The Philosophy of Modern Song by Bob Dylan
What makes a hit song click with the world? Bob Dylan’s first book in years is a series of essays on more than 60 songs, from stars like Cher to Little Richard to Ray Charles, that is any music nerd’s dream. $45, Simon and Schuster
A Walk to the Store by Judeah Reynolds
Judeah Reynolds was 9 years old when she witnessed the murder of George Floyd. She wrote this children’s book to help kids cope with traumatic events. $16, Beaver’s Pond Press
Predator by Ander Monson
Ander Monson’s first memoir is a playful “scene by scene exploration” of the ’80s monster movie, which the author has seen 146 times. His obsession becomes a way to interrogate fandom and the factors informing his own upbringing. $16, Graywolf Press
The Rupture Tense Poems by Jenny Xie
A National Book Award finalist, Jenny Xie’s poetry collection explores our pasts, presents, and futures—and how they work together in often inscrutable ways. Other subject matters include the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the loss and gain of often painful memories, capitalism, family bonds, and hidden photographs, for a transcendent, unforgettable collection. $17, Graywolf Press
Last of the Better Days Ahead by Charlie Parr
Add author to the Smithsonian Folkways artist’s resume. The folk musician’s first work of fiction via Wisconsin’s Ramshackle Press shares a title with his album from last year, this collection expanding on its “tales of childhood, families, cantankerous uncles and aunts, and slightly lost individuals.” $20, Ramshackle Press
The Trees by Percival Everett
Graywolf Press star Percival Everett’s gripping—yet satirical—novel about murders in a predominantly racist Missouri town was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, and was longlisted for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction—to name a few of its accolades so far. $16, Graywolf Press
Before All Is Said and Done: Practical Advice for Living and Dying by Pat Miles
When legendary local news anchor Pat Miles’s husband died of a three-month battle with pancreatic cancer, she didn’t know what to do—emotionally, practically, or legally. But in the months and years that came next, she learned she wasn’t alone, and met other widows who also had to learn what comes next the hard way. Before All is Said and Done is part memoir, part how-to—not just on how to prepare to die, but how to live while you can. $18, Blackstone
Tits on the Moon by Dessa
Dessa loves a chapbook—and her latest, Tits on the Moon, is out this month. The book includes 12 of what she refers to as “stage poems,” which are often performed at her shows. The emotions and subject matter involved run the gamut, but no matter what—they’re hard to forget. $15, Rain Taxi/Doomtree
Farewell Transmission by Will McGrath
This astute collection of essays by Will McGrath takes on offbeat subject matter with attention to the details, from the “fraught history of a noose in Namibia or wandering the Driftless Area with a modern-day goatherd.” $17, Dzanc Books
