It’s officially Fall and that means that the season of new books is about to turn up to 11. Everywhere we look we’re faced with another new title that we might just drop everything to read. Whether it’s Rainbow Rowell’s continuing adventures of Simon Snow in Wayward Son, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ dive into fiction with The Water Dancer, or Chanel Miller’s heartrending memoir, you’re bound to find something totally special there or somewhere in between. Read on for something to get lost in this Fall!
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Bestselling author Ann Patchett returns with her first novel since Commonwealth.
With The Dutch House, Ann Patchett has penned one of her most powerful stories to date, that of Danny and Maeve, the Conroy siblings, who, having lost the claim to their family fortune to their duplicitous stepmother, must face a poverty they’ve never known and come to terms with a past that refuses to go away.
This is the story of a paradise lost, a tour de force that digs deeply into questions of inheritance, love and forgiveness, of how we want to see ourselves and of who we really are. Filled with suspense, you may read it quickly to find out what happens, but what happens to Danny and Maeve will stay with you for a very long time.
Don’t miss out on your chance to meet Ann Patchett on October 7th at 7PM when she comes to town to read from and sign The Dutch House at the Central Presbyterian Church. Tickets are available now!
Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
The long-awaited sequel to Carry On is finally here and we can’t wait to get our hands on a copy!
Rainbow Rowell’s Wayward Son picks up right where the previous volume left off…with Simon Snow having defeated the villain, getting the girl and all the stuff that comes with being the Chosen One and fulfilling your destiny. It’s the happily ever after he’s been waiting for all his life…so why does Simon feel so empty?
This quandry gets our favorite trio, Simon, Penny and Baz out on the road on a cross-country trek across the American West in a souped-up vintage convertible. They’ll find trouble along the way, of course, and get lost, but this journey will also bring them face-to-face with what’s supposed to come next in life.
With Wayward Son, Rainbow Rowell has written a book for everyone who ever wondered what happened to the Chosen One after he saved the day. And a book for everyone who was ever more curious about the second kiss than the first. It’s another helping of sour cherry scones with an absolutely decadent amount of butter.
Grab a copy today and don’t miss out on the opportunity to meet Rowell at the Texas Book Festival this October!
Now Is the Way by Cory Allen
New from the host of The Astral Hustle podcast and online meditation course Release into Now, Cory Allen, comes Now is The Way.
In this accessible and supportive guide, Allen walks readers through the basics of mindfulness—not as something you should do, but as a tool to achieve greater peace of mind, dial down anxiety and stress, and truly feel like yourself. Informed by a lifelong personal journey, as well as insights gathered through podcast interviews with leaders in mindfulness, neuroscience, and philosophy, Now Is the Way is a simple user’s manual for living the life you want, one present moment at a time.
Catch Allen this Thursday, September 26th at 7PM when he stops by BookPeople to present his latest! We’ll see you there!
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
In his first foray into fiction, National Book Award-winner Ta-Nehisi Coates presents this boldly imagined work of magic and adventure set in the Antebellum South.
Hiram Walker, born into bondage, is gifted with a mysterious power. When he almost drowns in a river and is saved by a force he can’t understand, a new urgency is forced upon on his private rebellion. Spurred on by his improvised plantation family, Thena, his chosen mother, a woman of few words and many secrets, and Sophia, a young woman fighting her own war even as she and Hiram fall in love, he becomes determined to escape the only home he’s ever known.
So begins an unexpected journey into the covert war on slavery that takes Hiram from the corrupt grandeur of Virginia’s proud plantations to desperate guerrilla cells in the wilderness, from the coffin of the deep South to dangerously utopic movements in the North. The Water Dancer is a bracingly original vision of the world of slavery, written with the narrative force of a great adventure.
Don’t miss out on this brand new read by one of this generation’s greatest living writers, and the latest selection in Oprah’s Book Club!
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Before her name was known to the world, Chanel Miller penned a viral victim impact statement detailing her sexual assault at the hands of Brock Turner — a document that was read more than 11 million times, translated globally, read on the floor of Congress, and led to sweeping changes in California law.
In Know My Name, Miller reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words. Her story illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shines with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life.
Not only will this title change the way we think about sexual assault, it also introduces readers to an extraordinary writer whose story stands to become a modern classic.
