In addition to pumpkin spice everything and death by Halloween candy, October brings with it some of the season's biggest books: including one of the most buzzed about books at this year's BEA (The Mothers) and a highly-anticipated new novel by one of the Seattle's own. Read on for my October picks!
*PSA: one of the best things you can do for an author with a new book out is tell everyone if you love it, so don’t forget to share on you social media and review on Amazon and Goodreads.
Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt (October 4)
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It’s 1969, and 16-year-old Lucy is about to run away to live off the grid in rural Pennsylvania, a rash act that will have vicious repercussions for both her and her older sister, Charlotte. As Lucy’s default caretaker for most of their lives, Charlotte’s youth has been marked by the burden of responsibility, but never more so than when Lucy’s dream of a rural paradise turns into a nightmare. CRUEL BEAUTIFUL WORLD examines the intricate, infinitesimal distance between seduction and love, loyalty and duty, and explores what happens when you’re responsible for things you cannot fix.
Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey (October 4)
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Colin Dickey follows the trail of America’s ghosts, embarking on a journey across the continental United States to decode and unpack the American history repressed in our most famous haunted places. Paying attention not only to the true facts behind a ghost story, but also to the ways in which changes to those facts are made, Dickey paints a version of American history left out of the textbooks.
Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down by Anne Valente (October 4)
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As members of the yearbook committee, Nick, Zola, Matt, and Christina are eager to capture all the memorable moments of their junior year at Lewis and Clark High School, but how do you document a deadly school shooting by a classmate? Struggling to comprehend this cataclysmic event, these four “lucky” survivors vow to honor the memories of those lost. But then, a series of mysterious house fires have hit the families of the victims one by one, and Nick, the son of the lead detective investigating the events, plunges into the case on his own.
The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang (October 4)
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A brash, lovable immigrant businessman who built a cosmetics empire and made a fortune, Charles Wang has just been ruined by the financial crisis. Now all he wants is to get his kids safely stowed away so he can go to China and attempt to reclaim his family’s ancestral lands --- and his pride. Charles pulls Andrew, his aspiring comedian son, and Grace, his style-obsessed daughter, out of schools he can no longer afford. Together with their stepmother, Barbra, they embark on a cross-country road trip to the upstate New York hideout of the eldest daughter, disgraced art world it-girl Saina. But Charles may have to choose between the old world and the new, between keeping his family intact and finally fulfilling his dream of starting anew in China.
Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple (Oct 4)
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Today, Eleanor Flood will tackle the little things. She will shower and get dressed. She will have her poetry and yoga lessons after dropping off her son, Timby. She won’t swear. She will initiate sex with her husband, Joe. But today, as it turns out, is the day Timby has decided to fake sick to weasel his way into his mother’s company, and also the day that Joe has chosen to tell his office --- but not Eleanor --- that he’s on vacation. Just when it seems like things can’t go more awry, an encounter with a former colleague produces a graphic memoir whose dramatic tale threatens to reveal a buried family secret.
The Mothers by Brit Bennett (Oct 11th)
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Mourning her mother’s recent suicide, 17-year-old Nadia Turner takes up with the local pastor’s son. Luke Sheppard is 21, a former football star whose injury has reduced him to waiting tables at a diner. The pregnancy that results from this teen romance --- and the subsequent cover-up --- will have an impact that goes far beyond their youth. As Nadia hides her secret from everyone, including Aubrey, her God-fearing best friend, the years move quickly. Soon, Nadia, Luke and Aubrey are full-fledged adults and still living in debt to the choices they made that one seaside summer.