Life
Like clockwork, once Labor Day is over, so too it seems is summer. The truth is, though, the best season of the year (go ahead, @ me) doesn't officially end until September 23. If you, like me, are not ready to trade in your sundresses for sweaters, then pick up one of these new books with floral covers that will help preserve the summer aesthetic and keep fall at bay for at least a little bit longer.
From bright pink book jackets to all-caps typography, there have been a lot of exciting cover design trends in 2018, but my favorite by far has been the inclusion of flowers. All year long, shelves have been filling up with gorgeous floral books, transforming libraries, bookstores, and my office into literary greenhouses. From photographs of real flowers to drawings of beautiful bouquets, these stunning books have given readers who lack a green thumb the ability to decorate their spaces with roses, daisies, sunflowers, lilies, orchids, peonies, and more. The best part? They will never wilt, wither up, or die, no matter how cold it gets outside.
Where you're trying to brighten up your bedside table or a bookish bouquet for your coffee table, make sure to include these 9 new books with floral covers.
'Terrarium: New and Selected Stories' by Valerie Trueblood
In this beautiful new book, readers will find a collection of Valerie Trueblood's newest work alongside stories from her acclaimed career. Compelling and lyrical, Terrarium is even more beautiful on the inside than it is on the outside.
'If You Leave Me' by Crystal Hana Kim
After the communist-backed army from the north invades her home in Korea, Haemi Lee is forced to flee to a refugee camp with her widowed mother and ailing brother. Her only solace is the few hours each night she spends with her childhood friend, Kyunghwan, but all that changes when his older and wealthier cousin sets out to make Haemi his wife. A deft and moving work of fiction, If You Leave Me is the kind of love story that lingers in your mind long after reading the last page.
'The Ensemble' by Aja Gael
In this dazzling debut, four young friends struggle to navigate the competitive world of classical music and their changing relationships with one another as each artist grapples with heartbreaking failure and unbelievable success, devastating loss and remarkable romance, shocking betrayal and undying loyalty. A alluring story about ambition, love, friendship, and growing up, The Ensemble is an ambitious coming-of-age story that readers will feel deep in their soul.
'Fruit of the Drunken Tree' by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
Set in Colombia at the height of Pablo Escobar's reign, this debut novel from Ingrid Rojas Contreras follows Chulu, a privileged seven-year-old girl living in a gated community, and her live-in-maid Petrona, a young woman from the city's guerrilla-occupied slum, as they struggle to cling to whatever safety and stability they can find. A powerfully transformative novel, Fruit of the Drunken Tree will send readers in search of more writing by the talented young author who brought this enthralling story of unlikely friendship to life.
'The Traitor's Ruin' by Erin Beaty
In the second installment of Erin Beaty's Traitor's Trilogy, war has broken out between nations, and if Sage Fowler ever hopes to save her kingdom, she must infiltrate enemy territory and reconnect with her first love, Captain Alex Quinn. An gripping young adult novel that mixes romance, action, suspense, and adventure, The Traitor's Ruin will leave fans anxiously awaiting for the final book in this exciting fantasy series.
'How to Love a Jamaican' by Alexia Arthurs
In this breathtaking collection of short stories, debut author Alexia Arthurs explores the lives of Jamaican immigrants and the families they left back home. Featuring remarkably wrought characters whose narratives are as captivating as they are moving, How to Love a Jamaican breaths life into a vibrant community of men and women readers won't be able to stop thinking about.
'Three Things About Elsie' by Joanna Cannon
While waiting to be rescued from the floor of her assisted living facility, 84-year-old Florence can't help can't stop herself from thinking about mysterious new resident in her building or the disturbing fact that he just might be someone she thought she and her best friend Elsie watched die 60 years ago. A unique suspense story about friendship, secrets, and human connection, Three Things About Elsie is a heartfelt mystery that will keep readers turning the pages until the very end.
'We Were Mothers' by Katie Sise
The lives of two families irrevocably change over the course of a single weekend when devoted mother Cora O'Connell finds the journal of her friend's daughter, Laurel, contains details of an illicit encounter. When Laurel vanishes hours later, her disappearance sets of a chain reaction that reveals there are many more dark secrets hiding beneath what seemed like otherwise picturesque existence. Taut and suspenseful, We Were Mothers will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.
'Suicide Club' by Rachel Heng
Set in a near future New York where lives last 300 years, Suicide Club tells the story of Lea Kirino, a "Lifer" with the potential never ― that is, if she does everything right. But when Lea spots her estranged father on the street, her perfect world is turned upside down as she find herself immersed in his mysterious world of the Suicide Club, a group of powerful people determined to live and die on their own terms. A fascinating and thought-provoking novel about mortality, connection, and the ability to choose, Suicide Club is a spellbinding debut readers won't soon forget.