The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman returns with a mystical new novel of motherhood, friendship, good and evil, and more set against the the turbulent years of World War II.
The World That We Knew follows Hanni, and her daughter, Lea, on the run from the Nazi regime; Ettie, a rabbi’s daughter, whose powers allow her to mold a protective golem to follow the trio along the way as the group make their escape through the European countryside.
As readers traverse mountainscapes and convents in Western France, the cadre of women discover hard truths about sacrifice, resistance and the powerful ties of love.
This remarkable new novel has us feeling all sorts of things, even Merrilee who almost exclusively reads children books found something utterly compelling about this title. She says, ” [The World That We Knew] is heartbreakingly sad, but also incredibly hopeful…I love the ending so much, I reread the last half dozen pages about once a week.”
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak
Elif Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World debuts to wide acclaim; already the novel has received widespread love across the Atlantic, and, most recently, it has made it onto the shortlist of titles up for this year’s Man Booker Prize alongside Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments and Salman Rushdie’s Quichotte.
10 Minutes shines like no other book on this new release Tuesday. In one breathless sweep, Shafak recounts for readers the final moments of Tequila Leila, murdered and alone in a dumpster somewhere in Istanbul.
Yet, the novel isn’t as sordid as it may sound. Recounting Tequila’s childhood and dive into the world of sex trafficking, hers is a life painted by beauty and the friends she’s made and the love they gave her in droves.
In Tequila Leila’s death, the secrets and wonders of modern Istanbul come to life. And as her epic journey to the afterlife comes to an end, it is love and friendship among all else that brings her story to a buoyant and breathtaking conclusion.
Bookseller Molly so loved this book, saying, “[10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World] is an immersive story with wonderful characters who linger, there’s little wonder why this one made the Booker shortlist.” Grab your copy of this praise-worthy novel today!
Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith
Beloved musician, poet, and author of Just Kids and M Train, Patti Smith, returns with an all new memoir that recounts a year of solitary wandering.
Smith melds the western landscape with her own dreamscape, taking us from California to the Arizona desert; to a Kentucky farm as the amanuensis of a friend in crisis; to the hospital room of a valued mentor; and by turns to remembered and imagined places, this haunting memoir blends fact and fiction with poetic mastery.
Riveting, elegant, often humorous, and illustrated by Smith’s signature Polaroids, Year of the Monkey is a moving and original work, a touchstone for our turbulent times.
SLAY by Brittney Morris
Brittney Morris’s debut might be one of the buzziest books of the year– it’s event our YA Buzz Book for September! Teen Press Corps member Ivy calls SLAY ” a short and smart novel about the importance of freedom, pride and safe spaces where people can be their kickass selves in today’s frustratingly unjust society.”
Come meet the author at TTBF October 12!
Make It Scream, Make It Burn by Leslie Jamison
Make It Scream, Make It Burn is the latest standout collection of nonfiction from one of today’s most beloved and prolific essayists.
Following in the tradition of The Empathy Exams and The Recovering, Leslie Jamison looks at the many permutations of longing and obsession to examine a dark and beautiful aspect of the human condition.
Whether she’s writing about the loneliest blue whale or online video game personas, the Sri Lankan Civil War or a museum of “break up” objects, Jamison treats each subject with a healthy bit of skepticism and admiration, interrogating even her own biases when necessary.
It’s a title booksellers have been passing around for months now and we’re thrilled to finally be sharing it with you!
Start Finishing by Charlie Gilkey
How much of your time and attention lately has been focused on things that truly matter to you?
Most people’s honest answer is: not enough.
Everyone is buried by busywork, responsibility, distraction, and fatigue.
The joy-producing, difference-making ideas are waiting for when the time is right, when the current project is over, when they have a little more money, when the kids are grown, or when they get a more understanding boss.
They are waiting for someday.
Start Finishing presents a 9-step method for converting an idea into a project by addressing the challenges you’ll face and getting the project on a reality-based schedule.
Join us at 7PM on October 21st when Charlie Gilkey visits BookPeople to talk more about this life-changing revolution in productivity.
Ain’t Nobody Nobody by Heather Harper Ellet
Ain’t Nobody Nobody is the riveting, quirky debut from Texas writer Heather Harper Ellet. Here, readers get the opportunity to fall into some Texas-sized hijinks as Ellet sweeps us into disgraced sheriff Randy Mayhill’s investigation of murdered man found strung up near an old friend’s property.
