As fall begins to settle in and people start spending more time inside, many people are looking for a good book to dive into while they get comfortable on their couch.
The coming months are packed with a number of highly anticipated book releases, whether it’s an exciting sequel, the long-awaited next book in a long series or a new standalone novel from a beloved author.
We have put together a list of 16 highly anticipated novels releasing over the next few months. The list features books of a variety of genres, including horror, fantasy, literary fiction, dark academia and more.
Whether you’re already an avid reader or someone who is just diving back into reading, this list will have something for you.
Note: This book list contains works for adult audiences. They may contain content, themes and language that is for mature readers.
‘Taipei Story’ by R.F. Kuang
Summary: “College freshman Lily Chen is off to spend the summer in Taipei at an intensive language program like so many Chinese American students before her, hoping to connect with the culture she inherited but never fully understood. But a promising start quickly unravels. Her classes are grueling, her roommate is driving her insane, and a reckless trip to the hot springs with a guy she barely knows soon has her classmates viciously gossiping. She feels adrift, a foreigner in a country she thought would feel like home.
Then shocking news arrives: Lily’s grandfather has passed away. The loss forces her to grapple with now-unanswerable questions about her family history. As Lily grieves, she’s drawn into a journey of self-discovery—piecing together memories, stories, and silences over a series of hilarious and devastating attempts at connection.”
Why it’s getting buzz: Kuang is a No. 1 New York Times and No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the “Poppy War” trilogy, “Yellowface,” “Katabasis” and “Babel: An Arcane History.”
What people are saying: “‘Taipei Story’ shows us a more mature Kuang, a writer who is developing her novelistic chops ... The novel has a sense of restraint and sophistication.” — The Times.
Release date: Sept. 8
‘Tempest’ by Victoria Aveyard
Summary: “Cat Rose knows what it is to live in two worlds, in two times. Before — as Lady Catrine of the Meridian Empire, chained to a loathsome lord with a dwindling fortune. And after — as the Widow Rose, queen of a pirate tavern in the Lyrian Sea, determined to be the master of her own fate. But tides turn and winds change. The Meridian Empire looms on the horizon, the full weight of her navy falling on the Lyrian, bent on reclaiming the wealthy colonies and crushing the pirate republic once and for all. Ship after ship is captured, save for one captain who continuously evades both noose and blade: the legendary Valerian Kane. With his fearsome ship and uncanny connection to the song of the sea, Valerian is the only man who might rally the pirates who remain. The only man who threatens the Empire. And the only man Cat has ever loved, blazing in and out of her life like a star. Desperate for victory, the Empire offers Cat a devastating choice: bring them Valerian, or hang. In truth, no choice at all.”
Why it’s getting buzz: “Tempest” is Aveyard’s first adult novel, she is known her young adult novels the “Red Queen” series and the “Realm Breaker” trilogy. “Tyrant” a sequel to “Tempest” is scheduled to release next year.
What people are saying: “‘Tempest’ is a triumph that features all my favorite things: romance, layered characters, a meticulous fantasy world, and of course — pirates,” — Rachel Gillig
Release date: Sept. 8
‘Exit Party’ by Emily St. John Mandel
Summary: “Los Angeles, 2031: The first spring after the collapse of the United States, peacekeeping troops withdraw from the city, the Jacaranda trees blossom, and the curfew is finally lifted. Ari Waker and her roommate pass the gauntlet of bomb-sniffing dogs, the shanty towns, and the Red Cross tents as they walk across Silverlake to a party. ... And then: A shift. A bewildered twin, an uncanny doppelganger stumbles through the crowd and out into the night, and Kareem, the party’s host, vanishes into thin air. ... ‘Exit Party’ is a novel about the price of safety, the perils of the surveillance state, a requiem for a world not unlike our own, and a breathtaking story of resilience in the face of cataclysmic change.”
