Hi Bookworms, I didn’t have a chance to write last weekend, but I hope everyone had a nice Labor Day break. We’ve made it to September! Crazy right? Where did the summer go? Well, it’s still pretty hot in most places. We’ve had smoke here this past week from areas west and north of us. And I can say: gray skies are no fun.
So instead of posting a photo of that, I’m going to put one of our dog Willow on a mountaintop, lol. My husband took her with his hiking group a few weeks ago and she was a popular addition. I like the photo because it sort of makes her out to be like Underdog, which was a cartoon show I watched as a kid. Underdog could fly and do anything but mostly he had to save Sweet Polly Purebred from the bad guys. That’s about what I remember. The photo and view below are also from that hike from the front range of the Canadian Rockies.
And now, let’s talk about September releases. You might wonder how I figure out which books to pick each month. Well if there’s well-known authors, or authors I’ve read and liked before, then I often pick their books. Also I do a bit of research on the book, for example I’ll check its rating on Goodreads and see on Amazon what the blurbs are on it. I’ll also see if it’s received a starred review on Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. If the novel has received stars on both of those, then I’ll take a closer look at its synopsis and see if it might be for me.
I like contemporary and literary fiction best, and sometimes historical fiction and nonfiction too. Some popular genres like: sci-fi, fantasy, romance, and mysteries are not often my picks. For whatever reason, they are not in my reading wheelhouse. But I guess every once in a blue moon, I’ll read one. Do you have genres you don’t typically read?
So the first new release is Lily King’s novel Heart the Lover (due out Sept. 30) about a love triangle — between a girl and two guys — who meet in literature class senior year in college. The three become close, and apparently choices made then will alter their three lives forever. But then decades later a surprise visit and unexpected news will bring the past crashing back to the present, uh-oh. Love it when that happens. And apparently two of the characters become writers so writing and books I think are featured prominently in the plot, yay.
It sounds like a winner, so what are we waiting for? I have read and enjoyed two of Lily King’s novels before: Writers & Lovers from 2020 and Euphoria from 2014. So I will continue on with her.
Next up is Nathan Harris’s second novel Amity (out Sept. 2) about a formerly enslaved brother and sister in the tumultuous aftermath of the Civil War. Their odyssey to find true freedom takes them across the deserts of Mexico to escape a former master still intent on their bondage. It’s been called both harrowing and deeply moving — and an “epic tale of a budding genius pulled through the borderlands,” according to author Andrea Barrett.
I’ve been meaning to read Harris’s much praised writing before. I still have his debut novel The Sweetness of Water, which was longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2021, on my shelves to be read. It’s got some dust on it, but hopefully I’ll get to both sometime.
I’m also looking to read Kiran Desai’s big 688-page novel The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny (due out Sept. 23), which is on the Booker longlist this year. It seems to be an epic, sweeping love story between two young Indian writers who “discover their conjoined destinies by leaving home, coming back, connecting, disconnecting, and swimming in the ocean at Goa,” according to Kirkus Reviews. Publishers Weekly calls it “A sweeping page-turner … a kind of Romeo and Juliet story for a modern, globalized age.”
I don’t often read such long, long novels, but all the praise on this book makes me want to get it. I’m betting it makes the Booker shortlist, which will be announced the day the novel comes out on Sept. 23, so we’ll see. I’m wondering if it might even win.
Lastly in books, I’ll mention the novel The Wilderness (due out Sept. 16) by Angela Flournoy about five Black women over the course of their twenty-year friendship, as they move through the hectic period between young adulthood and midlife. From all the blurbs I’ve read, this one sounds like a good friendship novel, and the best novels about that can be really rewarding.
And for whatever reason, I missed Flournoy’s 2015 debut novel The Turner House, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, so I might like to go back and read that novel sometime as well. It’s been 10 years since then, but now Flournoy’s new second book is coming out, yay.
In screen releases this month, there’s a lot of notable ones coming out, so I’ll try to be brief. For those who liked the gritty crime series Mare of Eastown set in Pennsylvania, you might also like the series Task (on HBO, starting Sept. 7) by the same creators about an FBI agent (played by Mark Ruffalo) who heads a Task Force in Philadelphia to put an end to a string of violent robberies led by an unsuspecting family man. This crime drama looks pretty action packed and gritty, so hold onto your hats. Mark Ruffalo is usually quite good, so bring it on.
