All the October 2024 Prepub Alerts in one place, plus a downloadable spreadsheet of all titles from every post. 

Fiction

Pop Fiction

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Armstrong, Tammy. Pearly Everlasting. Harper. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063396142. 352p. $28.99. POP FICTION

Award-winning Canadian author Armstrong makes her U.S. debut. At a logging camp in New Brunswick in 1934, a cook finds an orphaned bear cub and raises it alongside his newborn daughter, Pearly. When the bear is stolen years later, teenage Pearly sets off on a harrowing journey to rescue it. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Booth, Stephanie. Libby Lost and Found. Sourcebooks Landmark. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781728278506. 400p. $27.99. POP FICTION

In Booth’s debut, Libby Weeks is the bestselling author of a fantasy series, but her latest manuscript is overdue, with fans clamoring for it. She is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s and finds unlikely help from 11-year-old superfan Peanut, who has her own secrets.

Cameron, W. Bruce. My Three Dogs. Forge. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250900203. 288p. $27.99. POP FICTION

Bestselling Cameron (Love, Clancy) returns with another canine caper. Three dogs are separated and put up for individual adoption after a tragic accident. After Archie and Luna are placed in new homes, Australian Shepherd Riggs is determined to reunite his pack. With a 200K-copy first printing.

Lavery, Daniel M. Women’s Hotel. HarperVia. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063343535. 272p. $28.99. POP FICTION

Lavery (Something That May Shock and Discredit You), former “Dear Prudence” advice columnist at Slate and cofounder of The Toast, writes his first novel, set in the 1960s at the Beidermeier, a New York City women’s hotel that houses an eclectic group of residents, each with their own challenges. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Loigman, Lynda Cohen. The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern. St. Martin’s. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250278104. 320p. $29. POP FICTION

Recently retired pharmacist Augusta Stern moves to a senior community in Florida, where she unexpectedly runs into Irving Rivkin, who broke her heart decades earlier when they were teenagers in 1920s Brooklyn and a potent potion went wrong. Loigman’s (The Matchmaker’s Gift) latest receives a 75K-copy first printing.

Macomber, Debbie. A Christmas Duet. Ballantine. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593725337. 272p. $24. POP FICTION

Bestselling Macomber offers a new holiday novel. Hailey Morgan dreams of writing her own songs, but instead she’s working as a school band teacher. She’s dreading another Christmas with her meddling family and their expectations, so she stays alone in a friend’s cabin, where the charming mayor’s son makes her rethink her solo act.

Montague, Anna. How Does That Make You Feel, Magda Eklund? Ecco. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063353640. 256p. $28. POP FICTION

Book editor Montague debuts with a late-in-life queer coming-of-age story. Magda is mourning the death of her best friend, Sara, when she finds Sara’s plans for them to go on a road trip for Magda’s 70th birthday. Magda decides to take the trip alone and discovers more about herself along the way. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Quinn-Kong, Erin. Hate Follow. Morrow Paperbacks. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063379732. pbk. 352p. $18.99. POP FICTION

Influencer Whitney Golden’s carefully curated life looks perfect to her one million followers, but then her teenage daughter Mia objects to being part of her mother’s social media. When Whitney doesn’t agree, Mia sues her, and Whitney must decide what’s more important—her brand or her daughter. Magazine editor Quinn-Hong’s debut receives a 100K-copy first printing.

Rieger, Susan. Like Mother, Like Mother. Dial. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780525512493. 336p. $29. POP FICTION

Rieger (The Heirs, an NPR best book) returns with a multigenerational family saga that examines mother-daughter relationships. Lila overcomes her abusive childhood and becomes a powerful newspaper editor. Her daughter Grace, though, resents Lila’s career, even as she herself becomes a successful reporter. As ambition, family, and the past collide, Grace will have to determine her own future.

Somin, Yeon. The Healing Season of Pottery. tr. from Korean by Clare Richards. Algonquin. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781643756752. pbk. 288p. $18.99. POP FICTION

Award-winning Somin makes her English-language debut. Jungmin is burned out and quits her job. Then she stumbles on a charming pottery studio whose warmth, coffee, and clay help her feel alive again. As Jungmin spends the year creating pots and connecting with others at the studio, she appreciates the changes in her life and contemplates a new love.

Steel, Danielle. Triangle. Delacorte. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593498552. 256p. $29. POP FICTION

In the latest from bestselling Steel, Amanda Delanoe lives well, running an art gallery in Paris, although she has yet to find the love of her life. Then she meets a dashing publisher, reconnects with an old boyfriend, and turns to her friend, bachelor Pascal, for advice. She also starts receiving threats that leave her terrified and wondering who could be after her.

Stephenson, Neal. Polostan. (Bomb Light, bk. 1). Morrow. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780062334497. 320p. $32. POP FICTION

Bestselling Stephenson (Termination Shock) launches a new trilogy set in the early 20th century. Dawn Rae Bjornberg was born in the U.S. but raised in Leningrad by her Russian father. She moves back to the States and becomes involved in gunrunning in Washington, DC, during the Great Depression, then returns to Russia, where she is groomed to become a spy. With a 200K-copy first printing.

Forthcoming Series Title

Andrews, V.C. Dreaming of Autumn Skies. (The Sutherland Series, bk. 3). Gallery. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668015827. pbk. 288p. $17.99. POP FICTION

Literary Fiction

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fu, Mike. Masquerade. Tin House. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781959030843. pbk. 352p. $17.95. LITERARY FICTION

Fu debuts with a queer coming-of-age story set in 1930s Shanghai and contemporary New York. Meadow Liu is house-sitting for a friend when he finds a translated novel about a masked ball in Shanghai, written by someone with Meadow’s own name in Chinese. From there, all kinds of questions of identity, reality, and possibility unfold.

Greathead, Kate. The Book of George. Holt. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250351029. 272p. $28.99. LITERARY FICTION

Greathead (Laura & Emma) invents the idea of “George,” the kind of man who has lots of potential but no follow-through, won’t commit, and can be moody. This George is dating Jenny and is both cynical and self-aware. Greathead charts his course with humor and astute observation.

Herrera, Yuri. Season of the Swamp. tr. from Spanish by Lisa Dillman. Graywolf. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781644453070. 160p. $26. LITERARY FICTION

Herrera, who was a finalist for the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize, sets his newest, a work of speculative historical fiction, in 19th-century New Orleans where Benito Juárez, who will become the first Indigenous head of state in the postcolonial Americas, steps off a ship into the swamp of the city.

Hollinghurst, Alan. Our Evenings. Random. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593243060. 560p. $30. LITERARY FICTION

Hollinghurst, the Somerset Maugham Award–, James Tait Black Memorial Prize–, and Booker Prize–winning author, follows Dave and Giles across 50 years, as they meet in boarding school and come of age. Dave succeeds as an actor, and Giles grows into a dangerous force in politics. This is Hollinghurst’s first novel since The Sparsholt Affair.

Kracht, Christian. Eurotrash. tr. from German by Daniel Bowles. Liveright. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781324094562. 192p. $25.99. LITERARY FICTION

The winner of the Wilhelm Raabe Literature Prize returns to his autofictional narrator “Christian,” from his bestselling 1995 debut, Faserland. Christian is in Zurich to care for his mother and is thinking of his family’s history. He and his mother decide to go on a road trip to Switzerland to give away the family fortune.

