The Book Report: New books for fall (Aug. 31)
By Washington Post book critic Ron Charles
With the fall season gearing up, here are some of the biggest titles we're looking forward to reading in September:
Dan Brown, creator of "The Da Vinci Code," is roaring back with his sixth thriller about Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon. In "The Secret of Secrets" (Doubleday), a brilliant scientist is about to publish a revolutionary book about the nature of human consciousness, but nefarious powers will stop at nothing to kill her book – and anyone who stands in their way.
"The Secret of Secrets" by Dan Brown (Doubleday), in Hardcover, Large Print Trade Paperback, eBook and Audio formats, available September 9 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
Excitement is rising on both sides of the Atlantic for a novel called "What We Can Know" (Knopf) by Ian McEwan, one of Britain's finest living writers. What we can know so far is that this is a story set in the recent past, and a century into the future involving a lost poem – and a shocking twist.
"What We Can Know" by Ian McEwan (Knopf), in Hardcover, Large Print Trade Paperback, eBook and Audio formats, available September 23 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
Novelist Ian McEwan: Writing is "a way of being" ("Sunday Morning")
Lily King is one of my favorite novelists, and her upcoming book, "Heart the Lover" (Grove Press), sounds delightful. It's about a young woman drawn into a complicated friendship with two male classmates in college. Years later, she has to consider how those friendships and her youthful decisions still shape her life.
Read an excerpt: "Heart the Lover" by Lily King
"Heart the Lover" by Lily King (Grove Press), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available September 30 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
The Booker Prize-winning novelist Arundhati Roy is about to publish her first memoir: "Mother Mary Comes to Me" (Scribner) promises to take us back to her early life in India, her tumultuous relationship with her mother, and other events that shaped the mind of this powerful writer and activist.
Read an excerpt: "Mother Mary Comes to Me" by Arundhati Roy
"Mother Mary Comes to Me" by Arundhati Roy (Scribner), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available September 2 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
At this moment of intense political division, Jill Lepore's "We the People" (Liveright) couldn't be more timely. The Harvard professor and New Yorker magazine writer presents a history of the U.S. Constitution that explores the ongoing struggle to amend the document and keep it a living framework for an evolving nation.
"We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution" by Jill Lepore (Liveright), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available September 16 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
For the millions of fans feeling "endless love" for Lionel Richie, his upcoming memoir, "Truly" (HarperOne) will be a must-read. The legendary singer, songwriter and record producer reportedly opens up about his winding, sometimes painful journey from a shy kid to an award-winning entertainer celebrated around the world.
"Truly" by Lionel Richie (HarperOne), in Hardcover, Large Print Trade Paperback, eBook and Audio formats, available September 30 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
Lionel Richie: A life written in song ("Sunday Morning")
Lionel Richie on the continuing power of "We Are the World" ("Sunday Morning")
That's it for the Book Report. For these and other suggestions about what to read this fall, talk with your local bookseller or librarian.
I'm Ron Charles. Until next time, read on!
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Produced by Robin Sanders and Lucie Kirk. Editor: Emanuele Secci.
For more reading recommendations, check out these previous Book Report features from Ron Charles:
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