September is almost here. Are you ready? It happens to be my favorite month of the year as it’s usually beautiful and my birthday month. It also signifies that schools are starting again, and it seems most grade schools here are in-person, but the universities appear to be a hybrid of in-person and online classes. It seems a bit confusing for students. The Covid delta variant is causing havoc in some places. I don’t think we ever really stopped here with wearing masks indoors at public places even after vaccination, so we continue on. And let’s hope the world news improves as it’s been so bleak lately, and now this apparent deadline looms in Afghanistan and no one wants to be left with the horrific Taliban. It’s ulcer-inducing times.
For a diversion, let’s check out what’s coming out this month in new releases. September is a huge time for fall books and it’s fun to see which ones might be appealing. There’s some big-named authors with new novels this month. Are any of these below on your radar? I will go through them briefly and say why I’m curious about them.
The Stolen Hours by Allen Eskens (due out Sept. 7) — I’ve listened to a few of Eskens’s mystery/thrillers as audiobooks and they are usually quite enjoyable. Some of the protagonists continue with each book, but the mysteries can be read as stand-alones too. This one is set in Minnesota with prosecutor Lila Nash trying to put a killer behind bars.
The Magician by Colm Toibin (due out Sept. 7) — The prize-winning Irish novelist most notably of the novel Brooklyn has a new novel coming out that is a fictional biography of the life of German author Thomas Mann, who fled the Nazis and wrote his novels in exile. Hmm. I’m curious to hear if anyone has read it?
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney (due out Sept. 7) — Irish author Rooney is back after her much ballyhooed novel Normal People with a novel about two friends Alice and Eileen who have boyfriends and the novel details their everyday lives — sound familiar? It seems you either like Rooney’s tales or you don’t … while I wasn’t overly enthused with the last one, I’m willing to try another.
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty (due out Sept. 14) — Ever since Big Little Lies, Australian author Moriarty’s novel releases have been huge and this one will likely be no different. It’s about the Delaney family whose four children are grown and come to try to figure out the disappearance of their 69-year-old mother in Sydney. Uh-oh.
Bewilderment by Richard Powers (due out Sept. 21) — So many readers found incredible Powers’s novel The Overstory, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2019. I still have it on my list, good grief I’m so late to the party. Now his new novel is about an astrobiologist father looking for life in outer space and raising his 9-year-old son after the death of his wife. It sounds like a touching father-son kind of tale.
Matrix by Lauren Groff (due out Sept. 7) — Ever since Fates and Furies, Groff has been on the map. Her new novel appears to be quite a departure being set in medieval England about nuns at an impoverished abbey. Her 17-year-old protagonist Marie, I gather, transforms the place. We will have to see what happens.
When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash (due out Sept. 21) — I have not read this author, but many swear by his Southern gritty tales. This one is said to be a gripping mystery set in the 1980s about a “small North Carolina town that is thrown into turmoil when the sheriff discovers a dead body and a crashed plane.” Uh-oh.
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead (due out Sept. 14) — After two Pulitzer Prizes in a row, many are looking to see what Whitehead puts out next. This new one is a crime novel that seems to take a different, lighter tack. Set in 1960s Harlem, apparently it’s filled with heists, shakedowns, and rip-offs. Hmm from what I’m hearing, it’s said to be entertaining.
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (due out Sept. 28) — From the author of All the Light We Cannot See comes this new novel that follows storylines in three separate eras, which are connected somehow to an ancient Greek manuscript. So you get 15th-century Constantinople, present-day Idaho, and to be on a space ship in the not so distant future. Hmm it sounds a bit complex but can the story come through?
I’m sure I won’t get to all of these novels, but I hope to get to a few. I guess of these I’m most looking forward to Richard Powers’s novel Bewilderment since I want to try out his writing. These novels all seem to be by veteran authors, which is a bit strange since I usually like to mix in a couple good debuts. Let me know if you get to any.
Meanwhile I just want to mention a few TV series coming out in September that might be worth checking out. First, there’s American Rust (on Showtime starting Sept. 12), which is set in a small Pennsylvania steel town, about a compromised police chief (played by Jeff Daniels) who is forced to find out how far he is willing to go when his girlfriend’s son is accused of murder. Uh-oh. Like other shows it might remind you of, this one seems to be a family drama about good people making bad choices, which we’ve come to love, right? If you watched Your Honor, Mare of Easttown, and The Undoing then you might as well just get ready for this one.
