15 November Book Releases We're Excited About

And What You Can Read in the Meantime

Reading Ahead

No matter how tall our TBR piles get, we just keep browsing (and buying!) more. November's most anticipated list is packed with must-reads! (Plus three of the first true "pandemic novels.") Here are fifteen volumes available for preorder, plus a previously published book with a similar vibe you can enjoy in the meantime.

November 2

Our Country Friends by Gary Schteyngart

Eight friends, one country house, four romances, and six months in isolation. This novel about a diverse group of people who gather in an upstate New York house to wait out the pandemic is being described as "Chekhov on the Hudson."

What to read first: Lake Success by Gary Schteyngart

All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris

A fast-paced, twisty thriller about a Black lawyer who gets in over her head after the unexpected death of her boss/lawyer. A debut with shades of How to Get Away with Muder, perfect for fans of Attica Locke and Alyssa Cole.

What to read first: Pleasantville by Attica Locke

Win Me Something by Kyle Lucia Wu

Growing up as a biracial Chinese-American girl in New Jersey, Willa Chen has never quite fit in. Her parents' divorce only worsens her sense of loneliness. In this coming-of-age debut, a young woman grapples with what it means to belong.

What to read first: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

November 9

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

The timely new novel by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author is set in an independent bookstore in Minneapolis. Starting in November 2019, this wickedly funny ghost story chronicles a year of grief, astonishment, isolation, and furious reckoning.

What to read first: LaRose by Louise Erdrich

Five Tuesdays in Winter: Stories by Lily King

Told in the intimate voices of unique and endearing characters of all ages, these tales explore desire and heartache, loss and discovery, moments of jolting violence and the inexorable tug toward love at all costs.

What to read first: Writers & Lovers by Lily King

Never by Ken Follett

This action-packed, globe-spanning read from the master storyteller offers political intrigue and a complex cast of characters. It's a visceral, heart-pounding contemporary thriller that transports readers to the brink of the unimaginable.

What to read first: The Key to Rebecca by Ken Follett

Just Haven't Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens

Can you fall in love with someone based on the contents of their suitcase? When journalist Laura snags the wrong luggage from the airport on her business trip to the Channel Islands, she finds herself wondering if she's found her soulmate.

What to read first: This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens

November 16

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

Book two of a deliciously dark YA historical fantasy series set in 1920s Shanghai centers on Juliette and Roma, leaders of rival gangs (and erstwhile lovers). The dangers they face are many; not the least of which is their lingering passion for each other.

What to read first: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

This fast-paced, relentless journey of tribe, destiny, body, and the wonderland of technology revels in the fact that the future sometimes isn't so predictable. The newest from an afrofuturist luminary offers intense action in a near-future Nigeria.

What to read first: An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

The Four Humors by Mina Seckin

This wry and visceral debut novel follows a young Turkish-American woman who, returning to Istanbul after her father's untimely death, grapples with political unrest, her own family history, and a particularly stubborn headache.

What to read first: My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

November 23

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett

"Any story that starts will also end." The beloved bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays offering a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart.

What to read first: This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett

Love, Lists and Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

Yacht stewardess Jo Walker is close to completing a bucket list of things she wants to accomplish by her birthday. But when her plans are thrown off course by a family tragedy, she needs a little encouragement to get back on track.

What to read first: The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod

November 30

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

With her thirtieth birthday just days away, Diana seems poised for both promotion and engagement. But when the pandemic descends, everything is thrown off track and she suddenly finds herself alone in the Galápagos and reevaluating everything.

What to read first: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Now all they have in common is Carlton High and the beginning of a very bad day. In this pulse-pounding YA thriller, three old friends decide to relive an epic ditch day, and it goes horribly—and fatally—wrong.

What to read first: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Hopefully there's something here that catches your fancy! Let us know which new books you're most excited about this month. And be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for book recommendations, literary tidbits, and more.

Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon