Article By: Cher Collins
Contributing Writer

Booksellers and librarians love this time of year. The Fall publishing push towards the holidays
begins and the markets are flooded with new and interesting material. Readers will likely see
releases from familiar authors as many writers tend to schedule new content for this time of
year. And the readers reap the rewards with a long list of “must reads” to add to their TBR lists!
Fans of The Midnight Library will be excited to know that Matt Haig has a long-awaited new
book coming out in early September. The Life Impossible is the magical tale of 72-year-old
retired teacher, Grace Winters. Years after her husband’s death, Grace finds herself losing a
sense of purpose, as well as a growing sense of guilt over her son’s death 30 years earlier.
When Grace receives a letter from college friend Christina, she learns that she has inherited
Christina’s ramshackle house on the island of Ibiza.Feeling as though she has nothing to lose,
Grace moves into the old house, but struggles to appreciate the island’s beauty. Christina died
under mysterious circumstances and Grace is determined to figure out what happened to her
friend. Encouraged by a note left behind from Christina, Grace seeks to find a man named
Alberto- someone who could shed some light on the truth. Grace’s life is transformed when
Alberto takes her scuba diving and they encounter a strange blue light under the water. After the
encounter, Grace is left with strange abilities that force her to confront her emotional past. Grace
embraces her new found capacity for clarity and not only helps herself heal, but also helps the
island community heal. The novel is presented as a long letter to an aimless, lonely former
student of Grace’s who reached out for comfort from an old teacher. Grace’s letter explaining
her experiences evolves into the body of the novel. Magical Realism is front and center here, as
are Haig’s thoughtfully drawn characters. Grace seeks and finds her life’s purpose in a world
that often forgets that septuagenarians deserve peace in their lives too. This reader definitely
appreciated the life-affirming qualities in Grace’s journey, especially in short chapters. Told with
humor and grace (pun intended!), Haig’s latest is an easy and engrossing read for all ages.
Fans will likely see this on screens as the rights have already been sold for production! A must
read for all, but especially mature readers.
Liane Moriarty of HBO’s Big Little Lies fame releases Here One Moment in a few weeks. We’re
already seeing readers queue up for this one and it promises to deliver, just like her other
bestsellers. In Here One Moment, a seemingly normal flight gets passengers to their destination
with no troubles. Except that once their flight lands, they all know how and when they’re going to
die. No one notices anything extraordinary about a female passenger until she stands in the
middle of the flight and in a trance-like state and begins predicting the deaths of each
passenger. The lives of all onboard were changed forever. Months later, as the Death Lady’s
predictions started coming true, the remaining passengers begin to contemplate their futures.
WIth such a large cast of diverse characters, this story in less capable hands might make for a
difficult read. But Moriarity excels at bringing each voice to life. Readers can easily invest in the
emotional drama without feeling overwhelmed or confused. Who is this Death Lady? Is she truly
a clairvoyant helping people live their lives to the fullest? Or is she an Agent of Change
wreaking havoc on the unsuspected and unprepared? In typical Moriarty fashion, she keeps

readers guessing until the very last page. An excellent psychological thriller with a little humor
mixed in for light moments. Not recommended for reading while boarding a flight!
For fans of J.A. Jance or Tony Hillerman, I’d like to suggest an author that might start to get
readers in the mood as October approaches. Kat Martin has been writing paranormal series
fiction for years. Her standalone novels have started to gain some popularity in the last few
years. Haunted is her latest and its mystery and ghost story overtones are just what this librarian
recommends. A murder in 1898 in Jerome, Arizona has far reaching effects into a series of
events in 2024 that lead to a grisly murder, some unexpected romance and fast-paced drama
that leaves readers riding the twists and turns to a satisfying ending. Kat Martin tells a great
ghost story. She combines historical and modern elements seamlessly, and draws a strong
female lead who is sure to gain some followers after this book.
Happy Fall Reading to all. Enjoy the abundance of books heading your way this season.