OCTOBER IS HERE!! What?? How?? I have been doing nothing but reading, working, and looking at Halloween decorations that I won’t buy (or maybe I will…). But since it’s October, it’s time for my most anticipated book releases! Some are books I’ve been waiting months for while other are ones I just found out about when researching this post (yes, I research because I’m a nerd and if a book isn’t on Twitter or bookstagram or I miss it, I want to know).
Alright, enough talk. Let’s look at some books!
Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas (Oct 6)
Inspector Treadles, Charlotte Holmes’s friend and collaborator, has been found locked in a room with two dead men, both of whom worked with his wife at the great manufacturing enterprise she has recently inherited.
Rumors fly. Had Inspector Treadles killed the men because they had opposed his wife’s initiatives at every turn? Had he killed in a fit of jealous rage, because he suspected Mrs. Treadles of harboring deeper feelings for one of the men? To make matters worse, he refuses to speak on his own behalf, despite the overwhelming evidence against him.
Charlotte finds herself in a case strewn with lies and secrets. But which lies are to cover up small sins, and which secrets would flay open a past better left forgotten? Not to mention, how can she concentrate on these murders, when Lord Ingram, her oldest friend and sometime lover, at last dangles before her the one thing she has always wanted?
My Thoughts: I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS BOOK FOR SO LONG. I was rejected for it on NetGalley which I AM NOT BITTER ABOUT, but I pre-ordered this as soon as I saw it available. Y’all know I love some Sherlock and this is one of my favorite series. Sherry Thomas is a master.
Beyond the Ruby Veil by Mara Fitzgerald (Oct 13)
Emanuela Ragno always gets what she wants. With her daring mind and socialite schemes, she refuses to be the demure young lady everyone wants her to be. In her most ambitious move yet, she’s about to marry Alessandro Morandi, her childhood best friend and the heir to the wealthiest house in Occhia. Emanuela doesn’t care that she and her groom are both gay, because she doesn’t want a love match. She wants power, and through Ale, she’ll have it all.
But Emanuela has a secret that could shatter her plans. In the city of Occhia, the only source of water is the watercrea, a mysterious being who uses magic to make water from blood. When their first bruise-like omen appears on their skin, all Occhians must surrender themselves to the watercrea to be drained of life. Everyone throughout history has given themselves up for the greater good. Everyone except Emanuela. She’s kept the tiny omen on her hip out of sight for years.
When the watercrea exposes Emanuela during her wedding ceremony and takes her to be sacrificed, Emanuela fights back…and kills her. Now Occhia has no one to make their water and no idea how to get more. In a race against time, Emanuela and Ale must travel through the mysterious, blood-red veil that surrounds their city to uncover the secrets of the watercrea’s magic and find a way to save their people-no matter what it takes.
My Thoughts: I love this whole premise. The watercrea who makes water from blood and how they are going to take Emmanue;a but then Emmanuela KILLS HER AND OH SHIT WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO NOW?!?!?! I cannot wait to read this!
Over the Woodward Wall by A. Deborah Baker (Oct 6)
Avery is an exceptional child. Everything he does is precise, from the way he washes his face in the morning, to the way he completes his homework – without complaint, without fuss, without prompt.
Zib is also an exceptional child, because all children are, in their own way. But where everything Avery does and is can be measured, nothing Zib does can possibly be predicted, except for the fact that she can always be relied upon to be unpredictable.
They live on the same street.
They live in different worlds.
On an unplanned detour from home to school one morning, Avery and Zib find themselves climbing over a stone wall into the Up and Under – an impossible land filled with mystery, adventure and the strangest creatures.
And they must find themselves and each other if they are to also find their way out and back to their own lives.
My Thoughts: First of all, this cover is GORGEOUS!! I also really like this idea of kids from two different worlds meeting and ending up in this mysterious land where they must find a way to get back to their lives but also must find something in themselves….give me all of it!!
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren (Oct 6)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.
But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.
The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.
My Thoughts: Ok, full disclosure, I have an ARC of this and I didn’t realize is was coming out so soon, so I NEED TO READ IT QUICK!! LOL, I have a love-hate relationship with Christina Lauren. I like some of their books and dislike others, so we’ll see where I come down on this one. (I’ll try to read and review ASAP)
The Searcher by Tana French (Oct 6)
Retired detective Cal Hooper moves to a remote village in rural Ireland. His plans are to fix up the dilapidated cottage he’s bought, to walk the mountains, to put his old police instincts to bed forever.
Then a local boy appeals to him for help. His brother is missing, and no one in the village, least of all the police, seems to care. And once again, Cal feels that restless itch.
Something is wrong in this community, and he must find out what, even if it brings trouble to his door.
