New Book Releases in September 2023 That Are Made For Sweater Weather

Do you feel that? A chill is in the air, back-to-school shelves are full of new supplies, and Starbucks' infamous Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back on the menu. September is the perfect time to cozy up with your favorite light sweater — and your next favorite book. Check out these September 2023 new book releases for some excellent reading material!

As always, Distractify's lists are non-exhaustive.

From bestselling author Andrew Joseph White comes The Spirit Bares Its Teeth. Set in 1883 London, the story follows Silas Bell, a violet-eyed, autistic, transgender medium who can commune with the dead via the Royal Speaker Society. When his mother informs him that he's to be married off, Silas is diagnosed with "Veil sickness" and shipped off to a Sanitarium. While there, he unravels a mystery no one could have expected.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth releases on Sept. 5, 2023.

Anna has always been comfortable taking a backseat to her sister, Emily. When Emily suddenly announces she's moving away, Anna flees her sister's wedding reception to take shelter in a mysterious hotel: The Houdini. She's hungry to learn more after meeting the mysterious Max, who has spent his life behind its walls. But when faced with being stuck forever, could she give up on love if it means freedom?

Midnight at the Houdini releases on Sept. 5, 2023.

To celebrate high school ending, Izzy Morales and her six best friends embark on a 1920s-themed getaway at the Ashwood Manor. But when someone's boyfriend turns up dead, a fun game is suddenly a game of survival.

Suddenly a Murder releases on Sept. 5, 2023.

In Hearts & Bones: Love Songs for Late Youth, Niamh Mulvey's debut short story collection takes place between London and Ireland in the first two decades of the millennium.

Hearts & Bones: Love Songs for Late Youth releases on Sept. 5, 2023.

Adapted for young readers from his adult memoir, Just Don't Fall is Josh's heartfelt true story about battling childhood cancer and eventually rising to national fame as a U.S. paralympic skier.

Just Don't Fall releases on Sept. 5, 2023.

Seventeen-year-old Noelle Layne is a horror fanatic. As such, who better than to throw an exclusive Halloween bash on Long Island? And on the guest list is influencer Archer Mitchell, who has a one-way ticket to social media fame that Noelle craves. But when a killer clown crashes her party, it's up to Noelle to save everyone — or else.

There's No Way I'd Die First releases on Sept. 5, 2023.

At the elite boarding school Wodebury Hall, reputation is everything. Iyanu, however, prefers life out of the spotlight and safely behind a camera lens. But Iyanu's estranged cousin, Kitan, lives the high life on the outside. On the inside, she's been struggling with being a Nigerian girl at a predominantly white institution. When Iyanu's film roll is exposed to the school alongside some juicy secrets, it's up to Iyanu and Kitan to unravel the mystery.

Everyone's Thinking It releases on Sept. 5, 2023.

Radcliffe Prep is the country's third most haunted boarding school — which is exactly why Este Logano enrolls, hoping to connect with her dead father, an alumnus of the school. But when Este meets Mateo, her previous notions about ghosts go out the window when he frames her for stealing a rare book. As she investigates the library and follows her father's footsteps, Este gets much more than she bargained for.

The Library of Shadows releases on Sept. 5, 2023.

If you're a dark academia fan, you'll be obsessed with this collection of 12 short stories from bestselling authors such as Olivie Blake, M.L. Rio, David Bell, Susie Yang, Layne Fargo, J.T. Ellison, James Tate Hill, Kelly Andrew, Phoebe Wynne, Kate Weinberg, Helen Grant and Tori Bovalino.

In These Hallowed Halls releases on Sept. 5, 2023.

In this dystopian world, everyone hopes for a letter from one of three places: to attend the Estuary, the Glades, and the Meadows. When Eleanor is accepted to the Meadows, it means an escape from a life ravaged by climate disaster. But the Meadows is a place to "reform" students and keep them in line, so even five years after graduation, Eleanor is an adjunct unable to shake thoughts of a girl she once loved.

The Meadows releases on Sept. 12, 2023.

In this satirical thriller, Los Angeles sorority sister Tiffany ends a drunken frat party hookup in blood and guts. Tiffany quickly realizes that she has an insatiable desire to kill young men. But as bodies pile up, her social media activity becomes suspicious, and her picture-perfect relationship becomes a little too real. Can Tiffany keep it all together? Or is this another bloody mess?

Kill For Love releases on Sept. 12, 2023.

Chelsea Grant has spent her life trying to distance herself from her father's "paranormal expert" business. After a mistake at school, Chelsea gets in hot water at home, and her punishment is working for her dad all summer. Worst, while her dad hunts ghosts with homemade tech, Chelsea struggles with a secret: she can see the ghosts. When she meets Oliver, a kindred spirit, she must work quickly to spare him from being exorcised.

Ghost Roast releases on Sept. 12, 2023.

Elijah Ri is ready to take the reins at his father's company, Haneul Corporation, but the last thing he expects is to be shuffled into a living space with the other interns. Jessica Lee is eager to jumpstart her career at the Haneul Corporation, but she's shocked to be handed a brownstone all to herself. Elijah and Jessica realize the swap: they have the same Korean name. But instead, they keep up the charade and strike up a romance.

The Name Drop releases on Sept. 12, 2023.

In Byron Graves' debut novel, Rez Ball follows Tre Brun, an Ojibwe teen who plays basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team. Basketball brings him joy, but it also adds to his grief for Jaxon, his brother, and a fellow player, who died in an accident. But when Jaxon's varsity teammates take Tre under his wing, he must take his team to state — not just for his community, but for his brother and himself.

Rez Ball releases on Sept. 12, 2023.

Dearie and Cole are best friends against the world, but can they face off against a serial killer? Mr. Sandman, an infamous killer, begins targeting their school's Queer Club, and all evidence seems to point to Dearie and Cole. Together, they must race against the clock to unmask the real killer and protect their Queer Club community members before it's too late.

Your Lonely Nights Are Over releases on Sept. 12, 2023.

In the summer of 1980, three girls disappear into the woods, unafraid of the local superstition known as the Bendy Man. Only one girl comes out alive — and she's silent with missing holes in her memory. In 2022, cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are on the case of a woman who died clutching the necklace of one of the dead girls. Van and Harry must reveal their secrets to connect the past and the present.

The Taken Ones releases on Sept. 19, 2023.

The third installment in the Aurelian Cycle Series, Furysong is the explosive conclusion that follows Annie and Lee in the wake of a revolution. Griff is facing execution for betrayal, Delo must choose between his conscience or his family, Annie must hatch a plan to save her guardians (and her dragons!) and Lee must find a way to fight not with his fists, but diplomacy.

Furysong releases on Sept. 19, 2023.

A Study in Drowning follows Effy Sayre, who has been haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood. Her copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin's epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him — is the only thing keeping her sane. So when Myrddin's family announces a contest for someone to redesign his home, Effy doesn't hesitate. While there, she meets Preston, a young scholar who thinks Myrddin is a fraud. But would the truth set them both free?

A Study in Drowning releases on Sept. 19, 2023.

In the early 1990s in the Irish village of Crossmore, Lucy feels out of place. In the summer heat, a new realization sparks with her friend Susannah, Lucy begins to lead a double life, fearful of rejection from her insular community. But as school ends, Lucy must choose between two futures.

Sunburn releases on Sept. 19, 2023.

The third book in the Nightmare-verse trilogy, Alice and her crew think they have saved Wonderland. But as it turns out, the evil in Wonderland might not remain defeated, especially as she begins to have visions of a dark past. This time, Alice will have to confront the Nightmares lurking in her own backyard.

A Crown So Cursed releases on Sept. 19, 2023.

In this debut fantasy romance, autistic temple ward Milo lovingly tends to the statues of heroes that defended his city from monsters. When his prayers and devotion accidentally free Gia from stone, she wakes seeking vengeance agains the man Milo owes his life to: Primo Sanct Ennio.

A Prayer for Vengeance releases on Sept. 19, 2023.

When Marise Leeson picks up a crystal ball, she thinks she knows a lot about magic. What she doesn't expect is being thrown into an alternate world called Moerden, being attacked by a dragon, and subsequently rescued by Javeer, a young dragon looking for a friend. Marise is desperate to get home, and she and Javeer work together to navigate rival dragon factions, magic, and a mystery disease threatening Moerden's entire dragon population.

Follow the Shadows releases on Sept. 19, 2023.

Fifteen years ago, Manhattan plunged into a darkness known as The Vanishing. In the present, Rei Reynolds attends a Manhattan prep school and hunts Deathlings at night, monsters that murdered her parents and arrived with the Vanishing. But before she can become a fully-fledged Dealthling hunter, she must enter the Tournament and compete for the right to rank — even with Kieran Cross, her ex-boyfriend.

Nightbreaker releases on Sept. 19, 2023.

The Aristene are an elite order of female warriors. Raised by the order after being orphaned, Reed is counting down the days until her initiation by her sisters-in-arms. But her final test is shepherding a hero to victory on the battlefield. Her assigned hero, Hestion, is frustrating and intriguing, but as they grow closer, Reed must choose her hero or her order.

