Fall Book Preview

With the fall comes crisper weather and the promise of future snow (at least where I’m from), and if I had a fireplace, you can bet I’d find it appealing to relax in front of it with a good book. For some people, though, walking into a bookstore can be intimidating, particularly if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Surrounded by thousands of books, it can be difficult to even know where to begin. Thus, this Fall Preview.

If you are a casual reader, then you will be most comfortable, no doubt, starting with some of the established super-authors. Your Grishams, your Sparks. These authors have a track record. And their legions of fans would probably dare you to say anything bad about them. Many of the books on this list are from such super-authors.

However, there are some hiding here that are from lesser-knowns, or complete unknowns. They could be your favorite author that you just haven’t discovered yet. My advice: enjoy a little from everywhere. Don’t fasten yourself down to a genre. Get out, explore, learn more about others’ interests. Reading a variety of authors is one good way to do just that.

This list is by no means exhaustive. Check book publishers’ websites if you want even more. Here are just a few of the books coming this fall.

Pontoon: A Novel of Lake Woebegone

When a Lutheran woman dies in the town of Lake Woebegone, her family must deal with the aftermath—complicated because, rather than a traditional Lutheran funeral, the woman has requested to be cremated, put in a sealed-up bowling ball, and dropped in the lake. And when a former Lake Woebegonian woman returns home to marry her fiancé on the same day as this “unconventional” funeral, the expected lunacy occurs. Coming September 11 from Penguin Group, by Garrison Keillor. Comedy.

Dave Barry's History of the Millennium (So Far)

Comedian Dave Barry takes a hard look at the first several years of this, the new millennium. With his trademarked sense of humor, he reviews every year, from 2000 to 2007, collecting his “Year in Review” surveys in one package. Great for fans of political humor and commentary. Coming September 17 from Penguin group, by Dave Barry. Comedy.

The Sound of Butterflies

Thomas Edgar is a naturalist, and he is given a fantastic opportunity: to travel to the Amazon and study its wildlife. He hopes to discover a mythical butterfly. He leaves with all the world’s opportunity before him. When he returns, however, he is no longer himself. He barely speaks. He is weak. His wife begins a quest to uncover just what happened to him on his expedition. Coming September 18 from HarperCollins, by Rachael King. Drama.

Playing for Pizza

Rick Dockery only knows football. But when he chokes in the AFC championship game, he fears he may never play again. Rick doesn't give up, though, and keeps the pressure on his agent, Arnie, to find him a team. Eventually, Arnie finds a team that not only will hire Rick, they're desperate for him. The mighty Panthers of Parma, Italy. Playing for Pizza, a new fish-out-of-water novel from John Grisham promises to be a fun read. Coming September 24 from Doubleday Publishing, by John Grisham. Sports Drama.

The Choice

Travis Parker doesn’t expect anything to happen with his new neighbor, Gabby Holland. After all, she has a boyfriend. Plus, she seems to have a problem with him, for some reason. And anyway, he has the perfect life—why would he ruin it by adding a woman to the equation? But Travis is unable to help himself, and he leads Gabby down a path toward love that they couldn’t imagine. Coming September 24 from Grand Central Publishing, by Nicholas Sparks. Romance.

Bridge of Sighs

Louis “Lucy” Lynch is sixty years old and preparing to hand over an empire of convenience stores—started by his shrewd mother—to the next generation. He is also planning a trip to Italy with his wife of forty years, Sarah. There, they hope to meet with Lucy’s oldest friend, a painter who fled there. Lucy is writing the story of his town, and he needs this piece of the story to make it complete—along with many other mysteries. Coming September 25 from Knopf Publishing Group, by Richard Russo. Drama.

Exit Ghost

Being billed as the final installment of Philip Roth’s Nathan Zuckerman series, Exit Ghost finds the writer returning to New York City from his solitary mountain refuge, swapping homes with a young couple. But Zuckerman doesn’t just want their home—he wants the woman, Jamie, whose presence tempts him to return from not just his physical solitude, but his emotional solitude, as well. Coming October 1 from Houghton Mifflin Company, by Philip Roth. Drama.

World Without End

The long-awaited sequel to Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth, this novel takes us back to the town of Kingsbridge, two hundred years later. But this book can be read without knowledge of the previous book. A Gothic cathedral plays host to a group of people struggling against the Black Death. Coming October 9 from Penguin Group, by Ken Follett. Drama.

Blonde Faith

In the tenth book of Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlins series, detective Rawlins has to deal with the aftermath of his soul mate’s death. Plus, he must track down two friends, a sociopath and a former Green Beret. Set in the post-Watts riot of 1967, the series deals with the changing life of an African -American from the 40s to the 60s. Easy can either become a victim of his self-doubt and pain, or he can rise above. Coming October 10 from Little, Brown and Company, by Walter Mosley. Detective Drama.

The Book of the Dead

Looking for a fresh start after dealing with a Florida psychopath, forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta sets up her own private practice in South Carolina, and becomes concerned when reading the “book of the dead,” or the morgue ledger, a record of the recently deceased. She sees similarities between the victims, and she becomes convinced a serial killer is on the loose. Her investigations will put her own life at risk. Coming October 23 from Penguin Group, by Patricia Cornwell. Forensic Thriller.

A Lick of Frost

Merry Gentry is a half-human, half-faerie princess. Her aunt, the dark queen, tells her she must conceive a child, an heir to the throne. She returns to the human world to find lovers. But she and her human suitors will be caught in between the world of the humans and the world of the faeries, bringing her to the brink of death. Coming October 23 from Random House Publishing Group, by Laurell K. Hamilton. Fantasy.

So, now you’ve got somewhere to start. Get reading. I’ll see you in the winter.