I know I’m not the only one that sees Labor Day as the “unofficial start” of Fall (don’t @ me about the upcoming Autumnal Equinox), and so I decided to celebrate the end of summer in one of my favorite ways: a book preview for the upcoming season!

“Those Who Prey” by Jennifer Moffatt (Bookshop | Kindle) - A psychological thriller about a lost college student who joins a cult and then fights to get out? I am absolutely in. You know I love a good secret society story, and it’s made even better when it’s almost too good to be true, which seems to be the case for poor Emily — and whoever ends up dead. Out November 10.

“Anxious People” by Fredrik Backman (Bookshop | Kindle) - I adore Fredrik Backman’s books, and when I saw that he was coming out with one that was inspired by his own experience with anxiety, I got excited. When I read the description — a bank robber on the run locks himself in a room with an estate agent, two IKEA addicts, a pregnant woman, a millionaire, and a rabbit, then vanishes — I got even more excited. Though I am sad to leave the boys of “Beartown” behind, I can’t wait for this newest. Out September 8.

“Grown” by Tiffany D. Jackson (Bookshop | Kindle) - An aspiring Black R&B stinger wakes up with blood on her hands, a dead love interest, and no memory of the night before. I love a good whodunit, and I can’t wait to read this one that not only has a central mystery but also addresses issues of #MeToo, the patriarchy, and racism in the entertainment industry. Out September 15.

“White Ivy” by Susie Yang (Bookshop | Kindle) - This debut novel is about a young woman’s obsession with a privileged classmate, and the lengths she’ll go to win him over — an immigrant Talented Mr. Ripley, maybe? Ivy is a striver, Gideon is a golden child, and their worlds keep overlapping. The synopsis teases a love triangle and some dark deeds, so this feels like a perfect book to read in front of a fire with a big blanket (now to just find a fireplace). Out November 3.

“Ties that Tether” by Jane Igharo (Bookshop | Kindle) - At 12 years old, Azere promised her father she would marry a Nigerian man, comforting him on his death bed that their culture would be preserved post-immigration. Of course, Azere accidentally falls in love with a white man — and ends up caught between her desires and her culture. Out September 29.

“Cobble Hill” by Cecily von Ziegesar (Bookshop | Kindle) - Like many women my age, I read “Gossip Girl” at a formative age (and watched the vastly different TV show), and so when I saw Cecily von Ziegesar was taking her incisive writing to another New York neighborhood, I was immediately intrigued. “Cobble Hill” chronicles a year in the life of four families in Brooklyn, their exploits, and their misdeeds — plus, if I know her, lots of secrets. Out November 10.

“Plain Bad Heroines” by Emily M. Danforth (Bookshop | Kindle) - I love books about teenagers behaving badly, so any book described as “prep-school horror-comedy” is pretty much right up my alley. This one combines a sapphic love story at a Girls School in the Gilded Age and the horror film adaptation about that story a century later. Also, there may be a curse — who knew I would read so many books about curses in 2020? See: above and below. Out October 20.

“A Girl is a Body of Water” by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (Bookshop | Kindle) - Any book described as a “masterful feminist epic” is going to catch my eye, and this one about a young Ugandan girl looking for her mother is one I can’t wait to get my hands on. This book combines Ugandan folklore with modern challenges faced in traditional societies, and if the preview is any indication, it is absolutely beautiful in its prose. Out September 1.

“Just Us: An American Conversation” by Claudia Rankine (Bookshop | Kindle) - I’m not sure how to accurately describe this book, but it’s comprised of different media — vignettes, photos, textbook excerpts, tweets, historical accounts, and poems — to talk about her own experiences as a Black woman and really address racism in America. As someone who errs on the side of politeness in public spaces, I know this is going to be hard and squirmy for me to read, but I also know that I need to push myself out of my comfort zone if I’m ever going to become anti-racist. Out September 8.

“The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue” by V.E. Schwab (Bookshop | Kindle) - V.E. Schwab is one of my favorite fantasy authors, and so I was pumped to see a new release coming out this fall! According to the synopsis, Addie has been immortal for 300 years — and then one day, she’s recognized in a bookstore. What happens next? I guess we’ll only know by reading the book, but I’m anticipating gorgeous prose and amazing world building and twists and turns all over the place. Out October 6.

“Black Sun” by Rebecca Roanhorse (Bookshop | Kindle) - It wouldn’t be fall without me starting an ambitious fantasy series (see: “Ninth House”), and this one that is inspired by Pre-Columbian America and combines celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic seems perfect for Fall 2020. Of course, it’s the first of a planned trilogy, so come October, I’m sure I’ll be cursing the author as I wait for the next installment. Out October 13.

