Culture
November 2022’s Best New Books
My Pinup by Hilton Als - New Directions Publishing, November 1
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Hilton Als toes the line between essay and memoir as he recounts his life through the lenses of his love for Prince, recounting stories of queer nightlife, the AIDS crisis, Black brotherhood, and racism, all against the backdrop of his fandom.
New Directions Publishing
Toad by Katherine Dunn - Macmillan, November 1
Katherine Dunn passed in 2016, but in a stunning turn of events for devotees of her ‘80s cult favorite novel Geek Love, her previously unpublished novel will soon be released. In Toad, Sally is a recluse whose only company is a goldfish and a door-to-door salesman. She spends languid days brooding over her romances with mediocre dudes, her struggle to feel at home in her body, and ruminating on the misaligned friendships of her early 20s.
Macmillan
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy - Riverhead, November 1
Louise Kennedy’s debut novel has all the drama we need as our era of ironic devout Catholicism comes to a close: 1975! Belfast! A young Catholic woman has an affair with a married Protestant barrister! Drama! Intrigue! Incense! Sin!
Riverhead
The Lemon by S. E. Boyd - Viking, November 8
The ripe worlds of Hollywood and fine dining converge in this satirical novel that examines the various responses amongst journalists, chefs, and PR masters after the apparent suicide of the adored host of a culinary travel show — where everyone runs around like a chicken with their head cut off in efforts to control the narrative.
Viking
Karl Lagerfeld Unseen: The Chanel Years by Robert Fairer - Abrams Books, November 8
A new photo book showcases key Chanel collections between 1994–2007 across more than 300 photographs, showing discreet client fittings, glamorous backstage moments, and even Lagerfield at work on designs across a whimsical, opulent time in fashion history. Ed Hardy, step aside!
Abrams Books
On Browsing by Jason Guriel - Biblioasis, November 15
Before we could order anything we wanted, we simply had to find it. Sometimes, we didn’t even know what we were looking for; we would know when we saw it. RIP the era of browsing, which Jason Guriel is determined to memorialize in this tiny elegy to the act of scanning bookshelves and CD bins.
Biblioasis
Wading in Waist-High Water: The Lyrics of Fleet Foxes by Robin Pecknold - Tin House, November 15
A coffee table book we didn’t know we needed! This thick, gorgeous collection captures the poetry that are Fleet Foxes lyrics, across 55 songs, with included footnotes. I know we’re deep in an indie sleaze revival, but somebody wake me up when we’re ready for the 2008 folk rock revival.
Tin House
Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom - Soho Press, November 22
In one of my favorite books of the year, a recovering Instagram influencer goes under the knife in an experimental plastic surgery procedure to reverse years of fillers and injections, in this mesmerizing, addictive novel from Allie Rowbottom that’s surreal and too close to home all at once.
Soho Press
Shotgun Seamstress: An Anthology by Osa Atoe - Soft Skull Press, November 29
In 2006, Osa Ato created a zine to celebrate Black punk and outsider identity. Finally, a completely collection of the legendary DIY project has arrived, showcasing the glorious hand-done pages that covered Black music and a wide spectrum of gender and sexuality across eight issues until 2015.
Soft Skull Press