Just because the season of kicking back by the pool with a good book [1] is over doesn't mean your reading list has to suffer. If anything, cosying up next to a warm fire with a cup of tea and a page-turner sounds just as lovely (and you won't get sunburned in the process). Since we've already blazed through our picks for August [2], we went ahead and looked at all the best titles hitting bookshelves in September. See which buzzy books you need to add to your list ahead!
Here to Stay by Mark Edwards
In Here to Stay [3], Mark Edwards weaves a suspense-filled tale about a newlywed man whose in-laws unexpectedly move in, upending his life in increasingly sinister ways. Suddenly my college boyfriend's parents don't seem so bad . . .
Out now
American Royals by Katharine McGee
The core of Katharine McGee's American Royals [4] is exactly what the title of the book suggests: what if America had a royal family? This juicy revisionist look at US history explores the dramatic inner workings of the House of Washington, which includes two princesses and a handsome prince, all of whom find themselves chafing at the restrictive rules that control their lives. Will they make their parents proud? Or will true love be enough to change the course of history?
Out now
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Ready to go back to Gilead? Margaret Atwood's dystopian vision of the future is revived in The Testaments [5], the highly anticipated sequel to The Handmaid's Tale [6]. This time we'll find out what happened to Offred after those doors slammed, picking up the story 15 years later with three new female narrators. Will Offred be among them? Guess you'll have to pick up the book to find out.
Out Sept. 10
The Institute by Stephen King
The master of horror returns with The Institute [7], a mind-bending thrill ride about a shady organization that kidnaps children with special powers in order to extract their gifts. When one such child, Luke, vows to escape from the abusive prison, his choice leads him on a perilous journey through good and evil that will bring to mind both Firestarter and It.
Out Sept. 10
Unpregnant by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan
Unpregnant [8] is a heartfelt and funny YA novel that calls to mind both Juno and Thelma and Louise as it brings us the story of high school student Veronica, who ends up stealing a car with her ex-best friend as she travels to get an abortion without her conservative parents finding out.
Out Sept. 10
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
The Ten Thousand Doors of January [9] is a lush, spellbinding fantasy perfect for anyone who needs an escape. In it, the titular January discovers a strange book in the sprawling 20th century mansion where she's a ward, which leads her on an adventure to dangerous and intriguing new worlds.
Out Sept. 12
The Nanny by Gilly MacMillan
The Nanny [10] delivers the kind of white-knuckled suspense that keeps you up night after night. Gilly MacMillan's story centres on a woman named Jo, who returns to the home she grew up in to confront the fraught relationship she has with her estranged mother. But when human remains are discovered on the estate, suddenly Jo realises that her memories of a beloved nanny who mysteriously disappeared 30 years earlier could be the key to solving a crime.
Out Sept. 6
Frankly in Love by David Yoon
At first glance, David Yoon's Frankly in Love [11] might seem like a standard YA novel, but it's a title that adults will enjoy just as much. The story hinges around Frank Li, a California teen whose parents desperately want him to marry a Korean girl despite the fact he barely speaks the language and his parents don't even call him by his traditional Korean name. So, he hatches a plan with his friend Joy, who's in a similar predicament — they'll pretend to date each other to please their parents, while secretly dating other people. Prepare for sparks to fly!
Out Sept. 12
The Second Chance Supper Club by Nicole Meier
Nicole Meier's The Second Chance Supper Club [12] is full of family, forgiveness, and fresh starts as two estranged sisters separated by tragedy find their way back to each other.
Out Sept. 10
The Stranger Inside by Lisa Unger
Rain Walker was just 12 years old when she narrowly missed being abducted, but her two young friends weren't as lucky. Now decades later, with the kidnapper long dead, Rain has buried her childhood trauma as she builds her new family, until a murder brings the past roaring back. Like most of Lisa Unger's work, The Stranger Inside [13] is can't-put-down-able.
Out Sept. 17
Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
Gabby Rivera's Juliet Takes a Breath [14] is a queer coming-of-age story about a young woman whose coming out to her strict Puerto Rican parents doesn't exactly go as planned. In fact, the whole situation implodes, and she's left wondering if her mother will ever speak to her again. Luckily she's able to escape to an internship across the country with a famous feminist writer, and her experiences there end up transforming her in exciting, thrilling, sexy, and awkward ways.
Out Sept. 19
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
National Book Award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson returns with Red at the Bone [15], which opens in 2001 on the night of 16-year-old Melody's coming of age ceremony in her grandparents' Brooklyn brownstone. From there, the novel switches back and forth in time between Melody's life and her mother's teenage years, exploring how everyone ended up at that exact point over a decade later.
Out Sept. 17
A Fist or a Heart by Kristín Eiríksdóttir
Award-winning Icelandic author Kristín Eiríksdóttir's A First or a Heart [16], translated by Larissa Kyzer, sees the ageing, isolated Elín coming to terms with a traumatic moment in her past when she crosses paths with a young playwright. As time goes by, Elín's hold on reality begins to slip, and secrets threaten to come tumbling out.
Out Sept. 24
No Judgments by Meg Cabot
Meg Cabot delivers a dreamy romance in No Judgments [17], which will sweep you up just as quickly as the hurricane in the heart of the story does to a tiny island town in the Florida keys. When the book's heroine, Bree, sets about rescuing all the pets cut off from their owners in the midst of the storm, she receives a little help from her boss's nephew, Drew, who has a reputation as a ladies' man. Nevertheless, Bree can't deny her attraction to the bad boy as they get cosy while seeking shelter from the storm.
Out Sept. 24
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The award-winning author of Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates, is bringing a new novel to your bookshelves this month: The Water Dancer [18]. The author's debut is a bold, transcendent story of how atrocities committed against one generation can filter into the next, told through the eyes of a young man who's born into slavery, loses his mother, and eventually makes a daring escape from the only home he's ever known.
Out Sept. 26
Obviously: Stories From My Timeline by Akilah Hughes
YouTube star Akilah Hughes combines a number of hilarious, insightful essays in her debut book, Obviously [19], which is a must-read for those of us who are very online (and also anyone who's struggled with weight, acne, racism, insecurities, and . . . well, just read it, guys).
Out Sept. 24
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett's The Dutch House [20] introduces us to two siblings, Danny and Maeve, who live in the grand home their father bought after the end of World War II. Over the next five decades of their lives, they end up exiled from their home by their stepmother, see their inheritance put in jeopardy, and learn just how hard forgiveness can be.
Out Sept. 24