“Carry: A Memoir of Survival on Stolen Land” by Toni Jensen (Bookshop | Kindle) - Even though I grew up in the South, I didn’t grow up in a family with guns that spent their weekends hunting or anything like that. Toni Jensen’s memoir covers her experience growing up like that, and then the twists and turns her life took to end up with a gun pulled on her while protesting for indigenous rights at Standing Rock. It combines her personal experience with a recent history of firearms in the US and the longer history of violence against indigenous groups — incredibly timely for right now. Out September 8.

“Memorial” by Bryan Washington (Bookshop | Kindle) - I added this one to the list after seeing the cover every where on Bookstagram, and I am excited about reading this book about absurd domestic situations. I’m not quite sure how it’s going to turn out — we have Benson and Mike, Mike’s estranged father, and his mother arriving for a visit just as he goes back to Japan. The synopsis doesn’t give anything away, but this is a journey I’m excited to be on. Out October 6.

“The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany” by Lori Nelson Speilman (Bookshop | Kindle) - This was described as the literary equivalent of an aperol spritz, and honestly, there’s nothing I wouldn’t give right now to be drinking a spritz in Italy right now. In this soon-to-be release, a trio of second born daughters travel throughout the Italian countryside to break the family curse that says they will never find love. Out November 17.

“Escaping Dreamland” by Charlie Lovett (Bookshop | Kindle) - As a book lover, I love a book about books - how stories impact people. This one is a literary mystery about three children’s book writers in 1906 Manhattan, and the contemporary writer who tries to solve it from modern day. Out September 22.

“Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America” by Laila Lalami (Bookshop | Kindle) - This essay collection tries to answer “What does it mean to be an American” through Laila’s own experience: a Moroccan-born Muslim immigrant becoming an American citizen. This one feels especially timely, as she directly examines how white supremacy survives through legislation and creates a caste system in the United States. Out September 22.

“His Only Wife” by Peace Adzo Medie (Bookshop | Kindle) - One of the best things I’ve learned about myself this year is that I love books by African authors — in my attempt to diversify my personal reading list, I have read some amazing works by African women, and this one looks like a great next entry onto that list. Described as a “Crazy Rich Asians” for West Africa, it tells the story of Afi, who is married to a man who doesn’t bother to show up to the ceremony, and her life as a newlywed in Accra, Ghana. Out September 1.

“Charming as a Verb” by Ben Phillippe (Bookshop | Kindle) - I am decidedly not a Young Adult, but that doesn’t mean I can’t indulge in a good YA romance, does it? This one, about gifted kids in New York City hustling each other, sounds like the perfect fall treat. Out September 8.

Revisiting Some Favorite Series

“Ready Player Two” by Ernest Kline (Bookshop | Kindle), the sequel to “Ready Player One” (Bookshop | Kindle) — a book that I have probably read 15 times. Not sure where Player Two will take us, but I’m excited to find out. Out November 24.

“Well Played” by Jen DeLuca (Bookshop | Kindle), the sequel to “Well Met” (Bookshop | Kindle | My Review) that takes us back to the Willow Creek Ren Faire for another summer of fun. Out September 22.

“Snapped” by Alexa Martin (Bookshop | Kindle), the fourth in her Denver Mustangs series (which you know I love), and this one is about the romance between the starting QB and the team’s new strategic comms manager. Out October 20.

“Magic Lessons” by Alice Hoffman (Bookshop | Kindle), the long-awaited sequel to “Practical Magic” (Bookshop | Kindle) that goes back to the first Owens sister that was cursed. Out October 6.

“Dear Justyce” by Nic Stone (Bookshop | Kindle), a follow up to “Dear Martin” (Bookshop | Kindle) where an incarcerated teen writes letters to Justyce about his experience in the American juvenile justice system. Out September 29.

“Majesty” by Katharine McGee (Bookshop | Kindle | My Review), the sequel to “American Royals” (Bookshop | Kindle) that I read in one sitting. 10/10, would recommend. Out September 1.

Books that Just Missed the Cut that I’ll Probably Find a Way to Read

Books I’ve Already Mentioned

(have I mentioned I have a problem? and these are all already in my house?)

“Transcendent Kingdom” by Yaa Gyasi (Bookshop | Kindle) | “When No One is Watching” by Alyssa Cole (Bookshop | Kindle)

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