
The Book Report: Ron Charles on new summer reads (July 20)
As summer revs up, here are three cool new novels, and a work of history that's wilder than fiction!
Lucas Schaefer's debut novel, "The Slip," takes place in and around a boxing gym in Austin, Texas, where everybody is trying to become somebody different.
Following two White teenagers – one obsessed with his African American mentor, the other discovering their transgender identity – this sweaty, comic masterpiece jumps in the ring with our most pressing social debates, and lands a knockoutv .
Read an excerpt: "The Slip" by Lucas Schaefer
"The Slip" by Lucas Schaefer (Simon & Schuster), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
lucasschaefer.com
At the start of Michelle Huneven's "Bug Hollow," the sweetest, smartest son any parents could ask for has just graduated from high school and headed off with his friends for a weeklong road trip.
But what starts as a domestic comedy soon becomes a tragedy, and Huneven turns her gracious eye to the way families carry on, even when shattered, and thrive.
Read an excerpt: "Bug Hollow" by Michelle Huneven
"Bug Hollow" by Michelle Huneven (Penguin Press), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
michellehuneven.com
In "The Satisfaction Cafe," a gently witty new novel by Kathy Wang, a woman from Taiwan makes her way in America with patience and determination.
For decades, she struggles to fit in with a complicated, wealthy family, until she can finally create a little safe space where people can find what they really want: just to be heard.
Read an excerpt: "The Satisfaction Café" by Kathy Wang
"The Satisfaction Café" by Kathy Wang (Scribner), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
bykathywang.com
A century ago, Western scientists knew almost nothing about giant pandas. Now, in a thrilling work of history, Nathalia Holt follows Teddy Roosevelt's sons, Ted and Kermit, as they set out with a team to China to track down these black-and-white creatures.
How would the brothers survive this treacherous expedition? And what would the implications be for these gentle animals? Holt explores these fascinating questions and others in "The Beast in the Clouds."
Read an excerpt: "The Beast in the Clouds" by Nathalia Holt
"The Beast in the Clouds: The Roosevelt Brothers' Deadly Quest to Find the Mythical Giant Panda" by Nathalia Holt (Atria/One Signal), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
nathaliaholt.com
That's it for the Book Report. For these and other suggestions about what to read this summer, talk with your local bookseller or librarian.
I'm Ron Charles. Until next time, read on!
For more info:
Produced by Robin Sanders. Editor: Joseph Frandino.
For more reading recommendations, check out these previous Book Report features from Ron Charles:
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a minute ago
- Yahoo
Kelly Clarkson Debuts a Choppy Bob as She Returns to 'The Voice' with a New Look
Kelly Clarkson is back on The Voice — and she's got a new look! Clarkson, 43, sported a new side-parted wispy bob haircut in a promo video shared on Instagram for the upcoming season 29 of the show on Wednesday, July 23. "This time, we've got some tricks up our sleeve. Y'all get ready," Clarkson says in the clip while wearing a bold red lip paired with a black and white menswear-inspired outfit. The musician's new hairstyle marks a departure from her usual long blonde tresses, which she was seen sporting most recently as a few days ago when she performed in Las Vegas during her residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The "Stronger" singer is back to coaching on the upcoming season 29 of NBC's The Voice — dubbed The Voice: Battle of Champions and set to air in spring 2026 — after previously stepping away to move her hit talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show to New York City. Clarkson, who last coached on season 23, will film the upcoming season of The Voice concurrently with her show. John Legend and Adam Levine will also return to coaching on the show in the upcoming season. The series will include a revamped format — now, coaches will enter the competition with 10 artists per team — and it will feature four rounds, each featuring a Voice first, per a press release. In the Blinds, coaches will compete in the Triple Turn Competition with the winner "gaining a special advantage in the next round." In the Battles, the coach with the most three-chair turns automatically earns a Super Steal, which can only be used once and trumps any other coach's attempt to steal. In the Knockouts, each coach will bring back two fan-favorite artists from their teams in previous seasons to compete in an "in-season all-star competition." View this post on Instagram A post shared by NBC's The Voice (@nbcthevoice) "All-stars represent their former coaches as they battle in head-to-head sing-offs. The coach with the most sing-off wins is guaranteed a second finalist in the finale," the press release continues. "For this special episode, coaches call upon original Voice coach CeeLo Green to sit in on the competition and determine the winner of each All-Star Showdown." Meanwhile, the semi-final will kick off with the Top 9 and only four contestants will make it to the finale. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "For the first time in show history, a new voting block comprised of super fans and past Voice artists will have the opportunity to get in on the fun firsthand, experiencing the competition as part of the in-studio audience voting for their favorites in real time during the semi-finals and finale," the release added. New episodes of The Voice will air on NBC in spring 2026. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