Lerner, Betsy. Shred Sisters. Grove. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780802163707. 304p. $28. LITERARY FICTION

Lerner, author of The Forest for the Trees and coauthor with Temple Grandin of a series of New York Times bestsellers, writes the story of two sisters, the shining Ollie and the younger Amy, over the course of 20 years. Amy hopes to become a researcher, while Ollie develops bipolar disorder and slips in and out of contact with her sister.

Lobato, Bruna Dantas. Blue Light Hours. Black Cat. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780802163776. pbk. 192p. $17. LITERARY FICTION

National Book Award–winning translator Lobato debuts with a novel listed on Electric Literature’s “75 Books by Women of Color To Read in 2024.” At a liberal arts college in Vermont, an international student from Brazil calls her mother on Skype, and they talk and experience change, bathed in the blue light from their computers. Expanded from a story that first ran in the New Yorker.

Messina, Laura Imai. The Heartbeat Library. Overlook. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781419772498. 400p. $27. LITERARY FICTION

Messina, internationally bestselling author of The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World, sets her sophomore novel on an island in Japan that holds a library of the heartbeats of visitors, living and dead, from around the world. Miles away, 40-year-old Shuichi and eight-year-old Kenta meet, bond, and journey to the library.

Minot, Susan. Don’t Be a Stranger. Knopf. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593802441. 320p. $28. LITERARY FICTION

Henry Prize and Pushcart Prize winner Minot returns to novels after 2014’s Thirty Girls. The story follows Ivy Cooper, 52 years old and launching a love affair with Ansel Fleming, a thirtysomething musician recently released from prison. One part of Ivy’s mind is on her long list of responsibilities, while the other is consumed by her desire for Ansel.

Miura, Shion. Run with the Wind. tr. from Japanese by Yui Kajita. HarperVia. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063330894. 448p. $30. LITERARY FICTION

A bestseller in Japan, Naoki Prize winner Miura’s newest (after Kamusari Tales Told at Night) traces a group of students living in a run-down dorm, all part of a 10-man running team preparing to race in the Hakone Ekiden, a famous college-level marathon relay.

Ove Knausgaard, Karl. The Third Realm. tr. from Norwegian by Martin Aitken. Penguin Pr. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593655214. 512p. $30. LITERARY FICTION

Bestselling author and International Dublin Literary Award winner Knausgaard (My Struggle) offers a murder, shapeshifting visitors, metal bands, and a bank of dreams in this third novel, which continues from The Morning Star and The Wolves of Eternity.

Palahniuk, Chuck. Shock Induction. S&S. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668021446. 240p. $26.99. LITERARY FICTION

Palahniuk (Not Forever, but for Now) imagines a high school where kids have been surveilled since birth by billionaires who plan to harvest their intellectual labor, to be sold off at a high-stakes auction. Students start disappearing, lost to apparent suicide, raising the question of what say they have in their own futures.

Sy, Cherry Lou. Love Can’t Feed You. Dutton. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593474549. 336p. $28. LITERARY FICTION

Born in the Philippines of Chinese and Filipino heritage, Sy is the co-artistic director of the International Minor Feelings Trading Company. She debuts with a coming-of-age novel about a woman who immigrates from the Philippines to the U.S. and navigates between family expectations and personal desire.

Trabucco Zerán, Alia. Clean. tr. from Spanish by Sophie Hughes. Riverhead. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593850510. 272p. $29. LITERARY FICTION

International Booker Prize finalist Trabucco Zerán (The Remainder) offers a novel about Estela, who kept house for señor and señora when their daughter was born and for seven years afterward. Now the rebellious daughter is dead, and Estela, who is being interrogated, tells the full story.

Wideman, John Edgar. Slaveroad. Scribner. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668057216. 192p. $26.99. LITERARY FICTION

Winner of the PEN/Faulkner and PEN/Malamud awards (among many others), a finalist for the National Book Award, and a MacArthur Fellow, Wideman (The Homewood Trilogy) writes a novel of stories that confront American history through the metaphor of a “slaveroad,” a combination of history, psychology, literature, and more.

Mystery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Banville, John. The Drowned. Hanover Square. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781335000590. 304p. $28.99. MYSTERY

Award-winning and bestselling Banville, who has also written as Benjamin Black, offers a new mystery set in rural Ireland in the 1950s. When a woman goes missing, DI Strafford and pathologist Quirke, who last appeared together in Snow, are called in to investigate. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Blacke, Olivia. A New Lease on Death. Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250336675. 336p. $28. MYSTERY

Blacke (“Record Shop Mysteries”) launches a new series. Twenty-year-old Ruby Young moves to a new apartment in Boston and finds that she has a ghost for a roommate—Cordelia Graves, who died in the apartment a few months earlier. When a neighbor is killed, the two team up to solve the murder. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Eight Very Bad Nights: A Hanukkah Story Collection. ed. by Tod Goldberg. Soho Crime. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781641296137. 304p. $27.95. MYSTERY

Bestselling novelist Goldberg (Gangsters Don’t Die) curates this crime-fiction anthology for the holiday season, with 12 stories from bestselling and award-winning authors including Ivy Pochoda, Lee Goldberg, and Gabino Iglesias; the stories range from hard-boiled Hanukkah noir to humorous adventures and poignant stories.

Emerson, Ramona. Exposure. (Rita Todacheene, bk. 2). Soho Crime. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781641294768. NAp. $27.95. MYSTERY

Emerson’s sequel to LJ Best Book Shutter finds Navajo forensic photographer Rita Todacheene facing a serial killer and the ghosts of his victims. The killer is targeting Indigenous people whose murders can be disguised as death by exposure to the cold, while Rita is dealing with hostile colleagues, her frail grandmother, and ghosts looking for justice.

Griffiths, Elly. The Man in Black: And Other Stories. Mariner. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063289338. 256p. $28. MYSTERY

Bestselling Griffiths (The Last Word) offers a collection of her short stories, many of which contain favorite series characters such as Ruth Galloway, Harbinder Kaur, and Max Mephisto. From Ruth’s encounter with a mysterious man in a bookstore, to Harbinder’s first day on the job as a detective sergeant, Griffiths imagines some of her characters’ adventures outside of the novels.

Kashiwai, Hisashi. The Restaurant of Lost Recipes. (Kamogawa Food Detectives, bk. 2). Putnam. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593717790. 208p. $26. MYSTERY

Chef Nagare and his daughter Koishi are back in the second book in the “Kamogawa Food Detectives” series, a bestseller in Japan. Nagare and Koishi are “food detectives” who, through their investigations, manage to recreate meals from their customers’ favorite memories; people leave their diner in Kyoto forever changed.

Kelly, Julia. Betrayal at Blackthorn Park. (Evelyne Redfern, bk. 2). Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250865519. 320p. $28. MYSTERY

Evelyne Redfern, last seen amateur-sleuthing while working as a secretary in Churchill’s cabinet war rooms in A Traitor in Whitehall, has just graduated from a spycraft training program. Her first assignment is a simple security test at Blackthorn Park, but it becomes more complicated when the chief engineer is found dead. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Kelly, Vanessa. Murder in Highbury. (An Emma Knightley Mystery, bk. 1). Kensington. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781496745972. 304p. $27. MYSTERY

Bestselling historical romance author Kelly (The Highlander’s Kilted Bride) turns to mystery with a new Jane Austen–inspired series featuring Emma Knightley. When Emma discovers the corpse of the vicar’s wife at the local church in Highbury, she begins to discreetly investigate to protect the innocent person who is under suspicion and find the real killer.

