13 Must-Read Books For Fall 2021 From Simon & Schuster
(ViacomCBS) - While some may be mourning the end of summer, avid readers know there's new excitement just around the corner. As the days gets colder, it's time to trade in your beach bag books in favor of some cozy stay-at-home reads! Luckily, with new releases from bestselling authors like Anthony Doerr, Janet Evanovich, Alice Hoffman and Louise Penny, as well as public figures including Hillary Rodham Clinton and Carmelo Anthony, the team at Simon & Schuster (a ViacomCBS company) is here to help make sure you're not missing any must-read books of the fall. Here are 13 books that will surely make your autumn brighter!
"Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World" by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
"Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" has inspired and enchanted readers for nearly a decade, establishing itself as a teen classic. In that first book, Ari and Dante fell in love. Now, in the sequel, they must discover what it means to stay in love and build a relationship in a world that seems to challenge their very existence. You do not want to miss this achingly romantic and tender continuation of their story! —Emily
"Cloud Cuckoo Land" by Anthony Doerr
There are books that entertain you for a few hours. And then there are books that change your perspective, that make you think, that inspire you to tell a dozen friends about it and why it moved you. "Cloud Cuckoo Land" is the latter. Spanning three time periods—present-day Idaho, ancient Constantinople, and a very near future—Doerr's newest novel since his Pulitzer Prize–winning "All the Light We Cannot See" defies classification. It's about four young outcasts searching for a better world; it's about the earth and how we can preserve its wonders; and it's about stories—how our stories, preserved over time, can unite us and bring us hope. Doerr shares this all in his characteristic short chapters, so though the book may seem long, sit back, relax and savor this one-of-a-kind journey. You won't want it to end. —Brianna
"Game On" by Janet Evanovich
Stephanie and Diesel are on the trail of the same fugitive: Oswald Wednesday, an international computer hacker as brilliant as he is ruthless. Stephanie is determined to bring him in, though she is unsure if Diesel is her partner or her competition in this case. Using her wits to outsmart Oswald, she carefully calculates every step to draw him out from behind his computer and into the real world to take him down. Janet is back with "Game On," Book 28 in the Plum series, where, according to Booklist, the "irrepressible Stephanie and cohorts [are] in absolutely top form." —Karlyn
"On Animals" by Susan Orlean
Susan Orlean's signature brand of journalism has enthralled readers for decades, whether she's following obsessive orchid hunters through a swamp or delving into solving the mystery of the largest library fire in history. In "On Animals," she trains her lens on creatures great and small, from the household pets we dote on and the animals we raise to end up as meat on our plates to the creatures who could eat us for dinner. Orlean is at the top of her game in this essay collection, and lovers of animals of all shapes and sizes won't be able to resist these delightful, thoughtful, and compelling tales from the course of her storied career. —Meredith
"Our Violent Ends" by Chloe Gong
If you haven't read Chloe Gong's debut novel, "These Violent Delights," a "Romeo and Juliet" retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, you should drop everything right now and pick up a copy! The highly anticipated sequel, "Our Violent Ends" comes out this fall, and you do not want to miss this fast-paced, romantic, monstrous wild ride! In "Our Violent Ends," Shanghai is under siege, and the star-crossed lovers must team up if they have a hope of ending the threat against their city and their feuding families. This sequel will keep you turning pages with its non-stop excitement and danger as you root for Roma and Juliette to defy the way the story is supposed to end. —Emily
"State of Terror" by Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton
Who would have thought a world-class novelist and a world-renowned politician would be close friends? And yet that's exactly what sparked the writing collaboration behind "State of Terror," from #1 bestselling authors Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny. In this gripping international page-turner, a fictional Secretary of State is faced with global terror, uncertainty among allies, and an enemy of the state who will stop at nothing to cause chaos and destruction. Louise Penny's masterful plotting pairs perfectly with Clinton's insider knowledge of diplomacy and international affairs, offering readers a fascinating and entertaining look behind the White House curtains. —Elizabeth
"Taste" by Stanley Tucci