a minute ago
- Yahoo
'Great Jeans': Sydney Sweeney campaign fuels American Eagle rally
(Reuters) -American Eagle Outfitters surged 16% on Thursday after unveiling a new denim campaign with Sydney Sweeney, as the apparel retailer bets on the "Euphoria" and "The White Lotus" actress to reignite sales and reconnect with Gen Z shoppers. In a campaign called "Sydney Sweeney Has Great (American Eagle) Jeans," the company partnered with Sweeney for its fall season denim collection that includes a limited-edition denim jacket as well as a "The Sydney Jean." The campaign is American Eagle's latest effort to drive up demand as the company navigates muted consumer spending and potential price hikes due to tariffs. The retail industry in the United States has been struggling to spur demand as consumers grappling with financial constraints cut back on non-essential buys, including apparel and accessories. In May, American Eagle pulled its annual forecasts due to tariff uncertainty, with the company primarily sourcing from China. The Sweeney partnership is not the first time a celebrity tie-up has helped drive shares of a company. In 2020, Crocs shares jumped after singer Justin Bieber teased a collaboration with the shoe maker. American Eagle has also previously teamed up with celebrities, including tennis player Coco Gauff and actress Jenna Ortega. Sweeney's campaign, which launched on Wednesday and is reportedly the company's most expensive campaign to date, will also run across the exosphere of Las Vegas's 3D display orb Sphere. Short interest in the company, whose shares were trading at $12.55 before the bell on Thursday, stood at 12.2% of public float, according to LSEG data. The stock was the fourth-most trending ticker on Stocktwits, a social media platform for retail investors, indicating interest from individual traders who have boosted shares of retailer Kohl's and other highly shorted names in recent days. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


Android Authority
3 minutes ago
- Android Authority
The official LEGO Game Boy just dropped, and I need it now
TL;DR LEGO just announced a brick-build Game Boy DMG, complete with two cartridges. It also features interchangeable lenticular screens with iconic moments. Available for pre-order now at $59.99, it ships on October 1. The Game Boy DMG is the most iconic retro gaming handheld of all time, and more than 30 years later it remains one of the most recognizable pieces of gaming hardware. Now, you can build the console with LEGO bricks, and it'll cost you less than a Nintendo Switch 2 game. The official LEGO Game Boy set is an unbelievably faithful recreation, with incredible details and a near 1:1 size ratio with the original handheld. It also comes with two cartridges, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and Super Mario Land, which slot into the back of the console, just like you remember. The LEGO Game Boy ships with two iconic carts and lenticular screens. Even better, it comes with several interchangeable lenticular screens. That means by rotating the piece you can watch the Nintendo logo fall from the top of the screen or Mario bash his head into a block filled with a star. It also has a stand with a technic pin that clips into the headphone jack at the bottom for a secure display. The body of the piece is filled with innovative building techniques, and I can't wait to see how LEGO designers managed to make the angled start and select buttons, which look to use tire pieces for the same rubbery texture as the original. It's not yet clear whether or not the set has printed pieces or stickers, but considering all of the details (and price), I'd expect mostly printed pieces. Unlike the original Game Boy, the LEGO set does not ship with Tetris. This is most likely a licensing issue (LEGO doesn't have the license for Pokemon until next year, either), although Super Mario Land is a solid alternative. It was originally intended to be included in the Game Boy box before being bumped for Tetris, after all. The company took things a step further by recreating a classic Game Boy advertisement, which you can watch on Instagram. It's uncanny how well LEGO managed to adapt it, and it shows off a few additional angles of the set. The LEGO Game Boy set contains 421 pieces and costs $59.99. You can pre-order the set now on Amazon or the official LEGO website, with shipping starting on October 1. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.