20 September releases you need on your radar

Did you know that fall is the biggest season for books? Publishers save their very “best” (more on that in a moment) for September through December. The reasons I’ve always heard are that people love to buy books for holiday gifts, and that, historically, people read more in the colder months. I think to some extent it’s now just become a tradition.

Of course, that idea of “best” is a whole other conversation. Certain books simply wouldn’t work as well in the fall as they would in the summer, for instance. And publishers often try to coincide publications with anniversaries, events, and holidays that are advantageous to the book. 

That said, September is undeniably a landmark month in the book world each year. This is when publishers begin rolling out their heavy hitters, and the books they think could become blockbusters and major prize winners. 

So, I simply couldn’t approach this “best of” email the way I’ve been doing. There are too many seriously major books on the horizon! Instead, you’ll find a rundown of the top 20 novels coming out in September that are going to be everywhere. These are the books you need to reserve at your library or on Libby NOW, and the ones you should preorder if a first edition is important to you. I added a ⭐ to the titles I’m personally most excited for, so keep an eye open for those.

But then, also, because winnowing September’s books down to just 20 big titles almost killed me, this month’s full list features a whopping 35 titles. (I tried to keep it to all fiction, but two memoirs I’m excited for did sneak in…)

Okay, enough from me, we’ve got a ton of books to freak out over together. (And if you want to share which one you're most excited to read, I'd love to know!) I personally recommend putting on some Dolly Parton in her honor, grabbing a drink, and getting cozy, because this month is a banger.

Literary Fiction | Out 9/1

The author of The Immortalists returns with an ambitious, genre-bending love story about an Antarctic scientist who discovers a mysterious phenomenon that could offer her a chance to rewrite the past. In my gut, I feel like this one will be picked for a major book club, because it hits all the right notes and seems built for sparking deliciously deep discussions.

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Contemporary Fiction | Out 9/1

Inspired by the Roman myth of the Three Graces, this warm, wise debut follows three generations of Italian American women whose secrets and differences collide when they reunite under one roof in NYC. It feels like kismet to have this mythology-laced debut drop post-Odyssey, and the 96-year-old matriarch at this novel’s center sounds unforgettable.

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Literary Fiction | Out 9/1

A huge bestseller in Japan, this newly translated office comedy follows a fed-up bookseller whose infuriating manager threatens to kill her love of books, until one unexpected read changes her perspective. I’ll be frank: I’ve had more than one manager whose intelligence I’ve questioned, and I can already tell this one will be a validating read. Plus, it’s a book for book lovers!

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