Ryan, Tom. The Treasure Hunters Club. S&S. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668055205. pbk. 320p. $17.99. MYSTERY

YA author Ryan (a Lambda Award winner for I Hope You’re Listening) makes his adult debut. The seaside town of Maple Bay is known for its legendary lost pirate treasure. But there’s more than treasure buried there, and the paths of three characters intertwine as they meet and uncover the town’s shocking truths.

Forthcoming Series Titles

Adams, Ellery. The Little Lost Library. (A Secret, Book, & Scone Society, bk. 7). Kensington Cozies. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781496743794. 320p. $27. MYSTERY

Andrews, Donna. Rockin’ Around the Chickadee. (Meg Langslow Mysteries, bk. 36). Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250894359. 304p. $27. MYSTERY

Beaton, M. C. & R. W. Green. Killing Time. (Agatha Raisin Mysteries, bk. 35). Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250898708. 256p. $27. MYSTERY

Brown, Rita Mae. Time Will Tell. (Jane Arnold, bk. 16). Bantam. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593873823. 272p. $30. MYSTERY

Cambridge, Colleen. Murder Takes the Stage. (A Phyllida Bright Mystery, bk. 4). Kensington. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781496742599. 304p. $27. MYSTERY

Carlisle, Kate. The Knife Before Christmas. (A Fixer-Upper Mystery, bk. 11). Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593637647. 304p. $28. MYSTERY

Child, Lee & Andrew Child. In Too Deep. (Jack Reacher, bk. 29). Delacorte. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593725801. 304p. $30. MYSTERY

Fletcher, Jessica & Terrie Farley Moran. Murder, She Wrote: A Killer Christmas. (Murder She Wrote, bk. 59). Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593640722. 288p. $28. MYSTERY

Haines, Carolyn. Blue Christmas Bones. (A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery, bk. 28). Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250885968. 368p. $28. MYSTERY

Klavan, Andrew. A Woman Underground. (Cameron Winter, bk. 4). The Mysterious Pr. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781613165539. 312p. $26.95. MYSTERY

McDermid, Val. 1999. (An Allie Burns Novel, bk. 3). Atlantic Monthly. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780802163721. 416p. $27. MYSTERY

McKinlay, Jenn. A Merry Little Murder Plot. (A Library Lover’s Mystery, bk. 15). Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593639368. 304p. $28. MYSTERY

Mizushima, Margaret. Gathering Mist. (A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery, bk. 9). Crooked Lane. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781639108947. 0p. $29.99. MYSTERY

Munier, Paula. The Night Woods. (A Mercy Carr Mystery, bk. 6). Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250887917. 320p. $29. MYSTERY

O’Connor, Carlene. You Have Gone Too Far. (A County Kerry Novel, bk. 3). Kensington. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781496737588. 320p. $27. MYSTERY

Penny, Louise. The Grey Wolf. (Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, bk. 19). Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250328137. 432p. $30. MYSTERY

Rankin, Ian. Midnight and Blue. (Inspector Rebus, bk. 25). Mulholland. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316473859. 336p. $29. MYSTERY

Rosenfelt, David. The More the Terrier. (An Andy Carpenter Novel, bk. 30). Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250324542. 304p. $27. MYSTERY

Rosen, Lev AC. Rough Pages. (Evander Mills, bk. 3). Forge. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250322449. 272p. $27.99. MYSTERY

Smith, Alexander McCall. The Great Hippopotamus Hotel. (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, bk. 25). Pantheon. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593701768. 256p. $28. MYSTERY

Thrillers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave, Laura. The Night We Lost Him. Scribner: Marysue Rucci. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668002933. 320p. $28.99. THRILLER

Dave, bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club pick The Last Thing He Told Me, returns with a story about a daughter and son who join forces to investigate the death of their father, the patriarch of a hotel empire, who died under mysterious circumstances.

Harkaway, Nick. Karla’s Choice: A John le Carré Novel. Viking. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593833490. 320p. $30. THRILLER

Harkaway (Angelmaker) takes up the reigns from his father, John le Carré, setting his newest in the decade between the action of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. George Smiley thought he was done with the Circus, but Control pulls him back. Soon he’s in East Berlin, chasing a devious spy.

Hawkins, Paula. The Blue Hour. Mariner. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063396524. 352p. $30. THRILLER

Bestselling Hawkins’s (A Slow Fire Burning) newest is set on a distant Scottish island that’s only accessible 12 hours a day. Twenty years ago, the famously philandering husband of an infamous artist disappeared there. In the present, three people are linked together through a web of lies.

Korelitz, Jean Hanff. The Sequel. Celadon. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250875471. 304p. $29. THRILLER

Bestselling Korelitz, with two novels heading to TV and two already adapted, issues a psychological thriller featuring an author whose fame from her new bestseller leads to anonymous accusations that threaten to expose the truth about her life. With a 150K-copy first printing.

McCloskey, David. The Seventh Floor. Norton. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781324086680. 400p. $29.99. THRILLER

Former CIA analyst McCloskey (Moscow X) applies his insider knowledge to his latest spy thriller. There is a mole inside Langley, and a Russian spymaster will do anything to keep that agent safe. Set against the mole and the Russian are two CIA officers who are making a list of suspects and tracking them down.

McFadden, Freida. The Boyfriend. Poisoned Pen. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781728296227. 368p. $17.99. THRILLER

McFadden, bestselling author of The Coworker and The Locked Door, sets her newest psychological thriller in NYC, where Sydney Shaw has terrible luck on the dating scene until she meets Tom, who is all she ever dreamed of—until a ghastly murder highlights a killer who dates his victims first.

Mezrich, Ben. The Mistress and the Key. Grand Central. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781538754672. 304p. $30. SUSPENSE

Mezrich follows up his adventure suspense novel The Midnight Ride with this sequel exploring the alchemical powers of Benjamin Franklin and Paul Revere. Card shark Hailey Gordon and ex-con Nick Patterson are on the hunt for Franklin and Revere’s secrets, but so is “the Heiress,” who will stop at nothing to beat them.

Murray, James S. & Darren Wearmouth. You Better Watch Out. St. Martin’s. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250286260. 288p. $29. THRILLER

The authors of Awakened return with a serial-killer novel set just days before Christmas. Jessica Kane went for a run and woke up stranded in an abandoned town. With her are five strangers, each transported there by a murderer who picks them off one by one.

Patterson, James & Brian Sitts. Murder Island. (A Doc Savage Thriller, bk. 2). Grand Central. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781538721896. pbk. 416p. $19.99. THRILLER

This second Doc Savage novel, starring a reboot of the Stan Lee–created character, gets a 250K-copy first printing. This time, professor–turned–crime-fighter Savage is separated from his girlfriend, Kira Sunlight, as they are caught up in a global conspiracy.

Rekulak, Jason. The Last One at the Wedding. Flatiron. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250895783. 368p. $28.99. THRILLER

Rekulak (bestselling author of Hidden Pictures, a Goodreads Horror Book of the Year, and The Impossible Fortress, an Edgar finalist) offers a domestic thriller about a widowed father and his daughter over the course of one wedding weekend. With a 500K-copy first printing.

Robbins, Lawrence. The President’s Lawyer. Atria. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668047194. 320p. $28.99. THRILLER

Robbins, a high-profile lawyer, debuts with a legal thriller about Rob Jacobson, a DC litigator whose best friend has been accused of murdering his mistress. Full of overwhelming twists, turns, secrets, and lies, this is a high-profile case, since Rob’s client is the former president of the United States.

Trussoni, Danielle. The Puzzle Box. Random. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593595329. 336p. $30. THRILLER

The bestselling author of The Puzzle Master returns with a story centered on the deadly Dragon Box, a 19th-century puzzle that has never been solved. The puzzle is filled with deadly traps and holds an imperial secret. Mike Brink is once again on the job.

Forthcoming Series Title

Battles, Brett. Stuart Woods’ Golden Hour. (A Teddy Fay Novel, bk. 7). Putnam. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593331606. 336p. $30. THRILLER

Romance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baird, Ginny. Christmas Eve Love Story. Sourcebooks. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781728276946. pbk. 416p. $16.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Bestselling Baird (The Holiday Mix-Up) offers a low-heat Christmas romance that the publisher is calling “Groundhog Day meets Miracle on 34th Street.” Annie Jones, a window designer, must repeat Christmas Eve until she discovers love and family. Helping her are Santa and Braden Tate, who has long admired all things Annie.

Blake, Ashley Herring. Make the Season Bright. Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593550595. pbk. 400p. $19. LGBTQIA+ ROMANCE

Bestselling author and LJ Best Book author Blake (Delilah Green Doesn’t Care) offers a sapphic Christmas story featuring two exes. Five years ago, Brighton abandoned her fiancée Charlotte at the altar. Both musicians have since gone their own ways, until separate invitations to the same cozy Colorado house bring them together again.

Elliot, Amanda. Love You a Latke. Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593815830. pbk. 368p. $19. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Elliot (Best Served Hot), who also writes books for teens and children under the name Amanda Panitch, sets this Hanukkah romance in Vermont and Manhattan, where Abby and Seth agree to fake-date so his parents will stop bugging him and she can get help planning her town’s Hanukkah festival. Over bakery treats and snowfalls, they find more than they expect.

Gilliland, Raquel Vasquez. Lightning in Her Hands. Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593548592. pbk. 320p. $19. PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Pura Belpré Award winner Gilliland hit the bestseller list with her debut adult novel, Witch of Wild Things. She returns with a fake-marriage story featuring Teal Flores, who can control the weather and needs to find her long-lost mother, and Carter Velasquez, who needs to get married by age 30 to gain his inheritance.

Greenlaw, Rachel. The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells. Avon. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063378254. pbk. 320p. $18.99. PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Greenlaw (One Christmas Morning), who also writes YA romantasy, adds a dash of magic to this contemporary, set in a small mountain town. It is there that Carrie Morgan returns to the magical legacy of her family. Love and mystery and a man named Matthieu await her. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Janovsky, Timothy. The Merriest Misters. St. Martin’s Griffin. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250338938. pbk. 320p. $18. LGBTQIA+ ROMANCE

Janovsky (You’re A Mean One, Matthew Prince) offers a queer yuletide romance. Patrick and Quinn have been married less than a year, and all is not well. When Patrick accidentally hits Santa, the couple must save Christmas—and take on the roles of Santa and Merriest Mister for much longer than one night.

Juniper, Josie. Double Apex. (Frontrunners, Bk. 1). Forever. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781538768976. pbk. 368p. $17.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Juniper moves to a big publisher and gets a 75K-copy first printing for this sports romance series opener, set in the world of Formula 1 racing. Phaedra Morgan is a top engineer on the circuit; Cosmin Ardelean is the new driver on the team. The two develop a secret relationship that becomes as hot as any race.

Roberts, Sheila. The Merry Matchmaker. MIRA. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780778369608. pbk. 368p. $18.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Bestselling Roberts is building a brand with holiday novels such as The Twelve Months of Christmas. Her newest Christmas-set story is inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma and features 50-year-old widow Frankie, who has a whole list of people she knows what is best for. Then there is Mitch, perhaps the most-in-need of Frankie.

Stein, Charlotte. How To Help a Hungry Werewolf. St. Martin’s Griffin. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250352330. pbk. 368p. $18. PARANORMAL ROMANCE

LibraryReads pick Stein (When Grumpy Met Sunshine) pens a werewolf/witch romance. Cassandra returns home to her small town in order to sort through her grandmother’s affairs, only to run into Seth, her best friend–turned–nemesis. It turns out that Seth is a werewolf. What follows is a mating bond, magic, and more werewolves.

Thayne, RaeAnne. The December Market. Canary Street. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781335929358. pbk. 304p. $18.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Neither Amanda Taylor nor Rafe Arredondo particularly wants to be in each other’s company, but when her grandmother and his grandfather start to date and their lives become intertwined, they find love and forgiveness during the holiday season. This second-chances story gets bestselling Thayne (A Beach House Beginning) a 150K-copy first printing.

War, Pyae Moe Thet. I Did Something Bad. St. Martin’s Griffin. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250330512. pbk. 336p. $18. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

War’s fiction debut (after the essay collection You’ve Changed) is a high-stakes adventure rom-com about Tyler Tun, a Hollywood star who returns home to Myanmar to film a movie and Khin Hlaing, a freelance journalist assigned by Vogue to get the scoop on Tyler. After Khin is attacked, there’s a lot more at stake than an interview. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Wiesner, Melissa. Wish I Were Here. Forever. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781538741948. pbk. 352p. $17.99. PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Wiesner (The Second Chance Year) offers a slightly speculative rom-com. College professor Catherine lives an ordered life, until that life seems to vanish—even the Social Security Administration says she is not real. She turns to her doorman, the charming Luca, for help, and the two launch an investigation that might remake her life.

Wilkens, Colby. If I Stopped Haunting You. St. Martin’s Griffin. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250292902. pbk. 320p. $18. PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Wilkens debuts with a 75K-copy first printing for an enemies-to-lovers romp set in a haunted Scottish castle. Penelope and Neil are authors with a shared history. They find themselves at the same writer’s retreat that’s filled with pursuing ghosts and discover a lot more than enmity.

Forthcoming Series Titles

Long, Julie Anne. The Beast Takes a Bride. (The Palace of Rogues, Bk. 8). Avon. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063281172. pbk. 384p. $9.99. HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Martin, Celestine. Deja Brew. (Elemental Love, Bk. 3). Forever. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781538754450. pbk. 352p. $17.99. PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Ryan, Reese. The Soulmate Project. (Holly Grove Island, Bk. 3). Forever. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781538734506. pbk. 320p. $9.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Horror

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Armstrong, Kelley. I’ll Be Waiting. St. Martin’s. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250284211. 336p. $29. HORROR

Bestselling Armstrong (Hemlock Island) returns with a supernatural horror story. After Nicola loses her husband in a car accident, she holds a séance at a beach house that her husband’s family once owned. As the ritual starts, mysterious things begin to happen, and then Nicola finds a body. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Battle-Felton, Yvonne. Curdle Creek. Holt. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250362018. 304p. $27.99. HORROR

Following her Women’s Prize–longlisted debut, Remembered, Battle-Felton’s latest is a literary horror tale set in Curdle Creek, an all-Black town that is governed by sinister rules and traditions. When a test of allegiance unexpectedly transports protagonist Osira back in time and then to another realm, she is faced with the crimes committed by Curdle Creek. With an 80K-copy first printing.

Chizmar, Richard. Memorials. Gallery. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668009192. 448p. $28.99. HORROR

Bestselling and award-winning Chizmar (Becoming the Boogeyman; coauthor with Stephen King of the “Gwendy’s Button Box” trilogy) writes a road-trip novel set in 1983, full of supernatural terror. Three college students are filming a documentary about roadside memorials, but as they travel deeper into Appalachia, their experiences make them wonder if the deaths on the road were truly accidents.

