#The best books of the week

The New One: Painfully True Stories from a Reluctant Dad

Mike Birbiglia (Humor, Grand Central Publishing)


Hilarious, dark and poignant tales of fatherhood and parenting from the comedian. This will be enjoyed by parents and non-parents alike.

My Vanishing Country

Bakari Sellers (memoir, Amistad)


A powerful memoir of growing up black in the rural South. Bakari Sellers — who made history in 2006 when he became, at 22, the youngest member of the South Carolina State Legislature and the youngest elected black official in the country — takes a look at his hometown of Denmark, South Carolina, and his family’s history.

The Mist

Ragnar Jonasson (fiction, Minotaur Books)


Jonasson is a master of the Icelandic thriller, and he’s back with the final installment in the Hidden Iceland series. During a fierce snowstorm in 1987, a guest seeks refuge in a farmhouse far off the beaten path. Not everyone will survive the night. It’s a case that haunts one detective for decades.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown

Talia Hibbert (fiction, Avon)


Danika Brown is in the market for the perfect friend with benefits: No drama. But when a company fire drill goes awry and she’s saved by a security guard named Zafir, video of the rescue goes viral, and Zafir asks her to pretend they’re really dating — his sports charity for kids could get a boost from the publicity.

Nothing Can Hurt You

Nicola Maye Goldberg (fiction, Bloomsbury)


One day in 1997, college student Sara Morgan was killed in the woods near her upstate New York college. Her boyfriend Blake confessed, but his admission of guilt raised more questions than it solved. The town continues to be haunted by the case.

PAPERBACK PICK

Dinner With DiMaggio: Memories of an American Hero

Rock Positano (Biography, Simon & Schuster)


Foot and ankle specialist Rock Positano met Joe DiMaggio when the doctor successfully treated the baseball champion’s heel spur injury. The two became friends, and during the last decade of his life, DiMaggio confided in the younger Positano. A fascinating look at a legend.