Browns Best New Books for September 2025
1st September 2025
Every month we carefully select our favourites from the fabulous new titles on offer. September always feels like a very busy month, the nights are drawing in, the natural world is a riot of changing colours and thoughts may be turning to Halloween and other autumnal celebrations. For many, September sees the start of a new academic year (complete with lovely new stationery hopefully!) and we particularly wish lots of luck to those starting a new school or college (or starting school for the very first time) – both pupils and staff. September is also always a bumper month for new books and there are some really fantastic new reads to delight and inspire this September, it’s been a challenge to select just a few to feature but we hope you enjoy our pick of the great new publishing this month.
Check back next month for our picks of the new books October has to offer.
Adult Non-Fiction
Revolting
Deary, Terry
Hardback
Throughout human history, the rich and powerful have tended to ensure that things go the way they want and need them to whilst everyone else has to put up with much more unpleasant circumstances. But history is also littered with examples of peasants and workers rising up and rebelling against the ruling classes. From the suffragettes who posted themselves via Royal Mail to the Prime Minister to the Bulgarian swineherd and rebel leader who managed to fight off the Mongols and slay the Tsar, there are many examples of resilience and determination to challenge and change the status quo.
Terry Deary is best known as the author and creator of the massively popular Horrible Histories series which make history accessible and enjoyable for young readers. Revolting is a history of revolutions and uprisings that displays all of Deary’s deadpan humour, informative writing and anecdotes for an older readership. Well written and researched with lots of fascinating and little-known facts this is a really entertaining book that will leave readers amused, educated and perhaps a little inspired!
More DetailsAdult Fiction
The Impossible Fortune
Osman, Richard
Hardback
Things have been quiet recently for Thursday Murder Club with the core members focusing on things other than crime solving. Elizabeth is grieving, Ron is dealing with family issues, Ibrahim is providing therapy to his favourite criminal and Joyce is busy helping to plan her daughter Joanna’s wedding. It is at the wedding that a guest in need of help seeks out Elizabeth and the gang of retirees are back together in another thrilling case, solving puzzles involving crypto schemes and missing tech wizards and, of course, colourful and clever criminals…
With the recently released and hotly anticipated Thursday Murder Club film, it would be hard not to be aware of Richard Osman’s bestselling and much-loved series about a group of retirees using their various skills and experiences to outwit even the most fiendish of murderers. The Thursday Murder Club books really have become something to look forward to for many readers and the fifth book in the series is no exception. Warm, witty and hugely enjoyable this new book will delight fans who will enjoy getting to know some of the characters better and once again lose themselves in a cleverly plotted and charming mystery with a fabulous group of friends at its heart. The perfect book to curl up with on an autumnal evening.
More DetailsChildren’s Non-Fiction
Journeys of Empire
Sanghera, Sathnam
Paperback / softback
What is the biggest thing Britain ever did as a country? Winning World Wars? Winning the World Cup? Inventing James Bond or Peppa Pig? The biggest thing Britain has done as a country is something we don’t really talk about much – the British Empire. It’s a huge story with many far-reaching effects around the world but it isn’t really taught much or widely discussed so how do we understand the impact of this huge part of British and World history?
Sathnam Sanghera is the author of the bestselling Empireland and his introduction to the British Empire for younger readers, Stolen History, was an accessible and engaging introduction to the British Empire and the far-reaching effects it had. This second book for younger readers continues looking at the British Empire, this time through 10 epic and significant journeys which introduces children to individuals and events they may not be aware of and gives perspective on some more well-known histories. A fascinating look at the extensive consequences of the British Empire and how it continues to influence lives today. A great addition to Upper KS2 and KS3 classrooms and libraries.
More DetailsChildren’s Fiction
The Poisoned King
Rundell, Katherine
Hardback
Chistopher Forrester is thrilled when he is woken one morning by a tiny dragon chewing on his face. He has been dreaming of the chance to return to the Archipelago, a secret cluster of islands where creatures of myth still live. But there is a poison spreading throughout the Archipelago and Christopher must root it out in a daring mission that involves entering a dragon’s lair, riding on the back of a sphinx and a plan to rescue a prisoner held at the heart of a castle. Christopher must also work with Anya, a girl with a newly hatched chick in her pocket and a thirst for justice who is determined to prove that her father has been wrongly imprisoned for a terrible crime…
Katherine Rundell’s brilliant Impossible Creatures has been a huge hit with readers, many of whom have been eagerly waiting for this follow-up (I know I have!). In this second book in the series we return to the wonderful world of magical creatures and daring adventures that has charmed so many readers. Katherine Rundell really is an amazingly gifted writer and her world-building and plots are truly something special, Rundell’s writing is magical and she tackles some serious topics without ever shying away from difficult elements or talking down to readers. With classic elements of the very best adventure stories and spellbinding writing, this is a brilliant sequel and a story that will enchant and enthral readers as much as Impossible Creatures did.
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