'The Ninth Hour'
The story of three generations of an Irish immigrant family in Brooklyn, by Alice McDermott, the novelist who won a National Book Award for "Charming Billy." (Sept. 19.)
'Five Carat Soul'
This collection of short stories by National Book Award winner James McBride is funny, insightful and wholly McBride. (Sept. 26.)
'We Were Eight Years in Power'
Powerful essays examining race, politics, missed opportunity, new voices, and the state of America today by MacArthur "genius grant" recipient Ta-Nehisi Coates, whose "Between the World and Me" won a National Book Award two years ago. (Oct. 3.)
'Forest Dark'
Searching for meaning in his life, a man gives away his possessions and travels to Israel to establish a memorial for his parents in this novel by Nicole Krauss. (The author will appear in Minneapolis at 7 p.m. Oct. 3 at Uptown Church, 1219 W. 31st St. S. $5, raintaxi.com.)
'Logical Family'
A warm memoir by Armistead Maupin ("Tales of the City") traces how he grew from being the closeted, conservative son of a racist homophobe to a newspaper columnist — a job that opened life up for him. (Oct. 3.)
'Manhattan Beach'
A coming-of-age story about a girl in New York during the Great Depression and World War II, by Jennifer Egan. (Oct. 3. Egan will be at Pen Pals at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 and 11 a.m. Oct. 27. $40-75, supporthclib.org.)
'Smile'
A man walks into a bar, and his past slowly unfolds in front of him. A moving, funny, serious novel by Roddy Doyle, author of the Booker Prize-winning "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha." (Oct. 17.)
'The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage'
The first in a new trilogy by Philip Pullman that will be a companion to his internationally popular fantasy series, "His Dark Materials." It includes some of the same characters, including Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon. (Oct. 19.)
'In the Midst of Winter'
In Isabel Allende's new novel, three very different people — a professor, his friend and an undocumented immigrant — are thrown together after a car crash in New York. (Oct. 31.)
'Future Home of the Living God'
Evolution has reversed itself, the world is ending, and Cedar Hawk Songmaker is four months pregnant in this dystopian novel by Louise Erdrich, two-time winner of the NBCC award and a winner of the National Book Award. (Nov. 14. Erdrich will appear at 7 p.m. Nov. 14 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1917 Logan Av. S., Mpls. Ticket details at birchbarkbooks.com. )
LAURIE HERTZEL
