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Books in September - Book Recommendations
- The Little Bookshop
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Hello Book Dragons, I have to admit… It was tough to select books for September! There were so many great titles and then I thought to myself it’s The Little Bookshop we can’t have all the books but gosh did I want to have all the books! After some time, I made up my mind and here’s our little list of books coming this month!
Contemporary/Fantasy/Thriller/Sci-fi adults
Cinder House by Freya Marske (3 September)
Because… Cinderella retelling as a queer gothic romance
Ella is a haunting.Murdered at sixteen, her ghost is furiously trapped in her father's house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters. Even when she discovers how to untether herself from her prison, there are limits. She cannot be seen or heard by the living people who surround her. Her family must never learn she is able to leave. And at the stroke of every midnight, she finds herself back on the staircase where she died. Until she forges a wary friendship with a fairy charm-seller, and makes a bargain for three nights of almost-living freedom. Freedom that means she can finally be seen. Danced with. Touched. You think you know Ella's story: the ball, the magical shoes, the handsome prince. You're halfway right, and all-the-way wrong.
Truth Will Out by N.J. Hatton (10 September)
Because we always need a good thriller
Rushing his pregnant wife to hospital, Jack's perfect family life is shattered when, after accidentally hitting a child on a bicycle, he panics and races off to save his unborn baby. At twenty-three-weeks pregnant, Jack's wife must avoid stress or risk losing their daughter. As a criminal defence lawyer, Jack knows that's impossible once he owns up to his crime. Torn between his family’s survival and his need to do the right thing, Jack ultimately decides to confess, until close friend, DCI Clara Higgins, accidentally reveals another suspect has been detained. So begins Jack's ever-increasing web of deception. By defending the man he knows is innocent, he can infiltrate the police investigation and buy his wife and baby the time they need. But as the lines of innocence and guilt blur, he finds himself lead down an even darker road heading for a deadly outcome.
Unearthed - Anthology (15 September)
Because for all you horror fans!
Nineteen original horror stories exploring ancient sites, uncovering forgotten histories and prising open the tombs of the past. Featuring the best modern writers of horror and dark fantasy, these stories explore the caverns and the catacombs, the ruined temples and the monoliths - and drag an ancient evil back into the light. Featuring stories from: Tananarive Due, Christopher Golden, Josh Malerman, Tim Lebbon, Eric LaRocca, A.M. Shine, Jonathan Maberry, Hildur Knutsdottir, Ai Jiang A.
The Women of Wild Hill by Kirsten Miller (24 September)
Because witches waging war on the patriarchy
There are places on earth where nature’s powers gather. Girls raised there are bequeathed strange gifts. A few have powers so dark that they fear to use them. Such a place is Wild Hill, on the tip of Long Island. For centuries, the ghost of a witch murdered by colonists claimed the beautiful and fertile Wild Hill…until a young Scottish woman with strange gifts arrived. Sadie Duncan was allowed to stay. Five generations of Sadie’s descendants called Wild Hill home, each generation more powerful than the last. Then, in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy, the last of the Duncans, once prophesized to be the most powerful of their kind, abandoned their ancestral home. One of them, Brigid Laguerre moved to California and turned her dark gift into fame and fortune. Her sister, Phoebe, settled on a ranch in Texas, where women visit in secret for her tonics and cures. Phoebe’s daughter, Sybil, has become a famous chef. Seemingly powerless, Sibyl has never been told of the Duncan bloodline. Now Brigid, Phoebe, and Sibyl have been brought to Wild Hill to discover their family legacy. The Old One, furious at the path mankind has taken, has chosen three powerful witches to turn the tide. The Duncans will fulfill their destinies—but only if they can set aside their grievances and come together as a family.
YA Book Recommendations
Slayer by Leia Stone (8 September)
Because it’s time for vampires!
All I wanted was cake, candles, and a fresh start after aging out of the group home I’ve been stuck in for six years. What I got instead? A vampire crashing my party and trying to drain me dry.
Apparently, vampires are real and I can sense them. Right before I become dinner, a gorgeous, broody vampire hunter named Asher swoops in and saves me. He tells me I’m not just some orphan with a bad attitude… I’m a legacy. A born Vampire Hunter. And now I’ve got a full ride to Nightguard Academy, a secret school for hunters. Training to kill the undead? Kinda savage. Except there’s one problem: I’m hiding a secret so dark it could get me staked before graduation. And in a school full of monsters, secrets don’t stay buried for long.
