New Books Goodreads Readers Are Adding to Their TBR, Including a Reese’s Book Club Pick Recommended by Ann Patchett
From Min Jin Lee’s latest family saga to John Grisham's Parisian thriller, these new releases are generating buzz
Key Takeaways
- These five new releases are catching Goodreads users' attention this fall.
- Meg Mason’s ‘Sophie, Standing There 'is a Reese’s Book Club pick Ann Patchett recommended.
- From Min Jin Lee’s sweeping family saga to John Grisham’s thriller, there are a lot of genres.
Every Tuesday book publishers release their newest titles, and readers flock to bookstores and libraries to pick them up—and the super devoted head to Goodreads to add the books to their TBR lists. This week, Goodreads users have shelved their favorite new release books on their want-to-read shelves, and the app is sharing some of the most popular reads. From a Reese’s Book Club pick that was recommended to us by Ann Patchett to a highly anticipated novel written by Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, this list is not to be missed. Read on for 5 books released yesterday that are topping Goodreads’ users’ lists.
‘American Hagwon’ by Min Jin Lee
From bestselling author Min Jin Lee comes another dazzling family saga.. After John Koh’s oldest friend betrays him, he and his wife, Helen, and their three children Bo, DH and Midor, are forced to start over. When the 1997 Asian financial crisis hits the family is devastated once again. Desperate for a fresh start, they move to Southern California, where all five family members grow and change in ways they never expected.
What early Goodreads users are saying: “Min Jin Lee does it again! She takes a microcosm and builds it into something larger, making the reader’s question it all—education, greed, what roles does lust play in our lives and eventually who are the people we become in the larger scheme of things. Ultimately, American Hagwon is a gift that keeps giving. It is meant to be a slow read, one that you must cherish and taste, and experience all its flavors.”
‘Sophie, Standing There’ by Meg Mason
This book, which was chosen as the Reese’s Book Club pick for October and which Ann Patchett recently recommended to Woman’s World, follows Sophie Pattison, who has a dream job and a loving husband and is super close with her best friend and brother. But Sophie spends her days alone, and has ever since Christmas. The only thing that keeps her company: stories written by a writer that Sophie loved in her twenties. As time goes on, Sophie becomes more and more fascinated with the writer and decides she must meet the mysterious writer. A thrilling tale of obsession, identity and self-discovery.
What early Goodreads users are saying: “What I loved most was Sophie herself. She’s messy, contradictory, funny and frustrating. I loved the writers festival setting, the bookish supporting cast and slowly uncovering Sophie’s history. It’s funny in exactly the way I like funny books to be, but underneath the humor is an enormous amount of tenderness. Meg Mason somehow writes about grief, identity, marriage, ambition, loneliness and books without ever making the novel feel heavy. And for those who always ask: no, this wasn’t a crying book for me.”
‘Trust Fall’ by Lynn Painter
If you’re searching for a cozy fall read, pick up bestselling author Lynn Painter’s new young adult novel. When Julia’s elderly neighbor passes away and leaves her his historic brownstone in New York City, enrolling her in an elite private school, Julia decides to go. But she doesn’t fit in. The only person who seems to understand her is her mysterious tutor, Damien. But Damien has a secret: He’s the great-nephew of the man who left everything to Julia, and he’s determined to figure out why his uncle made that decision. What follows is a battle of love, trust and second chances.
What early Goodreads users are saying: “This book was absolutely adorable, just like all her books. I literally had a smile plastered on my face the entire time I was reading it.”
‘The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman’ by Deesha Philyaw
This novel begins after Scharisse Freeman leaves her hometown to marry a megachurch pastor 15 years older than her. Soon after, Scharisse is invited to a “First Lady USA” pageant, it’s her chance to be accepted by other pastors’ wives—known as First Ladies. But when a scandal threatens to expose secrets from Scharisse’s past and destroy everything she’s worked so hard to build, Scharisse must decide what matters most: maintaining her perfect image or embracing who she truly is.
What early Goodreads users are saying: “This is a fantastic story, both heartbreaking and full of hope. It was captivating. The treatment of women by religious communities, and especially in regard to the treatment of men for the same actions, is written with so much force and heart, it gives the story a lot of impact and resonance. I’m not in proximity to Black churches, but I think the messages are universal. The heroine is strong, complex, and so interesting. It doesn’t mean she’s above it all or above any reproach, far from it, but that she can find the motivation to break the circle. That made her real in my eyes.”
‘The French Illusion’ by John Grisham
From bestselling author John Grisham comes another page-turning tale. After their picture-perfect wedding, Paul and Chelsea fly to Paris for their dream honeymoon. But their romantic trip takes a dark turn when they’re kidnapped in the French countryside. And they’re not the first couple to disappear in this way. Desperate to find them, the CIA, FBI and French intelligence recruit a young lawyer to lure in the culprits. But will the risky plan work, or will it put even more lives in danger?
What early Goodreads users are saying: “This breathtaking, hyperventilating, pulse-racing thriller had my heart pounding so hard that I’m convinced it raised my cholesterol levels from stress alone. My anxiety was operating at Olympic levels while reading it, but honestly, who am I to complain? If you want the rush of a truly great thriller, you have to be willing to surrender yourself to the adrenaline.”
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