If you've seen a movie in the last, oh, twenty years, you probably already know and love Stanley Tucci. But this witty, charming, and deeply honest memoir reveals a side of him that few have seen before. Tucci opens up about early life with his Italian American family, his stellar acting career, and personal tragedy and triumph. Along the way, he also shares his deep and knowledgeable love of food in a way that will have you—excuse the pun—devouring the pages! —Abby
"The Book of Magic" by Alice Hoffman
What better way to embrace the autumn than to spend time with the magical family readers first fell in love with over 25 years ago in "Practical Magic"? Alice Hoffman returns in the fourth and final novel in her magical series (previous prequels to "Practical Magic" include "The Rules of Magic" and "Magic Lessons"), delivering the long-awaited sequel where the Owens family, faced with catastrophe, go on a quest to break the curse that's haunted them for centuries. The search for answers will bring three generations of the family together for the first time, traveling through Paris, London libraries and ancestral lands to find the key to the enchantment before it's too late. While readers of the series will find easter eggs throughout (courage tea, anyone?), the book truly stands on its own as an epic tale of family, fate and–of course–magic. —Elizabeth
"The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina" by Zoraida Córdova
Orquídea Divina travels across continents, countries and state lines, by train, bus and on foot, in order to find a place where she could build a home of her own. Once Orquídea has created the home of her dreams, she is deliberate with the protections she ritualistically put on the house in Four Rivers. This is the story of change and family and magic. This is the story of a woman and her survival throughout decades and continents. Welcome to Four Rivers, USA, and the life of Orquídea Divina and her progeny. —Maudee
"The Magician" by Colm Tóibín
As many have now said, the "magician" here is Brooklyn author Colm Tóibín. As he did with Henry James in "The Master," Tóibín takes us inside another fascinating literary figure with Thomas Mann. Tóibín combines his vast empathy, research, and imagination to conjure a vision of the "Death in Venice" author's life from late 19th century Germany to mid 20th century America and through two world wars—the experience of a gifted writer whose life is simultaneously driven by a need to belong and the anguish of secret desire. O Magazine calls it "an ode to a 20th-century genius and a feat of literary sorcery in its own right." You'll only wish that the magic lasted even longer when you turn the last page. —Ashley
"The Night She Disappeared" by Lisa Jewell
This thriller mystery goes back to all the suspense you felt reading her (now classic) "Then She Was Gone." It's a page-turner that follows a mother desperately looking into the disappearance of her daughter after partying at a college classmate's country estate. Why haven't any of her friends come forward? Or her boyfriend? Or the mysterious sign that turns up a year later that only states "DIG HERE"? It's equal parts "The Secret History" and everything you've come to love in a Lisa Jewell domestic thriller. —Milena
"Three Girls from Bronzeville" by Dawn Turner
Acclaimed journalist Dawn Turner made a career for herself reporting on politics, race and class in Chicago, but the story she always struggled with was one which began at home, specifically in her Chicago Bronzeville neighborhood. There, Dawn, her best friend Debra and baby sister Kim were raised to embrace the promise of greater possibilities and opportunities than any previous Black Americans before them. Then life sends them each down wildly different and tragic paths, leaving Dawn to interrogate the forces which shaped their lives. A piercing memoir chronicling Dawn's attempt to find answers, "Three Girls from Bronzeville" is a celebration of sisterhood and friendship, an exploration into the complex interplay of race, class and opportunity, and a testimony to the unique struggles and resilience of Black women. —Elizabeth
"Where Tomorrows Aren't Promised" by Carmelo Anthony
The first thing you need to know is that this book is not about basketball. Sure, Carmelo Anthony is a legendary NBA superstar—but his early days in the projects of Red Hook and West Baltimore are what gave him the determination to achieve those heights. Growing up in the real-life inspiration for "The Wire," Anthony learned quickly that he had to be both strong and smart to survive. Overcoming personal tragedy, defying the obstacles put in his way by poverty and racism, he relied on the help of his family and key mentors to grow into the person he's become today. Whether you're a Melo fan from way back or you've never even watched a game, you'll be sucked into this compelling portrait of personal victory against the odds. —Abby
Want more recommendations? Visit SimonandSchuster.com to see what else is new this month.