Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America

By John Waters

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

If you’re not planning your own trip across America this summer, here’s how to do it vicariously: Writer, director, and all around eccentric human, John Waters has documented his experience hitchhiking across the country. It’s as campy as you can imagine, but still enjoyable for casual fans.

The Son

by Jo Nesbø

Knopf

By Norwegian author and musician, Jo Nesbø, The Son is a revenge story of a strange young man imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Nesbø, known for his Harry Hole detective series, departs from that award winning series for this stand-alone novel.

Mr. Mercedes

By Stephen King

Scribner

This is not your typical Stephen King story. There are no mystical forces, no magic, ghosts, or zombies. Just a maniacal killer with only one weapon: his car. Ok, so Stephen King does love cars, but this one is not your typical possessed type. This war between good and evil will hold you until the final pages.

The News: A User’s Manual

By Alain De Botton

Pantheon

I bet you like to read the news, because, well you’re reading this newspaper right now. Through a philosophical lens, author Alain De Botton examines the frenzy of news we are bombarded with these daily. Why can’t we hear enough stories about natural disaster, murders, and celebrity meltdowns? De Botton tries to answer these questions.

A New Leaf: The End of Cannabis Prohibition

By Alyson Martin and Nushin Rashidian

New Press

In 2012, the people of Colorado and Washington states voted to legalize the production and sale of marijuana. Many states allow access to medical marijuana, and those that don’t yet will probably soon follow (New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced an agreement to hold clinical trials for marijuana-based medication for children who have seizures while the Compassionate Care Act, a wider bill, works through the state Senate). A New Leaf: The End of Cannabis Prohibition takes a look at the war on weed from every angle. Investigative journalists Alyson Martin and Nushin Rashidian have been commended for their evenhanded take on the subject in this interesting, and deep analysis of cannabis.

Summer House with Swimming Pool

By Herman Koch

Hogarth

Out this week, Summer House with Swimming Pool is about a doctor who exclusively treats celebrities. Fearful that his reputation will be tarnished when a medical procedure goes horribly wrong, he seeks to hide the truth. This horror story should keep you hooked.

The Book of Unknown Americans: A Novel

By Cristina Henriquez

Knopf

What seems like a fairly ordinary narrative about a Latino immigrant family becomes a cross-cultural love story right under your nose in The Book of Unknown Americans: A Novel. After moving to America following a tragic accident in their hometown in Mexico, the family in this story struggles with racism, finding jobs, and simply feeding each other. Henriquez’s book is storytelling at its finest.