11 Books Coming Out This September That You Need to Read
Fall is, hands down, my favorite season.
The reason for my affinity for autumn isn’t entirely clear, even to me.
Maybe it’s the piles of bold-hued leaves that line the neighborhood streets, begging to be jumped in.
Maybe it’s the arrival of pumpkin spice — yeah… I’m basic AF.
Or maybe it’s the fact that I can finally wear a hoodie over my tees — ‘cause I got a body built for layers.
Probably, in truth, it’s a combination of all of the above.
All factors considered, the arrival of September is pretty much my Christmas — I look forward to this shit All. Fucking. Year.
And, as if I don’t already love this month enough, there’s even more for me to be excited about — books.
TBH, When I’m excited, 99.9% of the time, the answer to the question, “why?” is “books”.
Also note, the answer to the question, “why?” is never “jogging.”... which is probably why I have a body built for layers. #KeepinItReal
Anyway, this September is teeming with books that I can’t fucking wait to read.
If you’re looking for a new novel to devour as you rest in a nest of leaves, snuggled tight in your zip-front hoodie and enjoying an almost-too-hot-to-handle cup of pumpkin spice latte, we’ve got you covered.
Check out the 11 books we think everyone will be talking about this September.
When the Lights Go Out
by Mary Kubica
Release Date - September 4, 2018
Genre - Thriller
For many people, the biggest hurdle they have to jump when starting college is the FAFSA.
That shit’s basically written in Latin #JustSaying
But when Jessie Sloane tries to start higher education, she finds herself impeded by something decidedly more… mysterious.
When her worries should be limited to trivial stuff — like the cost of textbooks and her ability to survive on ramen six days out of the week — Jessie finds herself faced with the disturbing fact that her social security number has, somehow, triggered a red flag.
As she tries to solve what must obviously just be some clerical error, she uncovers truths she might not be ready to handle.
To make matters worse, the stress of these discoveries — and, you know, life in general — wears on Jessie, resulting in insomnia.
Now, when she most needs to be clear-headed, she finds her thinking obscured by exhaustion, leading her to question whether anything she sees, thinks or believes is actually true.
Sadie
by Courtney Summers
Release Date - September 4, 2018
Genre - Young Adult Thriller
It all started with a dead girl in a field. Discovered, in the way that they oh-so-often are, by a well-intentioned passerby.
And this dead girl, like all dead girls, is someone’s daughter — and, in this case, someone’s sister.
It’s the death of her sister, Mattie, that propels Sadie to do what she never had the courage to before. To head off on a quest to put right what once went wrong — kinda like “Quantum Leap”… but without the time travel.
So Sadie disappears into the night, taking with her what little she has, willing to risk everything — even her life — to avenge her sister.
But when months go by without a word from Sadie, the only family she has in her life, a surrogate grandmother whose property the girls lived on, reaches out for help.
The help she seeks comes in the form of podcast host who promises to dig through the evidence and, if not find Sadie, at least find out what happened to her.
Word of warning - This book will rip your heart out and leave you actively sobbing.
If you want a feel-good read… maybe not this one. If you want a book that leaves you changed as a human, pick up “Sadie”.
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating
by Christina Lauren
Release Date - September 4, 2018
Genre - Romance
Think When Harry Met Sally, but set in the digital age.
Hazel and Josh have a long and complicated past.
They’re complete opposites that just never quite attracted — at least in any way that stuck. Hazel is zany to the point of being annoying. Josh is mellow to the point of being catatonic.
When Josh thinks of Hazel, he doesn’t think of her as a marriageable prospect, but instead as that girl who once vomited in — yes in, not on — his shoes.
But now, ten years after their first meeting, Josh is in a different place. Specifically, he’s down in the dumps having been recently cheated on by his girlfriend.
Against his better judgment, he agrees to go out with Hazel.
When it goes better than they ever expected it could, the duo, refusing to believe that they have a real future together, find themselves fighting against the forces pushing them into each other’s arms.
The pair is so committed to not ending up together, in fact, that they subject themselves to a series of increasingly horrific double blind dates.
But will all of these efforts prove fruitful, or are they, despite the odds, destined to be a couple?
Three Little Lies
by Laura Marshall
Release Date - September 4, 2018
Genre - Thriller
When Sasha moves into town, she and Ellen become best friends.
What 17-year-old Ellen sees in this newcomer is everything that she wishes she possessed.
Freedom.
Adventurousness.
Intrigue.
But Ellen quickly learns that not all is as sparkly and perfect as it seems when, after a New Years Eve party turns not so happy, she ends up entangled in drama.
13 years later, Ellen and Sasha, now grown women, are sharing a flat in London.
The events of that year-ending night are simply an unfortunate past.
Or so Ellen thinks. But then Sasha goes missing.
Now Ellen must unearth secrets that she long-ago buried and deal with realities she’s avoided confronting for over a decade.
Failing to face these unfortunate truths might not only result in her never seeing Sasha again, it might also mean she loses everything she has— including her own life.
The Exes’ Revenge
by Jo Jakeman
Release Date - September 11, 2018
Genre - Thriller
You know what they say about a woman scorned.
When Phillip Rochester rather unceremoniously kicks his wife to the curb, he learns just how powerful a pissed off woman can be first hand.
Imogen thought that she had a happy marriage. Until, that is, her husband demands that she vacate their family home… and sues for sole custody of their son.
Unwilling to take this really-fucking-shitty behavior laying down, she hatches a plan.
While she logically thinks that she’ll be alone in her revenge-seeking, she quickly gains some rather unexpected allies — Phillip’s ex-wife as well as his girlfriend.
