Illustration ©2024 James Weston Lewis

The busiest book season of the year showcases the big titles and trends readers will be following for the next several months. Escapist stories, tinged with fantasy, are highlights, and while witches and retellings have strong showings, romantasy still feels ascendant as publishers and readers look for the next blockbuster series. Cli-fi and nature writing come to the fore as well, and a surprising number of subjects appear in both novels and nonfiction—including books about grief and hope and those that evoke a feeling of coziness. Check out our complete listing of all the titles mentioned in this article and even more to add into the mix, available in a downloadable spreadsheet.

Illustration ©2024 James Weston Lewis

Among this season’s leading novels are addictively plotted romantasies and languid and cozy fantasies that combine hopepunk and healing fiction. Magical women, along with a focus on women’s history and the reclaiming of women’s narratives, are also on the rise, as are bibliophilic novels. Strains of horror still hold firm, with gothic and haunted stories showcased this fall. 

Romantasy

High-stakes fantasy romance remains a dominant trend, with several established writers of contemporary romance joining the crowd. Authors are remixing and subverting fairy lore and a range of mythologies, then adding or amping up enemies-to-lovers and slow-burn romance tropes. Rachel Van Dyken runs with Norse mythology in her steamy new adult duology starter Fallen Gods (Entangled: Red Tower), while Emily Rath turns to Finnish lore for hers, which begins with North Is the Night (Erewhon). Other titles to look for include The Courting of Bristol Keats (Flatiron) by Mary E. Pearson, Rebecca Robinson’s debut The Serpent and the Wolf (S. & S./Saga), and The Stars Are Dying (Bramble) by Chloe C. Peñaranda. Another trend to note in romantasy: publishers continue to pick up self-published titles and rerelease them in highly decorative editions featuring sprayed and stamped edges and elaborate endpapers.

Cozy Science Fiction & Fantasy

Readers are still looking for lower-stakes (though occasionally angsty) fantasy novels. One of the most highly anticipated books in this category is TJ Klune’s Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Tor), which invites readers back to his beloved House in the Cerulean Sea for Arthur Parnassus’s story. Another is A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping (Berkley), Sangu Mandanna’s follow-up to her breakout hit The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. Find more coziness in Swordcrossed (Bramble) by Freya Marske, The Teller of Small Fortunes (Ace) by Julie Leong, This Will Be Fun (Avon) by E.B. Asher, and The Nightmare Before Kissmas (Bramble) by Sara Raasch.

Magical Women

Witches and gifted women continue to trend in genres beyond fantasy, including mystery, historical fiction, and literary fiction. The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells (Avon) by Rachel Greenlaw gives a strong feeling of Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic, while Lightning in Her Hands (Berkley) by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland starts a paranormal romance series featuring gifted Latina women. Other titles of note are The Witches of El Paso (Atria/Primero Sueño) by Luis Jaramillo, The Stone Witch of Florence (Park Row) by Anna Rasche, and A Trinket for the Taking (Kensington Cozies) by Victoria Laurie.

Gothic

This season also showcases gothic mystery and horror, with several authors exploring traditional takes on the subgenre while creating wholly original stories. A. Rae Dunlap’s debut, The Resurrectionist (Kensington), is a blend of true crime and historical fiction that’s drawing comparisons to Caleb Carr’s The Alienist. Another debut is Del Sandeen’s This Cursed House (Berkley), a Southern gothic horror set in 1960s New Orleans that explores colorism, family secrets, and forgiveness. The gothic also permeates Grimstone (Bloom) by Sophie Lark, The Bog Wife (Counterpoint) by Kay Chronister, The Midnight Club (Graydon House) by Margot Harrison, and Curdle Creek (Holt) by Yvonne Battle-Felton.

Retellings & Remixes

Authors continue to reimagine and remix mythology, fairy tales, and classic stories across genres. This fall sees modern takes on Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Mark Twain. Julie Armfield’s dystopian sophomore novel, Private Rites (Flatiron), transports the three daughters of King Lear to a world of never-ending rain, while Val McDermid offers a feminist reframing of Scottish history in Queen Macbeth (Atlantic Monthly). Among the other retellings on the horizon are Pride and Prejudice in Space (Union Square & Co.) by Alexis Lampley, This Motherless Land (Mariner) by Nikki May (inspired by Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park), Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel (Del Rey) by Kiersten White, and Big Jim and the White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined (Ten Speed Graphic) by Marcus Kwame Anderson and David F. Walker (based on Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn).

