The Best Books Of September 2019 Really Are The Best

Clear your schedules for September 10. That’s the day Queen Margaret Atwood is gracing her fans with The Testaments, the long-hoped-for sequel to the 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Years after encountering the devastating dystopia in high school English class, we’ll learn what happens to Offred on her journey out of Gilead. Atwood’s sequel is independent from the Hulu show — but good luck trying not to picture Elisabeth Moss as Offred.

The Testaments is only one of many tantalizing books coming out this month. The hottest tome of September is The Secrets We Kept, Lara Prescott’s debut involving spies, secretaries, and Doctor Zhivago. Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey tell us how they wrote the Weinstein story in their new book, She Said. And frankly, I’m still not over the ending of Mary H.K. Choi’s Permanent Record.

Who said summer was the only season for reading? It’s still warm enough to grab a blanket, sit outside, and crack open these new September books.