Practically Magic by Jen Calonita (10 September)
Because Halloween is around the corner
The Hadley sisters of Mystic Hollow are magic. Literally. But for all the generations of witches behind her, Kat Hadley could swear that she’s utterly invisible to boys. Then she learns that her perfect older sister, Harriet, cast a curse to protect her from heartbreak. Kat is so furious, she loses control—and it’s not just their sisterhood that shatters. It’s magic itself. Suddenly, every spell a Hadley witch has ever cast starts reversing. Spells to do good start bringing evil. Curses to repel suddenly attract. And the veil between worlds begins to thin. If Kat and Harriet don’t do something fast, this Halloween might be Mystic Hollow’s last. As they race to repair the balance of magic—and their relationship—Kat notices that every crush who’s ever rejected her is suddenly magically lovesick. Even her annoying class rival seems to have fallen under her spell. For the first time in her life, she feels practically magic. Who cares if it’s all just a spell?
Give me 'til Midnight by Oran Doyle (10 September)
Because Dublin and time loop sounds interesting
Harmony’s a school drop-out stuck in a dead-end job. Liam is the self-declared ‘King of Dublin’ cheerfully stuck in a twenty-four-hour time loop. Fearful that she (and the rest of the universe) are unwittingly trapped in the loop too, Harmony convinces Liam to give her until the midnight reset to break the cycle. As her attempts fall flat and their personalities clash and time runs out, they find there’s more than one way to get unstuck. And they find love.
Anger Is Only a Shadow by Elizabeth Acevedo (15 September)
Because it’s Elizabeth Acevedo
Lil is anything but small. She’s rebellious, she's loyal; she's figuring out what kind of good person she wants to be, or if she wants to be a good person at all. But more than anything? Lil wants to be free. When her instinct for freedom leads to another stay in D.C. juvenile detention, Lil knows she’s lucky to just be on probation. But judgment, guilt, and an ankle monitor weigh heavily on her, and she can’t shake that pinned-down feeling. The only person who might understand is her big brother, Aldwin. Except he’s more distant now than just the hundred miles where he’s away at college. Something’s been off with him for a couple of months, but only Lil seems to realize how important it is to get to him. As her court hearing ticks closer, a question looms over Lil as the missed phone calls and strange texts from her brother pile up: will she follow the rules until her sentencing, or put her future freedom on the line?
Children’s Books
Flyaway Boy by Jane De Suza (10 September)
Because this sounds like an important story and subject for kids
Kabir doesn't fit in. Not in the wintry hill town he lives in, and not in his school, where the lines are always straight. Backed into a corner with no way out, Kabir vanishes. With every adult's nightmare now coming true, finding this flyaway boy will mean understanding who he really is. Or is it too late? (Age 7-12)
Little Wolf's Big Huff by Harriet Howe (10 September)
Because it’s important to learn how to process BIG feelings
Every year, Little Wolf and Daddy Wolf watch the Wolf Moon rise. Two wolves, alone together, under the big night sky. But this year's trip is looking to be a little bit BIGGER and BUSIER than usual... This time all the brothers, sisters and pups are coming, too. Little Wolf is worried it won't be the same... And sure enough, it ISN'T. As things go from bad to worse, strange feelings start to bubble in Little Wolf's belly and fizz through his fur. Before long, he feels BIG and BAD. He huffs...and he puffs... Can Daddy Wolf help Little Wolf get a handle on his huffs and puffs before it's too late? And teach him about a very special part of being a wolf? (Age 3-5)
Robber Rabbit by Lucy Rowland (10 September)
Because sharing is important
When all the forest food gets blown next to Rabbit's tree, he takes it all for himself and protects it at all costs. After all, it fell by his tree! He even builds a tall wall to protect it. But then the other animals start to go hungry, and Rabbit begins to wonder if he did the right thing. After all, if you're able... you don't build tall walls, but a much longer table. (Age 2-6)
The Potion of Doom by Jack Meggitt-Phillips (24 September)
Because why not a twist on the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
The only thing you need to know right now is that it all started for Henrik Jekyll when he found out about the Hyde Potion … In a whimsical twist on the classic Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by RL Stevenson, spoiled young Henrik Jekyll has been left his ancestor Dr Jekyll’s house, laboratory, and — most importantly — secret, life-altering Hyde Potion recipe. Henrik’s curiosity soon leads him down a dark path, unleashing a chaotic alter ego named Eddie. With Eddie's strength and mischief wreaking havoc in the local town, Henrik must confront the consequences of his reckless actions. Can he learn to control his inner Hyde before it’s too late, or will he succumb to the chaos? And what darkness lurks in the foundations of Jekyll Manor itself? (Age 8+)
We hope you enjoyed our little list and that it gave you some book inspiration!
Looking to pre-order one of these books? Just follow the path! 👇
This blog post is written by The Little Bookshop, your bookshop for English books in Rennes.
