10 most anticipated, must-read books of the fall
September 16, 2021 at 9:17PM
Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Colson Whitehead tells the story of a cash-strapped furniture salesman in 1960s Harlem who turns to shady ways to provide for his family. (Doubleday, Sept. 14)
'The Book of Form and Emptiness'
A teenager named Benny Oh begins to hear voices coming from objects around him, both animate and inanimate. By Ruth Ozeki, author of "A Tale for the Time Being." (Viking, Sept. 21)
'Cloud Cuckoo Land'
Three narratives spanning hundreds of years — from past to the future — trace the stories of three people who survive in times of great danger. It's the latest by Anthony Doerr, the Pulitzer-winning author of "All the Light We Cannot See." (Scribner, Sept. 28. Doerr will be at Pen Pals at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 and 11 a.m. Oct. 27, $45-$55, supporthclib.org)
'Crossroads'
The first in a planned trilogy by Jonathan Franzen, "Crossroads" is the story of a pastor and his family in the 1970s during a time when the world, and the family, are flying apart. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Oct. 5)
'Sankofa'
The third novel by Chibundu Onuzo ("Welcome to Lagos") is about a young woman who goes on a journey to find the African father she never knew. (Catapult, Oct. 5)
'The Lincoln Highway'
Set in the 1950s, Amor Towles' novel tells the story of a teenage boy released from the workhouse after serving a sentence for manslaughter. He plans to head to California but finds that two inmates have stowed away in the car, with New York City their goal. (Viking, Oct. 5. Towles will be at Talking Volumes at 7 p.m. Oct. 13, $22.50-$32.50, mprevents.org)
'Gichigami Hearts: Stories and Histories From Misaabekong'
In this lovely blend of history, memoir and poetry, award-winning writer Linda LeGarde Grover writes about her hometown of Duluth and tells some of the legends of the Ojibwe people who lived there long ago — and recently. (University of Minnesota Press, Oct. 19. Grover will launch the book at 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at Zenith Bookstore, Duluth.)
'The Sentence'
Taking place during the first year of COVID-19, the new novel by Pulitzer-winner Louise Erdrich is set in a bookshop in Minneapolis that is haunted by the ghost of its most annoying customer. (Harper, Nov. 9)
'We Are Meant to Rise: Voices for Justice From Minneapolis to the World'
Essays and poems by writers of color, edited by Carolyn Holbrook and David Mura, reflect on the year 2020, COVID-19, the murder of George Floyd and the resulting marches and demands for justice. (University of Minnesota Press, Nov. 23)
'These Precious Days'
These essays by Ann Patchett include an exploration of an unusual friendship, the work of Kate DiCamillo, memories of Paris and the great significance of Peanuts' Snoopy. (Harper, Nov. 23)
Star Tribune writers showcase Minnesota architecture.
