new summer books for the game day hero reader type
From home runs to knockout new release, don't miss these new sports and outdoor recreation books!
August New Releases
Changeover: A Young Rivalry and a New Era of Men's Tennis
by Giri Nathan
*ONE OF BLOOMBERG'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF SUMMER 2025*
The story of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and their epic new rivalry, as told by "the best tennis writer in America" (Brian Phillips, The Ringer).
For more than two decades, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer dominated men's tennis so thoroughly that it became difficult to imagine how the game would keep its shine once they retired.
Then came 2024--the first year since 2002 that none of them won a Grand Slam tournament--and a technicolor future was revealed. The major titles were divided between a pair of prodigies in their early twenties: the effervescent showman Carlos Alcaraz, whose infinite variety of shots won him the French Open and Wimbledon; and the relentlessly cool Jannik Sinner, whose power and precision secured him the Australian Open and US Open even amid a doping controversy. Though other young contenders jostled for the spotlight, and Djokovic tried to hold his ground, the transcendentally gifted Alcaraz and Sinner just kept installing their new regime.
Punctuated with humor, brimming with insight, and rooted in a true fan's love of the game, this work of elevated sports journalism is a captivating primer to the rivalry poised to define the next decade of the sport.
Hotshot: A Life on Fire
by River Selby
"A beautiful reflection on justice, the environment, the self, and much more."--George Saunders
The fierce debut memoir of a female firefighter, Hotshot navigates the personal and environmental dangers of wildland firefighting
From 2000 to 2010, River Selby was a wildland firefighter whose given name was Anastasia. This is a memoir of that time in their life--of Ana, the struggles she encountered, and the constraints of what it means to be female-bodied in a male-dominated industry. An illuminating debut from a fierce new voice, Hotshot is a timely reckoning with both the personal and environmental dangers of wildland firefighting.
By the time they were nineteen, Selby had been homeless, addicted to drugs, and sexually assaulted more than once. In a last-ditch effort to find direction, they applied to be a wildland firefighter. Two years later, they joined an elite class of specially trained wildland firefighters known as hotshots. Over the course of five fire seasons, Selby delves into the world of the people--almost entirely men--who risk their lives to fight and sometimes prevent wildfires. Simultaneously hyper visible and invisible, Selby navigated an odd mix of camaraderie and rampant sexism on the job and, when they challenged it, a violent closing of ranks that excluded them from the work they'd come to love.
Drawing on years of firsthand experience on the frontlines of fire and years of research, Selby examines how the collision of fire suppression policy, colonization, and climate change has led to fire seasons of unprecedented duration and severity. A work of rare intimacy, Hotshot provides new insight into fire, the people who fight it, and the diversity of ecosystems dependent on this elemental force.
We Should All Be Birds: A Memoir
by Brian Buckbee - Carol Ann Fitzgerald
On a spring evening in Montana, Brian Buckbee encounters an injured baby pigeon. Heartbroken after the loss of the love of his life and increasingly isolated by a mysterious illness that overtook him while trekking through Asia, Brian is unaware that this bird--who he names Two-Step--will change his life. Brian takes in Two-Step, and more injured birds, eventually transforming his home into a madcap bird rehabilitation and rescue center. As Brian and Two-Step grow closer, an unexpected kinship forms. But their paths won't converge forever: as Two-Step heals and finds love, Brian's condition worsens, and with his friend's release back into the world looming closer, Brian must decide where this story leaves him.
We Should All Be Birds follows Brian, unable to read or write due to a never-ending headache, as he dictates the end of his old life--as an adventurer, an iconoclastic university instructor, and endurance athlete--through his relationship with a pigeon that comes to define his present. Limited to dictation, Brian teams up with Carol Ann Fitzgerald, an editor who channels the details of his personal history to the pages. Raw and perceptive, delirious and devastating, We Should All Be Birds is an unflinching exploration of chronic illness, grief, connection, and the spectacular beauty of the natural world--and the humble pigeon. The surprising, heartwarming relationship between man and bird provides insight into what it means to love, to suffer, and to "never forget, even for a second, how big it all is."
Disney Adults: Exploring (and Falling in Love With) a Magical Subculture
by Aj Wolfe
A fascinating and enlightening deep dive into the infamous Disney Adult community from the woman behind the popular website The Disney Food Blog.