Next up is Scenes From a Marriage (on HBO starting Sept. 12), which stars Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac as a married couple whose relationship goes all topsy-turvy. It’s a five-part drama exploring the lovely and unlovely emotions of their marriage and divorce. Hmm it seems a different kind of pairing right? But apparently the two actors were classmates at Juilliard together and also starred in the 2015 movie A Most Violent Year, so they have history after all. Who knew.
Then there’s the much-anticipated Season 2 of The Morning Show (starting Sept. 17 on Apple TV Plus). Oh yeah. The drama, starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carell, is about the troubled lives of those working at a top news network show in NYC. Season 1 was decadently fun drama and the new season looks to ratchet it up too. Several new cast members have joined on as new characters, including Julianna Margulies as a news anchor. We will see what becomes of those chums at the station.
Lastly is the airing of Ken Burns’s new four-part miniseries about the life of boxer and activist Muhammad Ali (starting Sept. 19 on PBS), which looks like it will be quite interesting. Catch it if it appeals to you.
That’s all for now. What about you — which new releases are you looking forward to?
I really can’t believe that summer is almost over. I’d be happy if it lasted 6 months rather than 3, but then, I’m still waiting for some 70 degree weather. 🙂 We are back to having a mask mandate for both indoors AND outdoors, when social distancing isn’t possible. Oregon is in bad shape and our two local hospitals are almost maxed out. It’s very distressing, but we keep doing what we’ve been doing. We wear our masks and stick with our small bubble of friends who are like-minded and keeping safe.
I’m interested in Liane Moriarty’s new release, as well as Wiley Cash’s. I’ve listened to a couple of Cash’s books and they are very good. I didn’t care for Normal People, so I’ll skip Rooney’s latest. I loved All the Light We Cannot See, but will wait for reviews from friends before looking into reading Cloud Cuckoo Land. It sounds pretty odd! I’m not a fan of Colson Whitehead’s novels, so I’m passing on his latest. Oooh, I just remembered that I’ve read a book or two of Allen Eskens and remember enjoying them, so I’ll add The Stolen Hours to my list. I gave up on The Overstory (a book club selection), but maybe his new one will pull me in. Lots to choose from!
Take care and have a good week, Susan!
Thanks Lesley. Sorry to hear Oregon is having CV troubles lately, ugh. I’m a little worried going into late fall & winter. Wish we could put it behind us.
I’m still reading some off my summer list so not sure when I will start some of these. It would be nice if summer could go longer! We were gypped this year due to heavy smoke in July/August. We have a couple Albert/BC trips in Sept, which might work well I hope. Happy reading for the ones you find.
Hey Susan, I am ready for September as fall is my favorite season. It used to be summer in my younger days but no longer. I love your fall release list and have so many of these penciled in: I want to read the ones by: Eskens, Cash, Powers, Toibin, Moriarty and Whitehead. I was also looking forward to Doerr’s new book, but I’m a bit intimidated but it’s 600++ pages and the story sounds rather complex….we shall see. I hope your September birthday is special.
Thanks Diane. I like how we often read the same books! I think you’ll get to some of these before me – and then I can hear if they’re any good 🙂 I agree with you about the Doerr book … with long books as I sort of flinch. Many times multiple storylines can backfire. Much to read this fall. I think Sept./Oct will be better this year than July/August as we had too much smoke this summer. On to fall! Enjoy your week.
I’ve been told that I’d like The Morning Show so I need to get my act together to watch season 1.
Great list of books coming out in September and interesting that Whitehead has a lighter book.
Hi Helen, yeah the Whitehead novel I think will be different than his last two. And the Morning Show is good drama! Treat yourself to it. It goes down like water, ha. Hope all is well where you are. I’ll stop by soon.
I have several of those books on my reading list and all of those shows are of interest to me. September is looking very promising!
Hi Dorothy — yeah it seems like a blockbuster month of authors & shows, which is good timing for me. Though I’m still working on various summer ones. Happy reading to you!
Happy birthday month! I’m soooo ready for fall. By the end of September, it might be cool enough for me to sleep through the night. I hope you get lots of books read next month!
Thanks AJ. Yeah we’re ready for fall too. Too much smoke & heat in July/August so it’s better to move into September. I guess your park job will be over soon & you can take a break? Hope so. Enjoy your books.
