20 October Nonfiction Releases We’re Excited About

And what you can read in the meantime

Reading ahead

Nonfiction fans will be delighted by the bounty of options coming out this fall. From celebrity memoirs to groundbreaking historical accounts to self-help guides, October’s most anticipated list is packed with must-reads! Here are 20 upcoming releases across a mix of genres. These titles are available for pre-order, but in the meantime, we have recs for similar reads that you can enjoy now.

October 1

Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Twenty-five years after the publication of his groundbreaking first book, Gladwell returns with a follow-up and his most personal book yet. With his characteristic mix of storytelling and social science, he offers a guide to making sense of the contagions of the modern world. It's time we took tipping points seriously.

What to read while you wait: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten

The Barefoot Contessa presents an intimate, entertaining, and inspiring account of her remarkable journey. In her unmistakable voice (no one tells a story like Ina), she brings her past and her process to life in a no-holds-barred memoir, all delivered with her signature combination of playfulness and purpose.

What to read while you wait: Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl

The Paranormal Ranger by Stanley Milford Jr.

In his youth, Milford never went looking for the paranormal, but it always seemed to find him. This chilling and clear-eyed memoir provides an eerie account of his work with the fabled Navajo Rangers—equal parts police officers, archeological conservationists, and historians—where the paranormal became part of his job. 

What to read while you wait: The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

October 8

From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough

In 2022, Lisa Marie asked her daughter, Riley, to help finally finish her long-gestating memoir. A month later, Lisa Marie was gone. Born to an American myth and raised in the wilds of Graceland, the icon tells her story for the first time in this raw, riveting, one-of-a-kind memoir faithfully completed by Riley.

What to read while you wait: Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley

The Plan: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius by Kendra Adachi

Most time-management books leave you feeling inadequate, focusing on greatness and optimization. But what if you want to simply live your life without chasing productivity at every turn? Is there a way to manage your time without being at its mercy? Adachi says yes and her book promises to show you how.

What to read while you wait: The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi 

John Lewis by David Greenberg

Born into poverty in rural Alabama, Lewis would become second only to Martin Luther King, Jr. in his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. Thoroughly researched and dramatically told, Greenberg's biography captures John Lewis's influential career from his courageous activism to his leadership in Congress.

What to read while you wait: March: Book One by John Lewis

Sonny Boy by Al Pacino

To the wider world, Pacino exploded onto the scene like a supernova. He landed his breakout role in 1971. By 1975, he had starred in four landmark films, including The Godfather and Serpico. But Pacino was in his midthirties by then, and had already lived several lives. In this revelatory account, he shares his story.

What to read while you wait: The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier

Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

How can we embrace our limitations? Or make good decisions when there's always too much to do? How do we shed the illusion that life will begin as soon as we get "on top of things"? Addressing the fundamental questions about how to live, this guide offers a powerful new way to take action on what counts.

What to read while you wait: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

Countdown 1960: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of the 312 Days That Changed America's Politics Forever by Chris Wallace

It's January 2, 1960: the day that Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy declared his candidacy. Drawing timely parallels to the choice American face in 2024, this fresh take on the lead-up to the presidential election of 1960 is a nonfiction political thriller filled with intrigue, cinematic action, and fresh reporting.

What to read while you wait: Countdown 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days That Changed the World by Chris Wallace

October 15

Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey

The master of legal thrillers (Grisham) teams up with McCloskey, aka the godfather of the innocence movement, to share ten harrowing stories of Americans who were wrongfully convicted. Their dramatic hard-fought battles for exoneration shed light on injustices in our criminal justice system. 

What to read while you wait: Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

What I Ate in One Year (And Related Thoughts) by Stanley Tucci

Food has always been an integral part of actor Stanley Tucci's life. Ranging from the mouthwateringly memorable to the comfortingly domestic to the infuriatingly inedible, the meals memorialized in this diary serve as a prism for him to reflect on the ways his life, and his family, are constantly evolving. 

What to read while you wait: Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci

War by Bob Woodward

In this intimate and sweeping account of one of the most tumultuous periods in presidential politics and American history, the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner tells the revelatory, behind-the-scenes story of three wars—Ukraine, the Middle East and the struggle for the American Presidency.

What to read while you wait: All The President's Men by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein

Consider This: Reflections for Finding Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab

Life comes at us fast, with new challenges to navigate at every turn. Millions of fans have embraced the fresh insights of bestselling author Tawwab, a popular therapist who brings both expertise and a fresh perspective to the everyday struggles we all navigate in our relationships and within ourselves.

What to read while you wait: The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama

October 22

Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz

In the early 2000s, after years as a struggling actor, Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. But at the same time, her personal life was beginning to unravel. What none of the show's millions of fans knew, hidden even from her costars, was her secret double life in a tyrannical cult.

What to read while you wait: I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Patriot by Alexei Navalny

The late opposition leader began writing this vivid, page-turning memoir shortly after his near-fatal poisoning in 2020. It is the full story of his life: his youth, his call to activism, his marriage and family, his commitment to fighting the dictatorship determined to silence him, and his total conviction that change will come.

What to read while you wait: Gulag: A History by Anne Applebaum

Brothers by Alex Van Halen and Ariel Levy

This intimate account is drummer Alex Van Halen's love letter to his beloved younger brother and band mate, Edward (Maybe "Ed," but never "Eddie), written while still mourning his untimely death. This story of brotherhood, music, and enduring love includes a trove of never-before-seen family photos.

What to read while you wait: Life by Keith Richards

Lifeform by Jenny Slate

"What happened was this: Jenny Slate was a human mammal who sniffed the air every morning hoping to find another person to love . . . and then we are pleased to report that she did . . ." Experience the actor-comedian's journey into love and motherhood in this wild, soulful, hilarious collection of genre-bending essays.

What to read while you wait: Little Weirds by Jenny Slate

We All Shine On: John, Yoko, and Me by Elliot Mintz

In this revealing account, Mintz, a music industry insider, tells the story of his intense friendship with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He offers an intimate view of how it began and where it led him over the years, revealing the ups and downs of a wild, heartbreaking, and sometimes shocking relationship.

What to read while you wait: John Lennon 1980: The Last Days in the Life by Kenneth Womack

October 29

Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books that Saved Me by Glory Edim

Edim, who grew up in Virginia to Nigerian immigrant parents, started the popular Well-Read Black Girl book club at age thirty, eventually reaching a community of half a million readers. Her memoir is a glowing testament to the power of representation in literature.

What to read while you wait: A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib

Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times that Made Handel's Messiah by Charles King

Handel's Messiah is arguably the greatest piece of participatory art ever created. But this work of triumphant joy was born in a time of war, enslavement, and conflict. Against this turbulent background, prize-winning author King has crafted a cinematic drama of the troubled lives that shaped a masterpiece of hope.

What to read while you wait: Messiah: The Composition and Afterlife of Handel's Masterpiece by Jonathan Keates

We hope you find some titles here that you want to add to your TBR list! Let us know which new books you’re most excited about this month.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (X), and Instagram to connect with a community of readers like you and get daily book recommendations, literary tidbits, and more.

Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon