Fall came up in a hurry here in Minnesota. The last few days have brought temps in the 50s and gusts of wind that signal summer is over. Fall is one of those seasons where I want to wrap myself up in a blanket with a hot cup of tea (or maybe a pumpkin porter) and sit down with a good book. Today, in embracing the spirit of fall, we’ve pulled together a short list of upcoming fall book releases that have our tongues a-wagging, itching to carve aside some time to read.
Baboon by Naja Marie Aidt (Two Lines Press, short fiction)
This is a book I am especially excited about, and you will see a full review soon from me. Aidt pulls back the layers to reveal a raw look at daily life of her different characters, and the darkness that lies there, brooding. These are stories of average people, but with an underbelly of desperation at the cusp of crisis: husbands cheating on wives, bizarre experiences, experimental sexuality and more. These moments of crisis are magnified to uncomfortable closeness, as we face truths all to familiar.
Best to Laugh by Lorna Landvik (University of Minnesota Press, fiction)
Minnesota author Landvik strikes again with a book about a young stand-up comedian who leaves the Midwest to make her big break in Hollywood. Landvik pulls from her own experiences (she has done stand-up shows herself), and woos the reader with her well-spun combination of humor and heart. This is sure to be a fun romp of a novel for those looking for something lighter after reading Baboon.
A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride (Coffee House Press, fiction)
A young woman and her relationship with her brother are at the heart of this debut novel; family, violence, sex, and trauma are all subjects brought into play with the characters. McBride has the literary world a-buzz, having been called a “genius” with “uncompromising”, “shocking” and “incredibly original” style. Girl has already won the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction Kerry Group Irish Novel of the year award and the Goldsmiths Prize. This is a must-read.
Bone Map by Sara Eliza Johnson (Milkweed Editions, poetry)
Bone Map is the first collection from Johnson, and is a tightly wound, visceral force of a collection that has already won the 2013 National Poetry Series. Nature, animals, and the body collide with violence, raw intensity, and insight. It will be an exercise in imagery and physicality for the reader.
What new or forthcoming books have you excited for fall reading — what’s missing from our list? Do you have a favorite fall reading routine?