Also for those who like the comedy-drama Only Murderers in the Building, Season 5 begins Sept. 9 on Hulu. I have not followed this show, but I know many enjoy it and I think all the same stars and characters are back.
There’s also another Downtown Abbey movie (not series) titled Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, which apparently is a sequel to the 2022 Downton movie A New Era if you saw that. This one follows the Crawleys and their staff as they enter the 1930s and Mary causes a public scandal when she gets a divorce and the family faces financial troubles. Apparently the Crawleys must embrace change as they prepare for the next generation to lead Downton into the future.
Unfortunately this is said to be the third and final film so we won’t get to see anymore, argh. I always like watching Downton for the grandeur of the sets and costumes and characters … and also to see if the yellow Labrador is still part of the family. I really hope so.
And for fans of the TV series The Morning Show, Season 4 will start Sept. 17 on AppleTV+. This is a crazy drama-filled show we follow about a major TV station in New York with various broadcast news divas played by Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon and has a large cast that includes Billy Crudup, Jon Hamm, and now Marion Cotillard. What AppleTV says about the new season: Two years after the business merger in Season 3, “the newsroom must grapple with newfound responsibility, hidden motives and the elusive nature of truth in a polarized America. In a world rife with deepfakes, conspiracy theories and corporate cover-ups — who can you trust?” Well my answer is for the current power brokers sadly not many at all.
Next is the British spy series Slow Horses Season 5 (starting Sept. 24 on AppleTV+). This is an enjoyable show led by Gary Oldman as the unkempt, rude Jackson Lamb, the head of the MI5 unit known as Slow Horses, and it seems the entire cast including Kristin Scott Thomas and Jack Lowden (now married to Saoirse Ronan in real life) will be back, yay. This new season finds the misfit spies investigating a series of bizarre events and terror plots occurring across London — and how it all might be connected to their IT expert’s glamorous new girlfriend. There’s just six episodes this season (like the others) so it’ll be quick.
Two more screen releases to possibly think about: the biographical movie Swiped (out Sept. 19) stars Lily James as Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder and CEO of Bumble, an online dating app. She was previously co-founder of Tinder but left in 2014, not that I know much about dating apps, but it is with Lily James and that might be reason enough to check out the movie.
Also the TV crime series The Savant (starting Sept. 26 on AppleTV+) stars Jessica Chastain as an agent who infiltrates online hate-groups in order to prevent large-scale public attacks. It looks pretty intense and scary to think about, so I’m not sure if that one will be for me, but I’ll put it out there for Chastain fans.
Lastly in music this month, there’s new albums by Ed Sheeran, David Byrne, Sarah McLachlan, Amanda Shires, Robert Plant, Neko Case, and the band Wednesday among others. I’ll pick Sarah McLachlan’s new album Better Broken (out Sept. 19) since she’s a Canadian and it’s been nine years since her last one. There’s also a documentary (Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery) about the Lilith Fair tour, which she founded in 1997, coming out on Hulu Sept. 21, so that’ll be interesting. You can hear the single off her new album here. Happy listening.
That’s all for now. What about you — which new releases are you looking forward to this month? Happy September.
Willow looks like a corgi in that picture. What an amazing view in that photo! I usually gravitate towards contemporary fiction/literary/women’s fiction, thriller/mysteries, and historical fiction, though I occasionally dabble into horror and fantasy if the premise appeals. I’m on my fifth Booker longlisted book—Flesh. I think I may be able to accommodate The Loneliness… before all it’s said and done. Amity sounds good too, but I don’t think the year will be long enough for me to get to that one as well. I wish I read faster! I like Sarah McLachlan; she has a haunting voice. Looking forward to Slow Horses; those guys crack me up! Saoirse Ronan is pregnant, btw.
Thanks Carmen, little did I know Willow would be way up there, lol.
