In case you haven’t heard, there are so many incredible books out this fall. To help us figure out what to read, I asked some of my favorite bookish people on Substack to share the new releases they’re most excited for.
Our guests have varying tastes, so there’s truly something for everyone here, whether you’re a literary fiction lover or a romance reader. (I’m also a little bit all over the place as a reader genre-wise, so it reflects that, too.) Enjoy!!!
“Under Story by Chloe Benjamin (out 9/1). The whole time I was reading Under Story I thought, my God, this came out of someone’s brain. Chloe Benjamin has built a world where everything ages backwards — people, plants, technology, all of it — and somehow that isn’t even the strangest part. It’s a love story. It’s a story about grief. It’s about how everything alive is tangled up with everything else alive. Sweeping, wild, brilliant. I don’t know how else to put it: remarkable.”
“The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw (out 9/29): One of the most fun reading experiences of my entire year, this novel about the wife of a megachurch pastor whose past is catching up to her is like the lovechild of Terry McMillan and The Righteous Gemstones I never knew I needed, and I mean all of that in the most complimentary sense. Hilarious, sexy, sharp, and poignant, this is everything I hoped it would be and then some.
Amazons by Cleo Birdwell (out 11/17): In 1980, postmodern literary titan Don DeLillo wrote this fictionalized memoir about the first woman to play in the NHL and published it under a pseudonym. When the New York Times unearthed it earlier this year at the peak of the Heated Rivalry frenzy, DeLillo refused to comment, but he agreed to bring it out of the vault. Don DeLillo wrote a hockey romance! Is it any good? Who cares! We’re going to have a hell of a time finding out, and I love that for all of us.”
“Once, Again, Always by Amanda Gayle (out 10/6). I stayed up until 3 am—to be clear: way, WAY past my bedtime—devouring this debut romance. In it, a woman wakes up in the hospital missing 7 years of memories, only to discover she married her boarding school bully, making it a love story in reverse about her re-falling in love with said husband. And let me tell you, her husband is a championship-level yearner! Plus, there’s a quirky and sprawling friend group of prep school pals akin to the Magnolia Parks Universe. This was a surprise smash hit for me, and hopefully will be for you, too!”
“There’s a haunting melody to my choices. After loving “Demon Copperhead” and so many of her earlier novels, I’m excited to read Barbara Kingsolver’s Partita (out 10/6), about a woman whose life is upended by a call from an old lover who knew her when she was a gifted pianist.
I also want to read Yiyun Li’s Music Against the Night (out 10/13), about the intertwined lives of two aspiring musicians, John Field and Adelaide Percheron, beginning in the late 18th century. At the National Book Festival last month, Ann Patchett called it “an astonishment!”
“May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry (out 9/29). A slim and unusual novel, May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry begins with a historical curator traveling to an undisclosed castle in order to plan and arrange each room with period-appropriate replicas. While researching the castle, she finds herself overcome with emotion when she learns about the brief reign of a king ill-suited for the position–and then the story shifts and we too meet this tragic figure. This is a book that exists as much in what it leaves off the page as what it includes and readers are asked to pay careful attention and insert their own interpretations, even knowing that there isn’t a clear answer available. I was mesmerized by this book and found myself surprisingly moved by this odd little story. It's so wonderful and perplexing that I hope to read it again before the year ends.”
Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason (out 9/29). In this aching, tender book about loneliness and parasocial relationships, Sophie is a ‘techie’ working at a literary festival, when her literary hero, Lilac Dunne, blasts in. But can you really be friends with your heroes? And are Lilac’s intentions as pure as Sophie’s? [Ed note: I wrote a review of this book a few weeks ago!]
“I’m really excited for The Thief and the Traitor Bride by V.L. Bovalino (out 9/29), a romantic fantasy about a spy and her estranged husband who have to pose as a happy couple for a dangerous mission. The tension, yearning, and political intrigue should all be top-tier.”
“Luna, Phoenix, Queen by Julie Orringer (out 10/13). Imagine that you've hidden away a manuscript detailing your love for another woman, only your husband finds it after you've lost your memory to Alzheimer's—and then publishes it as his own fiction. That's the premise of Orringer's fierce, moving new novel, in which she brilliantly dissects marriage, artistic license, and the unexpected afterlives of lies.”
Martha Adams at Martha’s Monthly:
“An upcoming title I am most excited for this Fall is I’m Still Here by Marcelo Rubens Pavia (translated by Alison Entrekin and Daniel Hahn). As a ‘read the book before seeing the film’ purist, I have been waiting for this ever since the adaptation in 2024! It tells the story of Pavia’s mother, Eunice, and how 25 years after her husband was abducted, tortured and killed by the Brazilian dictatorship, she is determined to have his death formally acknowledged, and fight for compensation. It’s a story of family, injustice and the importance of fighting for what is right - and I cannot wait to read it.” [Ed Note: This book is available in the UK on 10/13 and in the US on 11/3.]
(A caveat that many of my top picks have already been named by my guests, like Sophie, Standing There and The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman, so here are the ones not named so far…!)
Moody Reads
Switzy by Emma Cline (out 9/8). A retired executive whose memory is declining decides to take one final trip, with stops to visit an estranged daughter and a friend. This book sounds heavy and moving, and I’d love to read it before the end of the year. It’s also getting rave reviews from everyone I follow.
The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman (out 9/8). Alice Hoffman, of course, wrote Practical Magic among more than thirty other novels, something I learned from listening to her recent interview on Elin Hilderbrand’s podcast. The Witches of Cambridge follows two young women, Ava and Lauren, who arrive at Radcliffe College in the 1950s and get pulled into the Lilith Society, a secret order of campus witches.
American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee (out 9/29). This sweeping family saga from the author of Pachinko is definitely a big book and reading commitment, but one that I’m very excited to dive into. It was recently announced that Bridgerton star Yerin Ha will be narrating the audiobook (yay), which will published on 9/29.
Fun Treats
See You Next Tuesday by Kate Stayman-London (out 9/8). I’m going to throw in this smart, political romance for myself as a treat. Shoutout to Amanda Litman for putting this one on my radar.
The Thoroughbreds by Elin Hilderbrand & Shelby Cunningham (out 9/15) — The sequel to The Academy, about senior year at a New England boarding school.
Adventurous, High Stakes, and Plotty
The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon (out 9/8). A sweeping historical adventure inspired by the life of Grace O’Malley, the legendary Irish folk heroine who risked everything to defend her people. Honestly, the title has me hooked, but I’ve seen this one receive glowing reviews too. It seems like a great option if you’re into a little bit of an adventure read.
Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley (out 9/22). The first authorized Agatha Christie/Miss Marple novel in fifty years, set at a luxurious hotel in the Swiss Alps. This was put on my radar by Katie of Beach Reads & Bubbly and it sounds extremely up my alley.
Romantasy
Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros (out 9/29). I’m HERE for all things big romantasy this season. This is a collection of thirteen short stories following fan-fave characters (including Xaden!) and their dragons on Threshing Day. The “deluxe edition” contains 16 illustrations.
A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas (out 10/27). Very excited for the latest installment of ACOTAR, which was my first foray into the romantasy genre and got me through Covid times, so I’ve got a soft spot for it. This is the sixth novel in the series, and it picks up with the Night Court still reeling from betrayals and rifts in the wake of the Hybern War.
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As a big thank you to my paid readers, I’m giving away three $30 Bookshop gift cards so you can grab a book you’re excited to read.
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment with which of these books sounds the most exciting to you. For an extra entry, hit the heart button and restack this post.
Happy happy reading!!!
Alisha