My Thoughts: Ok, I’ll try not to just flail but Tana French is one of my favorite authors ever and whenever I hear she has a new book out I dance around like a true superfan. Sooooo when I heard this was coming out, I IMMEDIATELY pre-ordered is and I cannot wait to read it!
I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan (Oct 6)
In her small town, seventeen year-old Delia “Dee” Skinner is known as the girl who wasn’t taken. Ten years ago, she witnessed the abduction of her best friend, Sibby. And though she told the police everything she remembered, it wasn’t enough. Sibby was never seen again. At night, Dee deals with her guilt by becoming someone else: the Seeker, the voice behind the popular true crime podcast Radio Silent, which features missing persons cases and works with online sleuths to solve them. Nobody knows Dee’s the Seeker, and she plans to keep it that way. When another little girl goes missing, and the case is linked to Sibby’s disappearance, Dee has a chance to get answers, with the help of her virtual detectives and the intriguing new girl at school. But how much is she willing to reveal about herself in order to uncover the truth? Dee’s about to find out what’s really at stake in unraveling the mystery of the little girls who vanished.
My Thoughts: I really like this idea of the lone survivor and how that affects them and in this case, they run a true crime podcast. And then she has to deal with another girl being taken and it being linked to her best friends and ARE YOU FREAKING OUT BECAUSE I DEFINITELY AM. This sounds ridiculously intriguing and good and I might have to go preorder it right now.
You Know I’m No Good by Jessie Ann Foley (Oct 13)
Mia is officially a Troubled Teen—she gets bad grades, drinks too much, and has probably gone too far with too many guys. But she doesn’t realize how out of control her parents think she is until they send her away to Red Oak Academy, a therapeutic boarding school in rural Minnesota.
While there, Mia starts confronting her painful past, and questions the purpose of Red Oak. After all, if the Red Oak girls were boys, they never would have been treated the way that they are. Amidst the revelations that cause her to question the way that society treats young women, circumstances outside of her control force Mia to discover what happens when she makes herself vulnerable enough to be truly seen by the rest of the world.
My Thoughts: I’m really interested in what happens at this academy and how Mia (and perhaps the other girls there) are going to fight it. And I am always for a book where a “tough” girl shows vulnerability because I need help with that too.
Fiends on the Other Side by Vera Strange (Oct 6)
Twelve-year-old Jamal has always lived in his twin brother, Malik’s, shadow. All he wants in the world is to know, just for one day, what it’s like to be his more popular, more talented, and more confident brother. So when a mysterious man named Dr. Facilier appears and offers Jamal the opportunity to do just that, Jamal jumps at the chance. But when he wakes up the next morning to find his dream has come true, he learns it comes at a terrible cost. There’s a reason people say “Never make a deal with the Shadow Man.” And Jamal is about to find out why.
Grab your night-light, dear reader, and prepare to be CHILL-ed!
My Thoughts: This series of Disney villain stories is my jam and I can’t wait to check them all out. This is the second in the series, the first being an Ursula story, and I’m really interested to see how they portray Dr. Facilier and if it’s any different from the movie. This cover is also super spooky and cool!
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade (Oct 6)
Marcus Caster-Rupp has a secret. While the world knows him as Aeneas, the star of the biggest show on TV, Gods of the Gates, he’s known to fanfiction readers as Book!AeneasWouldNever, an anonymous and popular poster. Marcus is able to get out his own frustrations with his character through his stories, especially the ones that feature the internet’s favorite couple to ship, Aeneas and Lavinia. But if anyone ever found out about his online persona, he’d be fired. Immediately.
April Whittier has secrets of her own. A hardcore Lavinia fan, she’s hidden her fanfiction and cosplay hobby from her “real life” for years—but not anymore. When she decides to post her latest Lavinia creation on Twitter, her photo goes viral. Trolls and supporters alike are commenting on her plus-size take, but when Marcus, one half of her OTP, sees her pic and asks her out on a date to spite her critics, she realizes life is really stranger than fanfiction.
Even though their first date is a disaster, Marcus quickly realizes that he wants much more from April than a one-time publicity stunt. And when he discovers she’s actually Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, his closest fandom friend, he has one more huge secret to hide from her.
With love and Marcus’s career on the line, can the two of them stop hiding once and for all, or will a match made in fandom end up prematurely cancelled?
My Thoughts: I have heard nothing but good things about this books and I am so excited to read it. We need more romances with fat heros and heroines to fight the decades of fatphobia that has fucked so many people up. Fat people deserve representation in books about love just as much as in every other genre. Cannot wait to get my copy!
Rebel Sisters by Tochi Onyebuchi (Oct 20)
It’s been five years since the Biafran War ended. Ify is now nineteen and living where she’s always dreamed–the Space Colonies. She is a respected, high-ranking medical officer and has dedicated her life to helping refugees like herself rebuild in the Colonies.
