Look no further for your next read. The amount of great new books hitting shelves each month can be overwhelming but we’ve rounded up ten of the buzziest books coming out this October—no matter what genre you’re interested in. If you were approved for any of these books on NetGalley, you can read them directly in your NetGalley Shelf app. Don’t forget to leave a review on the book’s pub date!
What Storm, What Thunder by Myriam J. A. Chancy
Myriam J. A. Chancy’s latest shares the fictional accounts of ten interconnected characters affected by the 2010 earthquake that struck Haiti. From Ma Lou (who sells produce in the market) to her estranged son Richard (an expat returning on a business trip) to his daughter Anne (an architect who arrives during the aftermath to help), Chancy explores Haitian identity as she shares stories of both victims and survivors.
The Brides of Maracoor by Gregory Maguire
Return to Oz this fall with The Brides of Maracoor, the first book in a new series from Gregory Maguire. Rain, Elphaba’s granddaughter, washes up on the shores of the island of Maracoor Spot without any memory of how she came to be there. The isle is home to seven exiled brides who take her in, though the overseer fears that Rain’s presence is the reason for the sudden turmoil in Macacoor. When one of the brides is killed, will suspicion fall to Rain?
The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley
You may have spotted the second volume in Erica Ridley’s Wild Wynchesters on our roundup of swoon-worthy 2021 romances. The Perks of Loving a Wallflower follows Thomasina “Tommy” Wynchester, a veritable master of disguise who never lets anything get between her and solving a case. Enter Miss Philippa York, a stunning distraction that Tommy doesn’t need as she works to decode a military cipher.
The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
Spooky season is upon us and readers looking for a fitting read should move this Gothic thriller to the top of their TBR. Twenty two years ago Luna’s sisters went missing near the site of an abandoned prison rumored to have once held witches. When the Scottish police find one of her sisters, Luna cannot wait to reunite. But she’s shocked to discover that Clover hasn’t aged a single day in all the years that she’s been missing.
Journey to the Heart of the Abyss by London Shah
YA author London Shah’s Light the Abyss duology concludes this fall with Journey to the Heart of the Abyss. Set a month after Leyla successfully broke her father out of prison, the book picks up with the two on the run after being named enemies of Britain. Survival is key, but Leyla is determined to uncover the reasons why her father was arrested, never realizing that the secrets she uncovers could change everything.
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling
Not only one of our favorite covers of the season, The Death of Jane Lawrence is also guaranteed to be one of the creepiest reads. Set in a secondary world reminiscent of postwar Britain, this Gothic tale follows Jane Shoringfield, who suggests an arranged marriage to a local doctor, Augustine Lawrence. He agrees under the condition that she never visit Lindridge Hall, his family manor. When a storm drives her to the home, Jane uncovers the haunting secrets being kept there.
Far from the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson
Earlier this year we named Tade Thompson’s return to sci-fi one of the fall and winter releases NetGalley members should keep an eye on. Far from the Light of Heaven is set aboard the colony ship Ragtime, where a skeleton crew is responsible for piloting and delivering one thousand sleeping passengers from Earth to their new home in the Lagos system. But when the AI system fails and passengers begin dying, the crew must uncover what sinister force or being is lurking onboard.
Tonight We Rule the World by Zack Smedley
Zack Smedley’s sophomore YA novel explores the aftermath of a sexual assault through nonlinear chapters as high school senior Owen grapples with what happened and how it’s impacted himself and the people he loves. Owen has kept his rapist’s identity a secret, but when the school administration discovers what happened they launch an investigation that he fears could forever alter his relationships with his father, his girlfriend, and his friends.
Well Matched by Jen DeLuca
Jen DeLuca’s rom-com Renaissance Faire series continues this October with Well Matched. With her daughter about to move out, single mom April Parker is ready to move on from the small town of Willow Creek. She asks her friend Mitch Malone to help her with some repairs that will ready her house to be sold, and he agrees on the condition that she pretend to be his date for a family dinner so he can avoid nosy questions about his love life. But the lines soon blur between what’s fake and the real feelings brewing between them.
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
Kimi Cunningham Grant’s latest is a suspenseful tale set in the Appalachian woods. Cooper is an Army veteran living in a remote cabin with his 8-year-old daughter Finch. Their contact with the outside world is limited to a friend who delivers supplies, but when a hiker stumbles across their sanctuary, Cooper fears that the peace and safety they’ve enjoyed thus far may be lost forever.
