September books round-up

Acid Test
Tom Shroder
(Plume, £12.99)

With increasing support on both sides of the Atlantic for an end to the war on drugs, journalist Tom Shroder presents a compelling look at the therapeutic benefits of psychedelic drugs. Take a trip through the history, science and politics behind the headlines that should end with a long-overdue national conversation.
Stephen Delahunty

Fortunate Slaves
Tom Lanoye
(World Editions, £10.99)

An individual probably has at least dozens of namesakes all over the world but there will never be as peculiar a bond between them as the two protagonists in Tom Lanoye’s novel. Two doppelgänger exiles, both named Tony Hassen, are on the run from a life of lies and deceit. In an allegory of the global economic crisis, and the struggling identity of modern man, each Hassen holds the solution to the other’s problems – but will they help each other?
SD

Marie Grubble
Jens Peter Jacobson
(Dedalus, £9.99)

A historical tale of love, travel and relationships, this novel is loosely based on the true story of a Danish noblewoman of the same name whose mother died when she was a child, leaving her a wealthy heiress. It takes a series of turbulent relationships and a two year trip around Europe with her brother in-law and lover before she finally settles down with a companion to last a lifetime.
SD

Sugar Man: The Life, Death and Resurrection of Sixto Rodriguez
Craig Bartholomew Strydom & Stephen ‘Sugar’ Segerman
(Bantam Press, £14.99)

A decade apart, two men in separate military bases hear the same music. What they heard would forever change their life. Who was this folk singer who resonated with South Africa’s youth? This book tells of a pre-internet age quest into the life, death and resurrection of Sixto Rodriguez – by the men who found him.
SD

Trigger Mortis: A James Bond Novel
Anthony Horowitz
(Orion, 18.99)

In 1957 James Bond foiled Goldfinger in one of his most famous missions. Now discover what happened next in Horowitz’s book, featuring original material from Ian Fleming and the return of Pussy Galore. Picking up two weeks after Goldfinger leaves off, Horowitz returns Bond to his golden era. With a new Bond girl and a dust jacket that turns into a rocket.
SD

Fish Tails
Sheri S Tepper
(Orion, £9.99)

Fans of Sheri S Tepper will delight as she weaves together the storylines of 11 of her previous works, from Kings Blood Four (1983) to The Waters Rising (2010). In her 35th novel, two of her most beloved characters, Abasio and Xulai, and their children travel from village to village in search of others interested in their sea-dwelling lifestyle. But rising waters are about to transform the planet forever.
SD

Now And At The Hour Of Our Death
Susana Moreira Marques
(& Other Stories, £8.99)

An intriguing work of non-fiction, Marques takes a fresh look at death through the eyes of a palliative care team. Accompanying them as they make visits in a remote corner of northern Portugal, with great compassion she listens to those facing death and recounts their stories in their own words.
SD

Lean Out
Elissa Shevinsky
(OR Books, £11)

Lean Out tells 25 stories from the modern tech industry. It features tales of isolation, discrimination and a pervasive culture built for young men. An obvious and persuasive response to Cheryl Sandberg’s Lean In, Lean Out makes the case for an inclusive tech industry that doesn’t belittle the role of women, people of colour or transgender people. The book allows you to dip in and out of a range of experiences, but never loses its bite nor its ability to surprise.
Joe Whitwell

Edgewater
Courtney Sheinmel
(Abrams, £10.99)

Running from her past and into the arms of an esteemed senator’s son, Lorrie Hollander is desperate to escape her family’s poverty. It is only as she discovers Charlie’s family secrets and their links to her own that she understands the need to confront her past in order to face her future. This distinctly American book combines the traditional coming-of-age story with political scandal.
JW

Notes on Suicide
Simon Critchley
(Fitzcarraldo Editions, £10.99)

In Notes On Suicide, Simon Critchley shows that he is willing to face one of society’s strongest taboos head on. A historical whistlestop tour and a moment of self-reflection, this book will leave you thinking about an unspoken presence in many of our lives.
JW

Where My Heart Used To Beat
Sebastian Faulks
(Hutchinson, £11)

A classic story of self-reflection Where My Heart Used To Beat follows Robert Hendricks as he meets the man who’s commissioned him to write his biography. After a lifetime of not discussing his own past, Robert is forced down memory lane by the man he is supposed to be studying. This novel is the story of two lives.
JW

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics
Carlo Rovelli
(Allen Lane, £9.99)

Seven immensely complex concepts are explained simply by an expert in scientific communication in this Italian bestseller, now translated into English. Carlo Rovelli explains what makes us who we are, how the universe spins around us (or rather, how it doesn’t) and most importantly how to put your physicist friends on the back foot by casually dropping an equation into polite conversation. This illustrated guide is well written and concise.
JW

Strangers Drowning
Larissa Macfarquhar
(Allen Lane, £20)

Posing many of the same questions as Ayn Rand on selfishness and its moral opposite, Larissa Macfaquhar studies those who commit good deeds, seemingly selflessly. Travelling the world she aims to find out what drives people to extreme morality and why we view them with such scepticism or perhaps disdain. This ambitious book does justice to its author’s initial aims.
JW

The Impossible Exile
George Prochnik
(Granta, £9.99)

George Prochnik tells the story of Stefan Zweig, a celebrated author of the 1930s. The writer’s flight from Nazi Europe to England, then New York and finally a Rio suburb is the story of a refugee, his remarkable rise and what his exile meant for the wider world. It is a story of cultural divides and making the best of a bad situation, which the writer was ultimately unable to do – he committed suicide in exile. The book is thoroughly researched, without being needlessly informative, and uses the tricks of any good storyteller to bring you Zweig’s history.
JW

The Gift of Failure
Jessica Lahey
(Short Books, £14.99)

Jessica Lahey has an unapologetic message for parents and educators the world over: let children struggle and fail; instil in them the need to improve and strive for better. Through her own experience and a raft of insights from children and teenagers, Lahey builds a compelling argument that any parent should read.
JW

There are more book recommendations in our autumn selection from authors at the Manchester and Ilkley Literary Festivals, plus the chance for you to tell us your top reads right here.