Usher in the changing seasons with a hot new read
Credit: Riverhead Books; Penguin Random House; William Morrow
New stunners from three literary heavy hitters, plus new celebrity memoirs — see PEOPLE’s picks for the best books of September 2026, so far.
01 of 06
‘The Disappearers’ by Marlon James
Credit: Riverhead Books
This ambitious tour de force follows eight gay men in Kingston, Jamaica. When they’re ambushed and brutally beaten at a theater rehearsal in 1988, one of them is killed. Over the decades that follow, they deal with the trauma in wildly different ways: by ignoring it, by seeking revenge or by simply vanishing. It’s part page-turning crime novel, part touching ode to queer friendship and absolutely stunning. James’s latest masterpiece should be required reading
02 of 06
‘Switzy’ by Emma Cline
Credit: Penguin Random House
David, an elderly former executive, is on a trip to Europe with his faithful young assistant at his side. Switzerland will be the final stop, but David doesn’t plan on ever going home. Cline’s latest is an intimate, thought-provoking read about life’s complexities, at the beginning and end.
Related: Emma Cline Examines a Man’s Last Days in New Novel Switzy — See the Cover! (Exclusive)
03 of 06
‘Taiepei Story’ by R.F. Kuang
Credit: William Morrow
At a study abroad program in Taipei, Lily Chen is struggling with grueling classes, an annoying roommate and social dynamics. When her grandfather dies, she sets out to unearth her family history, with mixed results. A wry, incisive look at culture shock, family and the meaning of belonging.
Related: R.F. Kuang’s Most Personal Book Yet Started with a Journey, a Death and a Reckoning (Exclusive)
04 of 06
‘The Pirate Queen’ by Ariel Lawhon
Credit: Doubleday
Historical fiction ace Lawhon tells the thrilling story of 16th-century Irish sea captain and folk heroine Grace O’Malley. Game of Thrones characters wish they were this badass. — Samantha Miller
05 of 06
‘Heavy Cream’ by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
Credit: Simon & Schuster
When a scrappy teenage narrator is cruelly cut loose by her Velcro-tight mom, she finds mentors in three very different women in and around New York. Funny and sharp. — Marion Winik
Related: Sarah Blakley-Cartwright’s Novel Heavy Cream Is an ‘Eccentric’ Coming of Age Story — See the Cover! (Exclusive)
06 of 06
‘I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie’ by Jaclyn Smith
Credit: Gallery Books
The Charlie’s Angels star gives a retrospective look at her life and career, from ‘70s television fame to finding her joy off-screen.
Related: Jaclyn Smith Reveals Charlie’s Angels Secrets: From Wild On-Set Behavior to a Threesome Proposition (Exclusive)
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