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Our top book picks for Fall 2020

There's nothing like curling up on the couch with a book as the weather gets colder. With so many new and exciting books being published this quarter, it can be hard to narrow down your choices. Below are fifteen of our favorite books publishing this fall for your consideration.

BUSINESS

The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin
Based on his breakthrough Akimbo workshop, Seth Godin’s latest will help you get unstuck and find the courage to make and share creative work. Godin insists that writer’s block is a myth, that consistency is far more important than authenticity, and that experiencing the imposter syndrome is a sign that you’re a well-adjusted human. Most of all, he shows you what it takes to turn your passion from a private distraction to a productive contribution, the one you’ve been seeking to share all along.
Seth Godin provides an inspiring read for artists, writers, entrepreneurs, and anyone else looking to produce creative work.

Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms by Shellye Archambeau
Shellye Archambeau recounts how she overcame the challenges she faced as a young black woman, wife, and mother, managing her personal and professional responsibilities while climbing the ranks at IBM and subsequently in her roles as CEO. Through the busts and booms of Silicon Valley in the early 2000s, this bold and inspiring book details the risks she took and the strategies she engaged to steer her family, her career, and her company MetricStream toward success.
We love books about inspiring women in business, and this empowering read from Shellye Archambeau is no exception!

The Hype Machine: How Social Media Disrupts Our Elections, Our Economy, and Our Health—And How We Must Adapt by Sinan Aral
Social media connected the world—and gave rise to fake news and increasing polarization. Now Sinan Aral, a leading researcher at MIT, draws on 20 years of research to show how these trends threaten our political, economic, and emotional health in this eye-opening exploration of the dark side of technological progress.
Social media has become such an integral part of our daily lives—this book is a great roadmap to navigate that ever-changing landscape.

FICTION

Class Act by Jerry Craft
Eighth-grader Drew Ellis is no stranger to the saying “You have to work twice as hard to be just as good.” His grandmother has reminded him his entire life. But what if he works ten times as hard and still isn’t afforded the same opportunities that his privileged classmates at the Riverdale Academy Day School take for granted? Jerry Craft follows up his critically acclaimed graphic novel New Kid with this poignant and funny full-color companion about being one of the few kids of color in a prestigious private school.
This graphic novel deals with important conversations about colorism and class, in a format that middle schoolers will enjoy.

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
Amal Shahid has always been an artist and a poet. But even in a diverse art school, he’s seen as disruptive and unmotivated by a biased system. Then one fateful night, an altercation in a gentrifying neighborhood escalates into tragedy. “Boys just being boys” turns out to be true only when those boys are white. With spellbinding lyricism, Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam tell a moving story about how one boy is able to maintain his humanity and fight for the truth, in a system designed to strip him of both.
This timely and essential novel in verse is expertly written by award-winning bestselling author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam.

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
Days after winning OASIS founder James Halliday’s contest, Wade Watts makes a discovery that changes everything. Hidden within Halliday’s vaults, waiting for his heir to find, lies a technological advancement that will once again change the world and make the OASIS a thousand times more wondrous—and addictive—than even Wade dreamed possible. With it comes a new riddle, and a new quest—a last Easter egg from Halliday, hinting at a mysterious prize.
Ever since reading (and watching) Ready Player One, the possibility of a sequel has been highly anticipated. Now that it’s here, we’re ready to dive in!

The Awakening: The Dragon Heart Legacy, Book 1 by Nora Roberts
When Breen Kelly was a girl, her father would tell her stories of magical places. Now she’s an anxious twentysomething mired in student debt and working a job she hates. But one day she discovers her mother has been hiding an investment account in her name—and it’s worth nearly four million dollars. This newfound fortune would be life-changing for anyone. But little does Breen know that when she uses some of the money to journey to Ireland, it will unlock mysteries she couldn’t have imagined.
Bestselling author Nora Roberts is back with an exciting new trilogy of adventure, romance, and magic—we can’t wait to read!

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

A Promised Land by Barack Obama
In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.
Fans and history buffs alike will appreciate this in-depth telling of Obama’s early years in politics and behind-the-scenes through his first presidential term.

