Fashion Climbing by Bill Cunningham
"There I was, four years old, decked out in my sister's prettiest dress." So begins late great Bill Cunningham's story, which spans from his youthful fashion obsession to his rise as the New York Times' fashion photographer. (Penguin Press, September 4)
2The Golden State by Lydia Kiesling
Motherhood and road trips have some things in common: the inexorable tedium, the fleeting milestones. In this debut by the Millions staffer Lydia Kiesling, a mother takes her child on the road, a journey with an unexpected destination. (MCD, September 4)
3She Would Be King by Wayétu Moore
This debut novel combines magical realism and history to illustrate the paths of three extraordinary people with powers that help them cheat death, at the dawn of Liberia's existence. (Graywolf, September 11)
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4The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman
If there's any comfort to be had while reading Vladimir Nabokov's classic novel Lolita, it's that the heinous crime described therein is fiction. Or, that used to be the case—this true crime book details the horrific real-life case of Sally Horner, an 11-year-old abducted in 1948. (Ecco, September 11)
5Heartland by Sarah Smarsh
You might have read Sarah Smarsh's viral New York Times op-ed, which deconstructed the myth of the "aggrieved laborer: male, Caucasian, conservative, racist, sexist" with reference to the experiences and opinions of her working-class father. In this memoir, she fully explores the impact of poverty on her family. (Scribner, September 18)
6Untrue by Wednesday Martin
First, there were Upper East Side revelations in Primates of Park Avenue and the psychology of stepmoms in Stepmonster. Now, Wednesday Martin looks into women who cheat with Untrue. (Little, Brown Spark, September 18)
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7Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon
You can bring Reese Witherspoon into your life via your TV (Big Little Lies, her millions of movies), your clothing, and your homewares (Draper James, what's up?). Why not invite her onto your bookshelf, as well, with this account of her southern style? (Touchstone, September 18)
8Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Put in the service of a new master, 11-year-old slave Washington Black is unexpectedly allowed to develop his burgeoning artistic talents as he works for a scientist. But another twist separates them, turning him toward a different kind of hardship. (Knopf, September 18)
9Transcription by Kate Atkinson
The author of the acclaimed twisty historical novel Life After Life heads back into the spotlight with a thriller spanning the 1940s and '50s. Transcription, already garnering raves in the UK, tracks the travails of a young woman who worked for the MI5 and ten years later finds her past has a longer shadow than expected. (Little, Brown, September 25)
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10All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
"When I was growing up, I couldn’t find any stories about adoption that spoke to my experience," wrote Nicole Chung in a 2016 essay. Her forthcoming memoir will more than fill that gap. (Catapult, October 2)
11Good and Mad by Rebecca Traister
Women are angry, and Rebecca Traister is just the person to chart the topography of their rage, its causes, and its effects. (Simon & Schuster, October 2)
12Things to Make and Break by May-Lan Tan
Enjoyed the short fiction of Carmen Maria Machado and Miranda July—writers who engage with the oddness of being a person who craves the tension, otherness, and oddness of other people? Then the unexpected, highly examined collisions in Tan's stories will hit your sweet spot. (Emily Books, October 2)
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13What If This Were Enough? by Heather Havrilesky
Beloved advice columnist Heather Havrilesky flows her wisdom into a new mold with this collection of essays focused on indulging the imperfect present. (Doubleday, October 2)
14Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller
English mansion? Check. Dazzling couple? Check. Yearning outsider? Now you have all the ingredients for a psychological powder keg, ready to explode during the summer of '69. (Tin House Books, October 9)
15The Witch Elm by Tana French
A new novel from crime queen Tana French is cause for celebration. In her seventh, the victim of a violent attack is shaken even further when a skull is discovered in the garden. (Viking, October 9)
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16Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life by Jane Sherron De Hart
Everything you need to know about the scrunchie-loving, workout-having, jurisprudence-shaping Supreme Court justice. (Knopf, October 16)
17Melmoth by Sarah Perry
Imagine a supernatural Pied Piper who forces wrongdoers to reckon with their misdeeds. In this modern Gothic novel, a translator comes across accounts of such a being and grapples with her own catastrophes. (Custom House, October 16)
18Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
Former biologist Barbara Kingsolver taps her scientific side with her new novel. In twin stories, set over a century apart, Willa Knox and Thatcher Greenwood fight unpopular battles: to preserve a crumbling family house, and to discuss Darwinian discoveries. (Harper, October 16)
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19This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps
Ruler of Instagram and our hearts Busy Philipps brings her frank humor to the book world. Expect Hollywood, motherhood, and, broadly speaking, sisterhood. (Touchstone, October 16)
20Useful Phrases for Immigrants by May-Lee Chai
In her tenth (!) book, May-Lee Chai explores the lives of Chinese protagonists—some in their homeland, others in the United States. (Blair, October 23)
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