Why it’s getting buzz: Mandel is best known as the author of the postapocalyptic novel “Station Eleven,” which was adapted into an HBO limited series in 2021. The rights to “Exit Party” sparked a bidding war last year, and it’s set to be made into a series directed by Jac Schaeffer, who previously directed Marvel’s “WandaVision.”
What people are saying: “This is her best novel since ‘Station Eleven,’ a cause for rejoicing among her fans and an inspiration for newbies to dive into the backlist. Both a thrilling read and a virtuoso demonstration of the moral and philosophical possibilities of speculative fiction.” — Kirkus Reviews
Release date: Sept. 15
‘Dead Beat’ by Leigh Bardugo
Summary: “Alex Stern made it to hell and back more than once, but this time she left the door open behind her. Demons are creeping through the streets of New Haven and the Yale campus, feeding on the souls of the living, terrifying the dead. Alex and her allies can hunt them, but it’s only a matter of time before the gates to the underworld open and they face a war they cannot win. To stop it, they’ll have to reach deep into the secrets of Yale and its societies, and discover the truth hidden in Alex’s own blood.”
Why it’s getting buzz: “Dead Beat” is the third and final book in Bardugo’s “Ninth House” dark academia trilogy. Bardugo is also known for writing the “Six of Crows” duology and “The Shadow and Bone” trilogy.
Release date: Sept. 15
‘Hollow Bones’ by Jodi Picoult
Summary: “On September 11, 2001, when Molly Fitzgerald was only two months old, her mother went to an appointment at the World Trade Center and never came home. Her father and the stepmother who raised her couldn’t have loved her more, but she still grew up with a healthy dread of disasters. Now an adult, she runs the Rhode Island Department for Emergency Preparedness. ... She and her husband, Jesse ... have found a love that is a solace in a dangerous world. But then the unexpected upends their new marriage, leading them both to question everything they thought they knew.”
Why it’s getting buzz: Picoult is best known for the 2004 novel “My Sister’s Keeper,” which was later adapted into a movie starring Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin.
What people are saying: “The queen of social activist novels has done it again. Impressive, important, and fun to read.” — Kirkus Reviews
Release date: Sept. 22
‘Hollywood, Ending’ by John Green
Summary: “For rising young actors Kai Laramie and Juniper Castillo, being cast in the buzzy biopic Andy Warhol Never Gets Old is the opportunity they’ve both been waiting for. They’re on the verge of breaking out, and maybe even falling in love. Soon, the movie is blowing up, and so are their lives — in exciting, but also terrifying, ways.”
Why it’s getting buzz: “Hollywood, Ending” is Green’s first novel in nine years and it is his debut adult novel. The bestselling author is known for young adult novels “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Looking for Alaska” and nonfiction book “Everything is Tuberculosis.”
What people are saying: “Green’s storytelling is astute, empathic, and magnetizing.” — Booklist
Release date: Sept. 22
‘Ply’ by Hernan Diaz
Summary: “Centuries from now, at the dawn of a historical epoch filled with both uncertainty and promise, an orphan is adrift in a city on the brink of a great transformation. The state has been dismantled, and humans are reinventing social bonds and learning new ways to coexist with nature. Following a childhood defined by loss, survival, and found family, the orphan grows up to become a “pincher,” someone who steals electricity from the grid to sell it on the black market. It’s a high-risk life, one that brings her into a rich art and music scene where she powers underground concerts. It also leads her to a colossal scientific invention that could change the very fabric of reality.”
Why it’s getting buzz: Diaz’s last novel, “Trust,” won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
What people are saying: “Diaz brilliantly envisions how love, trust, and loyalty can remain when freedom and justice have collapsed and makes every page exhilarating and meaningful.” — Library Journal
Release date: Sept. 29
‘The French Illusion’ by John Grisham
Summary: “After Paul and Chelsea Tanner’s fairytale wedding, their future is full of promise. But their honeymoon to Paris takes a dark, shocking turn when they are kidnapped while on a day trip to the French countryside. Who would target them, and why? It turns out this is not the first crime of its kind. The search for clues soon stretches across borders, with the FBI, CIA, and French Intelligence trying to work together to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Struggling to find answers, a young lawyer is recruited to be the bait in an elaborate CIA operation.”
