‘The Passenger’ by Cormac McCarthy, memoirs by Jemele Hill: 5 new books

Looking for something good to read? USA TODAY’s Barbara VanDenburgh scours the shelves for this week’s hottest new book releases. All books go on sale Tuesday, unless otherwise noted.

For more new must-read book recommendations, check out our guide to fall books from 20 most exciting books of the season; our favorite books of 2022 so far; autumn is the most swoon-worthy rom-coms, including Jasmine Guillory’s “Drunk on Love” and Elena Armas’ “The American Roommate Experiment”; and the juiciest celebrity briefs released this year from Jennette McCurdy, Kenny Loggins, Christine Quinn, Jennifer Gray and more.

To see what everyone is reading, check out the List of USA TODAY best-selling books for this week’s bestsellers.

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‘The passenger’

By Cormac McCarthy (Knopf, fiction)

What is it about : McCarthy’s first book since his 2006 Pulitzer Prize-winning post-apocalyptic novel “The Road” tells the story of a haunted rescue diver who yearns for his lost sister.

What is it about : “Enigmatic, elegant, extraordinary: a welcome return after too long an absence”, says a opinion followed by Kirkus Reviews.

“Ted Kennedy: A Life”

By John A. Farrell (Penguin Press, nonfiction)

What is it about : The Pulitzer Prize-nominated historian and biographer writes an in-depth new biography of one of America’s most notable political figures and senators.

The buzz: A opinion followed calls it “an exemplary study of a life of public service with more than its share of tragedy and controversy”.

“Incitement to Joy”

By Ross Gay (Algonquin, non-fiction)

What is it about : The award-winning poet considers joy – how we incite it, how we can extend it and, most importantly, how we experience it by caring for others – in this timely, division-defying collection.

The buzz: “This living, resonant meditation should not be missed,” says a opinion followed from Publishers Weekly.

“Uphill: a memoir”

By Jemele Hill (Holt, non-fiction)

What is it about : The Atlantic reporter and former ESPN SportsCenter co-anchor writes about breaking her family’s cycle of intergenerational trauma to become a respected public figure who isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

The buzz:Weekly editors calls it “a powerful portrait of ambition, faith and fearlessness”.

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“In the Riverlands”

By Nghi Vo (Tordotcom, fiction)

What is it about : The Singing Hills Cycle series continues with wandering cleric Chih who travels to the river lands to record the stories of the near-immortal martial artists who haunt them.

The buzz: A opinion followed of Publishers Weekly calls it “spellbinding” and “a perfect series episode”.