This post was updated Oct. 16 at 7:50 p.m.
As the leaves start to change color, it might be time to turn over a new leaf, or even a new page.
The upcoming fall season promises book lovers a wide variety of new works they can curl up on the couch with and enjoy. From thrilling fantasy books to returns from iconic authors, the literary sphere has something coming for every reader’s interest in the next few months.
Grab a pumpkin spice latte and read on for the Daily Bruin’s autumn book recommendations.
“Shadow Ticket” by Thomas Pynchon
Get ready to travel here, there and everywhere in Thomas Pynchon’s newest postmodern romp around the world.
A highly anticipated return from the giant of American letters, Pynchon’s latest novel “Shadow Ticket” hit the shelves Oct. 7. “Shadow Ticket” marks not only his 10th work overall but his first work in 12 years since 2013’s “Bleeding Edge” – an especially timely comeback given the recent release of Paul Thomas Anderson’s film “One Battle After Another,” which was loosely inspired by Pynchon’s novel “Vineland.”
Similar in genre to many of his previous works, the postmodern novel follows private detective Hicks McTaggart as his seemingly straightforward quest descends into a whirlwind of historically referential antics. Set in Milwaukee amid the Great Depression, Hicks is tasked with finding Daphne Airmont, the missing heiress to a Wisconsin cheese fortune. Soon thereafter, he finds himself abducted on an ocean liner, embroiled in a nascent Nazi Germany, paranoid of a U-boat underneath an icy Lake Michigan and, of course, implicated with the occult.
In the twilight of his idiosyncratic career, Pynchon’s perceptive prose seldom shies away from what fascinates him the most: everything.
– Davis Hoffman
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“The Widow” by John Grisham
As the days shorten and the leaves turn brown, John Grisham’s first creeping whodunit is the perfect fall read.
Grisham, who is known for his legal thrillers, is back with “The Widow” after writing 37 consecutive No. 1 fiction bestsellers. The 70-year-old novelist, lawyer and former Mississippi State representative shows no signs of slowing down as he continues his partnership with publisher Doubleday Books to release a story of greed and murder. As his books have sold 300 million copies, “The Widow” is sure to fly off bookshelves once it is released Oct. 21.
Set in rural Virginia, the novel follows lawyer Simon Latch, who is facing marital strife when he meets Eleanor Barnett, a rich elderly widow in need of a new will. Although the two do their best to keep her wealth under wraps, a car accident hospitalizes Eleanor – and Simon finds himself wrongfully accused of her murder. To save himself from a lifetime behind bars, Simon must now find the true killer and clear his own name before time runs out. While reviews have suggested a slow setup, Grisham’s latest piece eventually picks up the pace with fervent twists and turns as Simon scrambles to solve the murder.
“The Widow” is set to be yet another success for Grisham in the literary world of law and mystery.
– Eleanor Meyers
“The Eleventh Hour” by Salman Rushdie
The time has come for more tales from Salman Rushdie.
The award-winning author’s latest work – a quintet of short stories called “The Eleventh Hour” – will hit bookshelves Nov. 4. Although the stories included in “The Eleventh Hour” are fictional, their rumination about the final chapter of one’s life might hold more gravity than ever before. The collection follows Rushdie’s 2024 book “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder,” which was inspired by the stabbing the 78-year-old author survived while giving a public lecture in 2022.
Grounding the narratives in “The Eleventh Hour” are the settings for each story, which are influenced by Rushdie’s time living in India, England and the United States. Topics range from a vengeful Cambridge ghost in “Late” to a deceitful young writer in “Oklahoma” and even commentary on free speech in “The Old Man in the Piazza.” Likewise, some of the stories will feature callbacks to Rushdie’s past works – such as the protagonist of “The Musician of Kahani,” a musician who lives in the same Mumbai neighborhood where 1981’s “Midnight’s Children” was set. Connecting each of the stories are themes of legacy and fulfillment in the anticipation of death.
With such pervasive philosophical questions about mortality, “The Eleventh Hour” seems set to stand even with Rushdie’s most vital works.
– Reid Sperisen
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“The Strength of the Few” by James Islington
The fate of the world hangs in the balance in James Islington’s latest novel.
“The Strength of the Few” is the second installment of Islington’s “Hierarchy” series, which follows orphan Vis Telimus as he rebels against the Catenan Republic. In the first novel, “The Will of the Many,” Vis was tasked with infiltrating the Republic’s most elite school, the Academy, where he unlocked a secret underground labyrinth that split his consciousness across three dimensions. The story left off as Vis realized that a cataclysmic event was imminent, but he was completely alone in his quest to stop it.
Islington’s series demonstrates exceptional worldbuilding, with the author setting up a complex magic and political system with incredible detail. The story balances lofty magical feats with realistic political drama, crafting a story that is nearly impossible to put down. In “The Strength of the Few,” readers will dive deeper into Vis’ journey throughout the minefield of the Catenan Republic’s government system, as he juggles the weight of the impending Cataclysm and his own personal conflicts around working for the Republic.
Vis will need all the strength he has to save the Republic in Islington’s next thrilling work.
– Vishnu Potharaju
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