21 September Releases We’re Excited About

And what you can read in the meantime

Reading ahead

Our TBR piles may already be taller than small children, but we keep finding new books we want to pile on. From long-awaited sequels to horror-tinged gothic fairy tales to witchy romances, September’s most anticipated list is filled with must-reads! Here are 21 upcoming releases across a mix of genres. These titles are available for preorder, but in the meantime, peruse our recommendations for similar reads that you can enjoy now.

Literary fiction 

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger (Sept. 5)

It's 1958 and a small Minnesota town is rocked by the murder of its most powerful citizen, reigniting old grievances. This dazzling novel offers an unflinching look at the wounds of war, an exploration of the ways we seek to heal, and a testament to the enduring power of the stories we tell about the places we call home.

What to read first:  This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

Evil Eye by Etaf Rum (Sept. 5)

After Yara is placed on probation at work for fighting with a racist coworker, her Palestinian mother blames the situation on a family curse. Yara doesn't believe in old superstitions, but she finds herself unpacking her strict, often volatile childhood, looking for clues as to why she feels so unfulfilled.

What to read first:  A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum

The Fraud by Zadie Smith (Sept. 5)

It is 1873. Eliza Touchet is the housekeeper and cousin by marriage to novelist William Ainsworth. As she (along with the rest of England) becomes increasingly invested in the Tichborne Trial, consuming headlines, she ponders questions about who deserves to tell their story—and who deserves to be believed.

What to read first:  The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish

The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff (Sept. 12)

A servant girl escapes from a colonial settlement in the wilderness. She carries nothing with her but her wits, a few possessions, and the spark that burns hot within her. What she finds in this rugged landscape is beyond the limits of her imagination and will bend her belief in everything that civilization has taught her.

What to read first: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Mystery, thriller, and horror 

Rouge by Mona Awad (Sept. 12)

When her estranged mother dies unexpectedly, Belle grapples with questions about her mysterious death in this gothic fairy tale. With black humor and seductive horror, this novel explores the cult-like nature of the beauty industry and the complicated love between mothers and daughters.  

What to read first: Bunny by Mona Awad

How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok (Sept. 19)

After her sister and her ex-girlfriend both go missing, nothing will stop seventeen-year-old Iris from trying to find the truth. This whip-smart thriller follows a young amateur detective in small-town Louisiana as she races against the clock to solve the most dangerous case of her life.

What to read first: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

The Traitor by Ava Glass (Sept. 19)

An MI6 operative is found dead, locked in a suitcase in his own apartment. Despite an exhaustive search, no fingerprints are found at the scene. Emma Makepeace and her handler, Ripley, know that such an obvious assassination can mean only one thing: Someone is sending a message. The second in a thrilling series.

What to read first: Alias Emma by Ava Glass

Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig (Sept. 26)

When enchanted apples start growing on a tree in the small town of Harrow, the townsfolk become consumed by their strange, dark magic. But now the leaves are falling. And a stranger has come to town, a stranger who knows Harrow's secrets. It’s harvest time, and the town will soon reap what it has sown.

What to read first: Swan Song by Robert McCammon

Sci-fi and fantasy

Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Sept. 12)

Born with an intuition that never fails, Calista lives as a courtesan of the Baron of Archwood. In exchange for his protection, she grants him information. When she uses her powers to save a traveling prince in dire trouble, the voice inside her blazes with warning—and promise. The first in a searing fantasy romance series.

What to read first: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

Starter Villain by John Scalzi (Sept. 19)

Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie.

What to read first: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Foul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong (Sept. 26)

Winter is drawing thick in 1932 Shanghai, as is the ever-nearing threat of a Japanese invasion. Rosalind Lang has suffered the worst possible fate for a national spy: she's been exposed. The second book in this captivating duology finds the immortal assassin racing to save her country and her love.

What to read first: Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab (Sept. 26)

Four worlds grow increasingly sealed off from one another. The Antari, magicians capable of opening the doors between realms have all but disappeared. As tensions rise, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.

What to read first: The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab

Historical fiction 

Chenneville by Paulette Jiles (Sept. 5)

Union soldier John Chenneville returns from war to find that his beloved sister and her family had been brutally murdered. Traveling through a shattered nation in the midst of Reconstruction, John trails their killer deep into Texas, knowing that it may cost him more than all he's already lost.

What to read first: News of the World by Paulette Jiles

A Beautiful Rival by Gill Paul (Sept. 5)

They each founded empires built on grit and determination. Yet they became locked in a feud spanning three continents, two world wars, and the Great Depression. This novel explores the unknown history of cosmetic titans Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein and their infamous rivalry.

What to read first: The Last Collection by Jeanne Mackin

Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown (Sept. 12)

It's 1942, and London remains under constant threat of enemy attack as the second world war rages on. Nellie Morris counts every day lucky that she and her family emerge unharmed. But after a chance encounter with Ray, an American airman stationed nearby, the stakes only get higher.

What to read first: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

The Armor of Light by Ken Follett (Sept. 26)

The long-awaited sequel to A Column of Fire, the fourth volume in this series, heralds a new dawn for Kingsbridge, England, where progress clashes with tradition, class struggles push into every part of society, and war in Europe engulfs the entire continent and beyond.

What to read first: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Romance 

Main Character Energy by Jamie Varon (Sept. 5)

After a series of rejections, aspiring mystery writer Poppy Banks is ready to accept life on the sidelines. But when her beloved aunt Margot dies, she leaves Poppy a stunning French villa—if she can finish her novel in six months. As the countdown begins, Poppy realizes she has more to confront than writer's block.

What to read first: If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

The River Runs South by Audrey Ingram (Sept. 5)

When Camille Taylor's husband dies unexpectedly, the carefully constructed life she worked so hard to build, shatters. After struggling for almost a year, she packs up her daughter, and heads for the salt air and slow rhythms of the Alabama coast where she grew up. There she meets local fisherman Mack Phillips.

What to read first: Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (Sept. 12)

Sage Flores has been running from her family—and their "gifts"—ever since her younger sister died. Eight years later, she reluctantly returns to her hometown and applies her botanic charms to her old job at Cranberry Rose Company. But what should be simple is complicated by the presence of Tennessee Reyes, her ex.

What to read first: The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

Thank You For Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz (Sept. 12)

Daniel Rosenberg and Liyah Cohen-Jackson's last conversation ended their friendship. But now Daniel's marketing firm has been hired by the Chicago museum where Liyah works as a junior curator, and they're forced to collaborate with potential career changing promotions on the line.

What to read first: My Perfect on Paper by Jean Meltzer

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wisner (Sept. 19)

When US Women's National Team star Grace Henderson is sidelined from playing with an injury, a bold new upstart takes her spot. Phoebe is everything Grace isn't—a gregarious jokester who plays with a joy that Grace has lost. The last thing Grace expects is to fall for this class clown she sees as her rival.

What to read first: She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen

Hopefully there’s something here that you want to add to your TBR list! Let us know which new books you’re most excited about this month.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon