15 October 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. From creepy thrillers to cozy mysteries to reimagined classics, October's most anticipated list is packed with must-reads! Here are fifteen volumes available for preorder, plus a previously published book with a similar vibe you can enjoy in the meantime.

October 4

Jackal by Erin E. Adams

Liz's best friend is getting married, so she braces herself for the return to her mostly white Rust Belt town. But when the bride's daughter goes missing amidst the revelry, Liz recognizes a pattern. Black girls have been disappearing here for years. This genre-defying debut takes readers on a breathless ride.

What to read first: When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

The Night Ship by Jess Kidd

Based on a real-life event, an epic historical novel interweaves dual storylines. It's 1629 and a young orphan girl is shipwrecked on an island off Western Australia. Three hundred years later, a lonely boy is sent to live with his grandfather on that same island where he discovers the story of an infamous shipwreck.

What to read first: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala

As the third installment in Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries unfolds, it's Christmastime in Shady Palms. Although Lila Macapagal's new business is doing well and she's enjoying a new romance, things are less than jolly. Her shady cousin Ronnie is back in town and where Ronnie goes, trouble follows.

What to read first: Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

In a dystopian America, libraries are heavily censored and authorities can relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian descent. After receiving a mysterious drawing in the mail, twelve-year-old Bird sets out on a quest to search for his missing mother, a Chinese-American poet who left when he was nine.

What to read first: Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

After Olivia's picture-perfect life in Boston was shattered by her husband's dark secrets, she retreated to her quiet New Hampshire hometown with her teenage son, Asher. When Asher’s girlfriend dies mysteriously and he's the prime suspect, Olivia begins to wonder if he’s more like his father than she thought.

What to read first: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

October 11

Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet

Centering on an Arizona man’s relationship with the family next door, whose house has one wall made entirely out of glass, this story explores themes of attraction and love, friendship and grief. Millet writes vividly about the ties between people and other animals and the crisis of extinction.

What to read first: A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet

Little Eve by Catriona Ward

On the wind-battered Scottish isle of Altnaharra, a clan prepares to bring about the end of the world and its imminent rebirth. The Adder is coming and one of their number will inherit its powers. They all want the honor, but young Eve will do anything for the distinction. A Shirley Jackson Award-winner!

What to read first: The Girl from Rawblood by Catriona Ward

October 18

Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton

Even early success could not prepare the Draco Malfoy actor for the life-changing experience of Harry Potter fame. His memoir gives readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into his experiences growing up as a wizard, the lasting friendships he formed, and the highs and lows of viral fandom.

What to read first: Child Star by Shirley Temple Black

The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham

In the 1960s, Keith and Hugh were best friends and baseball all-stars. But as they grow older, their paths diverge. Keith's father becomes a legendary prosecutor and Hugh's dad, the head of the local mob. Following in their father's footsteps, they find themselves on opposite sides of the law.

What to read first: The Reckoning by John Grisham

It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

In this long-awaited sequel to a TikTok sensation, Lily has settled into a good coparenting routine with Ryle. When Lily bumps into Atlas, she is excited to go on a date with her first love. Now Lily must navigate her jealous ex-husband while embracing her second chance at love.

What to read first: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

A modern-day retelling of the Dickens classic, this is an epic tale about the effects of institutional poverty. Born to a teenaged single mother in the mountains of southern Appalachia, young Demon must brave the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, and addiction.

What to read first: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro

It's a summer night in 1985. Three teenagers have been drinking. One of them gets behind the wheel of a car. In an instant, each of their lives, and that of a young doctor who arrives on the scene, is shattered. This haunting story examines the ties that bind families together—and the secrets that can break them apart.

What to read first: Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

October 25

The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy

Mississippi, 1980: Bobby Western dives into the ocean to investigate a crashed ocean liner. As he explores the mysterious crash site, he is haunted by loss. The first in a two-volume series, this is the author's first book since winning a Pulitzer for The Road. The sequel, Stella Maris, comes out this December.

What to read first: Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy

Marmee by Sarah Miller

In 1861, war rages in the South, but in Concord, Massachusetts, Margaret March has her own battles to fight. With her husband serving as an army chaplain, the security of her four daughters rests on her shoulders. A revealing portrait of the beloved matriarch from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.

What to read first: Caroline: Little House Revisited by Sarah Miller

The Bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer

Hope Sparrow has mastered the art of outrunning her past. Coming to Wanishin Falls in search of her family's history feels risky. But somewhere in the towering stacks of this dusty old bookshop are the books that hold Hope's last ties to her late mother—and to a rumored treasure that could help her start over.

What to read first: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Hopefully there's something here that catches your fancy! Let us know which new books you're most excited about this month.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon