University of Kwazulu-Natal

Here Are The 20 Books On My September Reading List This Year

Bonisiwe Shabane
-
here are the 20 books on my september reading list this year

Home » Book Lists » Here Are the 20 Books on My September Reading List This Year As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through links on this site. Your purchases help fund my content and come at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! I’m probably the most annoying mood reader ever – to be honest, a reading list has never really worked for me. But while I was brainstorming more content ideas for the blog, I decided to challenge myself and actually create a steady reading list for the books I want to read this month.

These books are the ones coming out this month that I’m most excited to read, but I also made sure to write some other posts about the best books being released in September 2025. Here’s to kicking off my fall booklist a little differently this year. To conquer the ever-growing book stacks on my shelves and share reading recommendations simultaneously, I’ve decided to share my monthly reading list and goals for the next few months. Specifically focused on books I already own. I fall asleep August 31st waking to the start of one of my favorite times of the year: spooky season. Sure, some will argue that “spooky season” doesn’t begin until October.

Others will say there is no need for an entire “season” just for a holiday like Halloween. To those people, I say… take a hike, preferably with hot cider in a cozy fit, through a forest of fall colors. Fall, Autumn, Spooky Season, whatever title you prefer, my September, October, and November reading lists come easily around this time. I typically fall into the fantasy realm during the next few months, leading to December. As the day progresses into October, I amp up to horror. I teeter back to something cozy, often inspiring, in November, leading into embracing the magical of December.

I have a mental outline of what the next few months of reading will look like. In the past, I’ve shared a complete “fall” reading list. Which often contain quite a few novels, some of which I’ve already read and others I plan to read. Jeff O'Neal is the executive editor of Book Riot and Panels. He also co-hosts The Book Riot Podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @thejeffoneal.

Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. It’s the first Tuesday of the biggest month of the year in books, which means there are book lists galore out there. Here is a rundown of September book lists to make you really feel like you cannot read it all. I mean, you know you can’t. But to really feel it in your bones, just look at all these. We’re putting together a resource guide about reading diversely in 2025, and you can help by taking this survey!

Let us know what questions you have about reading diversely, and we’ll answer them in a new series. What do bed and breakfast owners, vampire-hunting bartenders, senior citizen sleuths and nepo babies have in common? Probably not much, but they’re featured in some of the new books we think you should check out. As you look forward to the coming cooler weather and autumn leaves, make sure to stack your bookshelves with plenty of new books for cozy fall reading. USA TODAY has all your bases covered, bringing you guides to the splashy books your favorite celebrities are touting, books for any mood (like when you want to sound smart at a dinner party)... Whether you’re a literary fiction lover, a horror fanatic, or craving a new memoir, this list is for you.

Here are 15 new books that came out in September that we recommend: Lily King’s latest is a weeper, full of card games and witty banter and sure to tug at your heartstrings. In “Heart the Lover,” the narrator – known, for most of the book, only by her Gatsby-inspired nickname “Jordan” – becomes swept up in a friendship and love triangle with two star students in... Decades later, she’ll have to confront the lasting consequences of their trio. What are the best books to read in September? We’ve got a few ideas to share.

Here’s our take on the best books – novels and nonfiction – to read right now, in the month of September. To feel the perfect balance of light and heavy; silly and serious; and excitement and agita that capture the essential vibe of the month. To feel what you want to feel – or need to feel – as September unfolds. So many books, so little time! Reading can be one of life’s sweetest luxuries. But how to quickly find the next great volume to dive into?

To lend a hand, every month we share our Dandelion Chandelier Recommended Reads: books that we’ve personally read and loved – some brand new, and some published long ago. Selected to suit the season, we think they deserve a place on your nightstand. Or your e-reader. In your backpack. Or your carry-on bag. You get the idea.

In this edition: the best books – novels and nonfiction – to read in the month of September. We think these books best capture the vibe and the essential spirit of September, and will help you experience the autumn joy that this month is all about. As we move from summer into fall, the beach reads of August must yield to the Serious Fiction and Important Nonfiction of autumn. At least, that’s what the traditional publishing model has always been. **LINKS TO ALL BOOKS + MY FULL READING LIST HERE** Theme by 17th Avenue · Powered by Blogger

September is here bringing the joy of the fall season with it! Listed here you will find my favorite fall-themed stories, books honoring grandparents, Halloween favorites (it’s time to start putting them on hold before they are all gone!), back-to-school recommendations, and Hispanic Heritage month books. With apple picking, leaf gazing, sweater weather, and pumpkin spiced everything, there is a lot to love about fall! I adore how the essence of this magical season is brilliantly captured in the books featured here. The relationship between grandchild and grandparent is a truly extraordinary one. The below books brilliantly capture those special moments spent together making these stories the perfect gifts for grandparents and grandchildren.

