Oct 27

Oct 27 Books Publishing This Week

The final days of October arrive wrapped in a particular kind of magic. The trees are beginning to surrender their leaves, leaving sidewalks scattered with shades of amber, burgundy, and gold. Pumpkins sit on front steps, their carved faces waiting for candlelight, while bare branches cast delicate shadows against the increasingly pale afternoon sky. You pull your coat a little tighter as you walk home, breathing in the earthy scent of fallen leaves and the faint smokiness of a neighbor's fireplace. Autumn is beginning to feel less like a celebration of color and more like an invitation to retreat into warmth.

You stop at a bookstore on your way home, drawn inside by the golden glow of its windows. The shelves are crowded with possibilities, and you take your time wandering between them. Perhaps you pick up a mysterious novel that promises to keep you guessing, or a sweeping family saga that will carry you somewhere entirely different. You turn a few books over, read their descriptions, and finally choose the one you can't bear to leave behind.

At home, you settle into the comforting rituals of an October evening. You change into something soft, prepare a cup of tea, and switch on a lamp beside your favorite chair. Outside, the wind sends leaves skittering across the pavement, and the last trick-or-treating preparations are underway. You open your new book, enjoying the quiet thrill of meeting its characters for the first time.

Soon, the room grows darker, and the glow of your reading lamp becomes its own little world. You turn another page, content to let the evening unfold without interruption.

With November waiting just around the corner, you have a whole new season of reading ahead of you. Whether you're searching for a suspenseful thriller, a cozy romance, an unforgettable historical novel, or something unexpected, here are the new books publishing this week to inspire your next literary escape.

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Books Publishing October 25 - 31

Between Our Legs, edited by Justine Payton and Caroline Beuley

In a world where even saying the word “vagina” can feel taboo, Between Our Legs breaks the silence surrounding gynecological health. Featuring essays by award-winning authors Nina de Gramont, Nafissa Thompson-Spires, and Jessica Hendry Nelson, as well as by practicing medical experts, this collection explores topics ranging from childbirth, menopause, abortion, endometriosis, and PMOS to yeast and urinary tract infections, while contending with the shame, frustrations, and stigmas that women, nonbinary, and trans individuals navigate when searching for basic care.

Between Our Legs serves as a catalyst for difficult conversations. It illustrates the necessity of not just having access to basic gynecological care, but good, equitable, patient-centered care. Care that sees the patient as a whole person, not solely as someone capable of making a baby. As reproductive rights and maternal healthcare are stripped away in state after state, it’s urgent that our voices be heard, elevated, and addressed. The consequences for not doing so can be fatal.

Savage Lake by Nick Medina

A mother and son travel to a dilapidated cabin in the woods that haunts more than just her memories in this new unnerving horror from the author of The Whistler and Sisters of the Lost Nation.

Nell Marin swore she would never return to the place where part of her died.

The passing of her estranged father, however, leaves her with no choice but to take her teenage son, Oscar, back to the run-down family cabin on Torchlight Lake, where horrific memories linger. The two will fix the place up, sell it, and ensure Nell never has to return to that dreaded lake again.

But when the roads—which pass through Native land—are barricaded by the local Tribe, the quick trip turns into weeks. Oscar, a horror movie buff, knows this is exactly how it starts. As the long summer days drag on, unsettling things begin to occur: screams ring out over the water and a mysterious figure watches the cabin from the trees at night. Most disturbing of all, his mother is becoming less and less herself.

As the strange events lead Oscar to uncover the secrets Nell has shielded him from, he is forced to confront a reality that is far more frightening than movie monsters. He must uncover answers to the questions that stole so much from his mother…before the horror that traumatized Nell drags him under as well.

Resurrection Kill by Laura Joh Rowland

New York State, 1953. Dr. Claire Kendall is a psychiatrist-in-training at Resurrection Kill Hospital, a luxurious private and isolated mental institution for the wealthy. But under her mask of professionalism, Claire has a secret: She was a patient at the hospital when she was fourteen.

With gaps in her memory, Claire is determined to discover what really happened the summer she was institutionalized—even if it means uncovering the dangerous secrets hiding at Resurrection Kill. Before long, Claire takes a special interest in a teenage patient, Rory Kirkpatrick—a free-spirited girl who is also determined to uncover Resurrection Kill Hospital’s dark past. Claire indulges Rory’s rebellious nature, hoping to glean clues that might help in her own search for the truth.

