Best Books of September 2026: John Green’s Adult Fiction Debut and More Must-Reads

New stunners from literary heavyweights, plus compelling new celebrity memoirs — here are our picks for the best books of September 2026 so far.

‘American Hagwon’ by Min Jin Lee

Pachinko lovers, rejoice! This gorgeous, magisterial saga from Lee follows the Koh family — Helen, John and their three children — from Seoul to Sydney to Southern California from 1992 to 2007. Economic upheaval, personal betrayal and vicious competition plague them at every turn, but their steadfast dedication to their goals and their family proves stronger than any formidable challenge. — Marion Winik

‘The Strangers’ by Naomi Alderman

Still raw from a series of miscarriages and her mother’s death, a sci-fi novelist installs a wildlife camera in her garden — and captures the first image of a mysterious new creature. Part grief memoir, part surreal eco-fantasy and wholly unique. — Marion Winik

‘Cloud Six’ by Amy Fusselman

After Mam and Bunko die in a plane crash, they wake up in a low-rent part of heaven called Cloud Six, populated with surprising elements like underwear-model demons, corporate-sponsored fanny packs and talking rabbits. Bursting with gloriously unhinged imagination and comic energy. — Marion Winik

‘Hollywood, Ending’ by John Green

The bestselling YA author’s adult-fiction debut grapples with fame and the cost of celebrity, on the set of a buzzy Andy Warhol biopic.

‘Swan Song: Diana, My Sister’ by Charles Spencer

In this revealing nonfiction read, Spencer gives an intimate account into the life of his older sister, Princess Diana.

‘Our Noble Selves’ by Kate Atkinson

In 1951 London former crime reporter and war correspondent Harry Flynn works for the Festival of Britain, a celebration of British ingenuity meant to lift postwar malaise. When a French woman goes missing, Harry becomes the prime suspect. The Life After Life author’s latest is gently witty and immaculately plotted, with vivid characters and intricate period detail deftly woven into a gripping mystery about a country reinventing itself.

‘Fictional Selves’ by Kyle MacLachlan

The actor has been a screen staple in iconic roles — from Dune to Twin Peaks to Sex and the City — and in this witty memoir, he takes readers along for the ride.

‘Exit Party’ by Emily St. John Mandel

During a party to celebrate the end of curfew in 2031 Los Angeles, the host vanishes, a guest appears in two places at once, and a painting is taken off the wall and ends up in an alternate timeline. This urgent, unsettling novel is an addictive puzzle that maps the twinship of authoritarianism and chaos. — Marion Winik

‘Hollow Bones’ by Jodi Picoult

After losing her mom on 9/11, Molly later becomes Rhode Island’s director of emergency preparedness. Her husband, Jesse — a character from Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper — is a polygraph expert laser-focused on lies. In her 30th page-turner, Picoult hits the couple with a crisis and a shattering revelation. Riveting and relentless. — Marion Winik

‘Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel’ by Lucy Foley

This delectable throwback to the golden age of whodunits channels Agatha Christie splendidly in a new Miss Marple mystery set at a remote Swiss resort.

‘Call Off the Dark’ by Hallie Shepard

After her husband’s murder, Helen quickly remarries and moves off the grid, forsaking her vibrant city life to become a tradwife. Her trauma deepens when a stranger arrives. A twisty genre-bender. — Louisa Ermelino

‘The Disappearers’ by Marlon James

This ambitious tour de force follows eight gay men in Kingston, Jamaica. When they’re ambushed and brutally beaten at a theater rehearsal in 1988, one of them is killed. Over the decades that follow, they deal with the trauma in wildly different ways: by ignoring it, by seeking revenge or by simply vanishing. It’s part page-turning crime novel, part touching ode to queer friendship and absolutely stunning. James’s latest masterpiece should be required reading.

‘Switzy’ by Emma Cline

David, an elderly former executive, is on a trip to Europe with his faithful young assistant at his side. Switzerland will be the final stop, but David doesn’t plan on ever going home. Cline’s latest is an intimate, thought-provoking read about life’s complexities, at the beginning and end.

‘Taiepei Story’ by R.F. Kuang

At a study abroad program in Taipei, Lily Chen is struggling with grueling classes, an annoying roommate and social dynamics. When her grandfather dies, she sets out to unearth her family history, with mixed results. A wry, incisive look at culture shock, family and the meaning of belonging.

‘The Pirate Queen’ by Ariel Lawhon

Historical fiction ace Lawhon tells the thrilling story of 16th-century Irish sea captain and folk heroine Grace O’Malley. Game of Thrones characters wish they were this badass. — Samantha Miller

‘Heavy Cream’ by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright

When a scrappy teenage narrator is cruelly cut loose by her Velcro-tight mom, she finds mentors in three very different women in and around New York. Funny and sharp. — Marion Winik

‘I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie’ by Jaclyn Smith

The Charlie’s Angels star gives a retrospective look at her life and career, from ‘70s television fame to finding her joy off-screen.