This post may include Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
As much as I adore summer (and I really adore summer), there are still great things to be said about the fall. With back-to-school, Halloween and the other holidays it’s a time of year that really focuses on kids and family. As the days grow shorter and the weather turns bleaker, fall becomes the perfect time of year to work in a little extra reading time. Fall also marks a time of year when we often see incredible new books published, and this year is no exception. So, grab a cup of coffee or tea, snuggle in and peruse some of the books I’m most looking forward to reading this fall.
September Releases
The Golden State by Lydia Kiesling
Publisher: MCD (9/4)
Length: 304 pages
The Draw
– A debut author with a distinct writing style.
– California high desert setting.
– A single mother trying to find her way.
Not Our Kind by Kitty Zeldis
Publisher: Harper (9/4)
Length: 352 pages
The Draw
– Historical fiction set in post-WWII New York City.
– A young Jewish tutor working for a very WASP-y family.
– Friendship and consequences between two very different women.
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Publisher: Doubleday (9/4)
Length: 304 pages
The Draw
– I’ve had luck with Greek mythology retellings this year.
– Story features Briseis who also appeared in The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.
– Early Goodreads ratings look very strong.
The Wildlands by Abby Geni
Publisher: Counterpoint (9/4)
Length: 362 pages
The Draw
– Story of 4 siblings orphaned by a tornado.
– A literary thriller fits nicely in my September reads.
– On The Millions The Great Second Half 2018 Book Preview.
The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish by Katya Apekina
Publisher: Two Dollar Radio (9/18)
Length: 284 pages
The Draw
– That title!
– A debut novel of sisters in crises.
– Told in alternating first-person perspectives.
The Caregiver by Samuel Park
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (9/25)
Length: 288 pages
The Draw
– A mother-daughter story
– Curtis Sittenfeld endorsement.
– Author passed away at 41, shortly after finishing this book.
Transcription by Kate Atkinson
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (9/25)
Length: 352 pages
The Draw
– Life After Life by Atkinson is one of my very favorite books.
– Historical fiction set during WWII and ten years later.
– Lots of buzz out there about this one!
October Releases
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
Publisher: Catapult (10/2)
Length: 240 pages
The Draw
– Memoir of a young Korean woman adopted at birth.
– Relationships with an adopted family and new birth family connections.
– Author becoming a mother herself.
Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller
Publisher: Tin House Books (10/9)
Length: 320 pages
The Draw
– Our Endless Numbered Days and Swimming Lessons (my reviews).
– Purported to be a twisty, dark tale.
– 1969 English country setting.
A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl by Jean Thompson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (10/9)
Length: 336 pages
The Draw
– Three generations of women in the same family.
– Spanning WWII to present in one small Midwestern town.
– Examines the question, “Can women ever truly be free?”
A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (10/16)
Length: 400 pages
The Draw
– Loved Fowler’s last novel, Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald.
– Historical fiction set in America’s Gilded Age.
– Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont, who rose from poverty to enormous wealth.
Almost Everything by Anne Lamott
Publisher: Riverhead Book (10/16)
Length: 208 pages
The Draw
– Subtitled “Notes on Hope” and we all need that
– Publisher claims the book is both profound and funny, a winning combination.
– It’s very short!
Family Trust by Kathy Wang
Publisher: William Morrow (10/30)
Length: 400 Pages
The Draw
– Family dynamics set in the high octane Silicon Valley tech world.
– How wealthy is a dying family patriarch?
– Cristina Alger called it a mash up of Crazy Rich Asians and The Nest. Enough said!
November Releases
Those Who Knew by Idra Novey
Publisher: Viking (11/6)
Length: 256 pages
The Draw
– A young woman trying to take down a powerful senator.
– Exploration of the cost of staying silent.
– On The Millions The Great Second Half 2018 Book Preview.
A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
Publisher: Hogarth (11/13)
Length: 368 pages
The Draw
– The Heart’s Invisible Furies. Need I say more? (my review)
– Author of my number one book of 2017. (Best Books of 2017)
– Story of a mediocre author taking stories from those with more talent.
My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Publisher: Doubleday (11/21)
Length: 240 pages
The Draw
– With a title like that you have to be intrigued.
– One sister cleaning up the other’s “messes.”
– A debut that looks to be smart, funny and completely original.
Which fall releases are you most looking forward to?
Disclaimer: There are Amazon Associate links contained in this post.
A couple on here that weren’t on my radar! Family Trust, Those Who Knew, and the Serial Killer one! Thanks!
Looking forward to your list tomorrow!
I haven’t heard of quite a few of these. Of course the John Boyne is high on my list but I’m really liking the sound of the serial killer book! Another I’m very excited about is the upcoming Tana French, The Witch Elm. An awesome preview Susie!
Thanks, Renee! I’ve never read Tana French before, but keep seeing that book pop up everywhere.
So many of these appeal to me… guess I’d better hurry up and finish my summer reading! 😉
So, true. I never quite seem to be caught up.
A Well-Behaved Woman is on my TBR – I love the Gilded Age, it’s such a fun time period for a book to be set in.
Great list! Looking forward to The Wildlands, All You Can Ever Know, Family Trust, and My Sister, The Serial Killer!
Thanks, RK. Should be some fun fall reading.
Great preview! Really looking forward to the new John Boyne. And I’m not sure I can resist a book called The Deeper the Water, the Uglier the Fish 🙂
Right? The title alone is completely intriguing. It’s from a small publishing house, so we’ll see how much coverage it gets.
Oh my, I really should not read posts like this because I know I’ll end up adding so many of them to my wishlist….and I have. I’ve just started reading The Silence of the Girls. Bitter Orange is one I’ve been seeing people praising everywhere.
How’s The Silence of the Girls going? I hope to get to it in a week or so.
Transcription and Ladder to the Sky for sure. Those are the two I can’t wait to get hold of.
Other than that, I think I’ll take a look at my back list for this autumn.
Backlist books are almost always a good choice!
We have some overlap, but a couple others I’m looking forward to: Kate Morton’s The Clockmaker’s Daughter, James Frey’s Katerina, and Laird Hunt’s In the House in the Dark of the Woods (despite its unwieldy title!).
I’m definitely going to read Katerina, too. I have a couple September books that I didn’t include here.
I have a couple of these, Susie, but I’m interested in so many more! I was just sent The Wildlands, and I just requested the Kitty Zeldis because you intrigued me so! This is a wonderful post!
Thanks, so much Jennifer. It’s always fun to check out the books those with similar tastes are interested in reading.
I am reading A Well-Behaved Woman. Having read Z and this is every bit as great. I love the glimpse into the Gilded Age. These are women we know so little about, until now!