The first day of fall is still a month away, but I can’t stop thinking about its quick approach. With the new season, the leaves begin to change and the air cools, and there is no better time to get cozy with a book in hand. Please join me in looking forward to some fiction and nonfiction titles to keep an eye out for as autumn draws near.
“Crossing the Wine Dark Sea” by Emily Wilson
With the theatrical release of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, you may recognize Emily Wilson’s name; her 2017 translation of the Greek epic served as an inspiration to the director. Wilson’s latest title focuses on the art of translation and the struggle to completely articulate the work of another. As she discusses numerous ancient texts, Wilson also analyzes how current societal norms and expectations only further complicate the work the translator does.
“The Birthing Tree” by Amanda Peters
Amanda Peters has become a sensation since the release of her debut novel, “The Berry Pickers” in 2023. Her third title follows Aliet Paul, born under a tree sacred to the Mi’kmaq. She lives with her grandmother outside Nova Scotia and is protected from changes from the outside world within the confines of her community, where she was raised in the old ways. Aliet grows to leave the community behind, only to return to it in ruins. She feels called to restore her old home and discovers much about her family, including a new truth about her mother’s final moments. The novel spans decades of a woman’s life as she experiences love and loss, and finds her path to the future.
“Kiss Slay Replay” by Rachel Harrison
New York Times bestselling author Rachel Harrison is back with a killer twist of a time loop. The narrative follows Willa Sullivan, who is off traveling to a dreamy wedding venue to celebrate her best friend’s upcoming nuptials. Something doesn’t feel right, excluding the fact that Willa’s ex-fiancé is there with someone else. As the wedding unfolds, it becomes clear there is a killer in their company and Willa must survive the night. Only, when she wakes up, she realizes it’s, again, the morning of the wedding. Stuck in a time loop, Willa has to find a way to escape or relive the day forever.
“Mother Daughter Sister Stranger” by Hank Phillipi Ryan
USA Today bestselling author and American investigative reporter Hank Phillipi Ryan’s latest release follows a family with a secret. Sisters, Eliza and Bea, were the only survivors of a plane crash, and eleven years later, Bea disappears and leaves behind her daughter, Piper. Eliza is left to care for Piper as the family’s shared history comes back to punish them.
“Against Convenience: Embracing Friction in an Age of Endless Ease” by Gabe Bullard
Switzerland-based Gabe Bullard has a lengthy career as a journalist, critic, and broadcaster. In his debut, Bullard examines just how easy it is to fill our day-to-day lives with tools of convenience, saving ourselves time from doing the things we don’t want to do and focusing on what we do. However, Bullard argues that many of these tools actually are not improving our lives in the best of scenarios. Bullard shows us how to avoid meaningless ease in search of a more gratifying life.