The Best New Books Out in September, According to Indie Booksellers

This is the #1 pick on the Indie Next List! It follows a secret agent in France, and it promises to be a “propulsive page-turner of glittering insights and dark humor.” The bookseller description is: “Rachel Kushner turns noir on its head in this mesmerizing, philosophical, and darkly funny tale. Creation Lake is a page-turner crackling with electricity from one of our greatest living writers — a spy thriller with literary teeth.” —Chantel McCray, Rainy Day Books, Fairway, KS

Erica Ezeifedi also recommended this, in a new releases round up: “In There Are Rivers in the Sky, Booker Prize finalist Shafak tells the story of three characters spread through time. It begins with the ancient city of Nineveh, which produced one of the most enduring pieces of literature: The Epic of Gilgamesh. It’s this poem that affects the lives of Arthur in 1840s London, Narin in 2014 Turkey, and Zaleekah in 2018 London. Each of them fight to make it out of their predicaments — even as struggles with mental health threaten to pull them back down — and each is tied to the other through a single drop of water.”

Susie Dumond recommended this as one of the best queer books out in 2024: “Award-winning poet Danez Smith has written brilliantly crafted collections like Homie and Don’t Call Us Dead. If you’re looking for queer poetry, Bluff should absolutely be on your list. Their newest collection is an exploration of racial justice, violence, and healing in Smith’s hometown, the Twin Cities, as well as a call for poetry and the arts to help build a path toward a collective future. From rage and grief to inspiration and hope, these poems are an emotionally powerful call to action.”

Kelly Jensen is Book Riot’s resident censorship and literary activism expert. It’s hard to overstate how much she’s written about the topic. She wrote a post recommending this book, so be sure to click through if you’re interested: Librarian and Anti-Censorship Activist Amanda Jones Tells Her Story. Jensen says, “Without question, Jones is now among the most outspoken and well-known anti-censorship and anti-book ban advocates doing the work right now.” In this memoir, she tells her story, including receiving death threats and accusations of being a pedophile merely for defending the freedom to read. She is now suing for defamation.

Kendra Winchester recommended this as one of the best new nonfiction books out in August: “Chris La Tray was always told he was Indigenous, but it wasn’t until he was at his father’s funeral that he seriously began looking into his family’s past. Becoming Little Shell follows La Tray’s experience finding and learning more about his tribe, the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and its 150-year history of seeking federal recognition.”

William is one of Emily Martin’s picks for the best new horror books out in September horror: “This new AI horror story is a book you won’t be able to put down. After countless hours of work, engineer Henry has finally done it. He’s created an artificially intelligent consciousness, which he names (you guessed it) William. But no one knows about William, not even Henry’s pregnant wife, Lily. When Henry finally decides to introduce William to the world, starting with Lily and her friends and coworkers, things go terribly wrong.”

Jessica Pryde included this in a roundup of the best romance novels out in August: “When Farzan has a spectacular meal at a new restaurant, followed by a spectacular night with the hot sommelier, he discovers that it was all a case of mistaken identity. The pair laugh it off, not expecting to ever run into each other again. But when Farzan finds himself in need of David’s help, will their continued attraction get in the way of both of their goals?”

The newest book from Pulitzer Prize winning author Elizabeth Strout follows some familiar characters in Maine as they struggle to find meaning. Here’s the bookseller pitch: “I’ve just spent the last few days observing a grand reunion in this gorgeous book! All my old friends showed up: 90-year-old Olive, Lucy Barton, the Burgess brothers, even Amy and Isabel! Strout probes human nature and the many meanings of love.” —Carol Katsoulis, Anderson’s Bookshops, Naperville, IL

The author of The Midnight Library is back with a story about a retired math teacher who inherits a rundown house on Mediterranean island and searches for answers about the friend who left the house to her. The bookseller description is: “Matt Haig’s wonderful book about climate change, aging, and recovering from guilt. Widowed Grace is left a house in Spain by a friend she hasn’t heard from in over 30 years. She heads out on an adventure where new friends and life-altering changes await.” —Kathy Clemmons, Sundog Books, Santa Rosa Beach, FL