Seth Harp delves into shocking crimes within America’s elite military units. Triggered by the 2020 murder of Delta Force Master Sergeant William “Billy” Lavigne and Chief Warrant Officer Timothy Dumas, Harp uncovers a web of drug trafficking, blackmail, and violent cover-ups at Fort Bragg. Drawing on declassified records, trial documents, and hundreds of interviews, the book exposes how narco-dealing and impunity thrive among special operators. A New Yorker and Forbes pick in 2025, Harp’s work lays bare the dangerous intersection of elite military power and criminal enterprise in the modern era.
Jack Ryan Faces Deadly Coup in Executive Power
The latest Jack Ryan novel, Executive Power by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson, plunges readers into a high-stakes international crisis. After an American intelligence team in Luanda, Angola is wiped out, Kyle Ryan, President Jack Ryan’s youngest son, is taken hostage amid a violent military coup. As insurgents seize the U.S. Embassy and threaten countless lives, Lieutenant Katie Ryan races to uncover the masterminds behind the attack. With the White House Situation Room on high alert, President Ryan must marshal every resource to save his son and restore order, proving that true executive power demands strategy, courage, and family loyalty.
‘King of Peru’: A Darkly Witty Campus Thriller
Mark E. Scott’s King of Peru follows ex-Marine Matthew Obrodnick as he navigates life as a student in Oxford, Ohio, sharing an apartment with a chain-smoking roommate and a ghostly figure who believes he’s destined to be King of Peru. Between poisoned tap water, romantic entanglements, and the blurred line between reality and imagination, Matt struggles to maintain his sanity. Equal parts dark humor, psychological suspense, and campus drama, the novel immerses readers in Matt’s slow-burn journey through destiny, delusion, and the lingering shadows of his military past, delivering a unique and enthralling read.
Mario Vargas Llosa’s Final Novel Turns to Peru, Music, and Identity in a Powerful Farewell
In I Give You My Silence, Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa returns to his native Peru for his final novel. The story follows Toño Azpilcueta, a writer and music aficionado, who becomes captivated by guitarist Lalo Molfino and the nation’s vals tradition. Believing music can unite society, Toño seeks to document Lalo’s life and celebrate Peru’s cultural heritage, highlighting huachafería, the country’s unique artistic contribution. Llosa’s work blends love for his homeland with sharp social commentary, offering a poignant reflection on art, identity, and the transformative power of music amid Peru’s complex political and cultural landscape.
‘Harlem Rhapsody’ Celebrates Jessie Redmon Fauset’s Role in the Renaissance
Victoria Christopher Murray’s Harlem Rhapsody tells the remarkable story of Jessie Redmon Fauset, the pioneering literary editor of The Crisis. Arriving in Harlem in 1919, Fauset discovers and mentors young Black writers, including Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Nella Larsen, shaping the Harlem Renaissance. Balancing ambition with a secret romance with W. E. B. Du Bois, she navigates societal pressures while elevating African American literature. Murray’s historical fiction highlights Fauset’s influence on music, theater, and the arts, offering a gripping, inspiring portrait of a woman whose vision and determination transformed an era and left a lasting cultural legacy.
‘Will This Make You Happy’ Blends Baking, Memoir, and Culinary Adventure
Tanya Bush’s Will This Make You Happy: Stories & Recipes from a Year of Baking combines a coming-of-age memoir with over fifty inventive baking recipes. Chronicling a year of self-discovery, Bush moves from kitchen disasters in her apartment to Italian agriturismos and Brooklyn bakeries, rediscovering joy, creativity, and indulgence along the way. Featuring flexible, approachable recipes like Neapolitan Pavlova and Cardamom Crullers, the book invites both novice and experienced bakers to experiment. With lush illustrations by Forsyth Harmon and a lyrical narrative, the cookbook-memoir hybrid has earned praise from Ruby Tandoh, Sohla El-Waylly, and top culinary publications.