I powered through a very diverse pile of books in September: three historical fiction novels, two fantasies, and five books that I would characterize as contemporary or literary fiction, all with wildly different storylines. There’s something for every reader in this list! Two standouts I’d recommend are Kelly Link’s The Book of Love – a long, dreamlike fantasy book – and Jason Mott’s People Like Us – a dual perspective work of auto fiction exploring the trauma of gun violence and racism in America.
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Top Recommendations
People Like Us
Jason Mott
People Like Us is entertaining to read, even as it tackles heavy subjects like racism, gun culture, loss, identity, and belonging. The chapters alternate between two characters, both writers: Soot, who’s giving a talk at a college that was recently the site of a campus shooting, and an unnamed writer on tour in Europe. Soot’s chapters are reflective and heavy with grief, while the fedora-wearing writer on his European jaunt has a playful, electrifying voice. The narrative is threaded through with magical realism and powerfully blends auto fiction and meta fiction to make a profound statement on the enduring trauma of gun culture and racial injustice. Get your copy from Bookshop.
The Book of Love
Kelly Link
In acclaimed short story writer Kelly Link’s first full (very full) length novel The Book of Love, three teens return from the dead thanks to their magical music teacher Mr. Anabin and his shape shifting, immortal pal Bogomil. The kids are tasked with learning how to do magic and discovering how they died. If they pass Anabin’s test, two can remain and two will return (presumably in the land of the living and back to the land of the dead). Thus begins a magical, whimsical, utterly amorphous and shape shifting supernatural narrative about love, friendship, loyalty, racism, and grief. It’s impossible to pin down because the narrative is as slippery as the cast of characters from the afterlife. I finished this hefty book with absolutely no idea what I had just read and to be honest it took a massive amount of motivation to keep going once I was halfway through. But I’m really glad I did – it’s a unique, intriguing, and unforgettable reading experience. Get your copy from Bookshop.
The Rest of the List
I typically write this in reverse chronological order of my reading, but since four of these books are ARCs that will not be published until 2026, I’m starting with the novels you can read now.
Available to read now
The King’s Messenger
Susanna Kearsley
The King’s Messenger is an unassuming book that will transport you to 17th century Scotland and England. Andrew Logan, the titular Messenger, travels to Scotland with an elderly scribe and his daughter to arrest a man the king suspects of having a hand in his son’s death. Kearsley doesn’t use flashy prose and nothing much happens on the surface, but there is so much depth of character transformation that the book has a quiet power. It’s an adventure novel and slow burn romance, but the story is really about the people who are going on the journey and how their time together affects each of them. That said, it’s very slow and it takes a long time for the characters to open up. I enjoyed the second half much more than the first. I’m glad I stuck with it, but if you read this book, do so knowing that it takes patience to get to the payoff. Get your copy from Bookshop.
The Magician of Tiger Castle
Louis Sachar
It pains me to say this because I loved reading the author’s classic children’s novel Holes to my kids when they were younger, but I didn’t really enjoy reading his first adult novel The Magician of Tiger Castle, which tells the story of a court magician caught between obeying the king’s orders and supporting a young couple’s true love. It reads like a middle grade fantasy book rather than a book for adults. The author did state that he started out writing this book for young adults but pivoted to an adult novel once the magician began taking center stage – and it shows in the writing. Get your copy from Bookshop.
Finding Grace
Loretta Rothschild
Finding Grace has a very unique premise which the jacket doesn’t do justice to and I can’t reveal much of without giving away spoilers. The book has a shocking early twist that sets the plot in motion, and it goes from what seems like a domestic drama to a twisty, thriller-ish story of family, love, and second chances. The choice of narrator is a quirky one that adds interest to the story. The husband is an absolutely infuriating character. And that’s about all I can say without giving it away. Read Finding Grace if you want shock, twists, deception, and a main character you will be yelling at in frustration. Get your copy from Bookshop.
Maine Characters
Hannah Orenstein
In Maine Characters, two half-sisters meet for the first time and spend an unexpected summer together at their father’s lake house after his sudden death. I love the book cover and the author writes the Maine setting beautifully, but I didn’t really enjoy the story. The sisters are both bratty and entitled so it’s hard to root for either one of them. Their fights felt snarky, so even though there was a lot of pain behind them it fell flat emotionally. Read Maine Characters if you enjoy commercial fiction about domestic relationships, found family, and vivid summer settings. Get your copy from Bookshop.
Coming in 2026
A Perfect Hand
Ayelet Waldman
In Regency-era England, a valet and a lady-in-waiting, smitten with one another, scheme to marry off their lord and lady so they themselves can pair off in the “downstairs” world of service in their manor. The only hitch? The lady loathes the lord. Cue the sharp social commentary, sardonic asides from the narrator, feminist awakenings, and an unexpected turn of events for our lovebirds. A fun and witty read perfect for fans of Bridgerton. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.
A Perfect Hand will be published in May 2026. Pre-order your copy from Bookshop and come back in May to read my full review.
Daughter of Egypt
Marie Benedict
Daughter of Egypt moves between ancient Thebes, where the powerful female pharaoh Hatshepsut rises to the throne, and 1920s Egypt, where real-life Lady Evelyn Herbert becomes consumed with uncovering the truth behind the posthumous erasure of Hatshepsut’s legacy. I loved the vivid archaeological setting and the scenes of ancient Egypt, but struggled with this historical novel’s heavy reliance on creative reinvention. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC.
Daughter of Egypt will be published in March 2026. Put it on your TBR if you like dual-timeline narratives and stories about women reclaiming their place in history. Pre-order your copy from Bookshop and come back in March to read my full review.
Go Gentle
Maria Semple
Go Gentle, the latest novel from the author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette, started out a lot of fun, with a middle aged divorced woman forming a coven of other single women living in the same Upper West Side apartment building so they can take care of each other and split the cost of things that make no sense to buy for just one person (like a bunch of celery stalks). She has a sassy teenage daughter, a quirky job as a private philosophy tutor to a wealthy family, and a witty voice. Then the book takes an abrupt turn into #metoo territory, initiates a tepid romance, and morphs into international art dealing subterfuge, the plot of which I couldn’t totally follow. Overall it ended up being just okay for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC.
Go Gentle will be published in April 2026. Pre-order your copy at Bookshop and come back in April to read my full review.
The Storm
Rachel Hawkins
The Storm takes place in a small town on the Gulf Coast where hurricanes are part of life and local lore. Lo Bailey, acquitted years ago as a teenager of charges of killing her older lover during a hurricane, has returned to St. Medard’s Bay with August Fletcher, a writer eager to tell her story. The two bunk down at the Rosalie Inn, a seemingly indestructible beachfront hotel, as a monster storm approaches. As the wind rises, so do the tensions between Lo, August, and the inn’s owner Geneva.The Storm delivers vivid hurricane scenes and a coastal setting alive with atmosphere, though the suspense never fully developed for me. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC.
The Storm will be published in January 2026. Pre-order your copy from Bookshop and come back in January to read my full review.
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