Please Step Back By Ben Greenman, Out now
The New Yorker editor’s
new novel tells the story of Rock Foxx, a singer based loosely on Sly
Stone, who goes to San Francisco in the late ’60s and rides the rise
and fall of the funk soul scene. 
To Sound in the Know: Greenman
doesn’t just write about music. He also enjoys penning satirical
musicals like “Palin! The Musical!” for various websites.
Alice Fantastic By Maggie Estep, Out May 1
The
sixth book from the Woodstock resident tells the story of Alice Hunter,
a 36-yearold gambler living in Queens and dealing with a smothering
lover who won’t take no for an answer, forcing her to get some
strong-armed friends involved.
To Sound in the Know: The spoken-word poet once had a video she made of a poem featured on Beavis and Butt-head.Yes.You read that right.
Brooklyn By Colm Toibin, Out May 5
The
story of a young Irish woman in the 1950s who moves to Brooklyn and
finds love in a department store on Fulton Street. If this story were
set today, she’d also find some stellar knock-off jewelry and cheap cell phones.
To Sound in the Know: The Irish writer and journalist has twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize but has never won.
Pygmy By Chuck Palahniuk, Out May 5
In the Fight Club author’s 10th book, a group of adolescent terrorists infiltrate the
United States at the behest of an unnamed totalitarian state to bring America down. To Sound in the Know: Palahniuk
is a member of The Cacophony Society, an organization of free spirits
whose exploits include a yearly Santa Rampage in Portland. This guy
knows what fucked-up means.
Rogues Gallery By Michael Gross, Out May 5
The omnipotent New York journalist turns his wealthchronicling eye on the “moguls and money” behind the 138-year history of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
To Sound in the Know: Gross’s previous book, 740 Park, was called “jaw-dropping apartment porn” by Fortune magazine. Not our favorite kind of porn, but it will do.
A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez By Selena Roberts, Out May 4
Sportswriter Roberts delves deep into the tumultuous rise of the talented and enigmatic pinstriped slugger.
To Sound in the Know: Allegations
from the book, like how A-Rod may have started taking steroids in high
school, are sure to make the season a rocky one for the Yankee star.
The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun By J.R.R. Tolkien, Out May 5
This is the first publication of Tolkien’s retelling of the Norse legend of Sigurd the Volsung and The Fall of the Niflungs. Really J.R.R.? Does the world really need another retelling of Sigurd the Volsung?
To Sound in the Know: The creator of Middle-Earth penned this epic before he wrote The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
