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Margo and Caroline, Skimm Reads editors, here. Caroline’s been in the thick of Summerween since about June (who can blame her), and Margo is finally feeling ready for fall because of how many anticipated releases are coming our way. Here are a handful of books we’re excited to curl up with, from lit fic and romance to moving memoirs and fantasy.
The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig (September 1)
“The goth-girl authors are keeping us fed this fall. I’ve been waiting for this since I devoured The Knight and the Moth over a year ago, which ended on a brutal cliffhanger. The sequel sees Sybil held as a hostage bride to a power-hungry king as she tries to take down the kingdom from the inside. Early reviews say this is even heavier on the romance than book one, which I’m very excited about, as I firmly believe Rodrick Myndacious (yes, that’s really his name) is a criminally underrated romantasy MMC. Gillig excels at crafting moody, atmospheric gothic fantasy. I’ll be burning down my store of pumpkin candles as I read this one.” —Caroline Goldstein
Queenie Is Working on It by Candice Carty-Williams (September 8)
“I’ve read everything that Candice Carty-Williams has written, and I love her coming-of-age stories with found family ties. This is the sequel to Queenie I didn’t know I needed. A decade later, Queenie has a stable job as an editorial director. But when a research meeting goes awry and unintentionally reveals details of her own fertility, she starts to question how she wants her future to look. This one is a refreshing take on dating in your mid-thirties and following your own timeline.” —Margo Ghertner
Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo (September 15)
“Dead Beat is the final installment of Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House trilogy — one of my all-time favorite dark fantasy series that I recommend to absolutely everyone, even those who don’t consider themselves “fantasy people.” Be warned that you will be lost if you haven’t read the first two books, but once you’re situated, this delivers absolutely everything you can ask from a series finale. This sees Alex, Darlington, Turner, and Dawes take their final attempt to seal the door to hell and take down Golgarot, the demon final boss. Bardugo is easily one of the most exquisite prose writers working today, and her aesthetic here is peak autumn: dark academia, a touch of romance, and deep-cut arcane allusions that will send you straight down a delightful research rabbit hole.” —Caroline Goldstein
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel (September 15)
“Exit Party is everything I love about Emily St. John Mandel: a brilliant amalgamation of dystopian spec fiction with a dash of hard-boiled noir, written in prose so elegant you'll want to read with a highlighter in hand. It’s hard to pin down with a simple synopsis, but it imagines a near-future where the United States has collapsed after a civil war. Our protagonist, Ari Waker — whom readers might recognize from one of Mandel’s earliest novels — is newly released from a 20-year prison sentence and forced to navigate an entirely changed world. Then her friend disappears into thin air and she encounters a mysterious doppelgänger, and things take an even more kaleidoscopic turn from there. It's a universe-bending masterpiece.” —Caroline Goldstein
An Unexpected Life by Gloria Steinem (September 22)
“I tend to associate certain seasons with specific genres, and fall always feels like memoir to me. This is Steinem’s final memoir (my heart is broken), as she reflects on her life as an activist and what steps should come next in the women’s movement.” —Margo Ghertner
Hollywood, Ending by John Green (September 22)
“This one goes out to those who are in the mood to feel nostalgic this season. John Green is back with his first adult fiction novel, following two breakout actors starring in an Andy Warhol biopic. It’s told from dual points of view of both leads, where readers will witness their onscreen romance blurring with their lives off-screen. If you’re looking for a tender, yet unique romance with a touch of literary fiction, go for this.” —Margo Ghertner
Trust Fall by Lynn Painter (September 29)
“Anytime I want to be completely brain-off (in a good way), I turn to Lynn Painter’s YA novels. This new one is perfectly autumnal and gives the Gilmore Girls meets Gossip Girl meets She’s All That energy I need.” —Margo Ghertner
Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson (October 6)
“If Emily Henry is calling this a ‘once-in-a-lifetime read,’ there’s no way I’m missing it. This is one of the fall’s buzziest romances, following a novelist and critic who can’t stop hashing out their differences online. After Selina Chan’s scathing review made Parker Navarro’s debut novel a flop, the rivals are back at it again 10 years later, when Chan takes down his second book. This is the kind of drama I’m here for.” —Margo Ghertner
Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus (October 13)
“Peck & Peck caters directly to one of my favorite niches: literary fiction set in 1980s New York City following young people with literary ambitions. (I blame my teenage obsession with Bright Lights, Big City.) It’s 1982, and Batter Gray lands a job at Peck & Peck, one of the poetry world’s most prestigious journals. Once inside, he finds himself caught in the middle of a simmering family drama between the journal’s twin-brother founders. This promises to be a tender, thoughtful, and thoroughly entertaining coming-of-adulthood story.” —Caroline Goldstein