Disney Adults are grown-ups who derive singular, almost obsessive, joy from all things Disney. They devote countless hours and millions of dollars to Disney offerings, whether or not they have children. They're avid fans of the films, devotees of the Disney theme parks, collectors of the vast world of Disney merchandise, cosplayers who dress in clothing inspired by Disney characters.
Their ranks are so large and their cultural impact so distinct that they have their own moniker and are an economic force unto themselves. They're often maligned in the larger culture and put on a particularly high pedestal of cringe. But in truth, their obsessive fandom hints at a universal desire for pleasure and joy, for magic and escape.
There are darker sides to Disney mania that can't be ignored, but the ranks of the Disney Adult community are broad, deep, and ever-growing. Disney Adults are a telling microcosm of modern America, highlighting the value we place on magic and escapism, and what we deem to be "acceptable" sources of joy.
Disney Adults dives deep into a misunderstood subculture, exploring the lives and experiences of a fascinating community to better understand its devotees' unwavering passion for all things Disney, why it offends, and why it matters.
Sam Holland's Kitchen Kickstart: Simple, Budget-Friendly Recipes for Beginner Cooks
by Sam Holland
Designed to inspire confidence and ignite a passion for cooking, this is the essential cookbook for anyone moving away from home for the first time. Talented chef and rising star Sam Holland is here to guide you!
Sam Holland's Kitchen Kickstart is an essential lifeline for any beginner cook's kitchen. In this book you'll find simple, affordable, creative and truly useful recipes you'll really want to cook. Whether you're looking to master the ultimate cheese sauce for your mac and cheese, make pina coladas for your first party, make a mouthwatering sausage and egg sandwich to nurse a hangover, or whip up a 15-minute Thai Curry instead of ordering in, Sam has got you covered.
Every recipe in the collection was developed with four objectives in mind: make it cheap, quick, simple, and tasty. Sam brings his signature charm and enthusiasm with 80+ creative recipes divided into practical chapters like Hangover Helpers, Monday Meal Prep and When Did I Last Eat a Vegetable?
A comprehensive basics section covers how to get started in the kitchen--basic chopping advice, how to plan your weekly shop so you don't break the bank, the importance of the pantry, advice on storing, freezing and defrosting leftovers, etc.--all presented with budget and space considerations in mind.
Cudi: The Memoir
by Scott Kid Cudi Mescudi
A raw, fearless memoir from the Grammy Award-winning artist, actor, and designer Kid Cudi about a kid from Cleveland who found purpose in the darkness and became a guiding light for a generation.
Cudi: The Memoir is Scott Mescudi's most personal work yet. Across a trailblazing career, he's turned pain into poetry with anthems like "Day 'N' Nite," "Pursuit of Happiness," and "Mr. Rager." His music gave voice to the unheard and hope to the unseen. But while he was ascending to cultural dominance, he was quietly unraveling.
Written during a time of deep self-discovery, Cudi is a story of survival--through depression, addiction, isolation, and doubt. In his own words, Scott charts the journey back to himself, offering hard-earned lessons on vulnerability, reinvention, and the courage to keep going.
July new releases
On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports
by Christine Brennan
A news-making and electrifying portrait of sports phenomenon Caitlin Clark, whose dramatic ascendance in college basketball and now in the WNBA has captured the attention of media and fans unlike any other female team-sport athlete in history--by award-winning USA TODAY columnist and television commentator Christine Brennan.
America has never seen an athlete quite like Caitlin Clark. Attracting record-shattering attendance and TV ratings, she has riveted the nation with her famous logo threes and thrilling passes and changed how fans across the country view women's sports. Drawing on dozens of extensive interviews and exclusive, behind-the-scenes reporting, veteran journalist Christine Brennan narrates Clark's rise--including the formative experiences that led to her scoring more points than any woman or man in major college basketball history--and delivers fascinating new details about Clark's Olympic snub by USA Basketball.
These Fists Break Bricks (Revised and Expanded Edition): How Kung Fu Movies Swept America and Changed the World
by Grady Hendrix - Chris Poggiali - Rza Rza
From New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix and film historian Chris Poggiali comes the full story of how kung fu movies came to--and conquered--America in this revised and expanded edition.
