Coming Soon to a Bookstore Near You (October 7, 2025)

Street date October 14, 2025. All book descriptions provided by the publisher.

A Wooded Shore and Other Stories
By Thomas McGuane
Knopf
Available in Hardcover or ebook

In these nine peerless stories, a family boating trip veers into emotional disaster while very narrowly avoiding the physical; a would-be cheater hands over his car—his prized possession—for a shot with a pretty girl; a furniture magnate and his filmmaker daughter visit his impoverished hometown; a doctor’s long-ago affair returns with a bitter pill. Crackling with wry humor, shot through with both wisdom and pain, these are stories of grifters and dreamers, of the lovelorn and the lawless, stories of the ongoing dissonance between the lives we want and the lives this world will allow.

Joyride: A Memoir
By Susan Orlean
Avid Reader Press
Available in Hardcover, ebook, and unabridged audio download

“The story of my life is the story of my stories,” writes Susan Orlean in this extraordinary, era-defining memoir from one of the greatest practitioners of narrative nonfiction of our time. Joyride is a magic carpet ride through Orlean’s life and career, where every day is an opportunity for discovery and every moment holds the potential for wonder.

Throughout her storied career, her curiosity draws her to explore the most ordinary and extraordinary of places—from going deep inside the head of a regular ten-year-old boy for her legendary profile “The American Man, Age Ten” to reporting on a woman who owns twenty-seven tigers; from capturing the routine magic of Saturday night to climbing Mt. Fuji.

Not only does Orlean’s account of a writing life offer indispensable gleanings for writers, it’s also a practical guide to embracing any creative path. She takes us through her process of dreaming up ideas, managing deadlines, connecting with sources, chasing every possible lead, confronting writer’s block and self-doubt, and crafting the perfect lede—a Susan specialty.

While Orlean has always written her way into other people’s lives to understand the human experience, Joyride is her most personal book ever—a searching journey through finding her feet as a journalist, recovering from the collapse of her first marriage, falling in love again, becoming a mother while mourning her own mother, sojourning to Hollywood for films based on her work including Adaptation and Blue Crush, and confronting mortality.

Joyride is also a time machine to a bygone era of journalism—from Orlean’s bright start in the golden age of alt-weeklies to her career-making days alongside icons such as Robert Gottlieb, Tina Brown, David Remnick, Anna Wintour, Sonny Mehta, and Jonathan Karp.

Infused with Orlean’s warmth and wit, Joyride is a must-read for anyone who hungers to start, build, and sustain a creative life.

Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum
By Michael J. Fox and Nelle Fortenberry
Flatiron Books
Available in Hardcover, ebook, and unabridged audio download

In early 1985, Michael J. Fox was one of the biggest stars on television. His world was about to get even bigger—but only if he could survive the kind of double duty unheard of in Hollywood. Fox’s days were already filled rehearsing and taping Family Ties, but then the chance of a lifetime came his way: a new time-travel adventure film directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg—Back to the Future. Sitcom during the day, movie at night—day after day, for months.

Fox’s nightly commute from a soundstage at Paramount to the back lot at Universal Studios, from one dream job to another, became his own space-time continuum. It was in this time portal that Alex P. Keaton handed the baton to Marty McFly while Michael J. Fox tried to catch a few minutes of sleep. Alex’s bravado, Marty’s flair, and Fox’s comedic virtuosity all swirled together to create something truly special.

In Future Boy, Fox tells the remarkable story of playing two landmark roles at the same time—a slice of entertainment history that’s never been told. With new interviews from the cast and crew of both projects, the result is a vividly drawn and eye-opening story of creative achievement by a beloved icon.

Vagabond: A Memoir
By Tim Curry
Grand Central Publishing
Available in Hardcover, ebook, and unabridged audio download

There are few stars in Hollywood today who can boast a résumé like Tony Award–nominated actor Tim Curry. From his breakout role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show to his terrifying Pennywise in It to his acclaimed turn as King Arthur in Spamalot, Curry redefined what it meant to be a “character actor,” portraying heroes and villains alike with complexity and wit.

In Vagabond, Curry takes readers behind the scenes of his rise to fame—from his early days as a military brat and boarding school student to his first time on stage. He goes in-depth about working on some of the most iconic productions of the 20th century and reflects on his later voice work, which became his lifeline after surviving a near-fatal stroke in 2012.

With the 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the 40th of Clue approaching, there’s never been a better time for Tim to share his story.

Unabridged: The Thrill of and Threat to the Modern Dictionary
By Stefan Fatsis
Atlantic Monthly Press
Available in Hardcover and ebook

Words are the currency of culture—and never more than today. From selfie to doomscrolling to rizz, our hyperconnected digital world coins and spreads new words faster than ever. Journalist and bestselling author Stefan Fatsis embedded himself as a lexicographer-in-training at Merriam-Webster to learn how words get into the dictionary, who decides what they mean, and how they shape our thinking.

In Unabridged, Fatsis traces the evolution of the dictionary from Noah Webster’s original to today’s battles over language, meaning, and politics. He explores controversies over slurs, pronouns, and the annual “Word of the Year,” and reveals how the rise of Google and AI has changed the way we define words—and ourselves.

“I fell in love with the dictionary on my eleventh birthday,” Fatsis writes. “The dictionary projects permanence, but language is Jell-O—slippery, mutable, and forever collapsing on itself.”

Unabridged takes readers inside an industry in flux, celebrating the wonder, joy, and power of words.