14 September Book Releases We’re Excited About

And What You Can Read in the Meantime

Reading Ahead

No matter how high our TBR piles get, we just keep browsing (and buying!) more. From long-awaited sequels to promising debuts, September's most anticipated list is packed with must-reads! Here are fourteen volumes available for preorder, plus a previously published book with a similar vibe you can enjoy in the meantime.

September 6

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

An electrifying new novel set in Renaissance Italy, and centering on the captivating young duchess Lucrezia de Medici. When her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to a powerful ruler, Lucrezia is offered as a replacement.

What to read first: Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

Charlie is an isolated teen who finds companionship with Howard, an old recluse, and his beloved dog Radar. When Howard dies, he leaves Charlie a note telling of a magical portal and a parallel world where the stakes couldn't be higher.

What to read first: The Gunslinger by Stephen King

The Attic Child by Lola Jaye

Two children, born nearly a century apart, are bound together by a shared secret. Early 1900s London: Celestine is taken from Africa and confined in an attic as an unpaid servant. In 1974 Lowra, trapped in the same attic, discovers mysterious items underneath a floorboard.

What to read first: All That She Carried by Tiya Miles

The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh

Everyone in Orange County's Little Saigon knew that the Duong sisters were cursed. It started with their ancestor, Oanh, who dared to leave her marriage for true love. Now a startling new prophecy brings the estranged family together.

What to read first: The Chicken Sisters by K. J. Dell' Antonia

The Two Lives of Sara by Catherine Adel West

Sara King has nothing, save for her secrets and the baby in her belly, as she flees her past in Chicago for a new life in Memphis. Though early 1960s Memphis is still segregated, change is in the air. An unforgettable story of hope, resilience, and unexpected love.

What to read first: Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West

September 13

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Naomi Alderman, Leigh Bardugo, Alyssa Cole, et al.

A brand-new collection of short stories featuring The Queen of Mystery's legendary detective Jane Marple. Twelve remarkable bestselling and acclaimed authors bring their own unique perspective to Christie's beloved sleuth.

What to read first: 4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie

September 15

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

It is an ordinary Thursday, and things should finally be returning to normal. Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club are concerned. The crime-solving septuagenarians return with another sly mystery.

What to read first: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

September 20

Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer

"Go get lost somewhere, it always does you good." In the follow-up to the best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the awkward and lovable Arthur Less returns for an unforgettable road trip across America.

What to read first: Less by Andrew Sean Greer

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

A poignant, pitch-perfect novel about a divorced couple stuck together during lockdown—and the love, loss, despair, and hope that animate us even as the world seems to be falling apart. This is #4 in the acclaimed Amgash Series.

What to read first: My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

September 27

The Winners by Fredrik Backman

The long awaited conclusion to a beloved series follows the small hockey town's residents as they grapple with change, pain, hope, and redemption. One person's life is being celebrated by all of Beartown. One person's life is being forgotten.

What to read first: Beartown by Fredrik Backman

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

The one thing you never talk about while you're in the Scholomance is what you'll do when you get out. Saving the world is a test no school of magic can prepare you for in this triumphant conclusion to the bestselling trilogy.

What to read first: A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

An Indiscreet Princess by Georgie Blalock

As the fourth daughter of the perpetually in-mourning Queen Victoria, Princess Louise's life is more gilded prison than fairy tale. Until she finds an avenue for liberation. This historical novel details the exploits of the original royal rebel.

What to read first: The Other Windsor Girl by Georgie Blalock

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

It's 1930s Shanghai: After an experiment turns her immortal, Rosalind becomes a spy for her country hoping to redeem her traitorous past. This involves posing as the wife of another spy, a man who infuriates Rosalind.

What to read first: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson

In London of the Roaring Twenties, the nightlife in Soho has become a haven for those recovering from the Great War. With ruthless ambition, Nellie Coker has built an empire amid Soho's gaiety. But success breeds enemies.

What to read first: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Hopefully there's something here that catches your fancy! Let us know which new books you're most excited about this month.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon