New Book Releases: September 7, 2021

Each week, I’ll catalog the biggest and most exciting adult and YA fiction — and the occasional nonfiction — coming out that Tuesday.

MATRIX, Lauren Groff. Cast out of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s court, the ungainly and independent “bastardess” Marie de France becomes the prioress of a decrepit abbey, which she will elevate to glory over the course of her life. This clever, funny novel is undoubtedly one of the best books of the year. “Groff has outdone herself with an accomplishment as radiant as Marie’s visions,” writes Publisher’s Weekly in a starred review. Aggregated critical reviews, Bookshop.

THE BONES OF RUIN, Sarah Raughley. In Victorian London, a tightrope walker with little memory of her past and who can’t die becomes entangled in a secret society’s plot to save the world from an impending apocalypse. Read an excerpt here. Bookshop.

NEVER SAW ME COMING, Vera Kurian. A trio of psychopathic participants in a study of their disorder embark on a vigilante investigation when someone starts murdering psychopaths in the study. Hilarious, empathetic, startling, and unique; a dazzling debut. “This bar-raising debut exposes the gray areas in an often misunderstood disorder and defies readers to root against psychopathic antiheroes,” writes Booklist in a starred review. Bookshop.

NO GODS, NO MONSTERS, Cadwell Turnbull. After her brother is murdered by police, a young woman discovers that monsters are real — and that her brother was a werewolf. “The expert combination of immersive prose, strong characters, sharp social commentary, and well-woven speculative elements makes for an unforgettable experience,” writes Publisher’s Weekly in a starred review. Aggregated critical reviews, Bookshop.

FAULT LINES, Emily Itami. A privileged Japanese housewife embarks upon an affair with a successful restaurateur in a novel that Publisher’s Weekly calls “a…