Back in the still devastated Nigeria, Uzo, a young synth, is helping an aid worker, Xifeng, recover images and details of the war held in the technology of destroyed androids. Uzo, Xifeng, and the rest of their team are working to preserve memories of the many lives lost, despite the government’s best efforts to eradicate any signs that the war ever happened.
Though they are working toward common goals of helping those who suffered, Ify and Uzo are worlds apart. But when a mysterious virus breaks out among the children in the Space Colonies, their paths collide. Ify makes it her mission to figure out what’s causing the deadly disease. And doing so means going back to the corrupt homeland she thought she’d left behind forever.
My Thoughts: I read the first book in this series, War Girls, and while I liked it, I didn’t love it, BUT that being said, the characters left a mark and I’m interested to see where they go in the second book. Ugh, I cried so much in the first book because their sisters and I don’t want them to be apart and I’m a sentimental child and I hope Ify and Uzo can fight together in this one. Also…this cover is GORGEOUS!
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton (Oct 6)
It’s 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world’s greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Travelling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent.
But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A twice-dead leper stalks the decks. Strange symbols appear on the sails. Livestock is slaughtered.
And then three passengers are marked for death, including Samuel.
Could a demon be responsible for their misfortunes?
With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent can solve a mystery that connects every passenger onboard. A mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.
My Thoughts: OK…I lost my mind when I read 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. The ending BLEW MY MIND. I still have no words and have no idea how Stuart Turton did it, so, obviously, I am BEYOND excited for Turton’s next book. I might faint if it’s as good as Evelyn Hardcastle.
Hush by Dylan Farrow (Oct 6)
Seventeen-year-old Shae has led a seemingly quiet life, joking with her best friend Fiona, and chatting with Mads, the neighborhood boy who always knows how to make her smile. All while secretly keeping her fears at bay… Of the disease that took her brother’s life. Of how her dreams seem to bleed into reality around her. Of a group of justice seekers called the Bards who claim to use the magic of Telling to keep her community safe.
When her mother is murdered, she can no longer pretend.
Not knowing who to trust, Shae journeys to unlock the truth, instead finding a new enemy keen to destroy her, a brooding boy with dark secrets, and an untold power she never thought possible.
My Thoughts: First, a question: does anyone know about any trigger warnings for this book? This came on my radar because for years, I ‘ve been aware of what happened to Dylan Farrow when she was younger at the hands of trashbag, Woody Allen. I could not be more thrilled that she is thriving and writing a fantasy novel! It also sounds like it will destroy my heart.
This is All Your Fault by Aminah Mae Safi (Oct 13)
Rinn Olivera is finally going to tell her longtime crush AJ that she’s in love with him.
Daniella Korres writes poetry for her own account, but nobody knows it’s her.
Imogen Azar is just trying to make it through the day.
When Rinn, Daniella, and Imogen clock into work at Wild Nights Bookstore on the first day of summer, they’re expecting the hours to drift by the way they always do. Instead, they have to deal with the news that the bookstore is closing. Before the day is out, there’ll be shaved heads, a diva author, and a very large shipment of Air Jordans to contend with.
And it will take all three of them working together if they have any chance to save Wild Nights Bookstore.
My Thoughts: They run a bookstore!! What else do I need to know?? BUT NOW IT’S CLOSING AND CAN WE ALL JUST CRY TOGETHER?!?!?! I just love this whole premise of three girls (with three different personalities and their own problems) doing what they can to save something they love.
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark (Oct 13)
D. W. Griffith is a sorcerer, and The Birth of a Nation is a spell that drew upon the darkest thoughts and wishes from the heart of America. Now, rising in power and prominence, the Klan has a plot to unleash Hell on Earth.
Luckily, Maryse Boudreaux has a magic sword and a head full of tales. When she’s not running bootleg whiskey through Prohibition Georgia, she’s fighting monsters she calls “Ku Kluxes.” She’s damn good at it, too. But to confront this ongoing evil, she must journey between worlds to face nightmares made flesh–and her own demons. Together with a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter, Maryse sets out to save a world from the hate that would consume it.
My Thoughts: I don’t remember how I found out about this book. I think it was through Instagram, The cover alone tells you that this is about racism and damn, the cover artist did not hold back. As for the premise, I like that this is being told in a world with magic. Sometimes fantasy can make the point hit home even more than contemporary fiction or even nonfiction. Also, the voice, even in the synopsis, is drawing me in. I also really want to know what a Harlem Hellfighter is.
Come On In edited by Adi Alsaid (Oct 13)
This exceptional and powerful anthology explores the joys, heartbreaks and triumphs of immigration, with stories by bestselling and beloved YA authors who are themselves immigrants and the children of immigrants.
WELCOME
From some of the most exciting bestselling and up-and-coming YA authors writing today…journey from Ecuador to New York City and Argentina to Utah, from Australia to Harlem and India to New Jersey, from Fiji, America, Mexico and more… Come On In.
