Ivy Pochoda's 'Sing Her Down,' Brandon Taylor's 'The Late Americans': 5 new books this week

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 spring, including Minka Kelly's memoir "Tell Me Everything" and mother-daughter acting duo Laura Dern and Diane Ladd's "Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love (and Banana Pudding)"; 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.

Make sure to sign up for our books newsletter to have the latest books news delivered straight to your inbox.

'Sing Her Down'

By Ivy Pochoda (MCD, fiction)

What it's about: Former cellmates Florida and Dios make their way from an Arizona penitentiary to the streets of Los Angeles, one pursuing the other in a cat-and-mouse chase fueled by obsession in this electric contemporary Western thriller.

The buzz: "This searing, accomplished page-turner deserves a wide audience," says a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

'Glimmer':Hollywood stuntwoman Kimberly Shannon Murphy's biggest triumph? Surviving childhood abuse

What it's about: The acclaimed new literary voice and chronicler of contemporary life ("Real Life," "Filthy Animals") returns with a novel about a group of friends and lovers in Iowa City that faces a moment of profound reckoning.

The buzz: "With verve and wit, Taylor pulls off something like Sally Rooney for the Midwest," says Publishers Weekly.

'Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs'

By Jamie Loftus (Forge, nonfiction), out May 23

What it's about: Podcaster and comedian Loftus turns her curiosity and whit on the humble hot dog. This travelogue meets history meets capitalist critique takes readers on a cross-country food road trip to investigate what this undeniably American dish says about our country.

The buzz: Of her book, Loftus says on Instagram, "it's history and it's memoir and it's class analysis and it's my heart." She continues, "it feels very silly to say that writing something like this is a dream come true but it's true – getting the chance to take a close look at something that feels innocuous but has a visceral meaning is what i really love doing."

'Women We Buried, Women We Burned'

By Rachel Louise Snyder (Bloomsbury, nonfiction), out May 23

What it's about: The author of "No Visible Bruises" writes a searing memoir telling the story of her triumph over impossible odds, from her mother's early death, expulsion from school and homelessness to her global reporting on domestic violence.

The buzz: "Exceptional writing, a harrowing coming-of-age story, and critical awareness combine to make a must-read memoir," says a starred Kirkus review.

More:Andrew Rannells talks 'Uncle of the Year,' old 'crush' on Murray Bartlett

'Bad Summer People'

By Emma Rosenblum (Flatiron, fiction)

What it's about: This summer in the exclusive town of Salcombe on Fire Island begins like any other, full of secrets, intrigues, affairs and gossip. That is until a body is discovered facedown off the boardwalk. Nobody's winning any awards for being a good person, but could any of them actually be a murderer?

The buzz: A starred Kirkus review calls it "a heck of a beach read."