We recommend: The best new book releases

The best of new fiction

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig: From the bestselling author of ‘The Midnight Library’, here’s another story where the protagonist discovers the magic of being themselves. Retired maths teacher named Grace embarks on a journey in Ibiza–where she meets a marine biologist who takes her diving—an experience that imbues her with magic. Revitalised, she is on a mission to solve a murder mystery and save Ibiza from corporate development. The Guardian says: “Haig’s wise and moving novel is both a mystery and a love story, a fantasy and a billet-doux to the planet.” ABC News writes, “if you’re willing to suspend disbelief when reading fiction, this is an engaging story.” (September 3)

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty: The Australian author best known for ‘Big Little Lies’ and ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ is back with her tenth novel. This slow-burn story is focused on the passengers of a domestic flight between Hobart and Sydney. Following a two-hour delay, the passengers encounter an old psychic woman who claims to know how and when each of them will die. It’s all fun and games until some passengers actually die in the manner she lays out. Existential chaos ensues. According to New York Times: “[Moriarty] remains one of the few mainstream fiction writers to consistently centre the joys and tribulations of midlife and beyond.” Washington Post says, “[Moriarty’s] conclusions aren’t obvious, and they don’t necessarily give readers what they want, but they do induce a sense of sanguinity.” (September 10) 

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune: ‘The House in the Cerulean Sea’ by the American fantasy fiction author was a New York Times bestseller. ‘Somewhere Beyond the Sea’ is a much-awaited sequel. Arthur Parnassus is building a new life following a dark past. He has an orphanage on an island that is peculiar–with children who can be both magical and dangerous. He has become their foster father and truly loves them–and has help from his girlfriend Mayor Helen Webb. Will Arthur’s past life come back to haunt him and the children under his care? How far will he go to save his family? There are no reviews out as of now. (September 10)

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman: The author of the beloved The Thursday Murder Club series, has churned out a brand new murder mystery with eccentric characters. We have the bodyguard Amy Wheeler—protecting a bestselling novelist Rosie D’Antonio. But but but, they are on the run from hitmen and a ruthless money smuggler—who are after Amy’s security agency. The real question: who is the mole and who can she really trust? Maybe her boss? But not her father-in-law, Steve, for sure, right? The Guardian gives it a glorious review: “The thing that shines through in Osman’s writing… he really likes people and revels in all their foibles and eccentricities.” (September 12) 

Counting Miracles by Nicholas Sparks: Best-known for The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks is back with ‘In Counting Miracles’–where he tells a familiar story, set in new terrain. Tanner Hughes, an Army Ranger, was raised by his grandparents. Before his grandmother passes away, she reveals the name of his father–whom Tanner sets off to find. On his way, he meets Kaitilyn Cooper. On the other hand, there’s 83-year-old Jasper who lives in a cabin in the forest. He hears of a white deer in the forest, an animal that had brought his family luck in the past. Hughes and Jasper together plan to protect a white deer that was spotted in the forest in Asheboro, North Carolina. Will a miracle change the course of these intertwined lives? Reviews for the book are still awaited. (September 24)

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney: This is popular Irish novelist’s fourth book— following ‘Normal People’ and ‘Conversations with Friends’. Dublin remains her preferred literary setting as she focuses on two brothers—Peter and Ivan—and how they cope with their father’s death. Peter is a successful lawyer who over-medicates and struggles to maintain his relationships with two women, while Ivan is a socially awkward chess player who meets someone new soon after his loss. There are no reviews out yet. (September 24)

This month’s poetry pick

Soon and Wholly by Idra Novey: This is a collection of poems written over a decade— from the novelist whose book ‘Take What You Need’---received critical acclaim in 2023. Her poems candidly comment on city upbringing—juxtaposing it with her own memories of rural childhood where she roamed free in the woods. Still, the expression remains playful, innocent and witty. For example, she goes “from a woman housesitting in central Chile, surrounded by encroaching fires, to a man in New York about to give birth to a panda.” (September 3)

The best of new non-fiction

Connie by Connie Chung: This is a tell-all memoir by the celebrated TV journalist Connie Chung. As CBS News correspondent, she became a household name in the 1970s during the Watergate Scandal—and she was also the first to interview Magic Johnson in 1991, after he went public about being HIV-positive. She has hosted her own shows on ABC, CNN and MSNBC networks. In her memoir, she candidly reflects on the challenges of being an Asian woman in a white country—addressing racism and sexism from her college days to the workplace. (September 17) 

The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World by William Dalrymple: The Delhi-based Scottish historian switches his focus from the East India Company in his last book to Ancient India with this release. Traversing from 250 BC to 1200 AD, Dalrymple lays out a ‘Golden Road’—akin to the better-known Silk Route—that connected the Red Sea to the Pacific Ocean, with the Indian landmass at the centre. Dalrymple’s core argument? “India is the great intellectual and philosophical superpower of ancient Asia.” The Guardian is already on board: “Dalrymple is a born storyteller, with a wonderful facility for expounding complex events with verve and clarity.” Financial Times concurs, “The plot, especially for South Asians, may be an old one, but it’s the most compelling retelling we have had for generations.” (September 5)

Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari: From exploring Sapiens and their behaviour, the New York bestseller chronicles the history of information networks from stone age to AI—exploring everything from cuneiform tablets to iPhones. In the second half of the book, he looks at different structures of governance —democracies and dictatorships—and how they handle information. Fair warning, New York Times wasn’t impressed with the book and calls it “obvious-interesting, while also being too vague — too open to objection and counterexample — to constitute a useful theory of information.” (September 10)