The best debuts to read this summer
It's a good time to be a first-time author. As the world opens back up, there are so many places to hunker down with a good read: the subway, a coffee shop, inside a restaurant, perhaps. Here, EW offers up a few of our favorite first impressions, from memoirs to thrillers to short story collections.
Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome
This devastatingly beautiful memoir about growing up Black and gay in rural Ohio introduces a major literary talent in Broome. (May 18)
Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
The writer-editor pens the story of her wrenching upbringing (father in prison, sexual assault) and her hard-won journey to peace. (June 1)
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
As a book-publishing assistant clashes with the only other Black woman in her department, she begins to suspect more sinister powers at play. (June 1)
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
At a prestigious private school, two Black students start getting threatening texts from an unnamed bully in this fast-paced YA thriller. (June 1)
Objects of Desire by Clare Sestanovich
In 11 short stories, Sestanovich takes seemingly innocuous moments (a plane trip, a day at the office) and pulls out satisfying human drama. (June 29)
Nobody, Somebody, Anybody by Kelly McClorey
This darkly funny novel follows a young woman working as a chambermaid at an exclusive yacht club. (July 6)
Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So
A short story collection that examines, among other things, queer life within the Cambodian-American community. (August 3)
For more from EW's Summer Books guide, find the special issue at Barnes & Noble stores now, or order your copy here. Don't forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.
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