Hauntings

’Tis the season for supernatural thrills, and several titles stand out in the packed field. In Model Home (MCD), Rivers Solomon explores issues of race and segregation in a Dallas suburb, subverting the traditional haunted-house story. Haunt Sweet Home (Tor.com) by Sarah Pinsker tells an unnerving story set against the backdrop of a ghost-haunted home-renovation reality TV show. Dan Kois offers a wonderfully nostalgic lite-horror novella in Hampton Heights: One Harrowing Night in the Most Haunted Neighborhoodin Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Harper Perennial). Also check out Bitter Is the Heart (Crooked Lane) by Mina Hardy, William (Putnam) by Mason Coile, and We Came To Welcome You (Morrow) by Vincent Tirado.

Grief & Hope

This fall, fiction digs into the feelings of characters in times of trial, speaking to a collective mourning while offering readers a sense of hope. One of the most eagerly anticipated titles of the season, Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo (Farrar), follows a pair of brothers grieving their father’s death. How Does That Make You Feel, Magda Eklund? (Ecco) by Anna Montague is a debut that finds its protagonist reeling from the death of her best friend and forced to reexamine her life and relationships on a 70th-birthday road trip. Grief and hope also feature in The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern (St. Martin’s) by Lynda Cohen Loigman, We Need No Wings (Sourcebooks Landmark) by Ann Dávila Cardinal, and The Life Impossible (Viking) by Matt Haig.

Cli-Fi

The literary trend of environmentalism might be stronger in nonfiction, but it certainly is persistent in fall fiction releases as well, seen in dystopian settings wracked by climate change and rural communities affected by fracking and pesticides. Leading the list of eagerly anticipated titles is Playground (Norton), award-winning author Richard Powers’s sweeping story of technology, humanity, and the sea. The Mighty Red (Harper) by Louise Erdrich (which works both as a stand-alone and as a sequel to her 1986 novel The Beet Queen) looks at the impact of big industry in rural communities. Other titles to note: How To Fall in Love in a Time of Unnameable Disaster (Norton) by Muriel Leung, The Shutouts (St. Martin’s) by Gabrielle Korn, and The Ancients (Viking) by John Larison.

Her Story

Titles focusing on women across history—both famous figures and those lost to time—offer fascinating insight into day-to-day life as well as extraordinary circumstances. The Secret War of Julia Child (Sourcebooks Landmark) by Diana R. Chambers looks at Child’s time with the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. Daniel M. Lavery’s humorous and moving debut novel, Women’s Hotel (HarperVia), offers a unique view of gender, sexuality, and politics through a character study of the residents of a hotel for women in 1960s New York City. Also on this theme are Katharine, the Wright Sister (Sourcebooks Landmark) by Tracey Enerson Wood, Mademoiselle Eiffel (Morrow) by Aimie K. Runyan, and The Sound of a Thousand Stars (Alcove) by Rachel Robbins.

Bookish Picks

Book-focused plots and characters are part of a steady, genre-spanning trend that will continue into the fall, including several novels specifically about the publishing industry. Daniel Aleman makes his adult debut with I Might Be in Trouble (Grand Central), a grim comedy about a struggling writer in New York and what he and his agent are willing to do to get his next book published. Colored Television (Riverhead) by Danzy Senna is another gritty comedy featuring a struggling author, this time adding Hollywood into the mix. Jedediah Berry’s The Naming Song (Tor) is completely different, focusing on a world in which words have been lost. Take a look as well at Alter Ego (Flatiron) by Alex Segura, The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society (Ace) by C.M. Waggoner, and The Book Swap (Graydon House) by Tessa Bickers. 

Illustration ©2024 James Weston Lewis

Notable nonfiction this season shares subjects with fiction, particularly in nature writing, women’s histories, volumes addressing grief and hope, and book-centered titles. Works in tried-and-true categories are on the horizon as well, with memoirs, celebrity cookbooks, histories, and pop culture tomes filling the shelves.

Grief & Hope

The evergreen genre of non-celebrity memoirs that explore challenges and triumphs continues strong this season, allowing readers to immerse themselves in other people’s stories. Noteworthy examples include A Little Less Broken: How an Autism Diagnosis Finally Made Me Whole (Flatiron) by Marian Schembari, which explores the author’s journey to a later-in-life autism diagnosis, and The Night Garden: Of My Mother (Pierian Springs) by Sandra Tyler, addressed to those moving into the role of carer for aging parents. And don’t miss Mama: A Queer Black Woman’s Story of a Family Lost and Found (Algonquin) by Nikkya Hargrove, First in the Family: A Story of Survival, Recovery, and the American Dream (Flatiron) by Jessica Hoppe, Hollow: A Memoir of My Body in the Marines (Abrams) by Bailey Williams, and How Do You Feel?: One Doctor’s Search for Humanity in Medicine (S. & S./Simon Element) by Jessi Gold.

