‘Back to school’ fall book guide for adults

The temperatures are getting cooler, and the kids are returning to school. Elementary-age students armed with new backpacks and lunch boxes are hitting the classrooms, and junior high and high schoolers are continuing their quest to create the most ridiculous new slang words possible. College and graduate students receive reading lists to expand their knowledge of the world—but where does that leave those of us whose school days are behind us?

Thankfully, the publishing world has adult lifelong learners covered. This fall, many new books are scheduled to hit the shelves of your favorite local bookstore. Just because you aren’t in school doesn’t mean you have to give up your thirst for scholarship. Consider this your curated fall reading list, a syllabus to new book releases 101. There’s something for everyone with hot takes on artificial intelligence, essays on storytelling, fantasy, and even some Elvis history.

‘NEXUS: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI’ by Yuval Noah Harari

Let’s start with a bit of nonfiction. Yuval Noah Harari is an Israeli historian who works as a professor in the Department of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His latest offering, Nexus, tackles artificial intelligence by looking back at the flow of information over the years and deep diving into how misinformation gets spread.

His examination begins in the Stone Age, travels through biblical times, and even touches on Nazism and the rise of populism today. He lays out the dangers of relying on nonhuman intelligence, which he says has the potential to strip the heart of what makes our species unique.

‘War’ by Bob Woodward

Lately it feels as if we are living in unprecedented times that are sure to be on someone’s 2040 Advanced Placement history exam. Historians are going to write so many books, essays, and blog posts about this period of time. Investigative journalist Bob Woodward is beating them to the punch.

The man who helped break the Watergate Scandal has the inside scoop again. This time his topic of choice is the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the fight for the American Presidency. Because of the unexpected nomination of Vice President Harris after President Biden dropped out of the race, not many authors had the foresight to tackle these timely topics.

‘The Message’ by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates is a New York Times bestselling author and American journalist. His latest book is a collection of three intertwining essays on the topics of writing and the power of storytelling. He covers what he labels as three conflict zones. In Senegal, Africa, he reflects on the dichotomy of the city he is actually in and the mythology in his mind. In Columbia, South Carolina, he tackles book banning, and in Palestine, he muses on the dangers of nationalist narratives. This book will be released on October 1.

‘Heir’ by Sabaa Tahir

If the first three options on this list were a little too real for you, never fear. Sabaa Tahir’s young adult novel is for fantasy lovers. This new series is a sequel to the An Ember in the Ashes books. Three young people with nothing in common must unite to defeat a false prophet to save their homeland. Can an orphan, an exiled outcast, and a crown prince overcome their differences to save the day? Read this whimsical novel to find out.

‘The City and Its Uncertain Walls’ by Haruki Murakami

English-speaking fans of Haruki Murakami have had to practice patience. This is his first full-length book out in six years. It technically came out last year, but in his native Japanese, so even more time was needed for Philip Gabriel to translate. This love story is told in three parts and celebrates books and the places that keep them. It attempts to make sense of the post-pandemic era in parable form.

‘Intermezzo’ by Sally Rooney

This is Irish author Sally Rooney’s fourth novel. You may have read Normal People or seen the Hulu adaptation with Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones—her latest offering centers around estranged brothers Peter and Ivan. On the surface, they couldn’t be more different. Peter is a successful lawyer, while Ivan is a failing former chess prodigy. The 10-year age gap doesn’t help them see eye to eye. When their father dies, they learn they might have more in common than they thought. This exploration of grief and family comes out on September 24.

‘From Here to the Great Unknown’ by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough

The only child of Elvis and Priscilla Presley has some stories to tell. Lisa Marie Presley began working on her memoir before her unexpected death in January 2023. Her daughter Riley Keough took over the reins of the project using countless hours of audio notes left behind to finish this now autobiography. Beyond her lineage, Lisa was once married to the likes of Nicholas Cage and Michael Jackson. She was also a musician and mother in her own right. This book offers a candid and poignant exploration of her life and hits bookstores on October 8.