Why it’s getting buzz: Known for his legal thrillers, Grisham has written over 50 consecutive No. 1 bestselling novels.
What people are saying: “Propulsive and surprising, ‘The French Illusion’ is an unmistakable Grisham thrill ride — gripping and impossible to put down.” — Doubleday
Release date: Sept. 29
‘Partita’ by Barbara Kingsolver
Summary: “Livia Cable has made her peace with her marriage and modest livelihood in the farm country where she grew up, until a shocking phone call from an old lover shakes her to the core. Decades earlier, this man knew her as Livia Bohusz, a music conservatory student estranged from her home and family, uncertain of anything except her passion for music and promise as an extraordinary pianist. His request, now, to see her again stirs up ghosts she’s kept at bay for a lifetime.”
Why it’s getting buzz: Kingsolver is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Demon Copperhead,” as well as the bestselling “The Poisonwood Bible.”
What people are saying: “Brilliant, affecting work from one of contemporary literature’s masters.” — Kirkus Reviews
Release date: Oct. 6
‘Life Out of Order’ by Audrey Niffenegger
Summary: “Born with the same rare Chrono-Displacement Disorder as her father, Henry DeTamble, Alba is an involuntary time traveler. … As she dips in and out of time, Alba is haunted by secrets she must keep from those she loves most, including Zach, her safe, supportive anchor in the chaos. Her journey takes her from the riot-torn Chicago streets, to the eerie, timeless ‘Yellow House’ — where she meets Oliver, a handsome fellow time traveler — to the digital corridors of the Museum of Lost Souls, a virtual sanctuary of forgotten memories and lost artifacts. Curating the museum is Isadora, Alba’s mysterious stepsister and an increasingly unsettling presence in their family – whose fate may be intertwined with Alba’s in more dangerous ways than she knows.”
Why it’s getting buzz: “Life Out of Order” is a sequel to the bestselling novel “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” which was made into a movie in 2009 starring Rachel McAdams.
What people are saying: “Saturated with feelings and insights, this is a breathtakingly intricate, magnetizing, and provocative novel of opulent imagination, daring vision, resonant compassion, epic sorrow and love, and genuine wisdom and hope.” — Booklist
Release date: Oct. 6
‘The Sixth Faction’ by Veronica Roth
Summary: “Beatrice Prior stands on the brink of a decision every person in her world must make: five factions, five futures, five lives. She has a plan: she’s going to make the bravest choice and leave Abnegation to join Dauntless, even though it means abandoning her family. But when tragedy strikes at her choosing ceremony, everything changes—her world, her plans, even Beatrice herself. Her decision will thrust her into the crosshairs of an underground rebellion, where a boy with secrets as dangerous as her own—a boy with only a number for a name—may be the only person she can trust.”
Why it’s getting buzz: “The Sixth Faction” is an alternate universe retelling of Roth’s “Divergent” trilogy.
“Not a prequel, not a sequel, not a spinoff, not a different POV but an alternate universe of ‘Divergent’ where Tris chooses a different faction,” Roth told USA Today.
Release date: Oct. 6
‘Off the Reservation’ by Stephen Graham Jones
Summary: “Five years after the massacre on the Blackfeet reservation, Nate finds himself in the hospital after a terrible accident that should’ve killed him and that nearly killed his best friend Sebby, who is hanging onto life in a room a few doors down. Nate’s life is out of balance, so when he is given the chance to reset his life, and maybe save Sebby in the process, Nate steps up, again. This time it’s into a camper van that is almost as run down as his broken body, filled with three older Blackfeet, to find the bones of the lone Blackfeet boy who died at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, where many Indigenous children were abused, and repatriate this boy home. The problem is, when they get the bones, something terrible has escaped with them.”
