5 books not to miss: Heartfelt memoirs from Brandi Carlile, Hunter Biden and Jenny Lawson
![Portrait of Barbara VanDenburgh](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2022/01/26/USAT/c627015f-e3f3-49c6-9a85-e51812dd982c-Barbara-mug.jpg?crop=966,966,x0,y0&width=48&height=48&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
In search of something good to read? USA TODAY's Barbara VanDenburgh scopes out the shelves for this weekâs hottest new book releases. All books are on sale on Tuesday.
1. âBroken Horses,â by Brandi Carlile (Crown, nonfiction)
What itâs about: The singer, songwriter and Grammy winner opens up in an intimate memoir, from her impoverished and dysfunctional childhood through the events that shaped her life and art.
The buzz: âAn intimate, life-affirming look at a musician whose artistic journey is far from over,â says a starred review from Kirkus Reviews.
2. âBeautiful Things: A Memoir,â by Hunter Biden (Gallery, nonfiction)
Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist
What itâs about: President Joe Bidenâs embattled son writes candidly of his alcohol and drug addiction â but also of the love that helped him back on the winding path to sobriety.
The buzz: âYes, the book touches on (former President Donald) Trump and Biden's Ukraine business, but more compelling are the vulnerable, human details of Biden's personal life,â says a preview from USA TODAY.
3. âGood Company,â by Cynthia DâAprix Sweeney (Ecco, fiction)
What itâs about: The author of the bestselling novel âThe Nestâ returns with a tender, bighearted story of the bonds of marriage and friendship. Everything Flora thought she knew about her life is upset when she stumbles across an envelope containing her husbandâs wedding ring, which he claimed he lost.
The buzz: âSweeney's second novel lives up to its title: warm, witty, and interesting,â says Kirkus Reviews.
'The Five Wounds' review:A family perseveres in Kirstin Valdez Quadeâs big-hearted novel
More:'The Sky Blues' is the queer YA romantic comedy you've been waiting for
4. âBroken (in the best possible way),â by Jenny Lawson (Henry Holt and Co., nonfiction)
What itâs about: With humor and honesty, Lawson takes readers on her mental and physical health journey as she grapples with anxiety and depression.
The buzz: âFans will find comfort in Lawsonâs dependably winning mix of shameless irreverence, wicked humor, and vulnerability,â says Kirkus Reviews.
5. âCaul Baby,â by Morgan Jerkins (Harper, nonfiction)
What itâs about: The âWandering in Strange Landsâ author makes her fiction debut with a novel about the Melancon, a powerful Harlem, New York, family of female healers known for their caul, a precious layer of skin that is the source of their power.
The buzz: Publishers Weekly says âitâs vividly conceived, and the strong plot will carry readers to the end.â