New and Upcoming Books from North Carolina Authors
Hell of a Book by Jason Mott
From Amber: “Mott's fantastic new novel is a Charlie Kaufman-esque dissection of how systemic racism and police brutality affect the Black American psyche. Hell of a Book is both surreal and too real, with a wildly unreliable narrator.” Chosen as July's Read with Jenna Pick, a Black author sets out on a cross-country publicity tour to promote his novel. It also tells the story of Soot, a young Black boy living in a rural town in the recent past, and The Kid, a possibly imaginary child who appears to the author on his tour.
Living Brave: Lessons from Hurt, Lighting the Way to Hope by Shannon Dingle
For all women looking to find “hope in a hopeless world and bravery in an age that seems to lack it,” comes a searing memoir by Shannon Dingle, a writer and disability advocate who has navigated loss, trauma, abuse, spiritual reawakening, and deep pain—and come out the other side still hopeful. Living Brave gives women permission to wrestle with difficult topics, to use their voice, to take a stand for justice, to honor the wisdom of their bodies, and to enact change from a place of strong faith.
Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief by Michelle Cassandra Johnson
In Finding Refuge, social justice activist, social worker, and yoga teacher Michelle Cassandra Johnson offers those who feel brokenhearted, helpless, confused, powerless, and desperate the tools they need to be present with their grief while also remaining openhearted. Through powerful personal narrative and meditation and journaling practices at the end of each chapter that explore being present with your heart, Michelle empowers us to see that each of us has a role to play in building enough momentum to take intentional action and shift what is unsettled and unjust in the world.
A Hex for Danger: An Enchanted Bay Mystery by Esme Addison
Helping to run the family business while keeping her secret hidden is no easy feat for water witch Aleksandra. But somehow she's still found time to help her friend Celeste, who has her own Caribbean mermaid heritage, plan the annual Mermaid Festival. As fun-seekers throng the beaches, Alex gets to know renowned artist Neve Ryland, who's in town to decorate the local park. Then, a reception for Neve ends abruptly when the artist is found dead in his office. Will Alex catch the crook or be next on the hook?
Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda
Hollow’s Edge used to be a quiet place. But then came the murder of Brandon and Fiona Truett. A year and a half later, Hollow’s Edge is simmering. The residents are trapped, unable to sell their homes, confronted daily by the empty Truett house, and suffocated by their trial testimonies that implicated one of their own, Ruby Fletcher. And now, Ruby’s back. Pulsating with suspense and with the shocking twists that are Megan Miranda’s trademark, Such a Quiet Place is Megan Miranda’s best novel yet—a twisty locked-box thriller that will keep you turning pages late into the night.
The Perfect Ruin by Shanora Williams
From New York Times bestselling author Shanora Williams, a riveting novel of domestic suspense about the close relationship between two women: a severely troubled twenty-something and the mega-successful, billionaire CEO she's determined to destroy. The glamour of Miami has a dark side in this twisting story where nothing is what it seems. Author Tarryn Fisher calls it “A shocking, sensual thriller with sharp twists.”
All the Little Hopes by Leah Weiss
Deep in tobacco land of North Carolina, nothing's been the same since the boys shipped off to war. Thirteen-year-old Lucy Brown is itching for adventure, so when outcast Allie Bert Tucker wanders into town, Lucy figures the two of them can solve any crime they find. Their chance comes when a man goes missing, a woman stops speaking, and an eccentric gives the girls a mystery to solve that takes them beyond the ordinary. Together, the girls embark on a journey to discover if we ever really know who the enemy is. Lush with Southern atmosphere, All The Little Hopes is the story of two girls growing up as war creeps closer, blurring the difference between what's right, what's wrong, and what we know to be true.
The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit by John V. Petrocelli
"Bullshit is the foundation of contaminated thinking and bad decisions that leads to health consequences, financial losses, legal consequences, broken relationships, and wasted time and resources." Expanding upon his viral TEDx Talk, psychology professor and social scientist John V. Petrocelli's The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit reveals the critical thinking habits you can develop to recognize and combat pervasive false information and delusional thinking that has become a common feature of everyday life.