Happy birthday month! Personally, I like September too – the promise of end of the hot months (lol) and also upcoming Fall season and all that it means. I’ve been busy lately, so I just need to try and see if I can get more personal and reading time in September.
On the reading front, I am looking forward to Cloud Cuckoo Land and Harlem Shuffle. They both sound so good!
I hope you have a great September.
Hi Athira, good to hear from you. It seems you had a busy August. The temps here are starting to cool off. Maybe there too. I’ll have to check in with your site and see what you’re reading. Good luck with your kids in school.
Looks like September is turning into a great month for readers. Several of these intrigue me because I’m already fans of the authors: the ones by Colm Tóibín, Richard Powers, and Wiley Cash, in particular. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read so far by each of them.
I’m a fan of Colson Whitehead, too, but I’m just not sure about Harlem Shuffle…everything I see about it makes it sound more like a piece of “fluff” than the kind of follow-up I’ve been hoping for. I’m sure I’ll give it a hard look, and probably end up reading it at some point, but I don’t have that sense of urgency I usually get when he releases a new book.
As for American Rust…that seems to be base on one of my favorite books from a few years ago…American Rust by Philipp Meyer. That one came out of nowhere and put Meyer on my radar for good. Another of his I loved was called The Son.
I’ll look forward to what you have to say about the ones you choose.
Hi Sam, yeah I’ll be looking for what you think of some of these books. Glad you brought up Philipp Meyer … I guess I should read his novel in tandem with the TV series. That would be cool. I’ve looked at his novels before but haven’t picked them up yet, but now I’m motivated to. He seems to write long ones … but I’d like to check them out. I’m a bit unsure of the new Whitehead novel too. Hmm. I’m keen to get to Bewilderment first. Enjoy your reading.
It’s hard to believe September is just a few days away! I’m interested in quite a few of these new releases, Sally Rooney and Colson Whitehead in particular, but this is the first I’ve heard of the Colm Toibin. Love his writing and just looked this up – it’s over 500 pages! Adding it to my list anyway.
American Rust has been on my wish list for years, but bookstores seem to only stock The Son. I’ll make one more trip to the local indie before we leave CT, so will check there. I hate to watch series/movies before reading the book!
Hi JoAnn: I agree I usually like to read the book first … I’m going to try to get American Rust from the Library and perhaps read it in tandem with the TV series. I have not tried Meyer’s writing before, but it looks really good, though bleak. I’ve heard mixed things so far about the Toibin novel … but I remain curious hmm. Much to read this fall! Hope you have a great week.
Hi Susan, happy birth month! I read The Magician and it’s excellent; it may be not be for everyone because the Manns were very artistic and flamboyant, and their lifestyles mimic-ed that, but the novel is at times introspective, and at other times outrageously funny. By far, together with Cloud Cuckoo Land, which I’m reading now–if it doesn’t take a turn for the worse– is my favorite reading of the year. It sounds complex upon description, but it’s effortless storytelling of the kind that you don’t often see anymore (like told by those traveling storytellers of old), and it’s not that complex once you start following the story. It’s about four youths in different eras; it follows their lives as they, as children, come in contact with a Greek manuscript that teaches them the power of stories, books, libraries, and hope in general. It is very long (640 pages), but it doesn’t feel like heavy reading, just like The Magician, which it is 512 pages long.
So glad you stopped by Carmen! I was hoping to hear how you liked The Magician and it sounds like you really did. I don’t know much about the Manns so I am curious; they seem fascinating with the era they were living in. Great report on that and Cloud Cuckoo Land. Although both are long, I’m glad to hear they’re very readable and not heavy. You are on a roll with your reading. I am slow as I am struggling to read PW books and ones for the blog. Need to figure out something about this. Thanks for your good info. Keep me informed!
By the way, I saw Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac in A Most Violent Year and they made a dashing and powerful duo onscreen. So, hopefully I’ll be tuning in to see this new miniseries of theirs. Nicole Kidman is leading quite an ensemble cast in Nine Perfect Strangers from Hulu, which I’ll be watching too.
Yes I also saw A Most Violent Year and liked the duo on the screen. I had almost forgotten they had starred together before. I had to look that up. We just finished the first 2 episodes of Nine Perfect Strangers … and it seems a good distraction from life, hooray! Sort of fun with the different actors. We will continue on with it … and another season of Bosch (season 7). I didn’t really do a full preview the last two months … so missed out on what there was to watch. But seems like plenty this fall. Enjoy.