Why it’s getting buzz: “Off the Reservation” is a follow-up to Jones’ breakout bestselling novel “The Only Good Indians.”
What people are saying: “Off the Reservation is a haunting American Indian novel of survival, reckoning, and redemption, shining light on the dark corners of this country’s history while also showing the desperate choices people make when they’re put up against a wall.” — Simon & Schuster
Release date: Oct. 13
‘Peck & Peck’ by Bonnie Garmus
Summary: “It’s 1982, New York City. Crime is on the rise, muggings are in the streets, and Batter Gray, recent college graduate with a skill that no one wants — an ‘ear’ for poetry — is worried about his future. … But when Batter gets a dream job at Peck & Peck, the most prestigious poetry quarterly in the world, his life moves into the literary fast lane. Soon Batter is knee-deep in the secret war between the two Editors in Chief, the famous Peck brothers — twins and enemies — as well as being privy to the private affairs of their thirty-nine editors, whose professed mission is the same: Find originality. Reward creativity. Burn the rest.”
Why it’s getting buzz: “Peck & Peck” is Garmus’ second novel, following her bestselling “Lessons in Chemistry,” which was made into an Apple TV+ series starring Brie Larson.
What people are saying: “The author … packs the novel with the antic humor and colorful characterizations that drew readers to her debut. There’s much to cherish in this charming tale.” — Publisher’s Weekly
Release date: Oct. 27
‘A Court of Splintered Harmony’ by Sarah J. Maas
Summary: “Koschei the Deathless is stirring. Though he’s been bound to a mountain lake for millennia, the insidious threat of his return now spreads across the Fae territories. … The Night Court will not stand idly by while innocents are attacked. But with Prythian still piecing itself together in the wake of the devastating Hybern War, the task of uniting is proving more difficult by the day. To make matters worse, those who rule and protect the Night Court are reeling from recent betrayals and revealed truths. … But to defeat Koschei’s creeping shadow, they must find a way back to each other and resurrect their former alliances. To survive, they must find a way to repair the splintered harmony all around them.”
Why it’s getting buzz: The sixth installment in the blockbuster romantasy series “A Court of Thorns and Roses.”
Release date: Oct. 27
‘Peculiar Stars’ by Rebecca Yarros
Summary: “Stranded on an island for the next eighteen months alongside the crew and her fiancé’s cousin, Callista discovers a strength she never knew she had. And begins to question the life she always thought she wanted. With Dominic, an ex–army medic, she finds true peace―and a version of herself that she doesn’t need to explain. They resist their connection at first, but as months wear on, and the hope of rescue fades, something real starts taking shape, built on who they are when everything else is stripped away. When they’re finally found, the world hasn’t changed. But they have. In the height of a modern media frenzy, learning to live as the people they’ve become will challenge not only their definition of survival, but love.”
Why it’s getting buzz: Yarros is best known for her book “Fourth Wing” and the rest of the “Empyrean” fantasy book series. “Peculiar Stars” has already been picked up by Apple TV for adaptation.
Release date: Nov. 17
‘Fires of December’ by Brandon Sanderson
Summary: “In a forgotten land sustained by colorful rivers of demon blood, a young woman named December learns a devastating plague is on its way. But who will believe her? Against impossible odds, she sets sail up the River Violet to warn the king’s court, determination—and wisdom beyond her years—burning in her eyes. Along the way she’ll navigate incredulous royal officials, twisted court intrigue, and a roguish count with only her wits and her new friends: a talkative priestess and a fledgling fashion designer.”
Why it’s getting buzz: Brandon Sanderson is a bestselling fantasy author known for his epic fantasy series “Mistborn” and “The Stormlight Archive.” “The Fires of December” is the latest standalone novel in his fictional universe, the Cosmere.
Release date: Dec. 8