With this trio of wronged ladies working together, Phillip will have no choice but to face their fury and finally atone for his habitually bad behavior.
Lies
by T.M. Logan
Release Date - September 11, 2018
Genre - Thriller
Joe was pretty content with his life. Satisfied by his fulfilling job as a teacher, dedicated to his adorable son, Wills, and absolutely infatuated with his beautiful wife, Mel, Joe felt like he had everything he’d ever wanted.
But, as things have a way of doing, that all changes in an instant.
Joe’s world is turned upside down when, by happenstance, his son spots Mel’s car in the busy London traffic — and, as little ones have a way of doing, convinces his dad to follow Mommy.
As a result of this innocent and well-intentioned detour, Joe discovers that everything — the entire foundation on which he’s so happily constructed a life — is nothing but lies.
As if that wasn’t enough of a day-ruiner, Joe’s new knowledge of the truth — along with a mistake made at the moment of discovery — may be putting his family in danger.
Unable to turn back time and undo what has been done — Wow, another Quantum Leap reference — Joe has no choice but to push forward and dig through the lies, hoping against hope that he finds a kernel of truth to which to cling.
The Dinner List
by Rebecca Serle
Release Date - September 11, 2018
Genre - Literary Fiction
If you could have a dinner party with any three people, alive or dead, who would you choose?
It’s a tricky question, really.
I think I would go with Harriet Tubman, Colin Firth, and Barack Obama.
But that answer would likely change with the day.
This purely-for-shits-and-giggles question becomes a surprising-to-the-point-of-alarming reality for Sabrina, the protagonist of this novel. When she shows up for what is simply supposed to be a 30th birthday dinner, she finds that, along with her friends, are three people who played important roles in her past… as well as Audrey Hepburn — an iconic woman with whom she, obviously, has no past at all.
As she moves through the dinner, Sabrina comes to learn that there are very specific reasons why each member of the dinner party is in attendance at this event. And that what was simply billed as a light night out might actually have more of an impact on her life than she ever anticipated.
The Ancient Nine
by Ian K Smith, MD
Release Date - September 18, 2018
Genre - Thriller
Other than the fact that they’ve both been welcomed into Harvard’s 1988 admissions class, Spenser and Dalton have nothing in common.
Spenser comes from nothing and has earned every opportunity he has ever received.
Dalton, on the other hand, was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and always knew his admission to Harvard was a foregone conclusion.
What starts as an unlikely and tenuous friendship is strengthened when both boys are selected to join the Delphic Club, an elite — and creepily secret — society that has roots dating back to the 19th century.
Despite the fact that Dalton’s own great-uncle was one of the founding members of the club, he knows very little about the shadowy organization.
With Spenser at his side, Dalton begins to dig. And the more secrets the duo unearths about the organization the more danger they find themselves in, triggering them to wonder: How important is the truth, really?
Things I’d Rather Do Than Die
by Christine Hurley Deriso
Release Date - September 18, 2018
Genre - Young Adult
You know what they say:
Opposites attract. And, if they don’t attract, all you have to do is lock them in a workout room overnight and that will do the trick.
Okay, so that second part isn’t featured in the classic Paula Abdul hit — but it should be, if this novel is to be believed.
Dual protagonists, Jade and Ethan, have nothing in common.
Jade is quiet, religious and introverted.
Ethan is loud, athletic and boisterous.
Logically — given the fact that they have not-one-fucking-thing in common — they haven’t willingly spent any time together.
This changes when they end up trapped together, overnight.
As the hours pass, their connection grows.
And they leave their temporary confinement with newfound attachments to each other.
But will these connections be strong enough to withstand the admittedly strong social forces of high school? And, more importantly, is there a reason why they were thrust together in the first place?
Unstoppable Moses
by Tyler James Smith
Release Date - September 25, 2018
Genre - Young Adult
Most adolescents go through a phase where they feel invincible. Untouchable. Immortal.
Now I, personally, never did. Because from a young age I fell too often and got hurt too much, serving as proof of my ultimate fragility as a human.
But my experience is far different from Moses, the titular protagonist of this young adult novel.
He and his cousin, Charlie, are known for their pranks — which, other than serving as an annoyance to parents, teachers and other adults of authority, isn’t that big a deal. But their pranking becomes a big deal when one prank goes awry, leading to police involvement.
This new label of “criminal” threatens to derail Moses’ life, as it puts his admission to Duke in jeopardy.
He does have one option, though — to do community service, working as a camp counselor for a week. If he does this… successfully… his record will be expunged and his future restored. But can Moses do it, or is a force beyond his control hampering his efforts?
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
by Hank Green
Release Date - September 25, 2018
Genre - Literary Fiction
What do you do if you see something crazy in 2018? Take out your phone and document it.
It’s really just how things are done.
If you don’t capture it on video, it didn’t happen.
So, when 23-year-old April May happens upon a ridiculous and giant statue on her way home from work, getting her friend Andy to come help her make a video is her logical response.
After the requisite upload to YouTube, April goes to sleep, expecting the next day to be like any other.
But the next day isn’t like any other.
Instead, April wakes up to find that her video has gone viral, that these statues have cropped up all over the world, and that, as the first person to document these oddities, she’s a newfound celebrity.
With April thrust into the spotlight, her relationships are put to the test. But she doesn’t even have time to acclimate herself to her new stardom. She’s too busy trying to figure out what these statues are, where they came from and what their sudden appearance means.
* Drink. Read. Repeat. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an associate, we may earn commissions, at no cost to you, from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com
