5 Books to Look Forward to This Fall
By Hannah Dendas of naptime book review
Even though I haven’t gone back to school in the fall for many years, this season always makes me excited to pick up a new book and get reading.
There are also a ton of great books publishing in the next few months to look forward to. If you’re looking for something new (or perhaps your kids are going back to school and you finally have more time to yourself!) take a look at these new releases from authors that I have previously read and loved.
1. Matrix
by Lauren Groff
Her previous novel Fates and Furies is a beautifully written look at the complexities of marriage told first from a husband’s perspective and then from his wife’s side. Matrix appears to be completely different as Groff takes us to an impoverished abbey in the 12th century where a seventeen-year-old girl has been banished but learns to embrace the sisterhood. From the publisher: “Lauren Groff’s new novel, her first since Fates and Furies, is a defiant and timely exploration of the raw power of female creativity in a corrupted world.”
Historical Fiction
Price: $26
2. Apples Never Fall
by Liane Moriarty
Moriarty is well known for her books Big Little Lies (adapted by HBO) and Nine Perfect Strangers (now available on Hulu) and her new book coming in September looks to be another hit. It’s a family drama following four siblings who grapple with the dilemma of suspecting their father in the disappearance of their mother. Sure to be another blockbuster; I want to read it just so I know what everyone is talking about.
Fiction
Price: $27
3. Harlem Shuffle
by Colson Whitehead
Whitehead is a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for The Underground Railroad (2017) and The Nickel Boys (2020). His latest novel is a departure from those, set in the 1950s and 60s and features a protagonist who gets involved in a series of heists in order to support his growing family. I love Whitehead’s writing and am looking forward to a more light-hearted, family drama from him.
Fiction
Price: $27
4. Cloud Cuckoo Land
by Anthony Doerr
This is perhaps my most anticipated book of the fall since Doerr’s previous novel All the Light We Cannot See is one of my favorite books of all time (and winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize). Although I have no idea what to make of the premise - it begins at some point in the ancient past in Constantinople, then moves 500 years later to Idaho, and then to the future on an interstellar ship. I’m not usually one for anything too far fetched or sci-fi but Doerr is such a brilliant writer that this is on my must-read list.
Historical Fiction - out September 28th
Price: $28
5. The Lincoln Highway
by Amor Towles
Towles is another author on my must-read list. His previous novels Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow are two that I highly recommend to anyone (including here in my Father’s Day recommendations). Towles’ newest book is sure to feature his signature nuanced characters and subtle, witty writing. It’s set in the 1950s and follows two brothers, one who was just released from a stint on a work farm after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter. He has good intentions for a fresh start until some surprise guests make an appearance.
Fiction — Out October 5th
Price: $28
Hannah Dendas is a Postpartum Doula and Certified Lactation Counselor but since the pandemic, mostly a stay at home mom to her two young kids.
Always an avid reader, Hannah recently started sharing book reviews on her Instagram page @naptimebookreview. She has a book stashed in nearly every room of her house, is a frequent visitor to her local library, and loves historical fiction.