Nature Writing

Nature writing still encompasses walks in the woods, birding, and environmental awareness, but this fall it also includes memoirs and essays with a social justice bent. One high-profile title is The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World (Scribner) by scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer, a member of the Potawatomi Nation. In this slim volume, Kimmerer challenges readers to change their mindsets by examining the life of the serviceberry. This season’s nature writing also features stories of both skilled craftspeople and relative newcomers forging personal connections to nature via hands-on work. For example, Ingrained: The Making of a Craftsman (Ecco), the moving memoir of Scottish carpenter Callum Robinson, seamlessly blends nature writing and craft. In counterpoint, Patrick Hutchison’s memoir Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman (St. Martin’s) details how he restored a 120-square-foot fixer-upper cabin in the woods as a beginner in the realm of carpentry. Two more examinations of the natural world are The Flitting: A Memoir of Fathers, Sons, and Butterflies (Tin House) by Ben Masters and Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark (Algonquin) by Leigh Ann Henion.

Pop Culture Redux

Fandom is reaching a new peak this season, with an abundance of behind-the-scenes and tie-in titles. Gilmore Girls saw a distinct viewer resurgence early in the pandemic, and books that support the series’s fans are coming out now. Front and center is The Third Gilmore Girl (Gallery) by actor Kelly Bishop, who played the Gilmore family matriarch. There’s also Gilmore Girls: The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge (Running Pr.) by Erika Berlin and Life’s Short, Talk Fast: Fifteen Writers on Why We Can’t Stop Watching Gilmore Girls (Norton), edited by Ann Hood. The Office fans will enjoy The Night Before Christmas at Dunder Mifflin (Mariner) by Brian Baumgartner, Ben Silverman, and Maël Gourmelen, and Game of Thrones watchers should check out Beyond the Throne: Epic Journeys, Enduring Friendships, and Surprising Tales (Hachette) by Kristian Nairn.

On the music front, look for the latest from Rolling Stone contributing editor Rob Sheffield, Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music (Dey Street).

Celebrity Memoirs

Celebrities’ behind-the-scenes stories are always on trend. This fall, both legendary stars and more recent luminaries share their lives. Standouts include Sonny Boy (Penguin Pr.) by actor Al Pacino, who, until recently, was notoriously private, and Connie: A Memoir (Grand Central) by iconic journalist Connie Chung. Other titles of note include Made Up, But Still True (Crown) by the late Donald Sutherland, The Road Is Good (Viking) by Uzo Aduba, and Master of Me (Flatiron) by Keke Palmer. And for a real throwback, there’s Growing Up Urkel (S. & S.) by Jaleel White.

Stars in the Kitchen

There will always be an appetite for cookbooks that offer a peek inside the lives and kitchens of celebrities. This fall will offer a wide range of titles, from Stephen and Evie McGee Colbert’s Does This Taste Funny?: Recipes Our Family Loves (Celadon) to Willie & Annie Nelson’s Cannabis Cookbook: Mouthwatering Recipes and the High-Flying Stories Behind Them (Gallery). See also My Mexican Kitchen: 100 Recipes Rich with Tradition, Flavor, and Spice: A Cookbook (Clarkson Potter) by Eva Longoria, I Love You: Recipes from the Heart (Voracious) by Pamela Anderson, and Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals (Ten Speed) by Dolly Parton and her favorite cook, her sister Rachel Parton George.

Self-Care

Wellness and mental health are strong subjects this fall, with books on decluttering one’s mind, finding joy, and living life to the fullest. Organizer Shira Gill hopes to help readers clear up mental clutter with LifeStyled: Your Guide to a More Organized & Intentional Life (Ten Speed), while stylist to the stars and social media darling Law Roach offers a guide to forming a confident self in How To Build a Fashion Icon: Notes on Confidence from the World’s Only Image Architect (Abrams Image). Self-care and intentional living are also front and center in You Gotta Eat: Real-Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossible (Quirk) by Margaret Eby, The Joy Document: Creating a Midlife of Surprise and Delight (Broadleaf) by Jennifer McGaha, and The Art of the Interesting: What We Miss in Our Pursuit of the Good Life and How To Cultivate It (Balance) by Lorraine Besser.