I’m glad you reminded me of the historical fiction genre … I added that too — as I often like it. I’m on the wait list for Flesh so you can let me know if it’s good. Not sure when I’ll get to it. I’m reading The Correspondent at the moment. I might accommodate the Desai novel too but it’d likely be in October/November. I’m so slow at the moment grrr, but fall might give me more time. We’ll see.
Many things to watch this month. I didn’t know that about Saoirse wow! Her husband is a bit of a looker right? Wishing you a great week.
I am looking forward to the Downton Abbey movie. I think my book group is going to go together next weekend, which should be fun.
My brother was a big Underdog fan. I think I knew his girlfriend (now wife) was going to be around for the long term when she found him Underdog pillowcases online! That was about 25 years ago and they now have three teenagers.
I read the first Slow Horses book and thought it was only so so but it sounds like I would enjoy the tv version. I just got Netflix, however, so am not going to try Apple TV just now.
Hi Constance, that would be fun to see the Downton movie in a book group. I can’t believe it’s the end of the franchise. Ugh. I hope the movie is enjoyable.
Wow they make Underdog pillowcases ? Good to know! Cool. I hope the kids appreciated them. lol. Probably not as much as your brother did.
Yeah the Slow Horses series is pretty enjoyable. I have not tried the books yet. Gary Oldman is quite the sloppy character of Jackson Lamb. Maybe the plots are more watchable. Have a great week.
That’s a dynamite photo of Willow. I remember Underdog! Love the flap of the ear and I bet she slept well after that hike.
That’s a great way to decide which books to read. My go to authors always take priority but if the library gets one of my holds in I consider it first. Especially if I can’t renew it. I have found my taste has changed over the decades. I used to love mystery and thriller, police procedural types. Now I prefer a good family drama with multigenerational characters, nonfiction and general fiction. I never read horror, I don’t like a complete romance genre but don’t mind it as a subplot and scifi is usually hit or miss. Mostly miss. haha
Oh yes, we are loving Slow Horses and I have The Morning Show on my list as well. Looking forward to The Savant and a Jason Momoa series called Chief of War. Have you seen or heard of Your Friends and Neighbors with Jon Hamm?
Hi Tina, thanks, glad you know who Underdog is … and now Willow is impersonating the cartoon, lol.
Yeah, like you, the genres I read have changed over the years … I used to read more thrillers too etc. But now I need a little more something else.
I have not seen the Jon Hamm series. The Morning Show is like a broadcast news show & a soap opera — I think Season 1 is still the best. We have AppleTV but not Netflix. But I’m glad Apple has Slow Horses. Happy watching.
I love that picture of Willow! And, yes, Underdog – I remember him. Ha! We just returned from a vacation to Yellowstone Park and we had a great time. Amazing scenery and animals. I’ll have some pictures to share soon and will also get back to blogging after my break. Take care and hope you are having a good weekend!
Hi Kay, thanks. And you remember Underdog too! Great to know you had a good trip to Yellowstone, Wow that’s excellent. So much to see. Did you get to see wolves there? I look forward to hearing about your trip and your photos on your site. We are only about three hours from Montana, so we need to visit Yellowstone sometime. Have a great week.
Hi Susan, great picture of Willow. She is definitely at home in nature.
In choosing a book that’s how I do it too I research and a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly is definitely something I consider.
Thanks for letting us know about the September reads. The two I would like to try are Heart The Lover and glad to hear you have liked Lily King”s other novels it’s all the encouragement I need. I am also interested in The Wilderness because novels involving a group of friends over several decades can be alot of fun.
Hi Kathy, thanks, Willow does like being outside a lot. 🙂
Interesting to know you often choose your books from starred reviews. I find PW and Kirkus often have their pulse on the top stuff. It’s not easy to get a starred review, so I look to see what they say (especially since it’s often 4 months in advance.
Fingers crossed on the September books. I’m on library waitlists. Both the ones you mention I hope are enjoyable. Have a good week.
More for the reading/viewing/listening list! Thank you. And thank you especially for the news about “Slow Horses.” I hadn’t realized it was coming back this month and now I get to watch one of my favorite actors, Gary Oldham, once again. Something to look forward to in these days of bleak and anger-inducing news.
Give Willow an extra pat from me. She’s adorable.
