From global warming to a reality show on Mars, and from ‘My Hijacking’ to ‘My Murder’, we bring you an eclectic selection of recommended books this week. In fiction, Gina Apostol’s novel “La Tercera” interweaves a mother-daughter story with a history of the Philippines, Deborah Willis’ “Girlfriend on Mars” depicts the aforementioned reality show, and Katie Williams’ “My Murder” brings her heroine back from the dead. In non-fiction, we recommend Jeff Goodell’s study of climate change, along with a biography of the extended Shakur family and a handful of memoirs covering everything from war coverage to a very public sex change. Enjoy reading.
— Gregory Cowles
In his fast-paced new book on the extreme heat caused by climate change, Goodell shows how even the most privileged among us will grapple with the successive catastrophes – rising seas, crop failures, social unrest – caused by the deadly heat.
When the narrator of Apostol’s novel learns of her mother’s death in the Philippines, she reflects on her origins and the fraught relationship she had with this extraordinary and enraged woman. The story features snapshots of the country’s history and makes full use of its rich linguistic diversity.
Sun | $27
In 1970, when Hodes was 12, the TWA flight she and her sister took from Tel Aviv to New York was hijacked by Palestinian militants, who diverted the plane to Jordan. Hodes, now a historian, reconstructs the ordeal, examining the documentary record and puzzling over gaps in her own memory.
Chung’s second memoir is a look at family, illness and grief, and the way systemic issues such as access to health care, capitalism and racism exacerbate loss. She documents the challenges she faced growing up with her financially insecure adoptive parents in Oregon, as well as her desperation as an adult over their deaths and that of her grandmother.
Ecco | $29.99
The Oscar-nominated actor gives a brutally honest account of a child’s stardom, the pressure to conform in Hollywood and, ultimately, the announcement of his 2020 gender reassignment. Page, arguably the most famous of the trans men, has found self-acceptance.
Iron | $29.99
Holley follows the striking lives of the Shakurs, from activists Afeni and Assata to world-famous rapper Tupac. This family biography doubles as a history of 20th-century black activism, acknowledging the courage of the cause while describing some of the gritty tactics used.
In this novel, a woman makes it to the final rounds of a reality show competition whose winners are promised a trip to Mars. Willis has a scorching wit and a soft spot for humanity – even left the mopey sweet boyfriend behind – here on Earth.
Norton | $28
In this novel, a serial killer victim is resurrected using cloning technology, but her second chance at life is filled with uneasiness. Frustrated with what she can’t remember, she searches for answers – and discovers some shocking truths.
What sets this chronicle of a life spent on the battlefields of the Middle East above many other memoirs is the way it features a correspondent experiencing war with the people she reports on, writing with the kind of intimate knowledge prized by novelists and historians.