History & Current Events

History is a perennially popular subject, and the coming season will see a spate of works by powerhouse authors. In Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI (Random), Yuval Noah Harari examines the transfer of information against the current backdrop of fake news and AI. Slaveroad (Scribner) by John Edgar Wideman is a unique take on the haunting lineage of enslavement in the United States that reverberates into the present. Other notable titles include How the World Made the West: A 4,000-Year History (Random) by Josephine Quinn, Explorers: A New History (Norton) by Matthew Lockwood, and Queer as Folklore: The Hidden Queer History of Myths and Monsters (Unbound) by Sacha Coward.

This fall also offers sharp inquiry into identity, race, and culture in the form of memoirs, verse, and investigative journalism. Rebecca Nagle investigates the theft of Indigenous lands in By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land (Harper). My Life: Growing Up Native in America (MTV) is edited by IllumiNative (an organization dedicated to amplifying Indigenous voices) and features texts by 20 authors, including librarian favorites Angeline Boulley and Eric Gansworth. In Louder Than the Lies: Asian American Identity, Solidarity, and Self-Love (Heyday), Ellie Yang Camp asks what it means to be Asian American. Other highlights are The Indian Card: Who Gets To Be Native in America (Flatiron) by Carrie Lowry Schuettpelz and If We Are Brave: Essays from Black Americana (Amistad) by Theodore R. Johnson.

Her History

Of particular focus this fall are books that uncover the roles of women who have shaped the world but largely been lost to history. Dust Bowl Girls author Lydia Reeder returns with another cinematic history, The Cure for Women: Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi and the Challenge to Victorian Medicine That Changed Women’s Lives Forever (St. Martin’s). Bestseller Dava Sobel’s The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science (Atlantic Monthly) explores not just the scientist’s life but also the careers of Curie’s protégées and the women she inspired. Look for more women’s history in Einstein’s Tutor: The Story of Emmy Noether and the Invention of Modern Physics (PublicAffairs) by Lee Phillips, Firebrands: The Untold Story of Four Women Who Made and Unmade Prohibition (Univ. of Chicago) by Gioia Diliberto, and The Northwomen: Untold Stories from the Other Half of the Viking World (National Geographic) by Heather Pringle.

More Bookish Picks

In parallel to the fiction trend toward bookish novels, there are new nonfiction titles about the transformational power of books and about librarians and academics who changed the world. See Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me (Ballantine) by Glory Edim, the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, and My Good Bright Wolf (Farrar) by Sarah Moss, a memoir about thinking, reading, and the author’s relationship with food. For a bibliocentric angle on World War II, seek out Elyse Graham’s Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II (Ecco). Ta-Nehisi Coates examines the relationship between stories and realities in The Message (One World).

Plenty To Read and Much To Savor

There’s no end in sight to the wonderful reading in store this fall and winter. From big novels that transport readers into the lives of others to juicy books exploring popular culture, the coming season offers a myriad of choices, perspectives, and experiences, including updates, new series, and sequels from readers’ perennial favorites. In fiction, blockbuster mystery writer Richard Osman starts a new series with We Solve Murders (Pamela Dorman: Viking). Coming off the Netflix adaptation of Leave the World Behind, Rumaan Alam looks at money and morality in Entitlement (Riverhead), while Raymond Antrobus will deliver a new collection of poetry, Signs, Music (Tin House). New works from Haruki Murakami, Louise Penny, Michael Connelly, Kate Atkinson, and Attica Locke are forthcoming as well.

In nonfiction, Malcolm Gladwell rethinks his classic research in Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering (Little, Brown), and Timothy Snyder continues his examination of political systems and philosophies in On Freedom (Crown). Former President Bill Clinton has a new memoir, Citizen: My Life After the White House (Knopf), and with the elections approaching, political books will only multiply. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson also has a memoir, Lovely One (Random), releasing in September. And these are just the highlights. As award season ramps up and readers search for books to give as gifts—for others and for themselves—consider this a guide to the possibilities.

Jessica Trotter is a Collection Development Specialist and Reader’s Advisory trainer for Capital Area District Libraries based in Lansing, MI, and serves on the Board for LibraryReads. Her reading tastes are all over the place—hockey romance to space opera to nature writing, and everything in between.