Richard E. Grant’s ‘A Pocketful of Happiness,’ Ann Patchett’s ‘Tom Lake’: 5 new books

In search of something good to read? USA TODAY's Barbara VanDenburgh scopes out the shelves for this week's hottest new book releases. All books are on sale Tuesday.

For more must-read book recommendations, check out the 20 books we are most excited about this summer, including Elliot Page's memoir "Pageboy," and the latest from Stephen King; our favorite books of 2022 that received perfect four-star reviews; and the juiciest recent celebrity memoirs from Matthew Perry, Tom Felton, William Shatner, Jennette McCurdy and more. Plus, check out what everybody else is reading this week on USA TODAY'S Best-selling Booklist.

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‘A Pocketful of Happiness’

By Richard E. Grant (Simon & Schuster, nonfiction)

Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist

What it’s about: The Oscar-nominated actor (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”) writes of his life, storied career and losing his wife of 35 years in 2021 and fulfilling her final challenge to him to find a “pocketful of happiness in every day.”

The buzz: A starred review from Publishers Weekly calls it “a moving and entertaining celebration of life and love.”

‘Tom Lake’

By Ann Patchett (Harper, fiction)

What it’s about: At the family’s orchard in Northern Michigan, Lara’s three daughters beg their mother to tell them the story of her work – and romance – with famed actor Peter Duke in this meditation on young love and a parent’s life before children.

The buzz: “Poignant and reflective, cementing Patchett’s stature as one of our finest novelists,” says a starred Kirkus review.

‘Family Lore’

By Elizabeth Acevedo (Ecco, fiction)

What it’s about: The National Book Award-winning author and poet releases her first novel for adults about a Dominican American family brought together for a living wake arranged by Flor, who can predict the day someone will die. But whose turn is it?

The buzz: “Acevedo is brilliant at portraying the women’s love and loyalty for one another. The author’s fans will eat this up,” says Publishers Weekly.

‘What Never Happened’

By Rachel Howzell Hall (Thomas & Mercer, fiction)

What it’s about: Coco’s got a good gig as a professional obituary writer in Catalina Island, where the elderly population keeps her business flush. But as Coco learns more about the deaths she’s writing about, she realizes they’re eerily similar – and not of natural causes.

The buzz:Kirkus Reviews calls it “a character-rich, sleep-depriving thriller.”

‘Just Another Missing Person’

By Gillian McAllister (Morrow, fiction)

What it’s about: Twenty-two-year-old Olivia goes missing, last seen entering a dead-end alley. The clock is ticking, but the detective investigating the case is up against an impossible moral choice: Find Olivia or frame somebody for the murder to protect her family from the culprit.

The buzz: “Dips a bit into formula by the end, but oh! What a twist in the middle,” says Kirkus Reviews.