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Books in October - Book recommendations
- The Little Bookshop
- Oct 1
- 8 min read
The leaves are falling from the trees and the days are getting longer (and darker). It’s the perfect time to drink tea, eat some cookies, and read great books! Here is our little list with books getting out this month.
Contemporary
Overdue by Stephanie Perkins (9 October)
Because she’s a librarian…
Ingrid Dahl is a cheerful, twenty-nine-year-old librarian living in the cosy mountain town of Ridgetop. She and her boyfriend since college, Cory, have never discussed marriage; they're perfectly happy with the way things are. But when Ingrid's sister announces her engagement to a woman she's only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory suddenly feel pressured to start thinking about the inevitable: marriage and kids. The thing is, neither of them has ever been with anyone else. Shouldn't they sow their oats before settling down? They make the unorthodox decision to separate for a month to date other people, assuming that at the end of it, they'll reunite and start planning their nuptials. And Ingrid has the perfect man in mind for this relationship- Macon Nowakowski, her cantankerous and completely adorable coworker for whom she's had a crush for years. But of course the best laid plans often go awry, and when Ingrid and Cory meet at the end of the month to resume next steps in their relationship, it's clear neither of them is ready to get back together…
The Psychiatrist by Emma Curtis (9 October)
Because we need some thrillers in October…
In the leafy suburbs of West London, status is paramount and reputation is everything... Recently qualified psychiatrist Dr Geddes is building her career at a prestigious practice when an unexpected encounter with a young male patient threatens to expose her darkest secret. Lorna Chilcott is delighted to befriend the glamorous Elise, wife of the ex-boyband star she had a crush on as a teenager. But when her daughter goes missing after leaving Elise's house, friendship turns to discord and accusations fly. A single lie connects these two traumatic events - and its impact will be deadly...
The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong (16 October)
Because I found this as an audiobook and loved the idea (and also there’s a magical cat!)...
Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells "small" fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences… Even if it’s a lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and—of course—a slightly magical cat. Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in—and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.
An Unlikely Coven by AM Kvita (28 October)
Because we also need stories about witches in October…
After seven long years, Joan Greenwood has been called home. As the only one in her elite family of witches who cannot manipulate magic, her return to New York City is lukewarm at best. But it's upended by the disastrous news that someone has created a spell that can turn an unmagical human into a powerful witch. While her family covets the ability to create a new generation of witches, Joan is wary of such power in the hands of her conniving relatives. When her best friend - who happens to be a vampire - confesses he has secretly, accidentally, saved this human-turned-witch from an uncertain fate, Joan is thrust headfirst into a desperate race to undo the spell before it kills its unwilling host. But as the different factions of the magic world hunt Joan across the city, she gathers a new family of allies to help her. Soon, her race to the truth draws her deeper into the heart of the city's magic, through uncertain alliances with a (very attractive) family rival, and far beyond the limits of everything she thought her own magic was capable of. Only now does Joan see... her power could rewrite the rules of the magic world-or bring the entire city to its knees.
YA Books
We Three Witches by Rosie Talbot (9 October)
Because like I said, we need stories about witches in October…
1930s haunted York. Viola Samphire was once part of a coven of four powerful witches, but now only three survive. A devastating fire in an artist's studio led to Edie dying of smoke inhalation. When Viola discovers that the fire was no accident, she hunts for clues, but she is getting used to a new witch ability - to see ghosts. Most importantly, she can see the ghost of Edie, the witch who died in the fire, and her unrequited love. With the help of her friends, witches Bea and Merle, and her beloved bones she throws to show her fate, Viola knows she will discover who killed Edie. But Vi's bones are stolen. And children are dying, Vi can see their ghosts. What if everything is connected? A stolen gift, a murderer, an underground network of spirits with corruption rife… And Viola soon realises that admitting her love for Edie could change the course of their future, could it even bring Edie back from the dead?