Champion of Fate releases on Sept. 19, 2023.

Nine bestselling YA writers come together to write individual stories about remarkable individuals and their collections. Authors include M. T. Anderson, e. E. Charlton-Trujillo, A.S. King, David Levithan, Cory McCarthy, Anna-Marie McLemore, G. Neri, Jason Reynolds, Randy Ribay, and Jenny Torres Sanchez.

The Collectors: Stories releases on Sept. 19, 2023.

The summer before July Fielding's senior year, her picture-perfect high school experience suddenly went down the drain. Now, July wakes up one day to find herself completely and utterly alone in her town, as though her community just vanished into thin air. She's also left with a mysterious message: GET TH3M BACK.

The Only Girl in Town releases on Sept. 19, 2023.

Trans teen Noah Byrd is determined to prove himself the "perfect boy." He joins the school's (secret) "Borrow A Boyfriend" club, whose members rent themselves out for dates. But after his interview is a flop, Noah decides to strike up a deal with the club's president, Asher — Noah will help them win the school's annual talent show in exchange for entry. But can Noah and Asher fight their growing feelings for one another?

The Borrow A Boyfriend Club releases on Sept. 26, 2023.

A brand-new addition to the bestselling Percy Jackson series, The Chalice of the Gods finds Percy, Grover, and Annabeth embark on three quests to secure letters of recommendation from the gods of Mount Olympus during their senior year of high school. The first quest? Help Zeus's cup-bearer retrieve his goblet before it falls into the wrong hands.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Chalice of the Gods releases on Sept. 26, 2023.

Omid needs the right words to make connections: with his new grandfather, his Iranian heritage, with a girl he likes in school, and with his peers, to show he belongs in Arizona. But while he stumbles over Shakespeare and can't keep up with his parents' Farsi, he finds a new voice in rap music.

An Impossible Thing to Say releases on Sept. 26, 2023.

Cara Lang can speak to the dead. Although her mother insists she is the "perfect" Chinese American daughter and suppresses her spirit-talking powers, Cara discovers a new purpose for her abilities when she sees the ghost of the school's golden boy, Zacharias Coleson. Agreeing to resurrect him means they could be stuck together forever, but as Zach and Cara grow closer, that doesn't seem so bad after all ...

If I Have to be Haunted releases on Sept. 26, 2023.

A fiction anthology that features new experiences and final coming-of-age moments experienced by teens on their journeys to adulthood, featuring the work of 16 bestselling authors, including: Adi Alsaid, Keah Brown, Monica Gomez-Hira, Kika Hatzopoulou, Shaun David Hutchinson, Amanda Joy, Loan Le, Joy McCullough, Yamile Saied Méndez, Anna Meriano, Nina Moreno, Tess Sharpe, Laura Silverman, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Diana Urban, and Julian Winters.

First and Lasts releases on Sept. 26, 2023.

When Flora's mother dies after a long battle with illness, she feels unmoored. Her family expects her to apply to university and work at the family tea shop like everything's fine, but Flora feels like a chaotic "hurricane" in her own home. As such, she decides to escape to Miami, where she meets teen influencer Baz Marín, who shares her love for photography. But what about her childhood friend Gordon Wallace?

A British Girl's Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak releases on Sept. 26, 2023.

Ross Quest is a master thief. But when her plan to escape her family of thieves backfires, she decides to enter the Thieves' Gambit, an international heist competition where every competitor's life is on the line. But when she learns that two of her competitors include an ex-boyfriend and a smooth-talking new crush, Ross must learn who she can trust – and who she can't.

Thieves' Gambit releases on Sept. 26, 2023.

Decades after the fact, journalist Alec Z. Carelli is fixated on a crime in which three schoolgirls set their sixteen year old peer, Joan Wilson, on fire. Alec has spoken to family members, analyzed witness statements, and even corresponded with the killers. But how much of the story is true?

Penance releases on Sept. 26, 2023.

Elliott D’Angelo-Brandt attends a support group for those who have experienced sexual assault. But she's finished talking: now she wants justice. After finding a spell book in her late mother's belongings, Elliott recruits a coven from the support group. The girls take turns casting hexes on their assaulters, but they start to realize that revenge has heavy consequences.

For Girls Who Walk Through Fire releases on Sept. 26, 2023.

In the sequel to City of Nightmares, Ness is forced to make a deal with the Nightmare Phantom. When an assassination attempt rocks the city of Newham, she finds herself unwittingly at the center of the chaos. Ness is just trying to survive, but she quickly realizes that the best way to face her fears is to confront them head-on by becoming a Nightmare herself.

Cage of Dreams releases on Sept. 26, 2023.