Chronister, Kay. The Bog Wife. Counterpoint. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781640096622. 336p. $28. HORROR

Chronister (Desert Creatures), whose short fiction has been nominated for Shirley Jackson and World Fantasy Awards, pens an Appalachian gothic of eco-horror. The Haddesley family tends a cranberry bog, which in turn sustains them as long as they uphold their ritual exchange. When the bog doesn’t honor the bargain, however, the siblings face an uncertain future and long-buried secrets.

Clements, Mikaella & Onjuli Datta. Feast While You Can. Grand Central. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781538742259. 304p. $30. HORROR

Angelina is trying to be content in her small hometown. Then she runs into Jagvi, whose arrival might have awakened an ancient evil that comes to possess Angelina—and only Jagvi’s touch can repel it. A literary social horror with a queer love story, from the married coauthors of The View Was Exhausting, a Goop and Good Housekeeping book club pick.

Cooke, C. J. The Book of Witching. Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593816967. pbk. 368p. $19. HORROR

Cooke, whose novel The Lighthouse Witches was nominated for an Edgar Award and is being adapted for TV, offers another witchy tale. Clem’s 19-year-old daughter Erin is in the hospital and not herself after a hiking trip went wrong in the Orkney Islands, where she may have an encountered an ancient curse from a woman put to death for witchcraft centuries ago.

Leede, CJ. American Rapture. Tor Nightfire. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250857927. 384p. $27.99. HORROR

Leede follows up her Stoker Award–nominated debut, Maeve Fly, with this apocalyptic horror story. A virus is spreading across the Midwest, carried by strong winds, and turning the infected feral with lust. As the world around her falls apart, Sophie risks everything to travel across Wisconsin in search of her family. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Onoh, Nuzo. Where the Dead Brides Gather. Titan. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781835410561. pbk. 384p. $17.99. HORROR

Recipient of the Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award, Onoh (A Dance for the Dead) writes a Nigeria-set ghost story. After a supernatural possession, a battle with a ghost bride, and a botched exorcism, young Bata finds herself in the realm of dead brides, where she receives powers to fight malevolent ghost-brides in the human realm.

Piper, Hailey. All the Hearts You Eat. Titan. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781803367644. pbk. 448p. $17.99. HORROR

The latest from Piper (author of the LJ Best Book A Light Most Hateful) offers a twist on vampire mythology. In the small town of Cape Morning, Ivory discovers the body of Cabrina Brite. As she searches for answers, Ivory begins to see the ghost of Cabrina, and soon Ivory and her friends encounter more supernatural mysteries.

Pullen, Nicholas. The Black Hunger. Redhook. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316573054. pbk. 400p. $19.99. HORROR

Pullen debuts with this queer gothic horror, a historical epistolary novel. Lord John Sackville and his secret lover have been outed in India and are sent away on a secret mission to Tibet and Mongolia to stop a cult of Buddhist heretics from completing an ancient ritual that will end all life.

Ryan, Lindy. Cold Snap. Titan. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781835410080. 144p. $18.99. HORROR

Award-winning Ryan follows up her debut, Bless Your Heart, with a chilling novella. After Christine’s husband falls to his death while hanging Christmas lights, she and her son retreat to a cabin in the Pennsylvania Wilds. There Christine starts hearing strange noises in the forest and spots a horned figure watching—and calling her name in her dead husband’s voice.

Sandeen, Del. This Cursed House. Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593639528. 384p. $29. HORROR

Sandeen’s debut offers a Southern gothic horror story. In 1962, Jemma Barker moves to New Orleans for a job as a live-in tutor. When she arrives, however, she learns that she was actually hired because her employers think her abilities can break their family curse—and there are even more secrets to uncover.

Shine, A. M. Stay in the Light. Head of Zeus. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781804547939. 320p. $28.99. HORROR

After her terrifying experience in The Watchers (adapted for a film produced by M. Night Shyamalan), Mina has escaped to a cottage on the Irish coast, but she’s not safe for long. In this sequel, no one believes her stories of malevolent beings, and the Watchers’ power is growing.

Solomon, Rivers. Model Home. MCD. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780374607135. 304p. $28. HORROR

Lambda and Stonewall Award–winning Solomon (Sorrowland) writes a haunted-house social horror novel. In an exclusive neighborhood where they were the only Black family, the Maxwells experienced strange and inexplicable things inside their house, but their mother refused to move out. Years later, when their parents die unnatural deaths, the Maxwell siblings return home to figure out what happened.

Romantasy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dixon, Ruby. Bull Moon Rising. (Royal Artifactual Guild, Bk. 1). Ace. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593817025. 432p. $30. ROMANTASY

TikTok sensation Dixon (Ice Planet Barbarians) offers the steamy story of Aspeth Honori who marries a minotaur in order to join the Royal Artifactual Guild and hunt for magical artifacts. There are lots of issues: he is surly; she is hiding her noble identity. There are also tests, a fortune hunter, and, against the plan, love.

Doocy, Maiga. Sorcery and Small Magics. (The Wildersongs Trilogy, Bk. 1). Orbit. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316576758. pbk. 416p. $19.99. ROMANTASY

Doocy debuts with a queer cozy fantasy that follows the less than fully skilled but charming sorcerer Leovander, who somehow binds himself to the commands of his rival, the deeply talented and curmudgeonly Sebastian. They need to find a counterspell and so venture into the Unquiet Wood, filled with monsters and outlaws.

Marske, Freya. Swordcrossed. Bramble. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250341624. 384p. $28.99. ROMANTASY

Marske (A MarvellousLight) offers a queer fantasy romance that LitHub named a most anticipated book of the year. Matti needs a skilled swordsman to help him learn to fight; Luca Piere is on the run from past crimes. Set against an arranged marriage, nothing is as it seems, and the two grow close as they navigate secrets, sabotage, and love. With a 150K-copy first printing.

Peñaranda, Chloe C. The Stars Are Dying. (Nytefall Trilogy, Bk. 1). Bramble. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250370440. 432p. $29.99. ROMANTASY

Peñaranda’s opening in the “Nytefall” trilogy, loosely inspired by Greek mythology, is being republished by Bramble. Astraea is haunted by the mystery of her past, held by a tyrant king, and bound to Nyte, a deadly and seductive vampire. As she struggles to learn her history, she must also navigate the bloody world and choices in front of her.

Raasch, Sara. The Nightmare Before Kissmas. Bramble. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250333193. pbk. 368p. $19.99. ROMANTASY

The bestselling YA author Raasch makes her adult debut with a rom-com in which the prince of Christmas falls for the prince of Halloween. Neither is interested in marrying the Easter princess, but the two vie for her hand while finding that they can’t keep their hands off each other. Expect sprayed ruby edges and a 125K-copy first printing.

Thorne, Rebecca. A Pirate’s Life for Tea. (Tomes & Tea, Bk. 2). Bramble. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250333179. pbk. 384p. $19.99. ROMANTASY

Book two in the “Tomes & Tea” series finds soldier Reyna and mage Kianthe on the hunt for the dragon eggs that will save their village. But first, they have to capture the river pirate Serina. In this sapphic cozy, love rules, even at sea.

Wilson, Sariah. A Tribute of Fire. (The Eye of the Goddess, Bk. 1). Montlake. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781662525148. 0p. $16.99. ROMANTASY

The centuries-old curse of a goddess condemns the maidens of Locris to a life-and-death race. This year it is Lia’s turn to be pitted against the city, which has been turned into a maze of deadly choices. Watching is Jason, a man she desires but is loath to trust. Wilson is the bestselling author of Hypnotized by Love.