But the hunt for answers triggers flashbacks of Claire’s painful childhood—her father’s cruelty; her mother’s alcoholism; her beloved older brother’s death. The deeper she probes her own past, the more she remembers about the summer that changed everything. And as she delves deeper into her own mind, she’ll come to find that her sanity grows more fragile by the day and that some secrets are meant to stay buried. She’ll discover that remembering may come at the cost of her life.

The Bone Woman by Paige Shelton

The desert runs through Hazel Dylan’s marrow. She grew up on the edge of The Wild, an untamed expanse outside her hometown of Black Vulture, Arizona. She became fascinated with bones as a child while observing her taxidermist father, Wilmot, until he disappeared without a trace decades ago. Now, after years of study and countless cases, she’s known as the Bone Woman. She can read the dark stories that bones tell.

When a hiker makes a disturbing discovery in The Wild—bleached human bones arranged with surgical precision into a taxidermy-like sculpture of a coyote mid-howl—Sheriff Calloway summons Hazel to the scene. Not just for her formidable expertise but because it looks like it could be Wilmot’s work. Could Hazel’s father be behind this twisted creation? Are these his bones?

Hazel doesn’t want to believe either is true, but after another sculpture is found, and Wilmot’s well-known talisman—a rogue finger bone—is discovered amid both sets of remains, she can’t deny the optics.

As the case takes Hazel deep into her past, she unearths long-buried secrets. And with time running out, she’ll have to risk her own skin to catch the killer.

The Pope's Hitman by J.M. Berger

Everybody loves Father Francis Loyola, the humble pastor of a Catholic church in Boston. But his world is turned upside down when a sniper attack during Sunday Mass forces him to confront his long-buried past as a covert assassin in service to the Pope.

To uncover the truth about who is behind the attack, Loyola must take on old enemies and former allies, all while evading the dogged investigation of homicide detective Martina Rocha and interference from enigmatic nun Sister Belina Fortis.

Loyola’s search for answers will take him from the streets of Boston to a fortified compound in Bosnia, a medieval castle in France, and finally Rome, pursued every step of the way by an army of fanatic monks, armed American mercenaries, and Interpol investigators.

An exhilarating and cinematic novel filled with nonstop action, The Pope’s Hitman will be a hit with readers of Lee Child and Dan Brown.

Dina Gets Lucky by Uzma Jalaluddin

At a sumptuous family wedding, two former friends rediscover their own love story and the lies that tore them apart in a chaotic and swoony second-chance romance by the author of Yours for the Season.

Toronto attorney Dina Haq is looking forward to her influencer sister’s lavish South Asian wedding. She wouldn’t dream of overshadowing the event of the season by revealing her carefully guarded secret: Her own marriage has gone bust. She just needs to make sure her odious ex keeps his mouth shut, too. Complications arise once she discovers that the groom’s best man is none other than Luqman “Lucky” Latif, a law school crush who ghosted her six years ago.

Forced to abandon his lawyerly ambitions to help his struggling family in Chicago, Lucky rebuilt his life, and a successful contracting business, and has moved on from past hurts…or so he thinks. Then he sees Dina again, the woman who not only rejected him but also had the nerve to marry his best friend instead. He’s not sure his heart can survive another encounter.

As the wedding festivities unfold, Dina and Lucky rediscover their connection and begin to unravel the part her manipulative ex-husband played in their almost-love story. The past isn’t quite what they thought, but is it too late to imagine a new future together?

The Fist of Memory by Wole Talabi

A strange alien spacecraft suddenly appears in the sky in this electrifying, action-packed first contact novel set in near-future Nigeria from award-winning author Wole Talabi

A hard science-fiction novel featuring an assassin-for-hire, a witchdoctor, and an astronomer, this fast-paced thriller is perfect for fans of Arrival

When a non-communicative alien spacecraft suddenly appears in the sky, global powers are thrown into turmoil.

But for Tope, a principled Nigerian assassin with a talent for lethality in the employ of the mysterious witchdoctor known as "Baba," it’s all just business as usual. At least until a job goes wrong, and Tope is caught in the scramble—a high stakes game of power and politics for the future that is to come. Joined by Itumeleng, a South African astronomer plagued by mysterious dreams, they must find a way to survive, navigate their complicated pasts, and come to understand how they, and all of humanity, are connected to the alien craft before it lands and the world changes forever. But it won’t be easy. There are sinister forces marshalled against them, including a strange assassin obsessed with a single memory.

