10 New Books to Read in September

Back to school time brings plenty of good nonfiction reads, including some unlikely WWII heroes: scholars and librarians.

The leaves might not hit peak color until next month, but the apple orchards are open and school’s back in session. Dive into the fall spirit with these new books—perfect for an afternoon in the autumn sunshine, or at the cafe with your favorite pumpkin-spice treat.

The following information is provided courtesy of the Arlington Public Library.

Nonfiction

Ana Maria And The FoxBy the Fire We Carry: the Generations-long Fight for Justice on Native Land
By Rebecca Nagle

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In 1832, Andrew Jackson ignored a Supreme Court ruling and forced the Five Tribes to leave their ancestral lands and move to Indian Territory. In the centuries that followed, more rules and treaties were bent, broken, or ignored to benefit the US Government at the expense of Native Americans. But when a murder in 1999 showed that the Muscogee Nation’s reservation had never officially been dissolved, it resulted in a decades long court battle on jurisdiction, land rights, and tribal sovereignty. Nagle delves into the history and the courtroom drama, expanding on her podcast, This Land, in this gripping and infuriating read. // Available September 10. Library catalog link here.

Untethered SkyA Natural History of Empty Lots: Field Notes from Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys, and Other Wild Places
By Christopher Brown

Science fiction novelist Brown bought an empty lot in Austin and beneath the litter and debris found this “dead space” was actually alive with natural activity. Part memoir, part nature writing, Brown examines urban nature from the sides of highways to empty lots to traffic islands and how animals and plants thrive in these areas humans aren’t allowed. We often think that one must leave the city to see nature, but Brown’s writing illuminates the wonder all around us. // Available September 17. Library catalog link here.

Sisters Of The Lost NationBook and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II
By Elyse Graham

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During WWII, the OSS recruited librarians, literature professors, and researchers. They were tasked with sorting through newspapers, train schedules, and more publicly available information to see larger patterns to help the war effort. They also went undercover in enemy territory to acquire papers and rare books. Written like a spy thriller, this well-researched tale shines a light on a little-known side of espionage history. // Available  September 24. Library catalog link here.

Symphony Of SecretsThe Barn: the Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi
By Nnedi Okorafor

Wright Thompson grew up 23 miles from the barn where Emmett Till was tortured and murdered, but knew nothing of the crime until he left Mississippi for college. Examining the crime, the cover-up, how much we still don’t know, and why, Thompson’s explosive narrative looks at the world of the 1950s Delta and how the true horror may be the sheer inevitability of the crime. This history of Till’s murder and the consequences is both deeply felt and profoundly affecting. // Available September 24. Library catalog link here.


Fiction

The Peking ExpressSo Thirsty
By Rachel Harrison

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Best friends Sloane and Naomi go away on a spa weekend to celebrate Sloane’s 36th birthday. Sloane plans to use the weekend to think about her husband’s infidelity and her anxiety about aging. Everything shifts when they attend a house party that quickly goes sideways when the hosts turn out to be vampires. There’s no way to leave the party alive, but Sloane and Naomi are given the chance to leave as immortal. The two always figured they’d be life-long friends, but what happens when that life suddenly lasts forever and comes with a side of gruesome hunger? With the transformations both metaphorical and literal, Harrison puts a hopeful, but gruesome, spin on a woman finding herself as middle age approaches. // Available September 10. Library catalog link here.

Tasting History CropThe Serial Killers Guide to San Francisco
By Michelle Chouinard

Capricon’s grandfather was the notorious serial killer, Overkill Bill. Capri’s grandfather proclaimed his innocence up until the day he died in prison, and she’s always believed him, but she makes her living giving serial killer tours of San Francisco. When her former mother-in-law, Syliva, cuts off the tuition payments for Capri’s daughter’s private school, Capri decides to cash in with a podcast and book reinvestigating the Overkill Bill case. But, when an Overkill Bill copycat murders Sylvia, Capri and her daughter find themselves the prime suspects. This intricately plotted mystery manages to be truly suspenseful without getting too dark. // Available September 24. Library catalog link here.

Under Alien SkiesAdam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour
By Nora Nguyen

Evie’s aunt left her gorgeous house to Evie, but only if she agrees to go on a matchmaking tour in Việt Nam. She’s not keen on the trip, but with Auntie Hảo’s house on the line, she goes–a decision made easier when she also loses her boyfriend and her job. Adam Quyền spends all his time working for his sister’s start-up, the matchmaking and tourism company, Love Yêu, and trying to please his parents. As Adam and Evie travel through the country, they try to deny their mutual attraction, caught by familial expectations, career woes, and the fact that they live on opposite sides of the world. This banter-filled, steamy romance will engage your armchair traveler as Adam and Evie decide to take a chance on love. // Available September 24. Library catalog link here.

Knowing What We KnowThe Village Library Demon-Hunting Society
By CM Waggoner

Winesap Village librarian Sherry Pinkwhistle has a knack for solving murders, whether the sheriff wants her help or not. When her boyfriend turns up dead, Sherry decides to hang up her magnifying glass, until the sheriff comes knocking, literally screaming for help. Sherry then realizes something no one else has–the village has a suspiciously high body count, and the cause is supernatural. There’s a demon who likes watching Sherry solve murders, so he makes sure they keep happening. Murder She Wrote meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this wonderful cozy paranormal mystery. // Available September 24. Library catalog link here.


Middle Grade

School Trip CopySpirit Sleuths: How Magicians and Detectives Exposed the Ghost Hoaxes
By Gail Jarrow

Starting in the 1800s and going through today, Jarrow explores the history of the spiritualist movement, especially in the immediate aftermath of WWI and the flu pandemic. In tandem with the new mediums gaining notoriety, she covers the skeptics who worked to unmask them as frauds, most notably Harry Houdini and Rose Mackenberg. With plenty of visuals, including reproductions of posters and newspaper clippings, this mesmerizing read showcases an interesting part of American history. // Available September. Library catalog link here.


Teen

Bones Of BirkaIllustrated History of Urban Legends
By Adam Allsuch Boardman

From spooky campfire stories to viral posts, from those grown from a kernel of truth to those that are entirely fictional, we’ve always told urban legends. With full color illustrations, Allsuch Boardman explores urban legends from the past to the present. Each two-page spread focuses on a topic such as lost cities, Bigfoot, or war-time legends with brief explanations of different legends and, if available, explanations. A fun and informative introduction to the stories we tell. // Available September 10. Library catalog link here.

Jennie Rothschild is a collection engagement librarian for Arlington Public Library.

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