In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th – October 15th), this collection of picture books highlights the rich cultural traditions, diverse experiences, and significant contributions of Hispanic and Latinx communities. Through engaging stories and vivid illustrations, these books provide children with opportunities to explore identity, celebrate heritage, and deepen their understanding of history and culture. Whether read aloud in classrooms, libraries, or at home, each title offers meaningful ways to honor and appreciate this vibrant heritage. The amount of Halloween books available can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve narrowed down our most favorite Halloween stories all in one list. We hope you enjoy these spooktacular boooooooks as much as we do!

In some ways, it feels like all I did in September was read. (As you may have noticed, I certainly wasn’t writing this newsletter.) I started listening to audio-books on my commute home from work - still classical music only in the mornings though - and committed... I’m also trying to read a diversity of books, such as short-story collections, memoirs, and poetry, so this months’ list is pretty varied and, I’m pleased to report, full of excellent reads. Let’s get into it. I borrowed this from Libby on a whim, because I was specifically looking for short-story collections and this one seemed good. Also, the author is (or at least was) Eileen Myles’ partner, which I thought was cool, and Leopoldine is such an interesting name.

The stories in this book were strange, short and long, laser-focused on their characters. One in particular sticks in my mind, though some of them I’ve forgotten about now. Would recommend, if you like short stories. This is, perhaps, a little suprising, but Lily Allen has always been somewhat of a personal hero of mine. As a teenager I was extremely jealous of her tiny nose and thought The Fear was on of the best songs ever written - now, I’ve made peace with my own nose but still... I remember the days of Lily Allen fuck-ups, when celebrity gossip rags seemed to have near-daily updates about the miserable state she was clearly in.

She is one of those famous people who has had so much stuff written about her - so I was curious to hear what she had to say. Partly because of this, I listened to the audiobook, which she reads herself, and I highly, highly recommend this. I’ve seen this book described as ‘unapologetic’ and I don’t think it is, really - Allen is just very specific about what she does and doesn’t regret. It’s a very raw and honest memoir, which is refreshing - I believe everything she says in here. My copy of this book has a different cover than the one pictured, and I bought it in a really excellent used-book shop in Canterbury, which is nice to remember. Originally I picked it up because I wanted to re-read Street Haunting, an essay that I’d been thinking about for years, but the one that really struck me this time was Death of the...

Also, the short stories in this little collection are really fabulous too. An excellent introduction to Woolf’s nonfiction, and good for re-reading over the years. As I mentioned previously, I’ve been trying to read more poems, and borrowed this collection mostly because my library happened to have it. Maggie Smith writes poems that are slightly on the longer side for this day and age (ie, not Instapoetry) and I enjoyed this volume a lot - I took quite a few screenshots. It’s highly likely that I’ll seek out more of her work. Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life—begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him.

Fueled by wry, lively prose, Cammy Sitting Shiva is a deeply relatable fish-out-of-water story, grappling with how it feels to be adrift and to find that a hard trip home may be what it... It’s 1951 at the secluded Bellerton College, and Deena Williams is an outsider doing her best to blend in with her wealthy and perfectly groomed peers. When two patrons turn up dead after the library’s inaugural murder mystery–themed game night, the librarians’ quiet routines come crashing down. Encouraged by friends, Tova begins mentoring baby bots, juvenile AI who are developmentally in their teens, and trains them how to interact within society essentially becoming their foster mom.

People Also Search

Home » Book Lists » Here Are The 20 Books

Home » Book Lists » Here Are the 20 Books on My September Reading List This Year As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through links on this site. Your purchases help fund my content and come at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! I’m probably the most annoying mood reader ever – to be honest, a reading list has never really worked for me. But while I was brai...

These Books Are The Ones Coming Out This Month That

These books are the ones coming out this month that I’m most excited to read, but I also made sure to write some other posts about the best books being released in September 2025. Here’s to kicking off my fall booklist a little differently this year. To conquer the ever-growing book stacks on my shelves and share reading recommendations simultaneously, I’ve decided to share my monthly reading list...

Others Will Say There Is No Need For An Entire

Others will say there is no need for an entire “season” just for a holiday like Halloween. To those people, I say… take a hike, preferably with hot cider in a cozy fit, through a forest of fall colors. Fall, Autumn, Spooky Season, whatever title you prefer, my September, October, and November reading lists come easily around this time. I typically fall into the fantasy realm during the next few mo...

I Have A Mental Outline Of What The Next Few

I have a mental outline of what the next few months of reading will look like. In the past, I’ve shared a complete “fall” reading list. Which often contain quite a few novels, some of which I’ve already read and others I plan to read. Jeff O'Neal is the executive editor of Book Riot and Panels. He also co-hosts The Book Riot Podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @thejeffoneal.

Welcome To Today In Books, Our Daily Round-up Of Literary

Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. It’s the first Tuesday of the biggest month of the year in books, which means there are book lists galore out there. Here is a rundown of September book lists to make you really feel like you cannot read it all. I mean, you know you can’t. But to really feel it in your bon...