Tuesday's Top Five: New Releases. . .

. . .and a few recommendations from me, too.

Lazarus Man by Richard Price

When Anthony Carter survives the 2008 collapse of a Harlem tenement, he becomes the unlikely center of a group trying to make sense of the disaster, which includes a female prophet, a police detective scarred by 9/11 experiences, and many others, in a novel that’s less about mystery, more about history, and always filled with compassion.

The Story of the Forest by Linda Grant

Remember Seinfeld’s “Rochelle, Rochelle,” where the title character “Made a long journey from Milan to Minsk?” In Grant’s latest, she traces a family from Latvia to Liverpool, a girl named Mina Mendel and her brother Jossel aiming for America but stopping Merseyside and giving us a rich portrait of a Jewish community in England that relies on stories as heritage.

Believe by Jeremy Egner

In this vibrant, interview-driven account of how Ted Lasso went from a character in a TV commercial to pandemic good guy, Egner (TV critic at the New York Times) demonstrates that the American coach brought in to lead a UK football (read: soccer) team affected more than audiences. The cast and crew of the show learned a lot from Jason Sudeikis’s lead.

Every Arc Bends Its Radian by Sergio de la Pava

Get ready for the eccentric, art-world heavy, Colombian mystery you didn’t know you needed. Riv del Rio, back in his home country from New Jersey, has been hired to find a missing young woman. Unfortunately, a local crime lord named Exeter Mondragon–just roll with it–wants to know her whereabouts, too. It’s truly different, a little wacky, a lot of fun.

Vanishing Treasures by Katherine Rundell

Twenty-two endangered species, including the Australian wombat, the blind sharks of Greenland, and the humble seahorse are celebrated by author Rundell. She also notes that it’s possible for humans to bring a species back from the brink, as we did with storks. While delightful, the book will also make humans think hard about what extinction means. 

Five Favorites

I’m finding comfort in some new (and tried and true) delicacies.

“Disclaimer”: You have to watch this seven-part series starring Cate Blanchett, Sasha Baron Cohen, Leslie Manville, and Kevin Kline, all the way through, or don’t bother. Just trust in Alfonso Cuarón’s genius. 

Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade: I thought it might be awful, but it’s a fresh and grownup soft drink, perfect for these past weeks of strangely warm weather. Discovered it in San Diego and it’s earned a place on the alcohol-free side of my bar cart.

Dr. Hauschka’s Lip Care Stick: Most lip balms make my lips peel (especially the ones with Vitamin E). This doesn’t. I’ve been using it for a decade and it provides the perfect amount of shine on its own, with zero stickiness. NB: It contains beeswax, so it’s not vegan friendly. 

Cheez-Its Original: Not everything has to be haute cuisine or high culture. There’s something about these deeply cheese-y, far too salty crackers that satisfies, in small doses. Next week I’ll go back to artisanal organic locavore truffle shards, mmmkay?

The LifeStraw: I require a lot of hydration, and drinking directly from streams has its drawbacks. Now when I go on a long hike, I make sure that besides filling up my trusty water backpack, I bring along one of these, just in case.