The Best New Books of October

I led a book discussion on Coates’ Between the World and Me for a library I worked at in the DC Metropolitan area a few years ago, and remember being surprised by how dense it felt to read. The language was beautiful, and I found myself relieved with how well Coates explained aspects of the Black experience, but damn if it wasn’t depressing. That’s the thing though—discussing the reality of Blackness in America can be depressing, but Coates does it so well. At the risk of sounding clichéd, his latest is so timely. It’s a collection of essays that explores how the stories we construct distort reality. He travels to Senegal, South Carolina, and Palestine, contending with myth and reality in each place.

Multi-award-winning Erdrich’s latest follows messy lives against a backdrop of resources being sucked dry through climate changes and the 2008 recession. Gary is a young man about to inherit two farms, and is set on marrying lapsed Goth Kismet Poe, while Hugo’s messy, red-headed behind wants to steal her for himself. Amidst the drama, the people of the Red River Valley try their best to survive, while things like visions of angels and drastic changes complicate things.

“When Rivers Solomon offers their take on a haunted house novel, we have to drop everything and read it immediately, right? This book follows siblings Ezri, Eve, and Emanuelle Maxwell. Years ago, the Maxwells moved into a gated community outside of Dallas, Texas. Their white neighbors seemed welcoming enough, but immediately upon moving in, strange things began happening all around their house. Now, years later, Ezri, Eve, and Emanuelle’s parents have died, and the Maxwell children are forced to return back to the home that always terrified them growing up.” —Emily Martin

“This new standalone novel by Vo, the author of The Singing Hills Cycle, sounds delicious! It’s about Vitrine, an immortal demon, who has overseen the city of Azril for centuries. But then the angels have to go and ruin all her fun by burning it to the ground. Devastated, Vitrine binds an angel to her with a curse. But instead of being enemies, they begin to work together and rebuild the city. And when war threatens to level it again, they will have to decide if the city is worth saving a second time.” —Liberty Hardy

“Freya Marske dropped onto the scene with a bang with A Marvellous Light and the other two books in the Last Binding series, and now she’s bringing us into a whole new universe with Swordcrossed.

In a fantasy world in which dueling is a possibility at weddings (?!), Matti needs to hire someone skilled at swordplay to be his best man. His wedding is arranged, and the last thing he wants is his own lack of skill to mess up any potential business deals. But what he gets is Luca, a con artist who is just trying to escape his own past (both physically and emotionally). The time they spend together leading up to the wedding is full of fencing lessons and banter, and (from what they’re saying)…the swords do indeed cross. This book sounds like a great leaping-off point for someone who has been thinking of joining the romantasy party but doesn’t want to dive into multi-volume tomes.” —Jessica Pryde

“Dina is a kitchen witch with a hot new London bakery, where she infuses magic into every morsel. Unfortunately, she’s also dealing with a hex: any person who starts to have feelings for her will immediately develop a string of bad luck. This hasn’t been a huge issue before, but now that she’s met the best man at the wedding where she’s the maid of honor, she would do anything to stop the hex before it destroys the man who could be The One!” —Jessica Pryde

“For fans of dark academia, dual POV, past-and-present timelines, secret societies, and a murder mystery being solved by a sibling!

Maya learns that her sister Naomi died in an accident right before graduating college. They both attended Princeton, a decade apart. Maya doesn’t think Naomi’s death was an accident and decides to investigate, which is how she learns her sister hid from her that she’d joined the same secret society Maya once had—the same one Maya had warned Naomi away from.” —Jamie Canaves

“From Illuminative, an organization “dedicated to amplifying contemporary Native voices”, My Life features essays and poems by contributors like author Angeline Boulley, influencer and model Kara Roselle Smith, chef Crystal Wahpepah, and more. The topics cover everything from feeling native “enough” to the fight for a brighter future for Native peoples.” —Kendra Winchester

“This reimagining of Mark Twain’s classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn turns the narrative reins over to Jim, the enslaved Black man with whom Huck journeyed down the Mississippi River. After running away to prevent his enslaver from selling him, Jim embarks on an adventure that will have major consequences for himself and his descendants.” —Eileen Gonzalez

I read Tahir’s All My Rage for a book club discussion for our Hey YA podcast, and it had me screaming- crying-throwing-up. It was so real and touching and infuriating. With Heir, Tahir returns to YA fantasy with a story that follows three young people—an orphan, an outcast, and a prince— as they try their best to navigate what is, at times, a brutal empire. Sirsha is a tracker who speaks to the elements, and who was banished from her tribe for a terrible crime. Desperate to survive, she takes on a job hunting down a child killer. Aiz, on the other hand, is from the slums, in prison, and her wrath is brewing. Finally, there’s the empire’s crown prince, Quil, whose reluctance to take on the responsibility of leading the empire is quelled by the emergence of an enemy threat. All three must contend with the darkness of the empire, treacherous love, and moral grayness.

“Kids will love this science fiction middle grade; it’s such a page-turner, but still tackles lots of complex themes. After his current foster father has a mental health crisis, Win “Coal” Keegan is placed in a new foster home, the McKays, who have three children of their own. This is their first time fostering, and they do want to make Coal feel comfortable and safe, though the new home is a bit overwhelming for Coal. One day he takes a walk on his own and draws an image of a woman killed by police in chalk. While he’s drawing it, someone pulls a gun on him and shoots. He escapes, but the police chase him. He hides behind a dumpster and becomes invisible. He and his friend at school decide to investigate why he can turn invisible, and their research leads them to Mirror Tech, where his former foster father used to work.” —Margaret Kingsbury

“My favorite new early chapter book series is The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class, and this is the third book in the series. Each one has a different kid from Mrs. Z’s third grade class in their own stand-alone story. Poppy and her family have recently moved to Peppermint Falls, and she’s still making friends with the other kids in Mrs. Z’s class. With the help of her grandmother, Po Po, she hopes to make them treats and win them over, particularly with the difficult dragon beard candy. Unfortunately, Po Po begins forgetting things and making lots of mistakes. I love this latest addition to the series. ” —Margaret Kingsbury