Get excited for the upcoming weekend with a stack of new release books. On the list is the most anticipated sequel of the year – The Testaments, as well as an investigation into the inner thoughts of our animal friends. The possibility of a rational end to the war on drugs is explored, as is the lives of migrant families that find themselves in suburbia. All topped off with a London punk fantasy. Here’s the selection for this weekend.
The Testaments, Pills, Powder, and Smoke, Punks Not Dead, What Do Animals Think and Feel? and The House of Youssef are five of the best new releases for this weekend.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
The classic novel and now TV series, The Handmaid’s Tale is extended through this remarkable sequel – which has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize. The regime that rules the Republic of Gilead retains its grip on power, but it’s becoming a victim of its own corruption. Via Penguin. 
Pills, Powder, and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs by Anthony Loewenstein
The war on drugs has been an American policy from the 1970s. Loewenstein’s investigation of this decades long conflict encompasses the city streets, the no go zones of Central America and transit routes throughout Africa that are all affected by it. More details via Scribe. 
Punks Not Dead, Vol 2: London Calling by David Barnett and Martin Simmonds
Fergie’s on a mission to find his missing father. Tagging along for the ride is a ghost punk rocker named Sid. Replete with internal and external demons, things get a little sideways in this mystery that intersects with the music business. Visit IDW for more information. 
What do Animals Think and Feel? by Karsten Brensing
We’ve all wondered it while contemplating the secret thoughts of our pets. But animals also replicate our civilisations on a larger scale – calling each other by name, waging strategic warfare and propagating ancient cultures. See Head of Zeus for more details. 
The House of Youssef by Yamna Kassab
A debut collection of short stories, Kassab sheds light on the intricacies of relationships in Lebanese migrant families in the Western Suburbs of Sydney. Sparse yet imbued with emotional intensity. Head over to Giramondo for more.
