10 Books You Won't Be Able to Put Down This October
Times are hard — there's no denying it — but if there's one silver lining to keep us trucking along in this cruel world, it's this: we still have books! *Knocks on wood and thinks about The Handmaid's Tale.*
VIDEO: Coinage: Top Bestselling Fiction Novels of All Time
The October 2018 book release schedule is really exciting, and features memoirs from one dope queen (Phoebe Robinson), America's favorite BFF (Busy Philipps), novels from Haruki Murakami and Tana French, and a book all about Friends (the Central Perk sort).
Scroll down below to browse our top picks for the month.
The Witch Elm by Tana French (Oct. 9)
French steps away from her wildly popular Dublin Murder Squad series to capture a new voice, that of Toby, a man who, after becoming the victim of a violent burglary, is forced to reevaluate his past. Don't worry, the novel isn't French's attempt to redefine herself genre-wise and explore Eat, Pray, Love territory — though the messenger has changed,The Witch Elm is still a crime thriller at the top of its game.
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The Royal Runaway by Lindsay Emory (Oct. 9)
If you've been in mourning since you finished the last Princess Diaries novel, we may just have the solution. Princess Mia — er, Thea — is desperate to find out why her fiance left her at the altar. Enter: a sexy Scottish spy! Honestly, need we say more? If you're looking to unwind after a long week with an easy read and a cozy blanket, The Royal Runaway is a safe bet.
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This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps (Oct. 16)
It's official: 2018 is the year of Busy Philipps. The actress, Instagram star, devoted mom, rosé vodka enthusiast, and world-class BFF (we're looking at you, Michelle Williams) is making her long-awaited explosion onto the Hollywood scene. Not only does her 4-night-a-week talk show (the aptly titled Busy Tonight) premiere on E! later this month, but she's also celebrating the October launch of her memoir: This Will Only Hurt a Little.
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Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami (Oct. 9)
The latest translation from Japanese master of prose, Haruki Murakami, focuses on the author's typical fixations: love, art, and the failings of domestic life. Murakami's most recent novel, which centers on a man who stumbles upon a mysterious painting, pays homage to a classic work of American literature: The Great Gatsby.
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I'll Be There for You: The One About Friends by Kelsey Miller (Oct. 23)
Kelsey Miller's encyclopedic history of beloved sitcom Friends does something rare among non-autobiographical works of non-fiction: it welcomes the reader. Instead of narrating the story of Friends as an all-knowing expert, Miller is simply another conversational pal sitting on Central Perk's iconic orange couch (it was originally beige!). In addition to this victory of tone, I'll Be There for You is truly a trove of knowledge! I mean, she stumped me, a proud owner of the Friends trivia game.
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The Winters by Lisa Gabriele (Oct. 16)
A modern update of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca, The Winters follows a newly engaged woman who moves to the Hamptons to share a home with her wealthy widower fiance. However charmed things may appear, memories of her fiance's first wife, Rebekah, linger throughout the home, and are made none the less escapable by her teenage soon-to-be stepdaughter.
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Everything's Trash But It's Okay by Phoebe Robinson (Oct. 16)
This dope queen is at it again. Phoebe Robinson's following up the success of her first wildly popular essay collection You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain with a book of personal essays that speaks directly to the proverbial garbage can-dwelling millennials: Everything's Trash But It's Okay. You had me at "Everything's Trash," Phoebe.
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A Well Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts by Therese Anne Fowler (Oct. 16)
In the vein of Fowler's Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, A Well Behaved Woman follows the rise of another unsuspecting heroine of American history: Alva Vanderbilt.
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The Kennedy Debutante by Kerri Maher (Oct. 2)
Can't get enough Kennedy family drama? Neither can we. The latest novelization of mid-century scandal befalling America's royal family focuses on J.F.K.'s beloved sister, Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy through the final 10 years of her short life.
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A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult (Oct. 2)
Reminiscent of Picoult's thought-provoking Nineteen Minutes, A Spark of Light blurs the line between fiction and reality with its depiction of characters faced with an all-too-familiar situation: an act of violence at a women's reproductive health clinic. Like most of Picoult's novels, her latest weaves together the perspectives of those involved, striving to paint a bias-devoid portrait of our modern times.