Fall 2016: 12 must-read novels

EW's books team sizes up the hottest fall releases

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Published on August 25, 2016 12:00PM EDT

From wonky family road trips to deep dives into fantastical worlds, here are 12 novels we can’t wait to pick up this fall.

The Fortunes Peter by Ho Davies (Sept. 6)

Davies, a master storyteller, blends fact with fiction in this saga of immigration, acclimation, and Chinese culture, which he tells through the experiences of Chinese-Americans at different points in history.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (Sept. 6)

The same gorgeous, layered richness that marked Towles’ debut, Rules of Civility, shapes this novel about an early-20th-century Russian count sentenced by a Bol – shevik tribunal to spend the rest of his life in Moscow’s Metropol Hotel.

Mischling by Affinity Konar (Sept. 6)

Twins Pearl and Stasha are imprisoned in Auschwitz as part of Mengele’s Zoo. When Pearl disappears shortly before the camp is liberated, Stasha searches through the ruins of Poland to find her.

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett (Sept. 13)

This deeply pleasurable novel about a big blended family meanders through five decades, shedding light on secrets, tragedies, and relationships.

Jerusalem by Alan Moore (Sept. 13)

Ten years in the making, this worldbuilding 1,184-page epic from the creator of Watchmen tells the fantastical story of Moore’s hometown: Northampton, England.

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue (Sept. 20)

In the new novel from the author of Room, a nurse visits a remote Irish village to determine whether a young girl who has apparently survived without food for months is a miracle or a dangerous hoax.

Nicotine by Nell Zink (Oct. 4)

When everyone in your family is a bit unconventional, the only way to rebel is to be square—so that’s what Penny Baker does. That is, until she inherits her father’s childhood home in New Jersey and becomes enthralled by the squatters she finds living there.

Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple (Oct. 4)

This all-in-one-day narrative about a Seattle mom may not have the raffish, slapsticky charm of Semple’s best-seller Where’d You Go, Bernadette, but it’s every bit as quirky and blade-sharp.

The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang (Oct. 4)

In this wacky road-trip novel, the fractured Wang family embark on a cross-country journey after the 2008 stock-market crash decimates their fortune.

The Secret History of Twin Peaks by Mark Frost (Oct. 18)

Prepare for the cult-favorite TV show’s 2017 revival with co-creator Frost’s deep dive into his creepy town.

Swing Time by Zadie Smith (Nov. 15)

The author of White Teeth and On Beauty returns with a novel that spans decades and continents as it plumbs the friend – ship of two young women who dream of being dancers.