For Mayhill, solving the crime may be his ticket back into the good graces of the townspeople he presides over, but he just may run into some trouble in the form of a few interesting townies and dead end clues.
Ain’t Nobody Nobody is a whip-smart, faced-paced caper that feels a little bit like Faulkner meets Breaking Bad. Don’t miss your chance to meet Ellet when she stops by BookPeople on October 28th at 7PM to present Ain’t Nobody Nobody alongside Mark Coggins and L.A. Chandlar.
Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen
A YA debut from the creator of The Bright Sessions podcast, Lauren Shippen, who’s also coming to TTBF!
The story focuses on Caleb Michaels, your average 16-year-old who goes to school, plays football, argues with his little sister…. average that is, until he starts experiencing mood swings that are everything but typical.
Turns out Caleb is an Atypical, an individual with enhanced abilities, which sounds cool except his ability is experiencing extreme empathy. He basically acts like a sponge, taking in the feelings and emotions of everyone around him.
That is a LOT.
His life gets even more complicated when he gets pulled into the emotional orbit of one of his classmates, Adam. Twists, turns, and drama await!
Obviously by Akilah Hughes
From YouTube sensation and comedian Akilah Hughes comes Obviously: Stories from My Timeline, a refreshing, hilarious collection of personal essays for fans of Tiffany Haddish and Mindy Kaling.
We love that she even created a Spotify playlist to go along with the book, which you can find online.
Akilah is one of the keynote speakers at the Texas Teen Book Festival, so come meet her October 12 at Southwestern University!
Verify by Joelle Charbonneau
Joelle Charbonneau’s Verify comes highly anticipated by one of our Teen Press Corps, Rosie. A cautionary tale on the dangers of censorship and information restriction, this is a timeless read that will ring true to today’s and future teens. TTBF had a great interview with the author, where she says, “…we all need to look at the power words have and the danger of believing what we assume or are told is true instead of verifying facts for ourselves.”
We can’t wait to see Joelle Oct. 12!
The Tyrant’s Tomb by Rick Riordan
The fourth installment in the Trials of Apollo series from BookPeople favorite, award-winning, bestselling author Rick Riordan!
On his path to restoring five ancient oracles and reclaiming his godly powers, Apollo (aka Lester Papadopoulos) has faced both triumphs and tragedies. Now his journey takes him to Camp Jupiter in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the Roman demigods are preparing for a desperate last stand against the evil Triumvirate of Roman emperors.
Hazel, Reyna, Frank, Tyson, Ella, and many other old friends will need Apollo’s aid to survive the onslaught. Unfortunately, the answer to their salvation lies in the forgotten tomb of a Roman ruler . . . someone even worse than the emperors Apollo has already faced.
Explorers by Matthew Cordell
Caldecott Medal winner and BookPeople favorite Matthew Cordell is back with another gorgeous picture book!
On one trip to the museum, a boy loses something important. With the help of a stranger, an act of forgiveness and kindness brings two families—and two new friends—together. Explorers is a love letter to museums and the worlds and cultures they hold inside their walls.
Rusty Brown by Chris Ware
Chris Ware’s Rusty Brown is a major graphic novel event.
It is a fully interactive, full-color articulation of the time-space interrelationships of three complete consciousnesses in the first half of a single midwestern American day and the tiny piece of human grit about which they involuntarily orbit.
A sprawling, special snowflake accumulation of the biggest themes and the smallest moments of life, Rusty Brown literately and literally aims at nothing less than the coalescence of one half of all of existence into a single museum-quality picture story, expertly arranged to present the most convincingly ineffable and empathetic illusion of experience for both life-curious readers and traditional fans of standard reality. From childhood to old age, no frozen plotline is left unthawed in the entangled stories of a child who awakens without superpowers, a teen who matures into a paternal despot, a father who stores his emotional regrets on the surface of Mars and a late-middle-aged woman who seeks the love of only one other person on planet Earth.
The sheer scope of this work is making our heads spin, but Ware’s ineffable ability to make the ordinary extraordinary marks this as a can’t-miss epic of the year.
Check back with us next week with another roundup of new releases we don’t think you should miss out on.
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