10 Must-Read Books You Can't Miss This Fall
Fall may mean shorter days and cooler nights, but that suits booklovers just fine. Why? More excuses to stay in and read! In fact, with highly anticipated new novels from the likes of best-selling authors Stephen King, Alice Hoffman, William Kent Krueger, Nelson Demille & Alex DeMille, Lisa Jewell, and Christina Lauren, even fall TV had better watch its back. Here are 10 new books from Simon & Schuster that will definitely make you want to ditch all your plans to stay in and read this fall:
The Institute by Stephen King
What's the spooky season without a new book from Stephen King? Lucky for us, we don't have to find out, because The Institute is here to keep us reading long into the night. One minute, Luke Ellis is living a relatively normal life with his parents in Minneapolis--the next, he's confronting a nightmarish reality in which his parents are dead and he's being held captive in a facility known as The Institute. There he meets others like him, kids with psychic powers of telekinesis and telepathy. The more Luke learns about the tests and experiments that the staff conducts on the kids under the leadership of the evil Mrs. Sigsby, the more determined he is to do what no one else has ever done: Break out of the Institute. This is King at the top of his game.
The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman
What better way to celebrate Practical Magic season than with a wondrous new novel from the Owens family's creator? In The World That We Knew, Alice Hoffman transports readers to 1941 Europe, where a desperate mother and a renowned rabbi will do anything and everything to save their daughters, Lea and Ettie, from the Nazi regime. Little do they know that a chance at salvation will come in the form of a mystical Jewish creature named Ava created by Ettie to protect Lea, thus binding the three of them together forever. From a desperate flight from Berlin to a meeting of soulmates in Paris to a respite at the mountaintop village school that saved three thousand Jews, their journeys will change the course of their lives forever.
The Deserter by Nelson DeMille & Alex DeMille
It's hard not to be consumed by the news these days, but Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille's latest book isn't here to discourage that urge at all. No, their new heart-pounding thriller actually leans into our insatiable appetite for the story behind the headlines. The Deserter follows Army investigator Scott Brody and his enigmatic new partner, Maggie Taylor, on a high-stakes assignment. Their mission is to bring in a trained assassin who appears to have voluntarily gone missing from his post in Afghanistan before being captured by the Taliban. Complicating an already difficult mission is Brody's growing suspicion that Maggie's answering to the CIA. If you think you know where this one's going, think again…
The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff
You probably remember exactly where you were when you first heard the news that a plane had hit the World Trade Tower on that beautiful September day in 2001. But as the years pass, our memories of that day are fading and younger generations have no memories of it whatsoever. Garrett M. Graff's powerful new oral history, narrated largely by survivors of the worst attack on American soil, aims to preserve what it felt like to live through that day. We know the facts, but it's the feelings this book is most interested in keeping alive. The Only Plane in the Sky, which expands on a viral article published on Politico.com, is an essential historical text and an unforgettable read.
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
If you're still thinking about Where the Crawdads Sing, you won't want to miss William Kent Krueger's best-selling new novel, This Tender Land. The Great Depression spared no one and nothing, least of all Minnesota's Lincoln School, a bleak institution where Native American children separated from their parents and orphans were sent to study. It's certainly no place for a spirited young troublemaker like Odie O'Banion, who gets on the superintendents bad side one too many times and decides to run away with his brother, Albert, and their friends Mose and Emmy. Fueled by dreams of reaching the Mississippi River and finding a true home, the four children embark on the trip of a lifetime across the uniquely American landscape we all know and love.
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Lisa Jewell just gets better and better, and her talent for crafting edge-of-your-seat thrillers is on full display in The Family Upstairs. Twenty-five years after she was discovered unharmed in her crib one floor above a bizarre crime scene, Libby Jones has no memory of her birth parents or the circumstances of her adoption. Then she receives a letter informing her not only of her parents' identity but that she's now the owner of their abandoned mansion in an upscale London neighborhood. Libby's search for answers about her origins takes a dark turn, however, as she learns more and more about that day the police arrived at 16 Cheyne Walk to find three bodies dressed in black, a cryptic note, evidence of four missing children, and...her. It turns out that three families once lived in the house, guarding dark secrets that some still don't want revealed…
Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren
You'll fall head over heels for Christina Lauren's beautiful, heart-melting new novel, Twice in a Blue Moon. You never forget your first love, but Tate rather wishes she could forget Sam Brandis. It felt like destiny when they met at a pub and instantly connected all those years ago, two American teenagers both visiting London with their grandparents before heading off to college. Yet their whirlwind romance ended as quickly as it began when Tate trusted Sam with her biggest secret--that she's the estranged daughter of a mega movie star--only to see it splashed all over the news. Fourteen years later, fate brings them back together and there's no denying they're as drawn to each other as ever. But can they bear to risk it all again for a second chance at a once-in-a-lifetime love?
Gracefully You by Jenna Dewan
Between her star turn in Step Up, hosting duties for World of Dance, and a truly iconic performance in Lip Sync Battle, actress and dancer Jenna Dewan has won hearts the world over. Now, though, she's opening up about her personal life and how she stays motivated. In her gorgeous first book, Gracefully You, Jenna offers peeks behind the curtain at her experiences as a businesswoman, mother, artist, and woman working to balance it all. Fans and newcomers alike will be delighted by her uplifting advice for tuning out the excess noise and tuning into your own true voice. As the holidays approach, we could all use this practical guide to feeling good and finding happiness in our everyday lives.
Janis by Holly George-Warren
Janis Joplin is a legend, but how much do we really know about the artist behind the music? In Janis, award-winning music journalist and biographer Holly George-Warren delves deep into the fascinating life and career of the performer who made an indelible mark on rock music with songs like "Piece of My Heart," "Me and Bobby McGee," and "Mercedes Benz." From a rebellious, progressive teenager who stood out in her small conservative town in Texas to a countercultural icon in San Francisco, she always blazed her own trail. This comprehensive account will remind you why there's no one else quite like the incomparable Janis Joplin.
Murder in the Bayou by Ethan Brown
Soon to be a documentary on Showtime, Murder in the Bayou is a must-read for anyone who watched Making of a Murderer or listens to the My Favorite Murder podcast. This true crime story tracks law enforcement's attempts to unmask the murderer responsible for the unsolved slayings of the Jeff Davis 8, eight vulnerable women whose bodies were discovered in Jennings, Louisiana, between 2005 and 2009. Police suspected a serial killer from early on, even zeroing in on illicit activities at the run-down Boudreaux Inn. Unfortunately, rumors of corruption and evidence tampering nearly derailed their investigation. Investigative reporter Ethan Brown's deeply researched account of this complicated case will keep you riveted.
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