Usually, I use this space to talk about what I've been reading and what I'm reading next. But this Tuesday is a big day. There are so many good books coming out that I want to talk about that it's going to take me the better part of three weeks to get through them all. So I'm offering a quick rundown here first, so that you can see what's hitting the stores and be on top of it right away. And remember that these are just the small percent that I'm reading myself. Go to a bookstore this week and see the multitude of books coming out in preparation for summer beach reading. 

First, let's talk novels. 

It's Always the Husband. Three freshman college roommates stay friends through the years, through the secrets, through the betrayals. But then one is murdered, and the secretes unravel. But which secret finally led to her undoing? 

Testimony. A new legal thriller from Scott Turow, author of Presumed Innocent. Whatever it's about, it will be fantastic. Do I need to say more? (I will, Friday, I'm hoping.)

The Simplicity of Cider. A new novel by Amy Reichart, the author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake. The story of a woman struggling to save her cider business and the friendship she develops with a single dad needing a safe place to raise his kids. Sounds like a story to tug on the heart strings. 

Okay, now let's talk one of my favorite book categories: food writing. 

Give a Girl a Knife. Midwestern chef Amy Thielen tells her story of becoming a chef in New York City and returns to Minnesota to teach us all how to appreciate Midwestern flavors through her cooking show and cookbook. I have been eagerly waiting for this one ever since I first heard she was writing a book. And so far, I have not been disappointed. 

Grocery. One of my favorite food writers, Michael Ruhlman, takes a deep dive into the grocery stores that sell us our food. He looks at how they source the food, how they decide where to put it in the stores, and how it gets from there to our kitchens. 

I Hear She's a Real Bitch. Canadian restaurateur Jen Agg tells the story of how she came to start her restaurants in a community that doesn't always embrace women in professional kitchens, and especially above the kitchens. For this one, I think the name says it all. 

And one more to talk about now, The Fact of a Body. Half memoir, half true crime, it's the story of a lawyer who has to face her ideas on the death penalty and defend a client whose history mirrors things about her own, forcing her to dive into family secrets and wonder at the nature of punishment and forgiveness. This is one of those books that has everyone talking. It's going to make a big splash this week and keep splashing for a while to come. 

Along with all of those, the next few weeks will also have my usual audiobooks and a few other surprises. But seriously, this is the start of the big summer book season. Go to a bookstore and wander through the new releases this week and through the summer. It's a good season for books!