Goodreads Editors’ Most Anticipated September Books: ‘I Can’t Wait to Dive In’
From a sweeping family saga to a spooky gothic debut, these novels deserve a spot on your TBR
Key Takeaways
- Goodreads editors have selected five new September books they’re especially excited to read.
- The list spans family sagas, historical fiction, mysteries, literary fiction and gothic stories
- These highly anticipated September releases are worth adding to any fall reading list.
We are just four days into September and voracious readers are adding plenty of books to their TBR (to-be-read) lists for this month! This includes the editors at the popular book app Goodreads. They recently announced their most anticipated September reads and if you didn’t have these reads on your list before, you definitely will want to add them now! To learn what made the Goodreads editors’ September TBR, keep reading!
‘Sophie, Standing There’ by Meg Mason
Recommended to us by Ann Patchett, Meg Mason’s upcoming novel follows Sophie Pattison, a book festival worker whose life is falling apart. Despite having a loving husband, a best friend and a close brother, Sophie has been living alone since Christmas and avoiding everyone. And she can’t stop thinking about a novel written by an author she discovered in her twenties. As her isolation continues, Sophie becomes increasingly fixated on meeting this writer, blurring the line between admiration and obsession—and soon no one, including Sophie, is safe from her fascination. (Out September 29, 2026)
What Goodreads editors are saying: “Bookworm Sophie seems to have everything going for her: a bookish job, a good husband, close friends and family. So why does she suddenly find herself alone, about to be fired, and estranged from her loved ones? As she retreats further and further into her books, she finds herself obsessed with an author from her 20-something days. Reviewers are saying this one is perfect for those looking for a sad girl/weird girl read.”
‘The Birthing Tree’ by Amanda Peters
If you love family sagas, don’t miss Amanda Peters’ newest novel. When Aliet Paul’s mother dies during childbirth, Aliet is sent to live with her grandmother, Kiju, in a small Nova Scotia town. As an adult, Aliet trains as a nurse, honoring traditional midwifery while embracing modern medicine. Years later, when Kiju dies, Aliet returns home and uncovers long-buried family secrets pointing to a mystery spanning generations. A powerful exploration of family and hidden secrets.
What Goodreads editors are saying: “If you’re a member of an active book club, I bet you’re familiar with Peters’ debut novel, The Berry Pickers. Peters returns with this sweeping family saga set in a small Nova Scotia town where the Mi’kmaw women navigate changes to their way of life. Early reviewers say this one will tug at your heartstrings!”
‘The Radiance’ by Ayad Akhtar
After a devastating accident leaves a writer incapacitated, he experiences a spiritual awakening that changes everything. He moves to a college campus, reconnects with a former colleague and starts rebuilding his life. But when a scandal threatens to destroy them both, they must find a way to survive the fallout. What follows is a moving story about redemption, resilience and second chances that will keep readers turning pages late into the night. (Out September 29, 2026)
What Goodreads editors are saying: “Many years ago, I watched a staging of Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Disgraced that I still think about to this day for its spot-on skewering of well-meaning-but-pretty-terrible-and-utterly-clueless intellectuals. So I can’t wait to dive into this newest novel, in which a writer (also named Ayad Akhtar) takes a campus job in the aftermath of a hit-and-run accident.”
‘Our Noble Selves’ by Kate Atkinson
Readers who enjoy historical fiction books set in Europe, are sure to love Kate Atkinson’s latest novel, a Woman’s World book club pick. In 1945, former war reporter Harry Flynn returns to Britain and joins the eccentric team preparing for the Festival of Britain. But when a mysterious Frenchwoman vanishes after their encounter, Harry becomes the prime suspect—despite having no memory of their meeting. As he races to clear his name, Harry discovers everyone around him is hiding something. Can he uncover the truth before he’s convicted of a crime he can’t remember committing? (Out September 15, 2026)
What Goodreads editors are saying: “Kate Atkinson + post-WWII historical fiction + a mystery. Did we just find the circle in the middle of my Venn diagram of interests? (Yes.) The acclaimed author of Life After Life returns to 1950s England with a war-weary journalist trying to solve a missing persons case against the backdrop of the Festival of Britain and a colorful cast of characters.”
‘The Sisters of Crimson House’ by Melissa Anderson Sweazy
If you loved Practical Magic, don’t miss this novel by Melissa Anderson Sweazy. Charley Bryde might live in a house filled with magic, but that doesn’t stop her from being miserable. She had to grow up on her own and doesn’t have enough money to support herself. Desperate for a way out, she begins to allow tourists into the house and does tarot readings. But when skeptics start to challenge Charley, she does everything in her power to prove that she really is psychic. (Out September 29, 2026)
What Goodreads editors are saying: “Magic, a legacy of psychic abilities, a haunted house and a con to keep a foreclosure at bay all collide in this very autumn-esque debut novel. If you need a good gothic tale for your reading list, look no further.”
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