Science Fiction & Fantasy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blake, Olivie. Januaries. Tor. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250330680. 400p. $28.99. FANTASY

Featuring a guardian spirit to a magical bridge, a banished fairy, a multiverse assassin, and more, the latest by bestselling Blake (The Atlas Complex) is a collection of magical new and previously published stories and novellas, grouped by season. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Bond, Charlotte. The Bloodless Princes. (The Fireborne Blade, Bk. 2). Tor.com. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250290779. 160p. $20.99. FANTASY

Bond returns with another tale of love and dragons in the sequel to The Fireborne Blade. High Mage Saralene has been cursed and must visit the afterlife to beg for help from the Bloodless Princes, but it won’t be easy to leave the underworld alive, for her or her companion, knight Maddileh. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Clarke, August. Metal from Heaven. Erewhon. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781645660989. 528p. $28. FANTASY

Nominated for a Locus Award and Dragon Award for the YA novel Scapegracers, Clarke makes their adult debut with a queer epic fantasy. Industrialist Yann Chauncey runs a foundry that produces a valuable but toxic metal. When the sick and destitute workers strike, all are killed except Marney, who years later finds the perfect chance for revenge.

Dimova, Genoveva. Monstrous Nights. (The Witch’s Compendium of Monsters, Bk. 2). Tor. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250877352. pbk. 352p. $18.99. FANTASY

Dimova continues witch Kosara’s story in the second book of the Slavic folklore–inspired fantasy duology that began with Foul Days. Kosara has reclaimed her magic and now possesses 12 witch’s shadows, which aren’t always cooperative, but more sinister events are occurring as the barrier between worlds thins. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Garcia, R.S.A. The Nightward. Harper Voyager. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063345751. pbk. 448p. $19.99. FANTASY

Sturgeon, Nebula, Locus, and Ignyte Award finalist Garcia (Lex Talionis) launches a sci-fi/fantasy duology inspired by Caribbean mythology. The goddess Gaiea has blessed queens to rule in her stead. Young Princess Viella is heir to the throne but still learning to wield her magic when her mother, the queen, is assassinated, forcing Viella and her bodyguard to flee.

Kim, Sung-il. Blood of the Old Kings. Tor. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250895332. 368p. $27.99. FANTASY

South Korean author Kim makes his English-language debut with the first of a fantasy trilogy. The Empire, powered by the corpses of sorcerers, has conquered the world. Loran, who wields a sword made of dragon’s fang; Cain, lost and orphaned; and sorcerer Arienne each rebel against the Empire in their own ways. With a 150K-copy first printing.

Kwan, Katrina. The Last Dragon of the East. Saga. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668051238. pbk. 304p. $17.99. FANTASY

Romance author and actress Kwan (Knives, Seasoning, and a Dash of Love) writes her first fantasy novel, inspired by Chinese myths. Sai, who can see the red threads of fate between soulmates, acts as a matchmaker while running a teahouse and caring for his mother. When he finds dragon scales that cure his mother, the emperor sends him on a quest to find the dragon.

Lampley, Alexis. Pride and Prejudice in Space. Union Square & Co. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781454954118. 504p. $30. SCIENCE FICTION

Author and illustrator Lampley makes her adult debut with an SF retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Giving the classic Regency-era romance a new twist, she sets the story in a future of spaceships and interplanetary travel and includes several illustrations such as spaceship designs by Elizabeth Bennet, who yearns for freedom and a pilot’s license.

Liang, Ann. A Song To Drown Rivers. St. Martin’s Griffin. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250289469. 336p. $32. FANTASY

Bestselling YA author Liang (I Hope This Doesn’t Find You) writes her adult debut, an epic historical fantasy inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Offered the opportunity to infiltrate the neighboring kingdom and avenge her sister’s murder, Xishi accepts, but it’s a dangerous undertaking. With a 250K-copy first printing.

Maguire, Gregory. Elphie: A Wicked Childhood. Morrow. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063377011. 288p. $30. FANTASY

Bestselling Maguire, author of Wicked, which was made into a Tony Award–winning Broadway musical and a forthcoming movie, contemplates the origins of Elphaba, Wicked Witch of the West. From Elphie’s life with her complicated family to her days at Shiz University, this coming-of-age story traces the history of a young girl destined to be a witch. With a 150K-copy first printing.

Mesa, Desideria. Bindle Punk Jefe. (Bindle Punk Bruja, Bk. 2). Harper Voyager. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063056121. pbk. 400p. $17.99. FANTASY

Mesa offers the sequel to LJ-starred Bindle Punk Bruja, an Indie Next and LibraryReads pick. Earth witch Rose is living a double life in Prohibition-era Kansas City. Trying to keep her personal and magical lives separate from her public life as a land developer’s wife and club owner is becoming more difficult—and dangerous—as enemies emerge. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Parry, H. G. The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door. Redhook. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316383905. pbk. 384p. $18.99. FANTASY

Parry (LJ Best Book The Magician’s Daughter) returns with a historical fantasy set in England at a secret magical academy, where Clover seeks a cure for her brother, who survived a faerie attack during World War I, which left the doors to faerie country sealed. Years later, the seals break, and Clover must reunite with her former school friends to fix what they broke—and save the world.

Vo, Nghi. The City in Glass. Tor.com. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250348272. 224p. $19.99. FANTASY

Hugo Award–winning Vo writes a standalone novella after her “Singing Hills Cycle” series. The powerful immortal Vitrine, a demon, loves the city of Azril. When angels destroy it, Vitrine curses one of them, binding him to haunt the city, but their hate turns to love as they rebuild. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Walschots, Natalie Zina. Villain. (Hench, Bk. 2). Morrow. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063236936. 368p. $30. FANTASY

In the sequel to LJ Best Book Hench, Anna, who works for a supervillain and is known to superheroes as the Auditor, is working on a new goal—to destroy the Draft, the organization that makes, trains, and manages the world’s superheroes. Her biggest opponent will be the Draft’s chief marketing officer, and it will be a test of ideas and data.

Forthcoming Series Titles

Burke, Sue. Usurpation. (Semiosis, Bk. 3). Tor. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250809162. 240p. $28.99. SCIENCE FICTION

Butcher, James J. Cold Iron Task. (The Unorthodox Chronicles, Bk. 3). Ace. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593440452. 400p. $29. FANTASY

Gwynne, John. The Fury of the Gods. (The Bloodsworn Trilogy, Bk. 3). Orbit. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316539951. pbk. 512p. $21.99. FANTASY

Harrison, Kim. Demon’s Bluff. (Hollows, Bk. 18). Ace. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593639986. 448p. $30. FANTASY

Nonfiction

Biography & Memoir

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bernstein, Richard. Only in America: Al Jolson and The Jazz Singer. Knopf. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780805243673. 272p. $28. BIOGRAPHY

Journalist, book critic, and author Bernstein (China 1945) focuses on singer and actor Al Jolson and the creation of his 1927 film The Jazz Singer. The book considers how Jolson rose to success and how he shaped American culture, expanding it in many ways but also modeling its prejudices.

Conant, Jennet. Fierce Ambition: The Life and Legend of War Correspondent Maggie Higgins. Norton. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781324086406. pbk. 416p. $21.99. BIOGRAPHY

Bestselling author Conant (Tuxedo Park) writes a biography of New York Herald Tribune reporter Higgins, who documented the liberation of Dachau and went on to earn a Pulitzer for her war dispatches from Korea; she was the first woman reporter to win a Pulitzer for frontline reporting. Based on previously unpublished material and interviews, including Higgins’s private papers.

