The Most Anticipated Fall Books of 2016, Part 1

Fall is just around the corner, and with it the much-awaited list of new release books, perfect to snuggle up with in front of a cozy fireplace and a large mug of Swiss Miss (unless of course you live in Florida, in which case you may want to ditch the fireplace for a power fan and the Swiss Miss for iced lemonade).

There is so much new fiction to get giddy about, but I restrained myself and in the spirit of not making the list unbearably long, managed to narrow it down to these titles, at least for this first installment. I can guarantee that many of them will be included in the New York Times’ Bestseller List, so definitely put them in your “to read” shelf.

The Next: This unique novel by Stephanie Gangi will leave you thinking long and hard about the afterlife and vengeful ghosts. After Johanna DeAngelo dies from cancer, her spirit cannot rest. She becomes an angry ghost seeking revenge on her much younger lover who dumped her for another woman and abandoned her in the middle of her illness. Johanna is a far cry from Patrick Swayze in Ghost, I guarantee it. (Release date: Oct. 18, 2016).
The Wonder: Best-selling author of Room, Emma Donoghue presents her new novel The Wonder, in which eleven-year-old Anna is convinced that she is living off manna from heaven. When a journalist is sent to cover this seemingly miraculous event, fate will converge the paths of those who are otherwise strangers, in unforeseen ways. (Release date: Sept. 20, 2016).

The Lesser Bohemians: Of course we’re all familiar with the saying “opposites attract”. That certainly is an understatement in Eimer McBride’s The Lesser Bohemians, a story about a young girl from Ireland attending drama school, suddenly thrust into a heated love affair with another actor who is not only much older but also plagued with a troublesome past that puts this May-December relationship in jeopardy. (Release date: Sept. 20, 2016).

Today Will Be Different: Maria Semple, author of the best-seller Where’d You Go, Bernadette adds a new novel to her repertoire. Today Will Be Different is the story of Eleanor, or at least the story of what seems to be the worst day of her life, in which unraveling events converge to show Eleanor that sometimes the destruction of what we know is the only way to move forward. (Release date: Oct. 4, 2016).

The Fate of the Tearling: Forget Katniss Everdeen and the other chick from the Divergent series. In the final chapter of this engaging trilogy, Kelsea Glynn, Erika Johansen’s teenage heroine whom we first met in the two previous books, The Queen of the Tearling and The Invasion of The Tearling, is not only  a full-fledged sovereign but also has developed strange powers that she can’t begin to comprehend. No longer the awkward teenager, Kelsea knows that she has the responsibility of the world known as The Tearling in her hands, and it is up to her to stop the evil advances of the Red Queen. But now Kelsea finds herself a prisoner of her mortal enemy, and the chances of securing the safety of her people and her own, seem to grow slimmer. Yes, I know. This one is more fantasy than fiction, but this trilogy truly is amazing, so roll with it. (Release date: Nov. 29, 2016).

To Capture What We Cannot Keep: Historical fiction romance at it’s best. Beatrice Colin introduces with her new novel the engaging story of Emile and Cait. From two very different social strata, Emile and Cait meet on an exciting ride aboard a hot air balloon in 1887 Paris. Their connection however is thwarted by their very different lives, and the impossibility of their romance becomes more evident by their impending familial and social obligations. (Release date: Nov. 29, 2016).

Nutshell: We can always expect great things from Ian McEwan, and Nutshell is no exception. The author of Atonement has outdone himself in creating a story in which the main character hasn’t even been born yet. That’s right, you read correctly: the story is told from the POV of a baby in its mother’s womb who hears and feels everything including its mother and her lover, who also happens to be the baby’s uncle, plotting to kill its father. You can close your mouth now. (Release date: Sept. 13, 2016).

The Wangs vs the World: Jade Wang mixes humor, drama and a unique narrative in her debut novel, The Wangs vs. the World. Charlie is a successful Chinese immigrant who created a cosmetics empire and accomplished the American dream. But Charlie is fed-up with America, and in a surprising move, decides to gather his family and move back to China where they can start over. But with his two children and his wife fighting him every step of the way, re-invention on the other side of the world, may not be as easy as he first thought. (Release date: Oct. 4, 2016).

The Fall Guy: James Lasdun’s new sizzling, sexy, psychological thriller is exactly what we need to officially mark the end of summer. In The Fall Guy, wealthy banker Charlie invites his estranged and troubled cousin Mathew to stay with him and his wife Chloe in their grand mountaintop home. But nothing is what it seems between these three people and when illicit passions, rising temperatures, and dangerous secrets bubble beneath the surface, combined with the presence of a fourth character threatening to topple their fragile balance, things begin to unravel. (Release date: Oct. 18, 2016).

So? Excited yet? You should be. This list of new releases is nothing to sneeze at, and because so many got left out, another list will soon follow. Or possibly two.