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Taylor Jenkins Reid's 'Carrie Soto Is Back,' Jenifer Lewis essays: 5 new must-read books

In search of something good to read? USA TODAY's Barbara VanDenburgh scopes out the shelves for this week’s hottest new book releases. All books are on sale Tuesday.

For more new must-read book recommendations, check out our summer books guide of the 20 hottest books of the season; our favorite books of 2022 so far; the most swoon-worthy August rom-coms, including Julia Whelan's "Thank You for Listening" and Alexis Hall's "Husband Material"; and the juiciest celebrity memoirs released this year from Jennette McCurdy, Kenny Loggins, Christine Quinn, Jennifer Grey and more. 

To see what everyone else is reading, check out the USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list for this week's best sellers.

"Carrie Soto Is Back," by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

'Carrie Soto Is Back'

By Taylor Jenkins Reid (Ballantine, fiction)

Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist

What it's about: Carrie Soto was the best tennis player the world had ever seen when she retired. But after six years off the court, a rising tennis star beats her record, and at 37, Carrie decides to mount an unlikely comeback

The buzz: A starred review from Kirkus Reviews calls it "a compulsively readable look at female ambition."

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'Walking in My Joy: In These Streets'

By Jenifer Lewis (Amistad, nonfiction)

What it's about: This eclectic new collection of stories from the actor and author of "Mother of Black Hollywood" is full of insights on how to better love yourself and seek pleasure in everyday encounters.

The buzz: Kirkus Reviews calls it "a funny and poignant essay collection by a celebrated Black actor."

'Nothing More to Tell'

By Karen M. McManus (Delacorte Press, fiction)

What it's about: From the author of "One of Us Is Lying" comes a new mystery. Four years ago, someone got away with murder when Brynn's favorite teacher was found dead in the wood behind her school. About to start an internship at a true-crime show, Brynn is determined to solve the case. 

The buzz: "An edge-of-your-seat page-turner; the strongest yet from a master of the genre," says a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. 

'Call Me Crazy':Read heartbreaking excerpts from Anne Heche's out-of-print memoir

'The Spear Cuts Through Water'

By Simon Jimenez (Del Rey, fiction)

What it's about: From the author of "The Vanished Birds" comes a new epic fantasy. Two warriors seeking to end a royal family's despotic reign free an imprisoned god and begin a pilgrimage to free the broken land.

The buzz: "Lyrical, evocative, part poem, part prose – not to be missed by anyone, especially fans of historical fantasy and folktale," says a starred review from Kirkus Reviews.

'The House of Fortune'

By Jessie Burton (Bloomsbury, fiction)

What it's about: In a new stand-alone companion to the 2014 bestseller "The Miniaturist," Thea Brandt comes of age in 18-century Amsterdam as her family mounts pressure on her to marry a wealthy man. But a mysterious figure leaving miniature figurines on her doorstep seems to be warning her of something – but what?

The buzz: "Readers will relish the return of Nella and her world," says Publishers Weekly.

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