16 Books You Must Pick Up This August

In Alyson Foster's epistolary novel God is an Astronaut, botany professor Jess Frobisher attempts to shield her son and daughter—Jack and Corinne— from the media frenzy surrounding a shuttle explosion at Spaceco, her husband's space tourism company. Ironically, efforts to redirect the glare of publicity only push Jess further into the limelight, as she and her husband become the subjects of a documentary about his venture. Struggling to maintain a united front as their marriage unravels, Jess handles each blow with resilience and grace. Clearly, she's last-woman-standing material, as her humor and perspective keep her above the fray: "Two days ago Jack changed my ringtone to 'The Imperial March' from Star Wars.... He thinks it's hilarious. I find the doom and gloom rather apropos."