16 New Books for September
This month, we’ve got our eyes on Creep: Accusations and Confessions, Land of Milk and Honey, and 14 other titles by writers on the West.
THE ASKING: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS, BY JANE HIRSHFIELD
Hirshfield’s latest collection straddles science and language, finding home in the biosphere and kinship in the written word. The 31 new poems here range from epic in scope to minimalist, looking at the smallest details. Her overall message is one of hope, asking us not to “despair of this falling world, not yet,” but rather to embrace what mysteries the future holds. Knopf, September 12
BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN, BY JESSICA KNOLL
Knoll may never use the name Ted Bundy, but the notorious serial killer infuses this novel, which opens in the Pacific Northwest and involves a psychopath who kidnaps women in broad daylight and later murders sorority students at Florida State University. The focus, though, is not on him but on two women, one in Tallahassee and one in Seattle, who band together after their loved ones are killed. If you liked Emma Cline’s The Girls, this one is for you. Marysue Rucci Books, September 19
BUILD THE LIFE YOU WANT: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF GETTING HAPPIER, BY ARTHUR C. BROOKS AND OPRAH WINFREY
Build the Life You Want is a guide to self-fulfillment, built around the four pillars of happiness: friendship, family, faith, and work. Don’t know where to start? Brooks and Winfrey break it down; using their own experiences (and those of others they have helped over the years), they offer methods of coping with emotions and overcoming hardship. Portfolio, September 12
CREEP: ACCUSATIONS AND CONFESSIONS, BY MYRIAM GURBA
California Book Club author Gurba follows her 2017 memoir, Mean, with a critical look at the “creeps” in her life and in society. Her targets include institutions, cultural touchstones, and even Joan Didion. Gurba’s book masquerades as personal but reveals something much more universal and profound. Avid Reader Press, September 5
FLUID, BY LISA TEASLEY
This collection of stories by the author of Glow in the Dark and Heat Signature is set in the United States, Namibia, and northern England. In each piece, Teasley explores diverse characters confronting contemporary issues. These captivating works of short fiction linger and provoke. Cune Press, September 26
GANGSTERS DON’T DIE, BY TOD GOLDBERG
In the third volume of Goldberg’s Gangsterland trilogy, Sal Cupertine is back, committed to his cover as a rabbi and eager to renounce his former life as a hit man. But it won’t be easy. In an effort to get out of witness protection, Sal must head to the low desert for a showdown with his old nemesis Peaches Pocotillo—and confront his past along the way. Counterpoint LLC, September 12
THE HEART OF IT ALL, BY CHRISTIAN KIEFER
When a stranger moves in with his Black aunt in a small Ohio town during the Trump administration, the superficial threads that bind the community together soon unravel. The lives of three families—some of whom are Pakistani immigrants—intersect in startling ways, stoking the racism of some residents while also revealing possibilities for redemption and hope. Melville House Publishing, September 12
LAND OF MILK AND HONEY, BY C PAM ZHANG
Zhang, whose debut, How Much of These Hills Is Gold, was selected for the California Book Club, is back with her second novel, in which a climate crisis has destroyed agriculture and the dining industry is crumbling. In the midst of this, a chef flees her city job for an elusive mountaintop community with access to fresh ingredients. But the beauty of her new home has its own issues, and as her life among the elite becomes more boundaryless and sensual, survival becomes complicated. Riverhead Books, September 26
OCTAVIA E. BUTLER: THE LAST INTERVIEW: AND OTHER CONVERSATIONS, BY MELVILLE HOUSE
Butler has long been on the short list of science fiction greats. Now, this posthumous collection of interviews offers her thoughts on the challenges of being a Black woman in a white-dominated space. The legendary Samuel R. Delany, who was a former teacher of Butler’s, contributes an incisive introduction. Melville House Publishing, September 19
PASTURES OF THE EMPTY PAGE: FELLOW WRITERS ON THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF LARRY MCMURTRY, EDITED BY GEORGE GETSCHOW
McMurtry, who died in 2021, famously referred to himself as a “minor regional writer.” In this Festschrift, a host of authors and close friends, including his longtime screenwriting partner, Diana Ossana, argue the opposite in essays that celebrate the author’s talents, contributions to literature, and mentoring of other writers. University of Texas Press, September 5
PIG, BY SAM SAX
Depending on your point of view, a pig can be an unclean food, a pejorative for police officers, or simply an animal from which bacon comes. In this inventive and varied poetry collection, Sax considers the many functions pigs have served, an exercise that leads to revelations on his own existence and the responsibilities that come with it. Scribner, September 19
STRAITJACKETS AND LUNCH MONEY: A 10-YEAR-OLD IN A PSYCHOSOMATIC WARD, BY KATYA CENGEL
When she was just 10, Cengel entered Stanford’s Roth Psychosomatic Unit as patient 090 71 51, driven by the burden of tending to her depressed father. Three decades later, as a journalist, she has chronicled her stay, tracking down the counselors and psychologists once charged with caring for her. This memoir intertwines Cengel’s 10-year-old voice with expert insights, offering a harrowing glimpse into childhood mental struggles and the evolution of psychiatric care. Woodhall Press, September 5
THIS COUNTRY: SEARCHING FOR HOME IN (VERY) RURAL AMERICA, BY NAVIED MAHDAVIAN
Artist Mahdavian embarks on a journey from San Francisco to rural Idaho in pursuit of the “Millennial dream.” With no prior experience living in the wilderness, he, along with his wife and dog, eventually embrace the wild American West. In this graphic memoir, he details his growth as an artist and a father and his adjustments to rustic life. Princeton Architectural Press, September 12
THIS IS SALVAGED, BY VAUHINI VARA
Vara follows her Pulitizer finalist, The Immortal King Rao, with a series of short stories that focus on the sublime and powerful bonds humans forge with one another. Whether attempting to build a life-size replica of Noah’s ark or looking for work as phone-sex operators, Vara’s characters are united by a desire for intimacy and understanding. W.W. Norton & Company, September 26
WILD GIRLS: HOW THE OUTDOORS SHAPED THE WOMEN WHO CHALLENGED A NATION, BY TIYA MILES
The rural landscapes of North America have helped to cultivate adventurous women, including Sacagawea and Grace Lee Boggs, who pushed back against cultural norms and oppression. Historian Miles means to honor these women by telling their stories—many of which have been forgotten or misunderstood—as well as by encouraging young girls to choose the lives they wish to lead. W.W. Norton & Company, September 19
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JOAN DIDION, BY EVELYN MCDONNELL
In this affectionate look at Didion and her impact, McDonnell—who teaches journalism at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and has also written Queens of Noise: The Real Story of the Runaways—closely tracks the author’s history and writing, revealing her perspective on humanity and literature. Harper Collins, September 26
14 New Books for September
15 New Books for August
New Releases for July
Upcoming Releases: Moderation and Cozy Dystopias
