17 Books Our Editors Devoured In October

*Releases Nov. 17

The romantasy genre is pretty oversaturated right now, and it can be difficult to find a book that feels truly original. The magic system Dylan has invented feels completely unique. In this world, when your soulmate is born, a golden ring appears around your finger. A red one appears when your sworn enemy, the person who will cause your soulmate's death, is born (or maybe you're born with both already in place). Our main character is a reaper, someone the rich pay to eliminate their sworn enemies for a hefty fee. But what will she do when she gets an assignment that doesn't align with her moral code? — Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment

Author Andrew Sean Greer describes his latest book as a "charm novel," and it's so fitting for how I felt while reading it. In the novel, we meet our protagonist, who has landed his first real job cataloging items for a Baroness in the Tuscan countryside. While there, he is folded into life at the estate and meets a colorful cast of characters... but he can't quite figure out what's going on around him (and it's not just because of the language barrier). I laughed out loud multiple times during this delightful book, and I'm glad that it will be there for me to reread in the future. — Sarah Aswell, Deputy Editor, News & Social

I won't lie, this book took a bit of pushing through at first. Much like ACOTAR, I assume you're going to have to read the next book or two in the series to fully understand what's happening and why in Book 1. Even though I felt a little clueless for much of it, I love the love and yearning Lee writes here, as well as the atmosphere of the book. I look forward to picking up the next installment and going "ohhhhh" a lot. — Katie McPherson

This book broke me open in the quietest, most devastating way, and I cannot stop thinking about it! Shortlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize and a Barack Obama summer reading pick, it follows Artie Dam, a 57-year-old history teacher in coastal Massachusetts who appears to be living a perfectly decent life while quietly drowning in isolation, and he soon learns a secret he cannot even speak out loud. Strout does what she does better than almost anyone — she takes the ordinary and makes it feel unbearably significant, and the Booker Prize judges called it an example of a new genre they named “radical normalcy,” which is exactly right. It is a short book that will sit with you for a very long time. — Katie Garrity, Senior Editor, News & Social

*Releases April 2027

Ross is such a beautiful writer, and A Bittersweet Spell is no exception. This book has all the eldritch mystical scene-setting you could ever want; I don't even drink hot tea and I was craving a cup of the stuff every time I read another chapter. The characters feel genuine and fresh (no brooding shadow daddy stereotype here). As always, Ross' magic system is novel and fascinating, and the mystery at the heart of the story unfolds in a very engaging way. Side note: I was literally picturing Brendan Fraser as Lorne and Rachel Weisz as Avalene throughout my read, and honestly, I recommend you do the same. — Katie McPherson

From the author of the epic The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois comes a collection of essays and sketches about what it means to be a Black woman living in America today. I loved the diversity of the writings contained in this book, from freeform poems to deeply researched essays to personal writings about the author's life. This is an incredibly important book from one of our best living authors, and I learned from it as much as I enjoyed its stellar writing. — Sarah Aswell

I am a huge sucker for historical non-fiction about shipwrecks (niche, I know!) and this is one of the best ones I've ever read. David Grann is the GOAT of these types of intricately researched books (Lost City of Z and Killers of the Flower Moon are both excellent), and this is no exception. It follows the very, very doomed journey of the ship The Wager, through the eyes of several of the people aboard, and we get everything that is good about these books: being stranded on an island, getting scurvy, mutiny, and murder. — Sarah Aswell

From the author of Station Eleven comes her most ambitious, mind-bending novel yet. It is 2031; America has fractured, California has declared itself a republic, and for the first time in weeks, the curfew in Los Angeles is lifted. There's a party that everyone gravitates to, but midway through the night the host disappears, guests appear to be in two places at once, and Ari Waker, freshly out of prison after 18 years, is left haunted by the night for years to come. It is already a New York Times bestseller; it is being adapted for television by Mandel herself, and reviewers are calling it the culmination of everything she has ever written. The kind of novel you will be desperate to talk about the second you finish it! — Katie Garrity

Barbara Kingsolver is back with her first book since Demon Copperhead, and it's a good one! This is less epic and more narrow in scope, but no less beautiful. In it, we meet Livia, a rural farmgirl who happens to have an incredibly rare ability to play the piano. She goes to college against her mother's wishes, only to have her life altered in unimaginable ways. This book is about the big things: life, love, and art, and it is very, very moving. It also has a playlist of piano pieces that go along with the book — so fun! — Sarah Aswell

B.K. Borison is a NYT bestselling author who simply does not miss, and Grim Tidings is already being called her best book yet. Darcy Moore is a Grim Reaper who is absolutely done with death, so she decides to save her next assignment instead of collecting him, which puts her directly in the path of Gabriel, a skeptical Guardian Angel protecting his little corner of the world as his wings depend on it. It is a grumpy-x-grumpy enemies-to-lovers romance with Halloween vibes and real emotional depth — reviewers are reporting full-on crying on public transportation, which is always the highest possible endorsement. If you loved Good Spirits, you will absolutely devour Grim Tidings! — Katie Garrity

This book has a Young Readers Edition, and it's a great option to read along with your middle-grade kid! My daughter and I devoured our copies and had so much fun talking about it together, even though the story is sad and shocking. This is a non-fiction book about the young women who worked in factories during the early 1900s, painting radium onto watch faces and airplane equipment. A huge number of them got radium poisoning — and many lawsuits followed. This book is about workers' rights and women's rights, but it's also about survival and perseverance. — Sarah Aswell

I just got back from Salem, where I toured the actual House of the Seven Gables... and I spent most of the tour wishing I’d finished the book beforehand! So I made it a point to remedy that immediately. Hawthorne’s 1851 novel is about a family slowly rotting under an ancestral curse, which is all the more fascinating when you consider that his own great-great-grandfather was a judge in the Salem witch trials who never repented (Hawthorne’s cousin, Susannah Ingersoll, was one of the house's owners). Fair warning: The prose here is very 1851 and takes some patience, but the history underneath it is worth it. — Julie Sprankles, Deputy Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment

After I heard Ann Patchett's glowing review of this book, I had to pick it up, and let's just say she was right. This book is about a young man in the far reaches of Scotland (an isolated island, to be exact) who leaves his life of sheep-raising and weaving to go to fashion/textile school. When he returns to care for a sick grandmother, he clashes with his dad about his lifestyle... but that's only the beginning! I know this lovely and difficult book will be in my top 5 reads for 2026. — Sarah Aswell

I picked up this box set because I wanted to re-read Carrie before Mike Flanagan’s new Prime Video series, then realized I’d somehow never read The Shining or Salem’s Lot... the first of which I have extra motivation for since I stayed at The Stanley, aka the hotel that inspired it, last year (clearly have a thing for reading books about places I visit!). All three are just classic early Stephen King and the set is beautifully designed, making this an easy gift for the horror person in your life. — Julie Sprankles

*Releases February 2027

Jon Klassen is a Caldecott Medal winner who has absolutely never missed, and Abner and the Bubblegum Balloon is already generating serious buzz as one of the most anticipated picture books of the season. It has that signature Klassen deadpan humor, sparse text, and perfectly timed visual comedy that makes his books just as hilarious for the adults reading aloud as for the kids listening. If you have a child in your life who loved I Want My Hat Back or This Is Not My Hat, this is an immediate add to cart. The picture book that earns a permanent spot on the shelf and gets requested at bedtime on repeat! — Katie Garrity