The Best New Books Out in September, According to Indie Booksellers


Who better to get book recommendations from than independent booksellers? They’re some of the most passionate and well-informed readers out there — plus, they know just what kind of books will do well when recommended to customers. That’s why the Indie Next List is so helpful. It’s a list of the top 25 new book releases for the upcoming month, nominated by indie booksellers across the country and put together by the American Booksellers Association. Each book on the list has a quote from a bookseller about why they recommend it.

I’ve picked out ten of the books off that list to add to your TBR. Most of them are also Book Riot recommendations, so I’ve included our descriptions when possible. Be sure to click through to the ABA website for the full list, including six Indie Next Picks that are now out in paperback.

(Some of the September Indie Next List books actually came out in August, likely because the publication dates shifted after they were nominated.)

creation lake book cover

Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner

This is the #1 pick on the Indie Next List! It follows a secret agent in France, and it promises to be a “propulsive page-turner of glittering insights and dark humor.” The bookseller description is: “Rachel Kushner turns noir on its head in this mesmerizing, philosophical, and darkly funny tale. Creation Lake is a page-turner crackling with electricity from one of our greatest living writers — a spy thriller with literary teeth.” —Chantel McCray, Rainy Day Books, Fairway, KS

There Are Rivers in the Sky cover

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

Erica Ezeifedi also recommended this, in a new releases round up: “In There Are Rivers in the Sky, Booker Prize finalist Shafak tells the story of three characters spread through time. It begins with the ancient city of Nineveh, which produced one of the most enduring pieces of literature: The Epic of Gilgamesh. It’s this poem that affects the lives of Arthur in 1840s London, Narin in 2014 Turkey, and Zaleekah in 2018 London. Each of them fight to make it out of their predicaments — even as struggles with mental health threaten to pull them back down — and each is tied to the other through a single drop of water.”

cover of Bluff by Danez Smith

Bluff: Poems by Danez Smith

Susie Dumond recommended this as one of the best queer books out in 2024: “Award-winning poet Danez Smith has written brilliantly crafted collections like Homie and Don’t Call Us Dead. If you’re looking for queer poetry, Bluff should absolutely be on your list. Their newest collection is an exploration of racial justice, violence, and healing in Smith’s hometown, the Twin Cities, as well as a call for poetry and the arts to help build a path toward a collective future. From rage and grief to inspiration and hope, these poems are an emotionally powerful call to action.”

cover of That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America Amanda Jones

That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones

Kelly Jensen is Book Riot’s resident censorship and literary activism expert. It’s hard to overstate how much she’s written about the topic. She wrote a post recommending this book, so be sure to click through if you’re interested: Librarian and Anti-Censorship Activist Amanda Jones Tells Her Story. Jensen says, “Without question, Jones is now among the most outspoken and well-known anti-censorship and anti-book ban advocates doing the work right now.” In this memoir, she tells her story, including receiving death threats and accusations of being a pedophile merely for defending the freedom to read. She is now suing for defamation.

cover of Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian’s Journey Home by Chris La Tray

Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian’s Journey Home by Chris La Tray

Kendra Winchester recommended this as one of the best new nonfiction books out in August: “Chris La Tray was always told he was Indigenous, but it wasn’t until he was at his father’s funeral that he seriously began looking into his family’s past. Becoming Little Shell follows La Tray’s experience finding and learning more about his tribe, the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and its 150-year history of seeking federal recognition.”

william book cover

William by Mason Coile

William is one of Emily Martin’s picks for the best new horror books out in September horror: “This new AI horror story is a book you won’t be able to put down. After countless hours of work, engineer Henry has finally done it. He’s created an artificially intelligent consciousness, which he names (you guessed it) William. But no one knows about William, not even Henry’s pregnant wife, Lily. When Henry finally decides to introduce William to the world, starting with Lily and her friends and coworkers, things go terribly wrong.”

cover of I'll Have What He's Having

I’ll Have What He’s Having by Adib Khorram

Jessica Pryde included this in a roundup of the best romance novels out in August: “When Farzan has a spectacular meal at a new restaurant, followed by a spectacular night with the hot sommelier, he discovers that it was all a case of mistaken identity. The pair laugh it off, not expecting to ever run into each other again. But when Farzan finds himself in need of David’s help, will their continued attraction get in the way of both of their goals?”

Tell Me Everything cover

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

The newest book from Pulitzer Prize winning author Elizabeth Strout follows some familiar characters in Maine as they struggle to find meaning. Here’s the bookseller pitch: “I’ve just spent the last few days observing a grand reunion in this gorgeous book! All my old friends showed up: 90-year-old Olive, Lucy Barton, the Burgess brothers, even Amy and Isabel! Strout probes human nature and the many meanings of love.” —Carol Katsoulis, Anderson’s Bookshops, Naperville, IL

The Life Impossible cover

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

The author of The Midnight Library is back with a story about a retired math teacher who inherits a rundown house on Mediterranean island and searches for answers about the friend who left the house to her. The bookseller description is: “Matt Haig’s wonderful book about climate change, aging, and recovering from guilt. Widowed Grace is left a house in Spain by a friend she hasn’t heard from in over 30 years. She heads out on an adventure where new friends and life-altering changes await.” —Kathy Clemmons, Sundog Books, Santa Rosa Beach, FL

By Any Other Name cover

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

This historical fiction book follows two women playwrights from different centuries, one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays. The bookseller recommendation is: “A fascinating story of a woman who may have written many of the works attributed to Shakespeare. While this book is fiction, Picoult digs deep into the research that’s been done to present an interesting and intriguing tale of what might have been.” —Camille Kovach, Completely Booked, Murrysville, PA

Read the full list of 25 books plus six paperback releases at the ABA website.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.



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