Reading is not so much an act as it is a journey. A journey across pages and characters and cities and lands that we never even dreamed existed. Pouring ourselves into the chapters of a novel stretches and grows our imagination and appetite for more and more words. With new fall fiction books hitting the shelves in 2019, you’ll have even more choices to expand your world and your mindset.
Science even confirms that reading fiction improves brain function and connectivity. And kids who read Harry Potter? They’re more empathetic and supportive of marginalized groups. Whether you devour every book that touches your hands or are not exactly a reader just yet, you should check out some of these upcoming fall fiction books.
Adult Fiction
Inland by Téa Obreht
Publication Date: Aug. 13
Genre: Historical Fiction
From the author of The Tiger’s Wife (which you should absolutely read), Obreht’s newest novel is set “In the lawless, drough-ridden lands of the Arizona Territory in 1893…”. If you’re into historical fiction, intricately winding story lines, and the Wild West, you’ll want to pick up a copy of Inland.
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The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Publication Date: Sept. 24
Genre: Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy
Coates’ first novel goes back in time and “brings home the most intimate evil of enslavement: the cleaving and separation of families.” The story centers around Hiram Walker, who “was gifted a mysterious power” and uses it to make a dangerous escape from the South and enslavement.
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The Institute by Stephen King
Publication Date: Sept. 10
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Fantasy
King is already a household name, so this book might already be on your to-read list. His newest novel will tell the “gut-wrenchingly dramatic story of good vs. evil in a world where the good guys don’t always win.”
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The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
Publication Date: Nov. 5
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Romance isn’t just for women in Adams’ newest book. The story follows a recently divorced, heartbroken man who joins “a secret romance book club made up of Nashville’s top alpha men.” Since this is the first book in a planned series, if you love the book you’ll have more to look forward to.
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Young Adult Fiction
Wayward Son (Simon Snow #2) by Rainbow Rowell
Publication Date: Sept. 24
Genre: Fantasy, LGBT
Rowell is a flexible author who has written everything from young adult to adult fiction to a little bit of magical realism in her book Landline. Wayward Son is the follow-up novel to Carry On, and rather than give you a preview of the summary, I’ll leave you with my best possible description of the Simon Snow series: It’s like a fanfiction of Harry Potter Fanfiction. And it is absolutely delightful. I strongly recommend reading Rowell’s Fangirl before diving into this series.
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Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai
Publication Date: Sept. 3
Genre: Historical Fiction
Lai’s family fled from Vietnam to Alabama after the Vietnam War ended. The author seems to have poured some of her own experiences into her new novel, which follows the character Hằng as she is torn from her younger brother and flees Vietnam for Texas as a refugee. Years later the two are reunited, “But when she realizes he doesn’t remember her, their family, or Việt Nam, her heart is crushed.”
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Suggested Reading by Dave Connis
Publication Date: Sept. 17
Genre: Contemporary
Connis tackles the topic of censoring literature in schools. Clara, the story’s protagonist, “starts an underground library in her locker.” However, her illicit book trade becomes far more complicated “…when one of the books she loves most is connected to a tragedy…”.
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For Black Girls Like Me by Mariama J. Lockington
Publication Date: July 30
Genre: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
I think this book straddles the line between middle grade and young adult fiction, and is appropriate for readers in both categories. In Lockington’s newest book, 11-year-old Makeda struggles with the experience of being a black girl in an otherwise all-white family. She wrestles with difficult topics, like “What would it feel like to grow up with a family that looks like me?”
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Children’s Fiction
For Whom The Ball Rolls (Dog Man #7) by Dav Pilkey
Release Date: Aug. 13
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pilky is also the author of the wildly popular Captain Underpants series, and if you have a reluctant reader, then the Dog Man series should be on your shelves. Hilarious and easy-to-read, the newest book in the series reveals a shocking discovery: “…Dog Man finds himself the target of an all-new supervillain!”
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The Land of the Spring Dragon (Dragon Masters #14) by Tracey West, Matt Loveridge
Release Date: Sept. 3
Genre: Fantasy
These were some of the first chapter books my own kids tackled and I can’t recommend them enough. Another great series for early or reluctant readers, the chapters are short, manageable, and illustrated. If you’ve got some dragon-loving kiddos the Dragon Masters series is an excellent choice. In this book, the main character Drake sets off on a journey to “find the Spring Dragon” who can help fix the damage caused by an earthquake.
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The Lost Continent (Wings of Fire #11) by Tui T. Sutherland
Release Date: Dec. 26
Genre: Fantasy
Another series about dragons, these chapter books are for your older readers who are ready to take on a couple hundred easy-to-read pages. So far the series has introduced a number of different dragon types, including SeaWings, NightWings, IceWings, and more. In the newest book, we could be introduced to even more. “For centuries there have been rumors of another continent on the dragons’ planet…populated by tribes of dragons very different from those we know.”
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Guts (Smile #3) by Raina Telgemeier
Release Date: Sept. 10
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Memoir
Perhaps I’m biased in recommending this book, as Telgemeier is my daughter’s favorite author. This graphic novel touches on some difficult and confusing topics for kids, like anxiety. After dealing with ongoing upset stomachs, “Raina’s tummy trouble isn’t going away…and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships.”
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You might notice that all of my recommended fall fiction books for children have something in common — all of them are part of a series. I really love series in children’s fiction because it gives young readers the opportunity to continue building their skills through their favorite characters. This not only keeps reluctant or struggling readers interested in getting to the next book, but it sets up a clear path that takes away the confusion that kids can feel when they step into a bookstore.
Of course there are many, many more fall fiction books coming out soon. If none of these grabbed your attention, head out to your local bookstore and find something that’s already on the shelves. After all, it doesn’t matter when a book is published, it matters when we read it.