Edim, Glory. Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me. Ballantine. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780525619796. 256p. $28. MEMOIR

Edim, the founder of the Well-Read Black Girl book club, writes a memoir in books, stressing how authors such as Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Audre Lorde, as well as places of reading, from the public library to her dorm room, to airplane flights, have shaped and powered her life.

Greenberg, David. John Lewis: A Life. S&S. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781982142995. 704p. $35. BIOGRAPHY

Historian Greenberg (Rutgers Univ.; Nixon’s Shadow) writes about the late civil rights leader and congressman, drawing on extensive interviews with Lewis and hundreds of others, a dozen archives, media footage, and even FBI documents. Greenberg traces Lewis’s life from childhood through his iconic contributions to U.S. politics.

Jones, Dan. Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King. Viking. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593652732. 432p. $35. BIOGRAPHY

Bestselling Jones (Powers and Thrones; the “Essex Dogs” trilogy), host of the This Is History podcast, offers a biography of England’s great medieval king, Henry V, who led the victory at Agincourt. That’s not all Henry did: he also saved England’s finances, justice system, and maritime dominance. Jones examines it all.

Kaplan, Bruce Eric. They Went Another Way: A Hollywood Memoir. Holt. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250370334. 272p. $28.99. MEMOIR

Kaplan (I Was a Child), a cartoonist for the New Yorker and a Netflix writer and producer who worked on Seinfeld and Girls, ruminates about living a creative life in a dysfunctional world. In this memoir that began as a journal in 2022, Kaplan addresses a wide array of topics, from show business to politics to family life to his heating system. With an 80K-copy first printing.

Lenz, Bethany Joy. Dinner for Vampires. S&S. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668067307. 320p. $29.99. MEMOIR

Actress Lenz (One Tree Hill, Suits, Charmed) writes about her hidden life as a member of the Big House Family cult. Married to a son of the group’s leader, she had millions of dollars taken from her and minders watching her on set. It was only after giving birth that she found the courage to break away.

Milford Jr., Stanley. The Paranormal Ranger: A Navajo Investigator’s Search for the Unexplained. Morrow. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063371057. 256p. $28.99. MEMOIR

Milford, who served as Chief Navajo Ranger and oversaw its special projects unit focused on reports of the paranormal and supernatural, writes about the cases of skinwalker and cryptid sightings, hauntings, and unidentified aerial phenomena. Using his law-enforcement eye and his Indigenous worldview, he offers his take on the investigations. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Mintz, Elliot. We All Shine On: John, Yoko, and Me. Dutton. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593475553. 336p. $32. MEMOIR

Having worked in radio and TV before becoming a media consultant, Mintz offers a personal account of his 50-year relationship with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, from when he first interviewed Ono in 1971 to the days after Lennon’s murder when Mintz became the official spokesperson for the Lennon estate.

Pacino, Al. Sonny Boy: A Memoir. Penguin Pr. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593655115. 400p. $35. MEMOIR

Oscar-, Tony-, and Golden Globe–winning Pacino writes a memoir about acting, and how it has been the love and light of his life. He details his youth in the South Bronx, his family life, his education in the arts, his life in avant-garde theater, and all the films that made him famous.

Patterson, James & Matt Eversmann. Medal of Honor: True Stories of America’s Most Decorated Military Heroes. Little, Brown. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316407205. 400p. $32.50. BIOGRAPHY

The authors behind the bestselling Walk in My Combat Boots turn their attention to military service members who have been awarded the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, or the Bronze or Silver Star. In story-rich profiles, they recount the deeds of these service members who served in battle from WWII to Afghanistan. With a 200K-copy first printing.

Presley, Lisa Marie & Riley Keough. Untitled Memoir. Random. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593733875. 304p. $32. MEMOIR

Not much is known yet about Presley’s memoir other than it is based on her own efforts to pen her story before her death in 2023 and hours of recordings she left behind. Her daughter, actor Riley Keough (Daisy Jones & the Six), worked with the material to produce this book.

Sobel, Dava. The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science. Atlantic Monthly. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780802163820. 336p. $28. BIOGRAPHY

Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author Sobel (Galileo’s Daughter) offers a portrait of Marie Curie and explores her Nobel Prize–winning scientific research, taking readers into her laboratory, the first run by a woman. Along the way, she details other women in science who trained with Curie and made significant discoveries of their own.

Van Halen, Alex. Brothers. Harper. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063265707. 240p. $32. MEMOIR

Van Halen, along with New Yorker writer Ariel Levy, writes about his musical and family life in a tribute to his brother and fellow band mate, Edward van Halen—from their childhood in the Netherlands and their family life in California to the inner world of music and the making of the band. With a 250K-copy first printing.

Weber, Nicholas Fox. Mondrian: His Life, His Art, and the Quest of the Absolute. Knopf. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780307961594. 656p. $40. BIOGRAPHY

Cultural historian Weber (iBauhaus; Le Corbusier), executive director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, focuses on Piet Mondrian, the early 20th-century abstract artist who would become famous for his geometric work in primary colors. The biography covers Mondrian’s childhood through to his artistic philosophy developed during both world wars.

Nonfiction Finale: Biography & Memoir

Garten, Ina. Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir. Crown. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593799895. 320p. $32.50. MEMOIR

Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa, the author of multiple bestselling cookbooks, writes about her life in food, her marriage, her business, and the lessons she has learned and wants to impart (with a handful of recipes). The 25th anniversary edition of The Barefoot Contessa cookbook will be published simultaneously with Garten’s memoir.

Navalny, Alexei. Patriot. Knopf. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593320969. 320p. $35. MEMOIR

The late Russian opposition leader Navalny began working on this memoir in 2020. It addresses the attempts on his life, includes correspondence from prison, and details his fight for Russian democracy. Knopf plans a global simultaneous release.

Social Sciences

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bracey Sherman, Renee & Regina Mahone. Liberating Abortion: Claiming Our History, Sharing Our Stories, and Building the Reproductive Future We Deserve. Amistad. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063228153. 384p. $29.99. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Award-winning reproductive rights activist Bracey Sherman and journalist Mahone (hosts of the podcast The A Files) offer a multifaceted work that seeks to create a new foundation for people to make choices about their bodies, health, and reproductive rights while revealing the ways abortion regulations are designed to control the lives of people of color and perpetuate racist stereotypes.

Gladwell, Malcolm. The New Tipping Point: Why and Where Epidemics Happen (Revised). Little, Brown. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316575805. 352p. $30. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Bestselling Gladwell, a Time 100 Most Influential People inductee, returns with a new take on his 2000 book The Tipping Point, looking at how epidemics, trends, and ideas develop and spread, and the role they play in shaping daily life. With a million-copy first printing.

Grisham, John & Jim McCloskey. Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions. Doubleday. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780385550444. 352p. $30. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Bestselling Grisham joins with Centurion Ministries founder McCloskey to detail 10 accounts of wrongful conviction, diving into the details of the failures of the justice system. The book goes into the courtrooms and showcases the uphill battles for exoneration as well as examining the racism and corruption that contribute to wrongful convictions to start with.

Johnson, Theodore J. If We Are Brave: Essays from Black Americana. Amistad. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063346451. 256p. $30. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Johnson (When the Stars Begin To Fall: Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America), senior advisor at New America and a contributing columnist at the Washington Post, writes about race and social justice from a personal perspective and offers an indictment of the nation riven by difference.

