4. Book releases, that's it
happy friday, friends
I shouldn’t be allowed to have this substack anymore considering how much I forget about it! I haven’t been posting because I don’t have anything to say that I haven’t ranted about on the ol’ @stephgetslit insta.
So instead here’s me tempting fate and my promise to stop buying books with an incomplete round up of upcoming fall releases that I’m curious about, now that it’s September and no one can stop me from pretending it’s a new season. Within their categories, the books are listed in order of publication date. I cannot promise factual accuracy on that front, but I can promises about 80% more words than needed to the five of you who will actually read this. The professional blurb people are professionals for a reason, and I am not one of them.
FICTION
Matrix by Lauren Groff — Sept. 7 — I have a backlog of Lauren Groff I still need to read, but I loved Fates and Furies and am sure that if anyone can win me over with historical fiction, it’s her.
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney — Sept. 7 — extremely tired of seeing the PR hype around this book (look y’all bucket hats died once, they’ll die again) but despite my conflicted feelings on both Conversations With Friends and Normal People, I’ll automatically read this one and any future Rooney books.
Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang — Sept. 7 — this is supposed to be in the nonfiction section, proving that even copy editors need copy editors, but I’m not redoing that graphic so it’s staying put. Beautiful Country is a memoir, and the author writes about growing up in poverty as an undocumented Chinese immigrant. I just got an e-ARC of this one from NetGalley and I’m excited!
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead — Sept. 14 — another auto-buy author here for most readers. His newest is historical fiction that sounds a bit more lighthearted than his last two (Pulitzer-winning!) novels, but what do I know!
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr — Sept. 28 — Anthony Doerr is coming off of a Pulitzer for his last novel, All the Light We Cannot See, and this next one seems to be another hefty undertaking that’s going to pay off. I’m reading an e-ARC right now, and despite my general aversion/terror to books over 500 pages, especially dense ones like this, I’m at around 40% and invested!
Fault Lines by Emily Itami — Sept. 28 — I’ve also seen Sept. 7 as the pub date here, so idk, but this novel, set in Tokyo, promises to bring the kind of cringey, honest intimacy of Sally Rooney.
Sankofa by Chibundu Onuzo — Oct. 5 — described as Girl, Woman, Other meets American Marriage. It’ll focus on race and belonging, family, and the African diaspora.
Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen — Oct. 5 — honestly I just had to put this on here. Do with it what you will.
My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson — Oct. 5 — I’m curious about these short stories because of the four years I lived in Charlottesville, and everyone loves to read books set in familiar places. But also, living in a city that’s loudly proud of its slaveowner founder (and his house, Monticello) made me think a lot more critically about the legacy of this country. It’s a hot topic right now, and I think these short stories have the potential to deliver a gut punch, because honestly that’s what we’re here for.
FICTION PT. 2
We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza — Oct. 5 — a book about race in America, but told through alternating perspectives of two friends, one white and one Black.
I Love You But I’ve Chose Darkness by Claire Vaye Watkins — Oct. 5 — very much loving this cactus cover, but I’ve also been obsessed lately with stories on modern motherhood, specifically the ones about imperfect mothers trying to hold on to their own identities despite our societal expectations that wives and mothers define themselves exclusively by those narratives. In this one, the narrator grapples with her past after taking an extended break from her family.
The Pessimists by Bethany Ball — Oct. 12 — any book called The Pessimists already sounds darkly funny, but this one is about the messiness of fancy white people in the suburbs. I truly love reading about rich people being predictably awful, as exhausting as it is.
Burntcoat by Sarah Hall — Nov. 2 — this involves a “global deadly virus,” and I know a lot of people are not ready to read about that yet (or ever again). But if this pandemic has made you even more morbidly fascinated, this could be good if you’re looking for a more literary take on it.
Carry the Dog by Stephanie Gangi — Nov. 2 — A novel about a woman who was the subject of a series of provocative photos as a child and is now processing her trauma while trying to move forward.
Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King — Nov. 9 — this is Lily King’s first collection of short stories. If I love it as much as I did Writers & Lovers, I’m sold.
Look for Me and I'll Be Gone: Stories by John Edgar Wideman — Nov. 9 — I’ve never read any of Wideman’s short stories, but he’s a pro and this looks excellent.
O Beautiful by Jung Yun — Nov. 9 — I have a type, and it is stories about ghosts of the past. But this one also covers the realities of our current “divided America,” which I’m sure will be both heartbreaking and reflective.
FANTASY
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova — Sept. 7 — I am going to be honest, my ignorant self thought this was a sequel to Mexican Gothic at first glance because the covers are pretty similar. And while it’s most definitely not related, it IS a story with a healthy dose of magical realism that sounds like a fun Halloween-y read.
God of Mercy by Okezie Nwoka — Nov. 2 — described as Homegoing meets Black Leopard, Red Wolf, and while I usually hate those comparisons because they almost always disappoint, that’s really all I needed to hear to be convinced.
HORROR/THRILLER
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty — Sept. 14 — I’ve only read one Liane Moriarty book, but we all know she can write an excellent mystery. This one follows a family, already fraught with tension, that’s deciding what to think/do after the mother goes missing and the father looks suspicious.
Reprieve by James Han Mattson — Oct. 5 — this is a modern horror that takes place in an escape room in the 90s and is a commentary on capitalism, race, and entertainment. It sounds excellent for when I don’t want to sleep at night.
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling — Oct. 5 — this is a classic gothic, complete with a creepy mansion and a detachment from reality that leaves you unsure of who to trust. This is definitely going to be a spoopy season read for me.
ROMANCE
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun — Sept. 7 — reality dating show but make it gay! I’m sold.
A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria — Sept. 14 — this is book two in this universe, and this time the story is about Michelle, who I believe was a cousin in the first book.
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling — Sept. 28 — I’ve already read this one thanks to an e-ARC from NetGalley. The author described this one as “Hocus Pocus but they fuck” so I had no choice but to read! It was pretty cute and entertaining, and I’m wondering why there aren’t more fall-themed, witchy rom-coms out there.
Payback’s A Witch by Lana Harper — Oct. 5 — surprise, maybe there ARE more fall-themed, witchy rom-coms out there! A witch returns home to her small witchy town for witch-related things, only to team up with her best friend and ex-boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend to seek revenge on said ex-bf. Except plot twist, the blurb sounds like she falls for the ex.
NONFICTION
The Breaks: An Essay by Julietta Singh — Sept. 7 — this essay is a letter to the author’s six-year-old daughter as she tries to navigate motherhood in our increasingly fraught world. I constantly think about how parents balance making their children feel secure and the looming reality of the world they’ll inherit: climate disaster and social inequities fueled by capitalism. It’s heartbreaking and anxiety-inducing to think about, but it sounds like The Breaks will leave you determined to do better and maybe even a little hopeful.
Carefree Black Girls by Zeba Blay — Oct. 19 — this book, from a film and culture critic at HuffPost (who coined carefreeblackgirls on Twitter), looks at Black women’s significant impact on pop culture throughout history and the stereotypes they continue to face. It sounds like a celebration of Black women, and we could all use a little more celebration lately.
OK, well. Hello to the five of you who scrolled through this. Text/message me if you want to read any of these books with me and I promise I won’t say no.