21 New Books Your Friends Are Going to Be Talking About This September

Leave No Trace, by Everything You Want Me to Be author Mindy Mejia, will immediately grip you as it takes you on a tense journey into the depths of grief and highs of hope in this atmospheric, suspenseful story about a missing father and son. 10 years after the pair disappeared into the Minnesotan wilderness, the boy returns and is placed in a psychiatric facility, where a language therapist attempts to coax out his terrifying secrets.

Out Sept. 4

The Wildlands is about a family of Oklahoma orphans, and their shared legacy of trauma is told from the perspective of 9-year-old Cora. When her long-missing — and newly radicalized — older brother returns home, he recruits her on a mission that will test her very sense of self. Geni's taut story builds to an unreal, awe-inspiring climax that's so well-crafted, you'll believe it wholeheartedly. — Lindsay Miller, director, News and Culture

Out Sept. 4

Reese Witherspoon will soon be taking a break from tormenting Meryl Streep on Big Little Lies to promote her new memoir, Whiskey in a Teacup. The book will combine the Academy Award-winner's love of "Southern style, parties, and traditions" with her "contemporary flair and charm." Sounds like fun, no?

Out Sept. 18

Lisa Brennan-Jobs, the daughter of Apple founder Steve Jobs and Chrisann Brennan, offers up a sharp, captivating memoir in the form of Small Fry. From her childhood in Silicon Valley to her tenuous relationship with her largely absent father, the memoir is a guide to growing up as much as it is a love letter to California and the 1970s.

Out Sept. 4

Chrissy Teigen is back with another cookbook! In Cravings: Hungry For More, the supermodel shares both delicious recipes and anecdotes about her personal life that are just as juicy as, say, a little something called Pad Thai Carbonara.

Out Sept. 18

DeRay McKesson, one of the leading voices of the Black Lives Matter movement, has written a book every American should read. On the Other Side of Freedom takes a rigorous look at the legacy of racism and hate in America, weaving in McKesson's own life story about his journey toward a life of activism. As the title promises, this is a work that's brimming with hope, but it's clear-eyed about the work that hope demands of us. I wouldn't recommend checking this one out from the library — only because, if you're like me, you'll find yourself underlining passage after passage. — Lindsay Miller, director, News and Culture

Out Sept. 4

The Kite Runner's Khaled Hosseini has returned with Sea Prayer, an intensely moving illustrated book that was inspired by the refugee crisis. Hosseini takes on the role of a father writing a letter to his young son on the eve of their dangerous journey out of Syria, which was inspired by the heartbreaking photo of Alan Kurdi, a 3-year-old Syrian boy who washed up on a beach in Turkey in 2015.

Out Sept. 18

At this point, do we really need to tell you what this James Patterson novel will be about? The crime novelist is known for his fast-paced, intriguing, and often politically charged thrillers, and Juror #3 is no different. The collaboration with Nancy Allen follows a new, young lawyer in Mississippi who gets caught up in a complex case involving a racially charged felony.

Out Sept. 10

Ever wonder what it really takes to be a vampire? Let Deborah Harkness, New York Times bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches, give you a taste in her latest novel, Time's Convert. The fantasy begins with the relationship between bloodsucker Matthew de Clermont and young surgeon Marcus MacNeil, who he turns during the American Revolution. Fast-forward a few centuries, and Marcus finds himself in a similar predicament, wanting to turn his new love. Together they'll fight for a passionate love story while leaping through supernatural hurdles.

Out Sept. 18

If you're still obsessed with Kate Atkinson's Life After Life, you're going to fall head over heels for Transcription. The sweeping novel takes us on a dramatic journey through WWII alongside 18-year-old Juliet Armstrong, who is reluctantly recruited as a spy for MI5. When she finds her past catching up with her in a dangerous way a decade later, Juliet realizes she's wrapped up in an entirely different war . . . one that she might not get out of alive.

Out Sept. 25

Veteran White House reporter April Ryan's Under Fire is a no-holds-barred account of her last two years as a White House correspondent under the Trump administration. She sifts through the confusion and chaos to reveal what it's truly like inside policy debates, those tense press conferences, and the never-ending string of controversies boiling over in Washington.

Out Sept. 1

Hot on the heels of the smash success of the Won't You Be My Neighbor? documentary that came out earlier this Summer is The Good Neighbor, a deep dive into the fascinating life of Fred Rogers as the Pittsburgh native became an influential figure in the history of TV and touched the lives of millions of children.

Out Sept. 4

Step aside, John Green — it's time for Hank to take over the literary world. The cocreator of Crash Course, Vlogbrothers, and SciShow has written An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, and it's, well . . . remarkable. The novel follows 23-year-old April May, who finds overnight success with a viral video on YouTube and gets sucked into the international spotlight. With her newfound fame comes challenges for her relationships, her identity, and her safety. Social media addicts won't want to miss this one.

Out Sept. 25

The author of Super Sad True Love Story brings us Lake Success, a masterful dive into the life of hilariously self-deluded divorcé and hedge-fund manager Barry Cohen, who begins to crumble under the stress of financial woes and his son's autism diagnosis. As he flees NYC, his incredibly driven and intelligent ex-wife, Seema, finds herself navigating her own set of demons.

Out Sept. 4

Remember that Cameron Diaz rom-com The Other Woman, in which three women team up to take down the man who's wronged them all? Well, Jo Jakeman's The Exes' Revenge is like that, only way darker (and with less shirtless Taylor Kinney, unfortunately). When Imogen's messy divorce to her abusive husband, Phillip, pushes her to the edge, she ends up uniting with his ex-wife and new girlfriend to take revenge. Hell hath no fury like THREE women scorned.

Out Sept. 11

The great Sally Field has written a memoir, In Pieces, and we didn't realize how much we needed it until now. The book traces her road from a haunting, lonely childhood to the successful career as an actress that helped her finally find a voice, and how all of it has impacted her role as both a mother and daughter.

Out Sept. 18

Shannon Gibney's Dream Country is a gut-wrenching account of the life of 17-year-old Liberian refugee Kollie, who is sent back to Monrovia by his disapproving parents. From there the narrative splits into not only Kollie's life, but also his ancestors' struggles centuries earlier.

Out Sept. 11

In Sadie, Courtney Summers introduces us to Sadie and Mattie, two sisters growing up in an isolated town and desperately trying to make a life for themselves. But after Mattie is discovered dead and Sadie realizes the police are no help, she sets out to find her sister's killer on her own. As Sadie begins her road trip, her story ends up in the hands of a radio personality who starts a podcast about her, hoping to track the missing girl before it's too late. Calling this book riveting would be an understatement.

Out Sept. 4

Wayétu Moore's She Would Be King hones in on Liberia during its early years, seen through the eyes of three memorable characters: Gbessa, June Dey, and Norman. When they eventually cross paths, the world opens up around them.

Out Sept. 11

Crudo, Olivia Laing's first work of fiction, brings us a writer named Kathy who's on the cusp of getting married despite "the whole world falling apart." Sharp and funny, the novel takes us on Kathy's journey as she deals with commitment issues, her own art, and love in the era of Trump.

Out Sept. 11

Caitlin Cronenberg and Jessica Ennis have teamed up for The Endings, a luxe photo series that needs to find its way to your coffee table ASAP. The book features a foreword from Mary Harron and explores the experience of losing love through art. It also includes some of today's A-list female stars in intimate photographic vignettes, from Julianne Moore and Keira Knightley to Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Out Sept. 4