Each month, I will pick a handful of buzzworthy and under the radar debut books I feel you’ll enjoy.
Labor Day has passed and summer if officially over. Whether your starting the semester or at your job trying to see how many sick days you have until the new year, chances are you probably need something fun to read. I have some options for you.
I have been trying to expand the types of books I read to grasp a better worldview on the current state of literature. This month, I sought out books that I wouldn’t normally read. Below are a mix of historical fiction, romance, YA, and indie pressed books I would have missed
The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott (Knopf; September 3)
If you’re looking for a spy novel that breaks the mold: look no further. This Cold War thriller is about smuggling the beloved Doctor Zhivago out of the USSR so it could be published throughout the world. Inspired by real events, you’ll want to read this before HBO wins a lot of Emmys for it when it (presumably) eventually becomes a hit miniseries.
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore (Berkley; September 3)
A romance? Yes! Historical romance? You bet! The late-19th century romance novel isn’t something normally on my radar, but even I couldn’t deny the charm and wit leaping off of Dunmore’s pages.
Jenny in Corona by Stuart M. Ross (Tortoise Books; September 10)
This hilariously poignant novel from an indie press is seemingly flying under a lot of radars. It shouldn’t be. Jenny in Corona is a must read for those looking for something a little more peculiar than the typical recommendation. Ross may not have written a perfect novel out of the gates, but he’s close. This is a career you’ll want to follow.
Bloomland by John Englehardt (Dzanc Books; September 10)
In times where mass shootings continue to happen at a rapid pace, this novel offers an insight that isn’t meant to heal, but to inform. There’s something that left a pit in my stomach after reading Englehardt’s novel about a mass shooting at a southern university. It tackles the sensitive subject with a deft understand of how important it really is.
Twine by Monica Duncan (Wall & Emerson; September 14)
Set in the early 2000s, this novel was pitched as one that fans of Diablo Cody would love. I’m usually skeptical of PR mumbo jumbo, but I have to admit: yeah, this is a darkly funny social commentary.
Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker (Delacorte; September 24)
Morgan Parker, the acclaimed poet, is about to become Morgan Parker, the Acclaimed YA Author. The poet’s YA debut is vital. Following a young girl who is considered weird and not-black-enough, this should be lofted into the pantheon of modern YA lit.
debutiful 