With characters who face random traffic stops, TSA detention, customs anxiety, and the daunting and inspiring journey to new lands, who camp with their extended families, dance at weddings, keep diaries, teach ESL, give up their rooms for displaced family, decide their own answer to the question “where are you from?” and so much more, Come On In illuminates fifteen of the myriad facets of the immigrant experience.
My Thoughts: I love an anthology. It give us all a way to read authors we might not know about but in one book. I have found so many amazing authors through anthologies. This one is particularly (and unfortunately) timely with the concentration camps for immigrants all over the country. I also like that the stories explore tragedy and trauma as well as hope and joy. That’s so important. I definitely plan on getting a copy of Come On In.
Lightbringer by Claire Legrand (Oct 13)
The incredible conclusion to the trilogy that started with the instant New York Times bestsellers Furyborn and Kingsbane!
In this epic finale to the Empirium Trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claire Legrand, two queens, separated by a thousand years must face their ultimate destinies.
Queen Rielle, pushed away from everything she loves, turns to Corien and his promises of glory. Meanwhile, whispers from the empirium slowly drive her mad, urging her to open the Gate. Separated from Audric and Ludivine, she embraces the role of Blood Queen and her place by Corien’s side, determined to become the monster the world believes her to be.
In the future, Eliana arrives in the Empire’s capital as a broken shell of herself. Betrayed and abandoned, she fights to keep her power at bay—and away from Corien, who will stop at nothing to travel back in time to Rielle, even if that means destroying her daughter.
But when the mysterious Prophet reveals themselves at last, everything changes, giving Rielle and Eliana a second chance for salvation—or the destruction their world has been dreading.
My Thoughts: Ok…I haven’t read this series YET, but I’m always up for supporting Claire Legrand. If I can help in any way to promote her books on this blog than I’m happy to do it. I still think about Sawkill Girls every time I see a moth. She’s a spectacular writer and I know she’s been going through some rough times, so I hope she’s doing good.
Rural Voices edited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter (Oct 13)
Gracie sees a chance of fitting in at her South Carolina private school, until a “white trash”-themed Halloween party has her steering clear of the rich kids. Samuel’s Tejano family has both stood up to oppression and been a source of it, but now he’s ready to own his true sexual identity. A Puerto Rican teen in Utah discovers that being a rodeo queen means embracing her heritage, not shedding it. . . .
For most of America’s history, rural people and culture have been casually mocked, stereotyped, and, in general, deeply misunderstood. Now an array of short stories, poetry, graphic short stories, and personal essays, along with anecdotes from the authors’ real lives, dives deep into the complexity and diversity of rural America and the people who call it home. Fifteen extraordinary authors – diverse in ethnic background, sexual orientation, geographic location, and socioeconomic status – explore the challenges, beauty, and nuances of growing up in rural America. From a mountain town in New Mexico to the gorges of New York to the arctic tundra of Alaska, you’ll find yourself visiting parts of this country you might not know existed – and meet characters whose lives might be surprisingly similar to your own.
My Thoughts: GIVE IT UP FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY!! Books and the book world can be so coast-centric that when I find a book that takes place in Michigan, I practically jump for joy, so when I saw this on Goodreads, I was so excited. Stories in rural areas can be just as diverse as anywhere else and I hope this anthology does it justice.
UPDATE:
Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz (Oct 6)
Lana Torres has always preferred dragons to people. In a few weeks, sixteen countries will compete in the Blazewrath World Cup, a tournament where dragons and their riders fight for glory in a dangerous relay. Lana longs to represent her native Puerto Rico in their first ever World Cup appearance, and when Puerto Rico’s Runner—the only player without a dragon steed—is kicked off the team, she’s given the chance.
But when she discovers that a former Blazewrath superstar has teamed up with the Sire—a legendary dragon who’s cursed into human form—the safety of the Cup is jeopardized. The pair are burning down dragon sanctuaries around the world and refuse to stop unless the Cup gets cancelled. All Lana wanted was to represent her country. Now, to do that, she’ll have to navigate an international conspiracy that’s deadlier than her beloved sport.
My Thoughts: Adding this one because I just read a bunch of tweets about it being amazing and because DRAGONS AND COMPETITONS!! What else do I need to say?!
What books coming out in October are you excited to read? Let me know in the comments below!
If you enjoy my reviews and ramblings, feel free to buy me a coffee at my ko-fi!. I appreciate you all so much!!
Bookish Rantings 
I’ve currently reading and ARC of The Devil and the Dark Water! It’s pretty good so far! I haven’t read his other book yet though so I can’t say if it’s as good. From other people I’ve heard it’s different from Evelyn Hardcastle but still good 😀 I hope you love it when you read it!!!
-Amber
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oh good to know! Thanks!!
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