When a Hollywood studio released Five Fingers of Death to thrill-seeking Times Square moviegoers in 1973, only a handful of Black and Asian audience members knew the difference between an Iron Fist and an Eagle's Claw. That changed overnight as Five Fingers kicked off a kung fu craze that would earn millions at the box office, send TV ratings soaring, influence the birth of hip hop, reshape the style of action we see in movies today, and introduce America to some of the biggest Asian stars to ever hit motion picture screens.
The Enduring Wild: A Journey Into California's Public Lands
by Josh Jackson
A galvanizing road trip across California's immense public wilderness from a beloved adventurer.
"The Enduring Wild is a call to look beyond the surface, embrace the deep connections that tie us to our public lands, and commit to safeguarding them for future generations." --QT Luong, author of Treasured Lands: A Photographic Odyssey Through America's National Parks
June New Releases
Risk: A Life Saved by the River
by Susan Norman
A compelling narrative about a pioneering woman's connection to wild rivers as a whitewater world champion, and how the journey heals past and current childhood trauma.
Alternating between two time periods, Risk is about Sue Norman's journey as a pioneer in international whitewater kayaking and rafting competition. Outdoor adventure helped the author cope with the trauma of her mother's diagnosis of acute multiple sclerosis when she was five, which rapidly forced her family into poverty and separation.
As an adult, Sue was thrust into becoming a first-time parent after menopause to her four-year-old nephew. Her nephew's early years were spent with biological parents who struggled with addiction and mental illness. Does Sue have what it takes to parent a child considered to be at risk?
It's Only Drowning: A True Story of Learning to Surf and the Search for Common Ground
by David Litt
A former Obama speechwriter moves to the Jersey Shore and learns to surf with the help of his brother-in-law: a tattooed, truck-driving Joe Rogan superfan.
David, the Yale-educated writer with a fear of sharks, and Matt, the daredevil electrician with a shed full of surfboards, had never been close. But as America's crises piled up and David spiraled into existential dread, he noticed that his brother-in-law was thriving. He began to suspect Matt's favorite hobby had something to do with it.
David started taking surf lessons.
Baddest Man: The Making of Mike Tyson
by Mark Kriegel
From the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author whose coverage of Mike Tyson and his inner circle dates back to the 1980s, a magnificent noir epic about fame, race, greed, criminality, trauma, and the creation of the most feared and mesmerizing fighter in boxing history.
On an evening that defined the "greed is good" 1980s, Donald Trump hosted a raft of celebrities and high rollers in a carnival town on the Jersey Shore to bask in the glow created by a twenty-one-year-old heavyweight champion. Mike Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks that night and in ninety-one frenzied seconds earned more than the annual payrolls of the Los Angeles Lakers' and Boston Celtics' players combined.
It had been just eight years since Tyson, a feral child from a dystopian Brooklyn neighborhood, was delivered to boxing's forgotten wizard, Cus D'Amato, who was living a self-imposed exile in upstate New York. Together, Cus and the Kid were an irresistible story of mutual redemption--darlings to the novelists, screenwriters, and newspapermen long charmed by D'Amato, and perfect for the nascent industry of cable television. Way before anyone heard of Tony Soprano, Mike Tyson was HBO's leading man.
Almost 30: A Definitive Guide to a Life You Love for the Next Decade and Beyond
by Lindsey Simcik - Krista Williams
Turn your mess into magic.
The years leading up to thirty can feel more agonizing than exciting. The pressure to have it all figured out--your job, your relationships, your life--is intense. And as if that's not enough, bam! Along comes Saturn Return, a cosmic milestone that thrusts you into adulthood ... ready or not.
Lindsey Simcik and Krista Williams--creators of the #1, critically acclaimed wellness podcast Almost 30 and its global community--help you navigate this season of astronomical (and astrological) transition in your life. Consider them the big sisters of your Saturn Return, here to guide you, hold your hand, and cheer you on as you embark upon this monumental transition that will touch every single part of your life, from your body to your relationships to your spirituality. In addition to looking back at their own alternately hilarious and perceptive stories of being almost thirty, the authors share expert insights, research, practices, and tools they've cultivated through nearly a decade of hosting their podcast.