Hi Dorothy, thanks. Willow is a bit of a honeybunch, lol. I’m glad you like these release posts. Sometimes they take me a while but they’re also helpful to me.
Keep watching Slow Horses … Gary Oldman is a bit of a hoot in that series. If he would wash his hair that’d be nice, lol. Happy September.
Great photo of Willow, and the photo below of the Canadian Rockies is awesome. I remember Underdog but not much about the show, and it did not come out when I would have watched it, so don’t know why I would remember it.
The book by Lily King sounds good. I have read none of her novels but I loved her short story book, Five Stories in Winter. Besides the book in the Slow Horses (Slough House) series mentioned below, the book I am looking forward to just came out, the fifth book in the Thursday Murder Club series, The Impossible Fortune.
We will be watching Slow Horses for sure, since we watched the first four seasons. There is a new book in the series coming out in a few days, and I will order it soon.
I hope the smoke in your area clears up. I know how yucky that can be.
Hi Tracy, thanks, little did I know Willow would be way up there. Underdog is a relic of the ’60s apparently. They must have had reruns in the ’70s when I saw it.
I know a lot of folks are looking forward to the new book in the Thursday Murder Club series (out Sept. 30). The NYT mentioned the book … and I like the idea that a group of retirement types solve the cases. At our library there are 502 holds on 50 books ordered. LOL. That’s how popular it is!
Enjoy Season 5 of Slow Horses. You are keeping up with those books too, wow.
The smoke is still here … but I keep hoping fall will make it improve soon.
Have a great September.
Wow! Lots to think about here! Thanks for a solid list and lots of inspiration!
Hi Melissa, thanks for stopping by and looking at these recs. I appreciate the kind words. Cheers!
Really looking forward to Slow Horses and Downton! Task looks like my kind of show, but, sadlyl, I don’t have HBO.
Hi Helen, I hope you enjoy Downton and Slow Horses. Those should be good. We get something called Crave in Canada that includes HBO stuff, so we might get to try Task. Let you know if it’s good. Happy September.
I committed to read at least one Booker finalist this year so I will be looking for your review of Sonia and Sunny to determine if it will be the “one” I pick.
Hi Anne, I probably won’t get to Sonia & Sunny till October or November but I hope to get to it before the end of the year. I’ll let you know if it’s any good. I hope it’ll be a winner. Happy September.
I thank you for looking up the upcoming books for all of us, Susan, and reporting back on the promising ones. I found Heart the Lover, The Wilderness, and The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny are coming to my library, so I will look for them.
Kiran Desai will be at Inprint in Houston in November, and that will be a good time for me to buy her book from the independent bookstore that brings books to these events. It’s been a while since she has had a book published…could it be twenty years?
Hi Deb, I’m glad you are interested in these books. Yeah I think Kiran Desai’s last novel was in 2006 … I’m actually looking to read that novel before I get to the new book. It’s great you will hear her speak in November. I saw an interesting long feature on her in the New York Times. She’s been writing her 2nd book for a long time. I hope it’s a winner. Happy September. ps. that’s great you support the indie bookstore like you do.
Willow is so cute! I remember Underdog. I typically don’t read the literary and romance genres. Love the cover on The Wilderness. And yes, I’m looking forward to Only Murders in the Building and Slow Horses.
Thanks Olivia. Willow loves compliments and is happy you recall Underdog.
I was happy to find your site about your life in Albania. Very cool posts about navigating a new country. So impressed. I gather you can stream the shows from there. I hope you’re settling in more and will be happy there. Keep reading & watching.
Willow is sooo cute!!! That is an awesome photo.
Thanks Erin, ha … Willow is a honeybunch all around. She needs about 1,000 pats to get through each day, lol. She loves positive reinforcement. I was surprised & impressed to see her on the top of a mountain! Have a great week.
Willow is the star of today’s book, TV and movie post. 🙂 I haven’t noticed any of these new books, but like you, I always like to check out authors I know and enjoy especially when they have new releases. I saw the trailer for the new Downton Abbey Movie and I’d like to see that. The characters in that series are really the best. In fact, isn’t that what’s makes any film or book the best? Well of course the story but the characters in that story too. I’m glad you stopped by my blog and I found you because I enjoyed your post.