Invent and Wander: The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos, With an Introduction by Walter Isaacson by Jeff Bezos and Walter Isaacson
In this collection of Jeff Bezos's writings—his unique and strikingly original annual shareholder letters, plus numerous speeches and interviews that provide insight into his background, his work, and the evolution of his ideas—you'll gain an insider's view of the why and how of his success. Spanning a range of topics across business and public policy, from innovation and customer obsession to climate change and outer space, this book provides a rare glimpse into how Bezos thinks about the world and where the future might take us.
Discover key insights on business values, strategy, and execution from Bezos himself. This book also illuminates his ideas about the future, climate change, and other timely issues.

SELF-HELP

The Home Edit Life: The No-Guilt Guide to Owning What You Want and Organizing Everything by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin
In the next phase of the home organizing craze, Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin go beyond the pantry and bookshelf to show you how to contain the chaos in all aspects of your life, from office space and holiday storage to luggage and pet supplies. Get to know your organizing style, tailor it to your family’s lifestyle, and lead the low-guilt life as you apply more genius ideas to every aspect of your life.
Hooked on the Netflix show ‘Get Organized with the Home Edit’? You’ll love this follow up to Clea and Joanna’s bestseller ‘The Home Edit’ which goes beyond the home to tackle subjects like work life, on-the-go necessities, and technology.

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
Emmanuel Acho takes on all the questions many white Americans are afraid to ask—yet which all Americans need the answers to, now more than ever. With the same open-hearted generosity that has made his video series a phenomenon, Acho explains the vital core of such fraught concepts as white privilege, cultural appropriation, and “reverse racism.” In his own words, he provides a space of compassion and understanding in a discussion that can lack both.
In addition to Emmanuel’s videos of the same name, this is another great resource for those looking to understand race and racism in today’s society.

Be Antiracist: A Journal for Awareness, Reflection, and Action by Ibram X. Kendi
Reflect on your understanding of race and discover ways to work toward an antiracist future with this guided journal from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist and Stamped from the Beginning. Whether or not you’ve read How to Be an Antiracist, this stunning paperback journal offers the opportunity to reflect on your personal commitment to antiracism. Be Antiracist is both a confessional and a log of your journey toward a more equitable and just society.
This is the perfect tool for those looking to make a change in themselves, their communities, and ultimately contribute towards an antiracist society.

GIFTS

Glory: Magical Visions of Black Beauty by Kahran Bethencourt and Regis Bethencourt
With stunning images of natural hair and gorgeous, inventive visual storytelling, Glory puts Black beauty front and center with more than 100 breathtaking photographs and a collection of powerful essays about the children. At its heart, it is a recognition and celebration of the versatility and innate beauty of Black hair, and Black beauty. The glorious coffee-table book pays homage to the story of our royal past, celebrates the glory of the here and now, and even dares to forecast the future.
We’re loving this beautiful photography book that celebrates young Black children from all walks of life. A great addition to your coffee table!

The Gifts of Imperfection: 10th Anniversary Edition by Brené Brown
In hardcover for the first time, this 10th anniversary edition of the game-changing #1 New York Times bestseller features a new foreword and new tools to make the work your own. What transforms this book from words on a page to effective daily practices are the ten guideposts to wholehearted living. The guideposts not only help us understand the practices that will allow us to change our lives and families, but they also walk us through the unattainable and sabotaging expectations that get in the way.
This special edition of Brené Brown’s bestseller is a perfect gift for those who want to dive deeper into Brene’s strategies for living a more fulfilled life.

I Would Leave Me if I Could.: A Collection of Poetry by Halsey
In this debut collection, Halsey bares her soul. Bringing the same artistry found in her lyrics, Halsey’s poems delve into the highs and lows of doomed relationships, family ties, sexuality, and mental illness. More hand grenades than confessions, these autobiographical poems explore and dismantle conventional notions of what it means to be a feminist in search of power.
Fans and poetry lovers will appreciate the raw and honest prose Halsey provides in her debut collection.

This post was written by Megan Habel, the Brand Strategist at BookPal. She is currently reading Find Me by André Aciman.