Saturday, October 17, 2026

This month’s best new popular fiction

 
Readworthy by BookBub
This Month’s Best New Popular Fiction
 
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Book cover for The Memory of Borrowed Books by Meg Anderson
Fans of The Midnight Library shouldn’t miss this ‘dazzling debut’ (Annie Lyons)
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • As her coastal town plans to shut down her centuries-old library, Claire discovers a hidden, magical room that contains memories — and perhaps the secret to saving it
  • “Anderson has written a reader’s novel — one of those cozy stories that remind people of the power books have” (Library Journal)
  • A Library Reads top pick and October Indie Next pick
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Memory of Borrowed Books by Meg Anderson MEDIA MENTIONS: Locus, People, Forbes, Reactor, Indie Next List, Library Reads, Library Journal
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Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon
This dazzling New York Times bestseller brings a 16th-century Irish heroine to life
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • The author of The Frozen River pens an “epic” and “engaging” page-turner (The New York Times Book Review)
  • Follow Grace O’Malley through her epic transformation from a chieftain’s dutiful daughter to a fearless sea captain
  • “Game of Thrones characters wish they were this badass” (People)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon MEDIA MENTIONS: Book of the Month, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, Oprah Daily, People, Real Simple, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist, BookPage
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Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for Every Story Is a Love Story by Imbolo Mbue
Years after the car crash that killed his wife, Wolo receives a shocking letter…
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Against the advice of his friends and family, Wolo agrees to meet the woman who was behind the wheel on the day of the accident — and finds his world upended once again
  • This new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Behold the Dreamers is one of Time’s most anticipated books of fall
  • “A deeply moving, beautifully told novel about grief, regret, anger, forgiveness, and the insistent resilience of the human heart” (Patrick Ryan, author of Buckeye)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Every Story Is a Love Story by Imbolo Mbue MEDIA MENTIONS: Time Magazine, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Electric Literature, Literary Hub
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Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason
Reese’s Book Club pick for October is ‘a special treat for booklovers’ (Library Journal)
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Praise from Bonnie Garmus, Ann Napolitano, Catherine Newman, and Ann Patchett, who says, “Meg Mason is a dazzling talent”
  • After a shocking loss, bookworm Sophie is reeling — and takes comfort in rereading a favorite author. Will it prove a lifeline, or will she get in too deep?
  • “A piercing, achingly human novel about the enormous courage required to step out of the wings and into your own life” (Booklist starred review)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason MEDIA MENTIONS: Reese's Book Club, Book of the Month, NPR, People, The Wall Street Journal, Harper's Bazaar, Good Housekeeping, Parade, The Guardian, The Times, Library Reads, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist, BookPage, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for Friends and Family by Natalie Baszile
‘The kind of novel that practically demands a post-reading debrief’ (Oprah Daily)
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • After their kids have a traumatic encounter with the police, best friends Babs and Nora must confront their disparate beliefs on race and identity
  • A “cinematic story” (Booklist starred review) from the author of Queen Sugar — which was made into a TV show produced by Ava DuVernay
  • “This is a powerful, gut-wrenching book that everyone needs to read” (Patmeena Sabit, author of Good People)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Friends and Family by Natalie Baszile MEDIA MENTIONS: NPR, Oprah Daily, San Francisco Chronicle, Publishers Weekly, Booklist
GET EBOOK ON:
Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for The King of Aloe Vera by Tomas Moniz
A 75-year-old widower finds his life transformed by an unlikely intergenerational friendship
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Kirkus Reviews says you’ll root for the “authentically rendered” characters in this “truly sweet and never cloying novel”
  • Set to move into a retirement home in a month, Rey is thinking about his next chapter when Q, a young woman with a painful past, enters his life
  • “Charming… It’s a gem” (Publishers Weekly)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The King of Aloe Vera by Tomas Moniz MEDIA MENTIONS: San Francisco Chronicle, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for The Many Private Lives of Missy Cooke by Jane Green
Meet ‘a wonderful and clever character’ in this ‘smart and timely’ novel (Annie Hartnett)
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • From a New York Times bestselling author who counts Taylor Jenkins Reid and Elin Hilderbrand among her many fans
  • When Missy is made interim CEO after her estranged father steps down, she’s thrust into a high-pressure world that puts her to the test
  • “A worthwhile story about reexamining family relationships” (Kirkus Reviews)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Many Private Lives of Missy Cooke by Jane Green MEDIA MENTIONS: Parade, The Boston Globe, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist
GET EBOOK ON:
Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus
The author of Lessons in Chemistry’s latest is ‘both poignant and heartwarming’ (Booklist)
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • One of 2026’s most anticipated new releases, according to The New York Times, Literary Hub, The Boston Globe, and many more
  • Batter Gray’s life changes forever when he lands his dream job at the poetry journal Peck & Peck!
  • “Charming, uplifting, soulful, and original… Book clubs will adore this novel. I loved it” (Kristin Hannah)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus MEDIA MENTIONS: Time Magazine, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, Oprah Daily, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, New York Post, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist, BookPage, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger
Return to the world of The Time Traveler’s Wife in this unforgettable read!
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Bonnie Garmus recommends this “graceful, complicated, satisfying” novel
  • With the inherited ability to slip through the decades, Alba — the daughter of time traveler Henry — grapples with what truly matters
  • “A fiercely imaginative feat of world-building” (Sarah Addison Allen) told through multiple perspectives
Learn more...
Media mentions for Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger MEDIA MENTIONS: New Scientist, Associated Press, Slate, Good Housekeeping, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian, The Times, Reactor, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for The Rally by Carla Vass
Jennifer Weiner recommends this ‘delicious escape’ set in glamorous European locales
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • According to Chris Bohjalian, The Rally is “the sort of scrumptious novel you’ll devour like Belgian chocolate, French bread, and Italian wine”
  • Ousted from the dating app she helped build, Charlie joins her best friend on an extravagant road trip across Europe — where she embraces her newfound freedom and reckons with the secrets of her past
  • “A joyride start to finish. I didn’t want it to end!” (Emily Everett, author of Reese’s Book Club pick All That Life Can Afford)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Rally by Carla Vass MEDIA MENTIONS: People, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
Amazon Other formats and retailers
 
   
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