By the looks of things, October is shaping up to be an interesting month when it comes to new releases. Our recommendations this month cover a lot of ground, from grim satires of the literary world to thoughtful looks at onscreen images. Read on for ten books we’re excited to curl up with this fall.
Nikkitha Bakshani, Ghost Chilli
(Oct. 7, Fleet)
In a rundown of her book Ghost Chilli a year after its publication in the UK, Nikkitha Bakshani described this novel as “a book about letting go.” It’s the story of a young woman searching for her own place in the world and reckoning with existential anxieties; there will also be an intriguing-looking release event for it later this month.
Zefyr Lisowski, Uncanny Valley Girls
(Oct. 7, Harper Perennial)
It wouldn’t be an October book list without some discussion of horror, and this memorably-titled book from Zefyr Lisowski certainly fits the bill. Lisowski’s work has encompassed everything from film commentary to poetry; here, she muses on her own life and the imagery of horror films, among other evocative subjects. Also, her author bio ends on the most unsettling note ever: “She’s seen grave robbers twice.”
Michael J. Seidlinger, On Submission
(Oct. 7, CLASH Books)
As certified admirers of Martin Amis’s The Information, we’re always game for a satirical take on the book world. Michael J. Seidlinger’s latest novel, On Submission, fits that bill — it’s about an agent who hears increasingly disquieting rumors of a frustrated writer-turned-murderer, and discovers that his own life may be at risk.
Tilde Acuña, John Bengan, Daryll Delgado, Amado Anthony G. Mendoza III, Kristine Ong Muslim (editors), Signos: A Fiction Anthology of Filipino Supernatural
(Oct. 14, Radix Co-Op)
When the description of an anthology features the phrase “[a] human-whale chimera,” you know full well we’re going to be on board. If you’re looking for a good selection of uncanny fiction from the Phillipines, look no further.
Megha Majumdar, A Guardian and a Thief
(Oct. 14, Knopf)
Among the finalists for this year’s National Book Award, the new novel from Megha Majumdar transports the reader to Kolkata in the near future. The novel tells the story of one family’s desperate attempts to flee the city and another man’s frantic efforts to seek a better life for himself.
Sophie Strohmeier, All Girls Be Mine Alone
(Oct. 14, Joyland Editions)
Sophie Strohmeier’s novel brings together two seemingly-disparate narrative threads into a powerful story of desire, betrayal, and absence. Also, there’s the restless ghost of a grief-stricken monk to contend with — something sure to make virtually any narrative that much more compelling.
Brandon Taylor, Minor Black Figures
(Oct. 14, Riverhead Books)
In a recent interview with The New Yorker, Brandon Taylor had this to say about his forthcoming novel: “it is a book about a guy learning to see the gestural aspect to painting, and therein seeing the whole human enterprise.” Combining Taylor’s attention to character with a vision of the art world has us eager to sit down with this novel.
Roy Christopher, The Medium Picture
(Oct. 15, University of Georgia)
We’ve enjoyed plenty of Roy Christopher’s books in the past, including the wide-ranging Escape Philosophy and the thought-provoking Boogie Down Predictions. Christopher returns this fall with The Medium Picture, a book that explores big questions surrounding media, technology, and the impact both have had on our everyday lives.
John Haskell, Trying to Be
(Oct. 15, Fiction Collective 2)
Another writer we’ve long admired, John Haskell’s new book is a slim but potent exploration of art, his own familial history, and the role of challenging oneself to spark new and different lines of thinking. It’s a powerful and unpredictable literary work.
Matthew Gasda, Writer’s Diary
(Oct. 28, Rose Books)
If you’re an admirer of the writer Matthew Gasda, your bookshelves may be getting a bit heavier in 2025 — Writer’s Diary is one of three books of his published this year. (The others are his novel The Sleepers and a collection of his plays.) Gasda is an interesting figure — sometimes as much for the discourse he sparks than his work itself — but this collection of nonfiction looks to be a compelling read.
Note: all cover art and release dates are subject to change.