July 2022 Reads for the Rest of Us – Ms. Magazine
Each month, I provide Ms. readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically excluded groups.
The aims of these lists are threefold:
- I want to do my part in the disruption of what has been the acceptable “norm” in the book world for far too long—white, cis, heterosexual, male;
- I want to amplify indie publishers and amazing works by writers who are women, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, APIA/AAPI, international, queer, trans, nonbinary, disabled, fat, immigrant, Muslim, neurodivergent, sex-positive or of other historically marginalized identities—you know, the rest of us; and
- I want to challenge and encourage you all to buy, borrow and read them!
As I write this, we are learning about the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
We are furious. We are heartbroken. We are not surprised. We are determined.
At times like this, it seems like anything other than the fight is extraneous. But as I’ve said in this column before, books (and music and art, etc.) provide us not only with necessary information but also with the respite we need from the constant labor of securing our rights and humanity in all the ways they are under attack.
I hope of the 33 books here, you’ll find one that inspires, relaxes or distracts you for a little while.
Let’s stand together and continue to fight.
1,000 Coils of Fear: A Novel
Written by Olivia Wenzel and translated by Priscilla Layne. Catapult. 288 pages. Out July 5.
Playwright and musician Olivia Wenzel has written a debut novel as layered and melodic as any symphony or opera. Based on her own life, the story centers a Black German woman during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
The Earthspinner: A Novel
By Anuradha Roy. HarperVia. 224 pages. Out July 5.
In this mythical epic, acclaimed writer Anuradha Roy presents themes of change and (d)evolution, love and community, and how we respond to uncertainty and precarity.
Joan: A Novel of Joan of Arc
By Katherine J. Chen. Random House. 368 pages. Out July 5.
In this compelling novel, Katherine J. Chen presents her vision of Joan of Arc: one of courage, resilience, vulnerability and passion. This is a beautifully written novel that will have you thinking about this iconic woman in new and complex ways.
Life Ceremony: Stories
Written by Sayaka Murata (@sayakamurata) and translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori. Grove Press. 256 pages. Out July 5.
If you loved Convenience Store Woman, Sayaka Murata will wow you again with her first collection of short stories to be translated from Japanese. In her signature strangeness, Murata writes 12 stories of relationships, humanity, ethics and individuality.