It’s time to switch out beach reads for curled-up-in-a-blanket reads! If you’re feeling nostalgic about back-to-school time and are looking for some autumnal reading, we’ve got your de facto list right here. Whether you’re looking for an enjoyable, lighthearted read or a global, heart-wrenching tale, there’s a newly published page-turner on here that you’ll want to pick up immediately.
Today Will Be Different, Maria Semple
Author Maria Semple is best known for her popular novel Where’d You Go
, Bernadette and her new book promises to provide a similarly great reading experience. Today Will Be Different
follows Eleanor on a day where she gives herself seemingly easy goals to accomplish – only to have her day turned upside-down when her plans fall apart and her former colleague threatens to reveal a long-kept family secret. Eleanor’s struggle to be her best self is relatable to everyone, and the humor and heart that Semple uses to tell Eleanor’s story will make you laugh and cry. Available October 4.
Carry This Book, Abbi Jacobson
The coloring book trend won’t be going away for a while – and with this satirical look inside the bags of celebrities, Broad City
’s Abbi Jacobson has given us a whole new reason to color! Like her previous two coloring books, Color This Book
: New York City and Color This Book: San Francisco, Jacobson’s illustrations are bold and quirky and surprisingly timely. Aren’t you curious as to what’s in Anna Wintour’s purse – and as to what’s in Homer Simpson’s? Thanks to Jacobson, now we can find out. Available October 26.
Hidden Figures, Margot Lee Shetterly
This book
hasn’t even been released yet, but it has already been adapted into a film starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae that will premiere in early 2017. This page-turner tells the story of an incredibly talented group of African-American women who worked as “human computers,” creating the calculations that would launch rockets and astronauts into outer space. Shetterly intertwines the tale of four incredible women with the race and gender issues that pervaded the WWII and Cold War eras, giving us a historical tale that provides hope for the future. Available September 6.
Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock, and Fear… and Why, Sady Doyle
This book is not related to the 2015 Amy Schumer film of the same name, but it does delve into the complicated history and media criticism of the female “trainwreck”
phenomenon. From Charlotte Brontë to Britney Spears to Hillary Clinton, Doyle’s fiercely feminist writing analyzes why society has normalized sexism and what we can do about it. Though it’s a serious topic, Doyle’s writing style makes it an incredibly fun and worthwhile read. Available September 20.
Swing Time, Zadie Smith
Author Zadie Smith has already won several literary awards for her writing, and it seems that her new novel Swing Time
is poised to do the same. This time focusing on the world of dance, Smith’s story follows two girls who both dream of being dancers. Though their childhood friendship fades and is not revisited, Swing Time follows the path of both as one becomes a dancer and the other does not. Taking place in multiple locales from Northwest London to West Africa, Smith’s new book is one that you won’t be able to put down. Available November 15.