Lang, Nico. American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era. Abrams. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781419773822. 272p. $30. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Lang, an award-winning journalist and creator of Queer News Daily, writes about the experiences of eight trans, genderfluid, and nonbinary teens. The book is based on the year Lang spent crossing the country to interview the teens and their families and offers a full portrait of their lives and hopes for the future.

Little, Rebecca & Colleen Long. I’m Sorry for My Loss: An Urgent Examination of Reproductive Care in America. Sourcebooks. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781728292755. 496p. $28.99. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Journalists Little and Long, both of whom have experienced the loss of a pregnancy, offer a cultural-historical account of how society—from politics to science to capitalism—has focused more and more attention on the fetus. They urge a new approach of compassionate care that focuses on the risks to and the well-being of the mother.

Schuettpelz, Carrie Lowry. The Indian Card: Who Gets To Be Native in America. Flatiron. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250903167. 304p. $29.99. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Schuettpelz, vice president of the Native American Council at the University of Iowa, writes about what it means for Indigenous people to prove their identity, as they are often forced by governments to validate who they are. Schuettpelz considers the shifting meaning and history of Indigenous identity from before colonization to the latest census.

Sullivan, Jared. Valley So Low: One Lawyer’s Fight for Justice in the Wake of America’s Great Coal Catastrophe. Knopf. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593321119. 384p. $30. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Sullivan, a journalist who has written for the New Yorker and Time, debuts with this courtroom drama that pits a small-time personal lawyer and the blue-collar workers he represents against the elite corporate lawyers of the Tennessee Valley Authority over their failure to protect life and welfare while cleaning up the 2008 Kingston, TN, coal sludge disaster.

Yu, Tiffany. The Anti-Ableist Manifesto: Smashing Stereotypes, Forging Change, and Building a Disability-Inclusive World. Hachette Go. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780306833663. 320p. $30. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Yu, founder of Diversability and creator of a TikTok anti-ableism series, writes about disability and how to build an inclusive, accessible world. She urges conversations about disability and offers ways to frame discussion and identify the language of ableism and microaggressions. She also suggests concrete steps for allyship.

Essays

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Levy, Deborah. The Position of Spoons: And Other Intimacies. Farrar. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780374614973. 176p. $26. ESSAYS

Three-time Booker Prize nominee Levy (August Blue) offers a collection of observations, ranging from the beauty of lemons on a table to the conclusion of a marriage, while also ruminating on literature and art, such as the French author Colette and Leonardo’s Mona Lisa.

Rainbow, Randy. Low-Hanging Fruit: Sparkling Whines, Champagne Problems, and Pressing Issues from My Gay Agenda. St. Martin’s. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250327147. 192p. $28. ESSAYS

Emmy- and Grammy-nominated musical comedian Rainbow, known for his virally popular political satire and musical parody videos, follows up his bestselling memoir Playing with Myself with an essay collection full of social commentary and personal stories that receives a 150K-copy first printing.

Slate, Jenny. Lifeform. Little, Brown. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316263931. 240p. $28. ESSAYS

Slate is an actor, a comedian, the bestselling author of Little Weirds, and the cocreator of Marcel the Shell. Her latest book documents her journey from being single to falling in love and having a baby, told in her uniquely humorous voice. With a 125K-copy first printing.

Wasserman, Steve. Tell Me Something, Tell Me Anything, Even If It’s a Lie: A Memoir in Essays. Heyday. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781597146470. 416p. $32. ESSAYS

Writer, editor, literary agent, and now publisher of Heyday Books, Wasserman writes a memoir in essays that reflects his literary life. These essays, previously published between 1979 and 2023, offer cultural critiques and history as well as recounting Wasserman’s interactions with icons such as Susan Sontag and Orson Welles.

History

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clavin, Tom. Bandit Heaven: The Hole-in-the-Wall Gangs and the Final Chapter of the Wild West. St. Martin’s. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781250282408. 304p. $30. HISTORY

Bestselling Clavin (Wild Bill) explores the bandit hideouts in Wyoming and Utah that provided shelter to robbers, thieves, and others with a bounty on their head. These lawless locales housed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, among others. Clavin’s work ranges across the 1880s and ’90s. With a 200K-copy first printing.

DiMeo, Nate. The Memory Palace: True Short Stories of the Past. Random. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780593446157. 320p. $33. HISTORY

DiMeo, the creator and host of The Memory Palace podcast and coauthor of Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America, which was a finalist for the Thurber Prize, offers a collection of stories from history. In addition to the stories, the work is particularly designed to showcase images as well.

French, Paul. Her Lotus Year: China, the Roaring Twenties, and the Making of Wallis Simpson. St. Martin’s. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781250287472. 320p. $30. HISTORY

Edgar and Dagger Award–winner French (Midnight in Peking) considers the year Wallis Simpson lived in China while married to a naval aviator. Her time there shaped her aesthetic, forged friendships, and may have allowed her to help the U.S. through undercover diplomatic work. It also served to supply fodder for those who opposed her marriage to the king of England.

Gorton, Stephanie. The Icon and the Idealist: Margaret Sanger, Mary Ware Dennett, and the Rivalry That Brought Birth Control to America. Ecco. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780063036291. 304p. $32. HISTORY

Gorton, who has written for NewYorker.com and The Millions and worked in publishing, writes a history of two leading reproductive rights pioneers, Margaret Sanger and Mary Dennett. She traces their rivalry, political differences, and explores how their struggle and actions affected generations.

Hamilton, Nigel. Lincoln vs. Davis: The War of the Presidents. Little, Brown. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780316564632. 800p. $38. HISTORY

Bestselling Hamilton (JFK: Reckless Youth), who has been longlisted for the National Book Award, turns to the American Civil War. He considers Abraham Lincoln’s role as commander-in-chief facing off against Jefferson Davis, who, unlike Lincoln, entered the war with battle experience. The new biography mines the papers of Lincoln’s aides and generals as well as the collected archives of both Lincoln and Davis.

Light, Daniel. The White Ladder: Triumph and Tragedy at the Dawn of Mountaineering. Norton. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781324066217. 496p. $32.50. HISTORY

A climber for decades, Light debuts with a history of mountaineering that is focused on pre-1921 summits. The book spans mountain ranges across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Light particularly highlights the contributions of Indigenous climbers and local guides.

Mahnke, Aaron, with Harry Marks. Cabinet of Curiosities: A Historical Tour of the Unbelievable, the Unsettling, and the Bizarre. St. Martin’s. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781250291202. 336p. $32. HISTORY

Mahnke, along with Marks, adapts his hit podcast into this book filled with astounding, strange, and curious stories from history. Collected from the show, these are the tales that resonate with Mahnke, who is also known for his podcast Lore. With a 150K-copy first printing.

Paranque, Estelle. Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn. Hachette. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780306835933. 400p. $32.50. HISTORY

Historian Paranque (Northeastern Univ. London and Univ. of Warwick), the author of the buzzy Blood, Fire, & Gold, offers a new biography of Anne Boleyn, focused particularly on her time within the French royal court and the world she was forced to navigate.

Shears, John & Nico Vincent. Endurance: The Discovery of Shackleton’s Legendary Ship. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781426223839. 256p. $50. HISTORY

This highly visual account, a tie-in to the forthcoming feature film and traveling exhibition, traces the mission of the Endurance22, the expedition team that found the wreck of Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance. The team leader, John Shears, and the subsea manager, Nico Vincent, cowrite the text of this large-scale book, with full-spread presentations.