Today in Bookish and Literary History, September 30

1632 Robinson Crusoe born in York.

1659 Robinson Crusoe’s shipwreck

1895 The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle.

1908 Maurice Maeterlinck's play "L'Oiseau bleu" (The Blue Bird) premieres at the Moscow Art Theatre

The story is about a girl called Mytyl and her brother Tyltyl seeking happiness, represented by The Blue Bird of Happiness, aided by the good fairy Bérylune.

2021 Sharpe's Assassin by Bernard Cornwell (UK)

The story is set in June 1815, immediately after the Battle of Waterloo, and during the occupation of Paris.

2024 The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich

In this stunning novel, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award–winning author Louise Erdrich tells a story of love, natural forces, spiritual yearnings, and the tragic impact of uncontrollable circumstances on ordinary people’s lives.

• Longlisted for The 2025 Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction

2025 A Murder in Paris by Matthew Blake

An expert in memory must uncover the truth about her family’s wartime past in this dazzling psychological thriller from the #1 international bestselling author of Anna O.

2025 After Midnight: Thirteen Tales for the Dark Hours by Daphne du Maurier

From Daphne du Maurier, “a writer of fearless originality” (The Guardian), comes a collection of her thirteen most mesmerizing tales—including iconic stories such as “The Birds” and “Don’t Look Now”—with an introduction by Stephen King.

2025 Charlie Quinn Lets Go by Jamie Varon

An irresistible novel about second chances and the magic of relinquishing control.

2025 Great Disasters by Grady Chambers

It is a stirring debut novel about six young men coming of age, and the enduring friendships that make us who we are—even as our paths diverge.

2025 I Am You by Victoria Redel

At eight years old, Gerta Pieters is forced to disguise herself as a boy and sent to work for a genteel Dutch family. When their brilliant and beautiful daughter Maria sees through Gerta’s ruse, she insists that Gerta accompany her to Amsterdam and help her enter the elite, male-dominated art world.

2025 Oleander Marriage by Eleanor Lerman

It is the eighth collection of poetry from acclaimed author Eleanor Lerman. The poems in this collection ache with longing for days gone by; for the bond between mothers and daughters broken too soon; for nights spent in grim hotels; dawns clouded by lonely dreams; and roar with the grief of monsters who are not what they seem.

2025 Poyums Annaw by Len Pennie (UK)

A second, blistering collection that confronts patriarchy, gender-based violence and societal injustice with tenderness, a jousting wit and not a little righteous fury

2025 Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei

From the acclaimed author of The Stardust Grail comes the epic tale of two sisters who sail across oceans to find their missing third sister―and Earth’s environmental salvation.

2025 The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by Chanel Cleeton

A mysterious book with a legacy spanning from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day unites three women—and their secrets—in this unforgettable novel from New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton.

2025 The Portrait by Danielle Steel

A gifted portrait artist and a high-powered subject confront past wounds to embrace new love in this poignant novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel.

2025 The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet by Melinda Taub

An utterly fantastical and undeniably queer melding of Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein that recasts Mary Bennet as an insatiable scientist, one who creates a monster in an attempt to save herself from spinsterdom

2025 The Witch of Willow Sound by Vanessa F. Penney

A spooky, atmospheric, and fast-paced feminist tale about women called witches and the parts of our history we’d rather forget

2025 What a Time to Be Alive by Jade Chang

A deeply moving and often hilarious novel following a woman who becomes an internet folk hero in the most unexpected way, catapulting her into fame and influence just as she’s finally beginning to reckon with her complicated past