In the Fall 2021 Book Preview (Ep. 93), Catherine and I shared our most anticipated books that were coming out August – December 2021. Today, we’re updating you on the books we shared in the Fall Preview…now that we’ve had the chance to read — or at least attempt them. Many Fall books lean more literary, which hasn’t been working well for me lately, and overall, the Fall 2021 books didn’t turn out quite how we’d hoped.  

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Announcement

• My 2022 Rock Your Reading Tracker is now available for $14.99 or FREE if you’re a Superstars Patron. The tracker also got a big upgrade for 2022!

Highlights

• Sarah’s and Catherine’s Fall 2021 reading stats and success rates.
• Sarah talks about getting in tune with her shifting reading tastes, rather than attempting to read they way she did 2 years ago.
• Sarah’s and Catherine’s highs and the lows.
• Our Best and Worst picks from the Fall 2021 Book Preview episode.

Fall 2021 Books Read Before the Preview Episode [6:05]

Sarah’s Picks:

• Friends Like These by Kimberly McCreight (September 7) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [6:10]

Catherine’s Picks:

• Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy (August 3) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [6:38]

Fall 2021 Circle Back [7:43]

August

Catherine’s Picks:

• The Women of Troy by Pat Barker (August 24) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [13:59] 
• The Guide by Peter Heller (August 24) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [19:24] 

September

Sarah’s Picks:

• Beautiful World, Where Are You? by Sally Rooney (September 7) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [7:48]
• L.A. Weather by Maria Amparo Escandon (September 7) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [16:12]

Catherine’s Picks:

• Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang (September 7) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [25:00]
• Unbound by Tarana Burke (September 14) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [31:19]
• Em by Kim Thuy (September 28) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [37:35]

October

Sarah’s Picks:

• We Are Not Like Them by Jo Piazza and Christine Pride (October 5) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [22:29]
• My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson (October 5) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [27:57]
• No One Will Miss Her by Kat Rosenfield (October 12) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [34:01]
• Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout (October 19) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [39:14]

Catherine’s Picks:

• Fight Night by Miriam Toews (October 5) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [41:50]
• The Book of Mother by Violane Huisman (October 19) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [47:54]

November

Sarah’s Picks:

• O Beautiful by Jung Yun (November 9) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [44:25]

Other Books Mentioned

• The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker [14:08]
• The River by Peter Heller [22:08] 
• Descent by Tim Johnston [22:19] 
• The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard [35:11]
• My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout [39:42]
• Shelter by Jung Yun [45:02]

About Catherine Gilmore

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Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Books over six years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Ann Arbor, MI.