October reading: 8 of the best new books to read this month
From heart-warming YA and emotional historical tales to gripping suspense and supernatural thrills, we’ve got your October reading covered with our round-up of the best new releases out this month.
The Shape Of Night by Tess Gerritsen
Blending romance, suspense and gothic chills, this standalone from the bestselling author of Rizzoli & Isles follows a vulnerable woman running from her past. When cookbook writer Ava moves to an isolated mansion in a quiet coastal town in Maine, she comes face-to face with the apparition of a sea captain rumoured to have haunted the house for decades. Drawn into the mystery surrounding a series of accidental deaths nearby, Ava begins to fear for not only her sanity but her life too. Diverging from her popular crime novels, Gerritsen’s latest is a contemporary ghost story that will have your spine tingling. (Bantam Press, 3 Oct)
Doing Time by Jodi Taylor
Fans of Jodi Taylor’s Chronicles of St. Mary’s series will love this inventive and entertaining spinoff which introduces the Time Police, a powerful international organisation tasked with keeping the historical timeline straight at all costs. The story follows Jane, Luke and Matthew, three unlikely, unconventional and underestimated recruits forced to work together on their training missions. Combining mystery, history and time travel, this is a fast-paced and fun first book in what promises to be an excellent new series. (Headline, 17 Oct)
Hex Life: Wicked New Tales of Witchery
October is the month for all things supernatural and Hex Life is full of wonderfully witchy tales to immerse yourself in as All Hallows’ Eve approaches. The Wicked New Tales of Witchery anthology features eighteen brand new short stories from female fantasy authors including Sherrilyn Kenyon, Amber Benson, Alma Katsu and Kat Howard. Whether you like your witches wicked, guileful, fearsome or daring – there’s a story to satisfy every supernatural lover here. (Titan Books, 1 Oct)
The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman
“If you do not believe in evil, you are doomed to live in a world you will never understand.” From the author of Practical Magic comes this poignant novel of courage, love and survival set in Europe during WWII. Merging historical fiction with magical realism, it centres on three women – Lea, Ettie and Ava – whose lives become entwined amidst a brutal, changing world. Exploring good and evil, life and death, Hoffman takes readers on a perceptive and beautifully crafted journey of loss, sacrifice and folklore. (Scribner, 17 Oct)
Jackpot by Nic Stone
Seventeen-year-old Rico works at the local gas station to help her mum pay the bills. When she sells a jackpot-winning lotto ticket that goes unclaimed, Rico comes up with a plan to track down the oblivious millionaire and persuade them to give her a cut of the winnings. Enlisting the help of her popular and wealthy classmate Zan, the duo set out in search of the missing ticket. Nic Stone’s third novel is an addictive story of money, luck, privilege and class – perfect if you love heart-warming YA romances that tackle real-world issues. (Simon & Schuster Children’s, 17 Oct)
The Killer Inside by Cass Green
Elliot and Anya are from opposite sides of the track. She had a privileged, overindulged upbringing, whilst he was raised on a council estate. Despite their different backgrounds, they’re married and madly in love. But Elliot and Anya don’t know each other as well as they think they do. Alternating between Elliot’s perspective and that of a widow called Irene whose two sons have disappeared, The Killer Inside is a twisty and suspenseful psychological thriller that will leave you reeling by the end. (HarperCollins, 3 Oct)
The Oceans Between Us by Gill Thompson
Gill Thompson’s historical debut follows a mother and child separated by continents and their struggle to find a way back to each other amidst impossible circumstances. Inspired by heart-breaking true events, it explores the post-war scandal of children being shipped from the UK to Australia under a resettlement scheme. It’s an emotional and delicately told story, made all the more powerful because the subject matter is still so topical to this day. (Headline, 17 Oct)
The Housekeeper and The Professor by Yoko Ogawa
Clear some room on your bookshelf because a brand new Vintage collection is published this month. Yoko Ogawa’s The Housekeeper and The Professor is one of five beautiful new Japanese Classics editions from leading authors who’ve helped to define modern Japanese writing. This is a charming tale about a professor who only has an eighty-minute memory and the bond he forms with his housekeeper and her ten-year-old son. With cover illustrations by Yuko Shimizu, these editions are both beautiful to read and beautiful to look at. (Vintage, 3 Oct)