The 20 Best Books to Read This Fall

A medieval kingdom? Truman Capote's New York? With these new titles you can choose your own escape. Edited by Kim Hubbard

fall book guide 2021
01 of 20

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead

fall book guide 2021

"Slightly bent" furniture salesman Ray Carney navigates crime and family in a beautifully rendered 1960s Harlem. Another triumph from Pulitzer winner Whitehead. — reviewed by Lynn Brown

(Sept.) FICTION

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02 of 20

Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King

fall book guide 2021

A masterful, enchanting collection of stories illuminating the spectrum of human love — the platonic, the unrequited, the forbidden and the unconditional. — reviewed by Emma Dries

(Nov.) FICTION

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03 of 20

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

fall book guide 2021

Moriarty (Big Little Lies) has an eye for the telling detail that rivals Anne Tyler's — and a knack for building suspense. This tale of a tennis mom gone missing will keep you guessing. — reviewed by Kim Hubbard

(Sept.) FICTION

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04 of 20

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

fall book guide 2021

Heading for a new life in California in 1954, a Nebraskan and his little brother are detoured to unexpected adventures in New York. An enthralling odyssey from the author of A Gentleman in Moscow. — reviewed by Robin Micheli

(Oct.) FICTION

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05 of 20

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

fall book guide 2021

Doerr connects seemingly disparate story lines — from the 15th century, modern Idaho and a spaceship in the future — with a Greek myth about the search for utopia. Epic and profound. — reviewed by Claire Martin

(Sept.) FICTION

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06 of 20

Three Girls From Bronzeville by Dawn Turner

fall book guide 2021

They grew up in the same South Side Chicago neighborhood. The author succeeds; her sister and best friend don't. A remarkable memoir about their bond — and Turner's refusal to leave them behind. — reviewed by Benilde Little

(Sept.) NONFICTION

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07 of 20

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett

fall book guide 2021

The beloved novelist and bookstore owner invites us into her world in 22 essays about family, friendship and the writing life, with guest appearances by Tom Hanks and Snoopy. — reviewed by Marion Winik

(Nov.) NONFICTION

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08 of 20

Capote's Women by Laurence Leamer

fall book guide 2021

Babe Paley, Slim Keith, C.Z. Guest... they were the stars of '50s and '60s society. They were also the women Truman Capote loved, flattered — and betrayed. A fascinating look at their world. — reviewed by Judith Newman

(Oct.) NONFICTION

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09 of 20

Smile by Sarah Ruhl

fall book guide 2021

With a show opening on Broadway and newborn twins in her arms, this MacArthur-winning playwright lost the ability to smile. Her long journey with Bell's palsy is recounted with humor and wisdom. — reviewed by Marion Winik

(Oct.) NONFICTION

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10 of 20

Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang

fall book guide 2021

The author and her mother came to the U.S. as undocumented immigrants, hungry and terrified as they worked in a sweatshop in New York's Chinatown. Now she honors their long-buried story. — reviewed by Marion Winik

(Sept.) NONFICTION

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11 of 20

We Know You Remember by Tove Alsterdal

fall book guide 2021

A suspicious death in her hometown sends Swedish cop Eira Sjödin back to a crime that haunted her childhood. Beautifully elegiac and intricately plotted, this is Nordic noir at its best. — reviewed by Ellen Shapiro

(Sept.) MYSTERY/THRILLER

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12 of 20

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

fall book guide 2021

The septuagenarian sleuths of The Thursday Murder Club don't miss a beat as they track down stolen diamonds, tangle with killers and debate the merits of adopting a dog named Alan. — reviewed by Ellen Shapiro

(Sept.) MYSTERY/THRILLER

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13 of 20

State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

fall book guide 2021

This pulsating thriller — coauthored by a mystery master and the ultimate government insider — pits a novice Secretary of State against evildoers both worlds away and terrifyingly close to home. — reviewed by Ellen Shapiro

(Oct.) MYSTERY/THRILLER

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14 of 20

These Toxic Things by Rachel Howzell Hall

fall book guide 2021

Mickie Lambert is creating a digital scrapbook for the owner of an L.A. curio shop. When the client dies, the objects she's left behind point in an ominous direction. A gripping original. — reviewed by Ellen Shapiro

(Sept.) MYSTERY/THRILLER

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15 of 20

Silverview by John le Carré

fall book guide 2021

This splendid, posthumously published finale to the spy writer's legendary career follows a bookstore owner caught in the machinations of a dysfunctional British intelligence service. — reviewed by Ellen Shapiro

(Oct.) MYSTERY/THRILLER

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16 of 20

Home Alone by Barbara Nascimbeni

fall book guide 2021

When Frido's owner leaves for work, the party starts! A stylish day-in-the-life account of a peppy pup who knows how to entertain herself. — reviewed by Sue Corbett

(July) KIDS/TEENS, 3-5

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17 of 20

Change Sings by Amanda Gorman

fall book guide 2021

A pied piper (with a guitar) collects a band of kids, spreading kindness and promoting changes to the way we treat one another and the planet. — reviewed by Sue Corbett

(Sept.) KIDS/TEENS, 4-8

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18 of 20

The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo

fall book guide 2021

A monk finds a girl in a barn. She can't remember her name, but she can read, which means she belongs to someone rich and important. Could she be the girl prophesized to "unseat a king?" — reviewed by Sue Corbett

(Sept.) KIDS/TEENS, 8-12

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19 of 20

Borders by Thomas King

fall book guide 2021

A boy and his mom are stuck at the U.S.-Canada border when she insists their citizenship is "Blackfoot" and guards say it must be either Canadian or American. A timely graphic novel about identity. — reviewed by Sue Corbett

(Sept.) KIDS/TEENS, 8-12

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20 of 20

When We Were Strangers by Alex Richards

fall book guide 2021

Seventeen-year-old Evie Parker is shattered by her father's unexpected death — and then by the shocking secrets she learns he had been keeping. — reviewed by Sue Corbett

(July) KIDS/TEENS, Young Adult

Buy It: Amazon, Bookshop.org

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