Greetings, readers. September has something of a valedictory air to it, as the close of summer and the waning of the year, but for the publishing world, it’s
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the start of the fall cycle. And that means big name authors, the push for prestige titles as the awards season looms—it’s enough to justifying trotting out the hyperbolic adjectives:
- Blockbusters! With an anticipated print run of over one million, you will be hearing a lot about The Secret of Secrets. And as it’s the latest by Mr Bestseller himself, Dan Brown, and features his most famous creation, Robert Langdon, that print run is likely justified. The Secret of Secrets is out September 9. Elin Hilderbrand is no slouch in the bestselling department, but her latest, The Academy, is a bit of a departure from her usual Nantucket-set beach reads. Collaborating with her daughter Shelby Cunningham, Hilderbrand moves her ensemble casts and dishy scandal-driven plots to the world of an elite New England boarding school. It’s out September 16. And while it might not be a blockbuster yet, Richard Osman’s latest Thursday Murder Club book, The Impossible Fortune, hopes to ride the wave of popularity due to the release of The Thursday Murder Club film, which is itself getting the blockbuster treatment (Steven Spielberg is producing it). Things bode well for The Impossible Fortune; Kirkus calls it the high point of the series thus far. It’s out September 30.
- Epic! There are ‘big’ books and then there are ‘big’ books size-wise. If you’re a fan of the sort of immersive experience a big novel offers and still want to read a buzzy ‘big’ fall book, you have options this month. Ken Follett has made his name creating huge historical sagas, most notably with his Kingsbridge series. He continues that trend with Circle of Days, an account of the building of Stonehenge, complete with the signature Follett elements of a large cast of characters, and a well-told yarn grounded in fine historical research, all in a tidy 700-page package. Elizabeth George continues her psychologically-probing Inspector Lynley series with A Slowly Dying Cause. Library Journal praises it as ‘rich in atmosphere and character analysis,’ and worthy of its 650-page heft. And readers of Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike series are accustomed to weighty, intricately plotted mysteries. At 900 pages and featuring a labyrinth plot around a Masonic lodge and stolen silver, The Hallmarked Man promises not to disappoint fans.
- Enduring! It may be closing in on its 250-year birthday, but the Constitution never been a hotter topic than in today’s fraught political world. Acclaimed historian Jill Lepore offers We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution, out mid-month. Library Journal calls it ‘essential reading for all Americans’ and Publisher’s Weekly notes it as a ‘stylish and clear-eyed study.’ It would be interesting to pair Lepore’s historical perspective with an author whose day job is the hands-on application of that document and how it affects today’s world. Happily, controversial Supreme Court justice Amy Coney Barrett’s memoir Listening to the Law: Reflections on the Court and the Constitution, fits that description perfectly. It’s out September 9.
Happy reading!
Publication dates are based on regular print format and are subject to change. This list is not exhaustive. See staff for more information.