The Fist Of Memory is a first contact thriller unlike any other; a meditation on the nature of reality, memory and connectedness.

Dog Days: Hazel Helps Out by Dori Hillestad Butler; illustrated by Genevieve Kote

Can Hazel find a new home, a place for herself, and a way to contribute to the family doggy daycare business?

Nine-year-old Hazel and her mother are facing some big changes. Grandma has been running Dog Days, a dog day care, all by herself for a long time, but now she needs some help—help that she doesn’t really want to accept. Fortunately, Mom’s best friend Amanda and her kids, KC and Jonah, live nearby. Amanda and Mom dreamed of running the business when they grew up. That time could be coming.

Hazel and Mom arrive for a visit that might turn into a long-term stay. First, they have to figure out what’s going on. It’s hard to get prickly Grandma to tell them anything, about the business or her health. There are a lot of dogs to keep track of, including Houdini, who keeps them on their toes by repeatedly escaping. Hazel knows KC and Jonah, but they aren’t friends—at least not yet. And Hazel’s elderly dog Spot is having a hard time keeping up with the younger, more active dogs.

Mom and Amanda don’t want to tell Grandma about Houdini. Grandma doesn’t want to tell Mom and Amanda the truth about her health. All Hazel knows is that she doesn’t like keeping secrets. If only there was a way to get everyone, young and old, to work together.

Dog Days: The Old Dogs' Club by Dori Hillestad Butler; illustrated by Genevieve Kote

Hazel's exciting new plan for the Old Dogs' Club might be in trouble before it even starts. Can she find a way to get everyone to agree?

Hazel had a great idea: the Old Dogs’ Club, a program for seniors (like Hazel's own dog, Spot) who are still up for some social interaction, mental stimulation, and exercise but can’t handle the intensity of the full day care environment. She, KC, and Jonah have convinced their mothers and Hazel’s grandma to let them try it out for the summer at Dog Days, the family doggy day care.

Everyone is very excited, but as they start to plan, Hazel realizes they all have very different opinions about how to run the club. It was her idea, but Grandma vetoes a number of her suggestions, and it is starting to feel like KC and Jonah are taking over. Plus, Spot isn’t getting along with Muffin, another club member.

Mom and Hazel are heading back to Chicago at the end of the summer, so maybe it doesn’t matter that the Old Dogs’ Club isn’t turning out to be what Hazel expected. But it’s hard to give up on a great idea, even when things get tough.

I Need Space by Molly Harris & Jon Corby

A rocket ship demonstrates how taking some time by yourself can you help cope with stressful or overwhelming situations in this sweet and brightly illustrated picture book about regulating emotions, perfect for fans of I Am a Tornado and Nobody Hugs a Cactus.

For a rocket ship like Rocco, space is one big playground, but like most playgrounds, not everyone plays by the rules. Rocco tries to be patient with the toy-stealers and line-cutters…until he’s knocked off course by some roughhousing meteors. Suddenly he can’t take it anymore!

Luckily, before he blows a fuse, Rocco remembers that sometimes the best way to cool his jets is to get some space. All it takes to refill his tank is a few peaceful minutes by himself—after all, space has plenty of room for everyone to have fun!

Bitsy Bat, Snow Star by Kaz Windness

Bitsy Bat experiences her first snow and discovers it’s okay for friends to not always like the same things in another charming follow-up to Bitsy Bat, School Star from Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor–winning author-illustrator Kaz Windness.

When Bitsy wakes up to see her first-ever snowfall, she’s excited to try out wintry activities with her friends at school. But sledding turns out to be harder than she thought, and making snow angels and snowmen leaves her feeling cold and wet. Bitsy tries to pretend she’s having fun…until a friendly snowball fight pushes her over the edge.

She retreats inside the school, worried her friends won’t like her anymore once they find out she doesn’t love the snow like they do. But a surprise is waiting for her—Enzo Owl and Mo are inside too! They don’t like snow either and would rather read in the cozy nook. Bitsy comes up with an indoor activity for a snowy day—making paper snowflakes—that just might give her the courage to be honest with her friends.

This third story in the Bitsy Bat series is told from an autistic perspective and celebrates how our differences make each of us shine brightly on our own and among friends.

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