10 unforgettable new books you should read this September

Aug 30 2021, 9:32 pm

The best new books arriving this September offer something for everyone.

You can choose to get lost in the beautiful world of Sally Rooney with her highly anticipated new novel or dive into the pages of debut Canadian author Lindsay Zier-Vogel’s Letters to Amelia.

If you want something to get your pulse racing, there’s no shortage of thrillers this month with new books from New York Times bestselling authors Lisa Jewell, Liane Moriarty, and Alice Feeney. 

These are 10 unforgettable books we recommend this month.

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

If you liked Normal People and Conversations with Friends, then you’ll love Sally Rooney’s latest book. Beautiful World, Where Are You tells the story of two best friends, Alice and Eileen, both approaching their 30s, and on completely different trajectories. 

Alice, a writer, meets a new man called Felix, who works in a warehouse, and invites him to Italy with her. Meanwhile, Eileen’s in Dublin getting over a break-up and flirting with Simon, a man she’s known since childhood. 

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead

Harlem Shuffle is the latest novel by Colson Whitehead, a critically acclaimed storyteller, fresh off of his second Pulitzer Prize win. The book is driven by an ingeniously intricate plot that plays out in a beautifully recreated Harlem in the early 1960s. It’s an epic family saga masquerading as a crime novel, and a social novel about race and power. Ultimately, it’s a love letter to Harlem.

Letters to Amelia by Lindsay Zier-Vogel

Letters to Amelia centres on a 30-year-old library tech called Grace Porter, who is heartbroken after her partner of seven years unexpectedly leaves. At work, she’s tasked with reading newly discovered letters that Amelia Earhart wrote to her lover, Gene Vidal. She becomes captivated by the famous pilot who disappeared in 1937. The letters are healing for Grace, and with each one, she starts piecing her life back together. This is a gorgeous story of love, family bonds, and close friendships. 

The Weight of Sand by Edith Blais

In this unforgettable memoir, Canadian Edith Blais tells the harrowing story of her 450 days of captivity in the Sahara and her courageous escape. She recounts the prolonged terror of her months as a hostage, enduring violent sandstorms, gruelling hunger strikes, extreme isolation, and the unpredictability of her captors. The Weight of Sand also includes the poems Edith wrote in secret, which became a lifeline of creativity and one of the few possessions she smuggled out in her escape.

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

Rock Paper Scissors is the latest domestic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Alice Feeney. This one centres on Adam and Amelia Wright, a married couple on the brink of divorce. They win a weekend away to Scotland, which might be just what their marriage needs. They both know this weekend will make or break them. Turns out, they didn’t randomly win the trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after. 

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

On a midsummer night, Tallulah Murray and her boyfriend, Zach Allister, disappear after partying at the massive country estate of a new college friend. One year later, a writer moves into a cottage near the estate and comes across a sign that says “DIG HERE.” This book kept me up all night. 

Aggie and Mudgy by Wendy Proverbs

Aggie and Mudgy is based on the true story of debut author Wendy’s biological mother and aunt. This middle-grade novel traces the long and frightening journey of two Kaska Dena sisters as they are taken from their home to attend a residential school. 

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

From New York Times bestselling author Liane Moriarty comes a novel that looks at marriage, siblings, and how the people we love the most can hurt us the deepest. Apples Never Fall centres on the Delaney family; parents Joy and Stan, and their four kids. One night, Joy goes missing, and while two of the kids think Stan is innocent, the other two think he’s hiding something. 

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

For fans of Red, White & Royal Blue, The Charm Offensive is a heartwarming romantic comedy about Charlie Winshaw, an awkward tech wunderkind, and Dev Deshpande, the producer of a long-running reality dating show called Ever After. Charlie ends up on the show and realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars.

My Amy by Tyler James

Tyler James met Amy Winehouse when he was 13 years old and was with her right up until her death in 2011. The two met at the Sylvia Young Theatre School and spent most of their adult lives living together in London. If anyone knew Amy Winehouse, it was Tyler James.

My Amy is an intimate, deeply moving, and emotionally charged memoir that is both heartbreaking and tragic, but also lighthearted and funny. Tyler introduces us to a side of Amy that we never got to know. 

Sean LoughranSean Loughran

+ Curated
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