October Release Love

New books I'm excited about, including new in paperback

Happy October! It’s been a good few weeks of reading thanks to some of the books I talk about below. And given how many incredible books are coming out, I’m hoping the rest of the year looks the same. I’ll get right into it, so onto the books!

Note: Books I read or plan on reading via audio are marked with an 🎧. If you haven’t tried audiobooks or don’t have an audiobook subscription, Libro.fm is my favorite way to listen to audiobooks, and my favorite audiobook company to support. Your purchase supports an indie bookstore of your choosing, and you can pause or cancel at anytime. Use my code (KATHARINE) or this link and get 2 audiobook credits for the price of 1.

Tell me what new releases you’re excited about this month!

Recent releases I’ve read…

• Just Another Love Song by Kerry Winfrey 🎧 – This started me on a romance kick that I’m still on – it was just so darn perfect. Second-chance romance, small town, forced proximity, two timelines, if you like these things, add it to your TBR. (Released 8/2)
  Bookshop | LibroFM | Amazon

• When in Rome by Sarah Adams 🎧 – I wish I could read this one for the first time all over again, it was that cute. A great romance for fall, full of some of my favorite tropes: grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, celebrity/non-celebrity, dual POV. Highly recommend. (Released 9/20)
  Bookshop | LibroFM | Amazon

• The Winners by Fredrik Backman 📖 – In short, I loved this one. It was the perfect conclusion to a story that is one of my all-time favorites. But you definitely have to start with Beartown first. (Released 9/27)
  Bookshop | LibroFM | Amazon

• Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng 🎧 – This is quite the departure from her previous books, and I’m still figuring out how I feel about it. While the audio was great (narrated by Lucy Liu), I think this one might have served me better in print. It was unsettling, on the more literary side, and way too close to real life. If you like dystopian fiction, this might be for you. (I really liked this review from Stephen King.) (Releases today, 10/4)
  Bookshop | LibroFM | Amazon

Ones I want to read…

• The Family Outing by Jessi Hempel 🎧 – From the publisher, “A striking and remarkable literary memoir about one family’s transformation, with almost all of them embracing their queer identities.” I’ve listened to her podcast, Hello Monday, a few times and am looking forward to learning more about her personal story. (Released today, 10/4)
  Bookshop | LibroFM | Amazon

• Savor by Fatima Ali 🎧 – From the publisher, “A young chef whose dreams were cut short savors every last minute as she explores food and adventure, illness and mortality…a stunning, lyrical memoir and family story that sweeps from Pakistan to New York City and beyond.” This sounds like a potential comp for Crying in H Mart, one of my favorite books of 2020. (Releases 10/11)
  Bookshop | LibroFM | Amazon

• Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner 📖 – From the publisher, “A sharp and sexy rom-com about a college senior who accidentally hooks up with her best friend’s mom.” This sounds deliciously messy, yes please! (Releases 10/11)
  Bookshop | LibroFM | Amazon

• Bad Vibes Only by Nora McInerny 🎧 – I’ve long been a fan of Nora’s and have read two of her previous memoirs as well as been an avid listener of Terrible, Thanks for Asking. Basically I’ll read anything she writes. From the publisher, “This is for the overthinkers, the analyzers, the recovering Girl Bosses, and the burned-out personal brand – reminding us that a life worth living is about more than just ‘good vibes.’” (Releases 10/11)
  Bookshop | LibroFM | Amazon

• When We Were Sisters by Fatimah Asghar 📖 – From the publisher, “An orphan grapples with gender, siblinghood, family, and coming-of-age as a Muslim in America in this lyrical debut novel.” I adored her poetry collection, If They Come for Us, so I have a good feeling about this one. (Releases 10/18)
  Bookshop | LibroFM | Amazon

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Paperback releases

• Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb – One of my favorite books of 2019 is finally out in paperback. This is truly a must read, and one I’ll be rereading again in the near future.

• The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman – One of the books on the tippy top of my TBR for this month! The conclusion to the Owens sisters’ story. Perfectly witchy for October.

• Honor by Thrity Umrigar – I’ve heard great things about this one and am adding it to my (ever-growing) TBR.

• The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon – One of my favorite authors of atmospheric, creepy stories, her books are horror-lite and perfect for this time of year. (My favorite of hers is The Winter People.)

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