Thanks Erika. I appreciate you saying that and for stopping by. Willow is a happy dog. And yes I love looking at the Downton Abbey sets and the characters, so that movie should be a fun one. The characters and the actors have been in that show for a long time so it really draws one to it. I hope you enjoy it. Happy September!
Love that cute pic of Willow! With her ears back like that I can totally see the resemblance to Wonderdog. ;D I spent my Labor Day weekend celebrating my mom’s birthday, making peach jam and doing applesauce. Happy reading this month.
Hi Lark, thanks, Willow is happy to be considered a Wonderdog who can climb mountains in a single bound, Lol. I’m glad you had a nice Labor Day weekend with so many good things. Happy September.
I like suspense novels, but not cozy mysteries. I also don’t read Sci-fi or fantasy, or gory thrillers. All the books you mentioned are new to me. Have a good week.
Hi Cindy, good to know your genres. Good suspense books are hard to beat. But just need to find the right ones. Have a great September.
Oh, Willow! That’s a fantastic photo! I’m excited about all the great books publishing this month. Heart the Lover and Buckeye are at the top of my list, but I’m also tempted by The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. It’s so long that I’ll probably wait for a few trusted readers to share their opinions before I pick it up. I’m also looking forward to the new Downton movie. Hope you have a great week!
Thanks JoAnn. I didn’t realize Willow would be on top of a mountain, but she did all right and slept on the way home, lol.
Yes there are many good books out this month. I think Buckeye seems to have your name all over it. “One town. Two families. A secret that changes everything.” Come on — you have to vet it for us. Lol. Have a great September.
I may “take one for team” and read Buckeye relatively soon! lol!
Ha, Too funny. Yes please do. We need to know if Buckeye has the right stuff.
The views from your husband’s hike are breathtaking! I love Mare of Eastown so I’ll look into Task. We have tickets to see the new Downton movie next Saturday. Hope you enjoy your new book choices and that the smoke dissipates from your area. It’s depressing to see wildfire smoke day after day. Have a great week!
Thanks Rachel, I was happy to take his hike photos to display, lol.
The smoke is still here … but I’m hoping rain later this week will take it away.
It’s great you’re going to see the Downton movie … fun. I think we will start watching Task soon too. Have a great September.
What a great photo of Willow! I am curious about The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. It does sound like it will be good. I read a variety of genres and book types, although there are some subgenres and subject matters I do not care for. But even then, there may be exceptions so I hate to rule anything out entirely.
I am sorry you have had to deal with smoke from the fires. I hope the rain helps clear the air.
Take care and have a great week, Susan.
Thanks Wendy. As it gets cooler overnight, I’m hoping the smoke will leave for good, we’ve gotten into the 40s at night lately. And it’s quite good how you read widely the various genres. You seem to review a bit of everything. The Kiran Desai novel definitely also has me interested but just wondering when I’ll get to it, lol. Maybe October or November. Happy September!
You monthly preview post is one of my favorites to read, so thank you! And thanks for sharing the great pic of Willow. She looks like she’s trying very hard not to blow over. 😉 I had to Google Underdog (which we watched as kids) to see if Dudley Do-Right was in that or Bullwinkle. I couldn’t remember, but it was Bullwinkle. Anyhow, beautiful photo of the mountains and valley. Makes me want to return to Canada!!
I don’t usually read romance or fantasy. Sci-fi only rarely, too. I mainly read contemporary & literary fiction and mystery/thrillers. Oh, and lots of memoirs.
I’m looking forward to the new Lily King book and may re-read Writers & Lovers first.
Thanks for the heads-up about Task. We loved Mare of Eastown, so this is going on our watch list. I think I’m going to go back and watch all of the Downton Abbey seasons since I have no idea where I left off. After that, I’ll watch the movies. I enjoyed the series and don’t know why I never finished the show. And whooohooo, I’m happy about The Morning Show. I really enjoyed that one! And Slow Horses has another season. Yay! We’re also planning to watch the new season of The Diplomat, Unforgotten, and Thursday Murder Club once we get home from our road trip. Lots of good tv this fall!
Hope you are enjoying some lovely autumnal weather. We’re currently in Bodega Bay and we had some sun, fog, and rain. Beginning our journey homeward tomorrow, but taking our time. It’s been a good trip, but I miss our long adventures to Canada, Montana and Wyoming. Maybe next year!
Hi Lesley, thanks for your note from the road. Bodega Bay is pretty cool. I hope you are having fun and enjoying the scenery. My sister & BIL live in the Bay Area so we have visited … but maybe it was Point Reyes.
I’m so glad you like these Preview posts. They take a while but seem worth it.
Did Bullwinkle appear in Underdog? I’m not sure I remember that, hmm.
I didn’t think you read fantasy either … I sort of marvel at people who can, lol.
Yeah good news about all the TV shows in the fall …and I think you recommended Shrinking which we are watching now. Just Season 1 so far. Jason Siegel is a likable character. I like the funny parts.
The fall colors are just starting to turn here and some overnights are in the 40s, while days in the mid-70s. I think it’s going to be a pretty fall.
Safe travels home. Happy September.
No, Bullwinkle wasn’t included in Underdog. I was just trying to remember which show had Dudley Do-Right. 😉 We probably watched them during the afternoon tv hours.
Ha. Okay. I don’t think I was up on Dudley Do-Right. But glad you’re keeping me straight on these old cartoon shows. !
What absolutely gorgeous pictures of Willow and the Canadian Rockies! I would love to see that view but I don’t think I’m athletic enough to climb that high!
I’m really excited about the Lily King book, it sounds really interesting, and it also sounds like her other books are worth reading. I’ll have to check them out. And of course I have to watch the Mark Ruffalo show!! I love him! So many good stuff coming out this month, thank you so much for featuring them! I’m also curious about Swiped and I like Lily James so that’s going on my watchlist as well!
Thanks Haze, yeah my husband hiked that mountain with a hiking group, crazy. I didn’t get up there. But you’re a runner so you probably could make it. lol.
And September has a lot of great releases in books & screen stuff. It’s going to take me a while to sample a bit of all this. I hope you will have time with school going on. Enjoy and don’t overwork yourself. Cheers.
Happy September to you and Underdog (aka Willow). What a couple of great photos! I really want to visit the Canadian Rockies.
I have come to really look forward to your preview posts–I am always trying to read more new releases instead of backlists and classics, and your posts are great guides. Thank you!
I liked Writers and Lovers so I will get on the list for Heart the Lover. Writers, lovers triangle, the past become the present–so much to enjoy.
Amity also goes on the list–definitely in my wheelhouse.
The Wilderness is also appealing.
I loved Downtown Abbey but never watched any of the movies–not sure I will watch this final one, although yes, the settings and costumes are superb.
Gearing up to binge the latest Only Murders in the Building at the end of October when they’re all available. In the meantime, Great British Baking just started a new season, Amazing Race is back at the end of Sept, and we are indulging in old favorites (season 2 of Bosch, the original Mad About You, and Life in Pieces). Plus, I want to rewatch Gettysburg before my trip next month. And, I am rereading McCullough’s John Adams and want to rewatch that fabulous mini-series based on the book.
That’s wonderful Jane. You have many shows going on to watch … and of course novels on the pile. Now you have me interested to see the Gettysburg movie … I think I’ve watched part of it long ago, but not the full thing (also liked the Glory movie). So I will look to see if I can find Gettysburg on our TV. I think it’s probably on Prime and AppleTv as well. I’d like the John Adams book too. I’m going to be in the DC / Va. area at the end of Sept. so I’ve just been making plans … where I’m staying etc. Maybe I will get to Mount Vernon. The fall colors should be good. Hope your trip is great as well. That’s kind of you to say you like these Preview posts — Glad to hear. And if you visit the Canadian Rockies – it’s best to come in the off-season when the crowds are much less and it’s more enjoyable. The crowds in the summertime are just too much. Cheers!
I love that picture of Willow! So cute! Did she actually hike or was she carried a lot? lol
Hi Jinjer, ha, Willow looks like she was flown in to the mountaintop. She is a cute girl, thanks, but actually she had to hike the whole thing … and then she slept all the way home in the car. lol. She needs her naps. Cheers.