I’m simply ready for September, but the new books provide wonderful choices that make it even better. I never read American Rust despite all the praise, but maybe I should now that I’ve been reminded.
Hi Jen, yeah a few others reminded me that American Rust was based on the novel, so now I’m curious to read it too. Sounds like a gritty one. I’m ready for September too. Hope you have a great reading month.
September is this week. Amazing. Life is just flying past.
Thank you for sharing these books that will be debuting soon. I’m a huge fan of Richard Powers, so I was delighted to read Bewilderment last month. It’s his most approachable book yet, I think. His writing, in general, is rich with scientific and other references, but this one focuses a little more on the story than the writing. I look forward to hearing what you think. I’m greatly looking forward to reading Anthony Doerr’s new book. I hear it is all over the place. He will be speaking at Inprint this fall virtually, so I’m jazzed to think about hearing him speak, too.
Scenes from a Marriage sounds intriguing. I will look for it.
Fall is my favorite time of the year, even though fall only will make brief appearances here in September.
Thanks Deb, great to know you’ve already read the new Richard Powers novel and liked it. It looks accessible and I’m keen to get to it. I still need to read The Overstory too, which so many found amazing. It’s hard to believe it’s already September. The inprint author talks look all very good and I plan to listen to a few. Thanks for letting us know about those. Enjoy your week.
Lauren Groff will be speaking on Inprint in three weeks, and now that you’ve shared a little about her new book, I’m particularly interested in hearing her read from it and talk about it.
Deb, Thanks for the heads up. I might try to read Groff’s novel before her talk if I can get it from the library in time. It seems like a departure for her … so I’m curious to what she has to say about it too.
I see at least two books I want to read — I think some of your commenters must have advance copies, because they’ve read them prior to release. “The Magician” especially sounds good, as I read most of Mann’s books years ago and have been meaning to go back and read them again. Also “Harlem Shuffle” sounds good.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Thanks Mae. It would be interesting to hear what you think of The Magician since you know Mann’s books. I have only read Mann’s novella Death in Venice … but should read more of his. I know some bloggers have received advance copies of these … but I haven’t … and I’ll just get them from the library. Enjoy your week.
Happy Birthday month, Susan! It will be interesting to see what the fall really ends up looking like. All I know is I’m happy to join the ranks of the retired.
We have a lot of books in common this month. I’m not sure how I missed Matrix, but am definitely add it to my TBR list. I just let my Apple TV subscription go, but may need to restart it for The Morning Show. I appreciate that you always highlight the great things coming out in TV and movies.
Have a great month.
Thanks Susie. Yeah I think it’s great that you’re retired now, and I hope it frees up a lot of time for you. More reading! You’ll probably need to renew just for The Morning Show as it should be pretty entertaining. Perhaps you’ll get to Matrix before me … if you do, you can vet it first. 🙂 / Have a great month.
I wasn’t a big fan of Brooklyn so I’m not sure if his new will be on my list. Anthony Doerr’s book wasn’t my favorite either…But Matrix sounds interesting and Whitehead’s new book as well.
Lots of fun fall shows too!
I’m glad to hear your area kept on wearing masks after vaccination…it’s so hard here. Lots of kids are getting Covid now school’s back in session. Grrrr
I hope you have a wonderful birthday month!
Thanks Heather. It should be a good month, we have a couple local trips lined up in the woods, ha. Sorry to hear about the Covid there, ugh. It seems to be coming back everywhere and people should be back to wearing masks indoors, grrrr. I hope your son is able to stay safe.
I’m curious about the Matrix novel as well. Hmm. Have a great week.
I am very excited for the release of Cloud Cuckoo Land and season 2 of The Morning Show! September is going to be a good month….
Yep Mareli — I think Sept. should be great. Cuckoo Land seems like a long novel so not sure when I will get to it. But I hear others are liking it. Happy Sept to you.
The world is definitely stressful and ulcer-inducing lately, but at least there are still good books to read. Hope your September is awesome. 🙂
Thanks Lark: I agree … everyday it’s something new big to worry about, recently it’s the Lake Tahoe fire … as well as the hurricanes and the Taliban. But the good books & reads help! Trying to stay grounded. Enjoy your September.