Shuffling of the Shelves: September Part Two

By Anais Aguilera, Katie Norris, Olivia Paris and Sophie Poirier

With autumn on its way, here are some book recommendations to fill the colder nights – from horror to cosy romances, we have it all in this issue.

Amazon

Jump straight into the fall atmosphere with Laurie Gilmore’s newest novel The Cinnamon Bun Book Store. The second book in Gilmore’s Dream Harbour series doesn’t compromise on the warm, comfy undertones that first captured readers. When main character Hazel finds a message tucked away in the Cinnamon Bun Book Store, she teams up with local fisherman Noah to get to the bottom of it. Their search brings them further into town and closer to each other. Set in the same quaint town but with a new romance blooming, this book takes elements of mystery and romance and wraps it all up in the scent of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls.

This new release is another good option for those hard-pressed to leave summer behind. The Life Impossible is number one bestselling author Matt Haig’s next big thing. Whereas The Midnight Library was all liminal spaces and dark libraries, The Life Impossible transports readers to sunny Ibiza. There, a woman grapples with the life of an old friend, and her own. Though atmospherically different than his other work, Haig’s ability to capture themes of grief, ending and beginning is ever-present.

WHSmith

Kate Atkinson has published the latest instalment in her acclaimed Jackson Brodie mystery series, titled Death at the Sign of the Rook. Trapped in a country estate after an unexpected snowstorm, Brodie is meant to investigate the theft of a painting. But the more time he spends in the house, surrounded by a cast of eccentric characters, the more Brodie finds connections to another theft, and even a murder. Until the storm lets up, investigator and suspect will be trapped in the house together, waiting for the truth to come out.

Nearly a year after its release, The Figurine by Victoria Hislop remains in the WHSmith Top 100, a testament to its popularity amongst readers. Helena spent her childhood summers at her grandfather’s home in Athens, but she was never aware of his collection of mysterious antiques and valuable treasures. When she returns to Greece as an adult to volunteer on an archaeological dig, she grows curious about her grandfather’s life and belongings, and begins to wonder how much she really knows about him, her family and herself.

Waterstones

Turkish author Elif Shafak’s latest release There Are Rivers in the Sky follows three characters across vastly different timelines of 2018 London, 2014 Turkey and 1840 London. These intertwining stories, inspired by the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh, prove the power of human connection across centuries and continents. As different as their lives may seem, the three protagonists prove that we all may have more in common than we think.

After the wild success of Red, White and Royal Blue, American author Casey McQuiston is back with another fast-paced and fun queer romance. The Pairing follows Kit and Theo, who haven’t spoken in the four years following their breakup but now find themselves on the same European food and wine tour. The sparkling Mediterranean and endlessly flowing French wine make it difficult to resist each other and Kit and Theo find that the trip goes exactly how they hadn’t planned.

Social Media

Recently on social media, horror fiction has been creeping into the spotlight and just in time for autumn! One example being Julia Armfield’s lesbian horror novel Our Wives Under the Sea, which brings together falling in love, grief and the secrets that float on the ocean floor. Miri’s wife Leah returns from a deep-sea mission that ended in catastrophe. As normal life seemingly resumes, Miri realises that Leah has changed and whatever she was studying on the ocean floor has been brought into their home – where her wife slowly slips from her grasp.

Another book giving people the shivers is Mariana Enríquez’s collection of short stories The Dangers of Smoking in Bed. The Argentinian writer, who has been lauded for her unconventional stories and mastery of prose, brings to life stories of the female body, fetish, illness and the darkness of human history. The writing in The Dangers of Smoking in Bed displays a social consciousness and an exploration into the taboo and the unknown, making it an eloquent but chilling read for your September nights.

Noteworthy Author

This issue’s noteworthy author is Richard Osman. Not only has Osman’s hugely successful Thursday Murder Club series remained high in the charts throughout the entirety of this year; there is a new series on the horizon. Excitingly, the first of this series – titled We Solve Murders – is being released in early September. So get comfortable, get cosy and get cracking more mysterious cases this autumn.