And The River Drags Her Down by Jihyun Yun (9 October)
Because this just sounds intriguing…
When her older sister is found mysteriously drowned in the river that cuts through their small coastal town, Soojin Han disregards every rule and uses her ancestral magic to bring Mirae back from the dead. At first, the sisters are overjoyed, reveling in late-night escapades and the miracle of being together again, but Mirae grows tired of hiding from the world. She becomes restless and hungry… .Driven by an insatiable desire to finish what she started in life, to unravel the truth that crushed her family so many years ago, Mirae is out for revenge. When their town is engulfed by increasingly destructive rain and a series of harrowing, unusual deaths, Soojin is forced to reckon with the fact that perhaps the sister she brought back isn’t the one she knew.
The Twelve by Liz Hyder (9 October)
Because there’s a touch of magic realism…
It’s supposed to be a treat for Kit, a winter holiday by the coast with her sister Libby and their mum. But when Libby vanishes into thin air, and no one else remembers her, Kit is faced with a new reality – one in which her sister never existed. Then she meets Story, a local boy who remembers Libby perfectly. Together they embark on a journey beyond their wildest imagination into a world steeped in ancient folklore. Can Kit and Story uncover the secret of the Twelve and rescue Libby before Time runs out?
Hollow by Taylor Grothe (9 October)
Because it’s important to have books with autism, and horror, and queer…
After a meltdown in her school cafeteria prompts an unwanted autism diagnosis, Cassie Davis moves back to her hometown in upstate New York, where her mom hopes the familiarity will allow Cassie to feel normal again. Cassie’s never truly felt normal anywhere, but she does crave the ease she used to have with her old friends. The problem is that her friends aren’t so eager to welcome her back into the fold. They extend an olive branch by inviting her on their backpacking trip to Hollow Ridge, in the upper reaches of the Adirondacks. But when a fight breaks out their first night, Cassie wakes to a barren campsite—her friends all gone. With severe weather approaching and nearing sensory overload, Cassie is saved by a boy named Kaleb, who whisks her away to a compound of artists and outcasts he calls the Roost. As Kaleb tends to her injuries, Cassie begins to feel—for the first time in her life—that she can truly be herself. But as the days pass, strange happenings around the Roost make Cassie question her instincts. Noises in the trees grow louder, begging the question: Are the dangers in the forest, on the trail, or in the Roost itself?
Children’s Books
The Night the Garden Glowed by Brendan Kearney (2 October)
Because it's easier to explain some life changes with picture books for kids
Moving house is tough, especially when you're moving to a new place with new people, and leaving your old life behind. Wilbur needs a distraction, and there's nothing better to keep his mind occupied than the curious glow that lights up his new garden every night. Join Wilbur as he discovers that flowers and the trees look different under a star-studded sky, and that new friends can be found in the most unexpected places.
The Turtle Who Turned the Tide by Rachel Bright & illustrated by Jim Field (9 October)
Because just look at these cute turtles!
A rowdy crowd of animal onlookers have gathered to see which baby turtle will win the great race to safety in the sea. But when Tula's brother loses his way, this baby turtle faces a difficult choice: will she choose to win the race or will she turn back to rescue her brother? And will the other animals stay on the sidelines, or will Tula's brave decision inspire them to join the rescue mission?
Refugee: The Graphic Novel by Alan Gratz & Syd Fini (9 October)
Because this is an important story…
Josef is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world… Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America… Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe… All three kids must endure harrowing journeys. All face unimaginable dangers. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end.
Pandora and the Story Forge by Gaynor Andrews & Marie-Alice Harel (9 October)
Because we love stories!
Discover the magical world of storyteller Pandora, adorer of brave and beautiful words, weaver and forger of tales. Pandora is an explorer, a collector of words (even ones that misbehave). Once she has the words she needs, she watches them flower and then forges them into the most magical stories. Friend to all the story-starved children, Pandora knows a secret: once read, a story unfurls in your heart. Enter her world and you’ll never see words in quite the same way again.
We hope you enjoyed our little list and that it gave you some book inspiration!
Looking to pre-order one of these books? Just follow the path! 👇
This blog post is written by The Little Bookshop, your bookshop for English books in Rennes.
