17 New Books Worth Obsessing Over in November

Caroline Scott's The Poppy Wife is a dazzling intersection of romance and historical fiction. The novel, set in 1921, follows Edie, a survivor of the Great War whose husband Francis has yet to come home. Despite all the signs pointing towards his likely death, including the testimony of his brother Harry who saw him get wounded, Edie refuses to give up hope. Soon she and Harry both find themselves on a profoundly moving journey to track down Francis, bringing life-changing truths to light.

Out Nov. 5

According to the official description of Little Weirds, Jenny Slate looked inside her brain and discovered "the smell of honeysuckle, heartbreak, a French-kissing rabbit, a haunted house, death, a vagina singing sad old songs," and about a million other random, but delightful things. And she's not kidding! The stand-up comedian and actress dips into every nook and cranny of her mind to bring forth original, funny, tender, and above all, magical observations about life. Reading it kind of feels like a gift, if that makes sense.

Out Nov. 5

Unsurprisingly, Sisters of Shadow and Light is definitely a novel you'll want to read with your sister: Sara B. Larson's story tells the tale of two young sisters, Inara and Zuhra, who have lived for 15 years behind an enchanted hedge that imprisons them within the citadel of their birth. But as time goes by, Inara inherits her father's mysterious set of powers and Zuhra is left to care for her as she attempts to figure them out. Then, one day, a stranger enters their world and everything changes.

Out Nov. 5

The heroine of Liska Jacobs' The Worst Kind of Want is Pricilla Messing, a cool-headed 40-something who ends up on a trip to Rome to care for her rebellious teenage niece, Hannah. Instead of trying to control her, Cilla dives head first into Hannah's vice-filled lifestyle of drinking, dancing, and smoking, fully embracing her desire for the first time in her life. But, as always, reality comes crashing back, forcing Cilla to make some important decisions about what she wants for her future.

Out Nov. 5

Finding Chika is Mitch Albom's big return to nonfiction, with the bestselling Tuesdays With Morrie author penning a poignant memoir guaranteed to tug on your heartstrings as he recounts his experience raising a young Haitian orphan before her life was tragically cut short by illness.

Out Nov. 5

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (Her Body and Other Parties) is an unflinching, engrossing memoir that recounts a history of domestic abuse, unpacking her religious adolescence and the reality of abuse in queer relationships from unexpected angles.

Out Nov. 5

National Book Award–nominated author Margaret Wilkerson Sexton is back with The Revisioners, a sweeping, historical novel set in the American South that examines the relationship between Black women separated by decades, as well as mothers and their children.

Out Nov. 5

Full House alum Andrea Barber has penned a memoir, Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back Again, that tracks her life from being a child star thanks to her role on the sitcom as Kimmy Gibbler, to the reasons why she abruptly left Hollywood (which Barber jokingly calls "the lost years"), and finally her recent return to the public eye.

Out Nov. 26

On Swift Horses is a story brimming with love, luck, and power, as it follows San Diego transplant Muriel, who finds herself deeply homesick for her rural Kansas hometown and her brother-in-law Julius. Her desperation leads her to the Del Mar racetrack and a passion for betting and horses. Meanwhile, Julius is facing issues of his own in Las Vegas when he falls in love with Henry, a card cheat, and they get run out of town. Pufahl's story bounces back and forth between Muriel and Julius, presenting us with a compelling portrait of two people struggling to find their place in the world.

Out Nov. 5

"As a mentor for the nonprofit WriteGirl, I get to see firsthand how creative writing can transform the lives of teenage girls. In This Moment, 180 of the students who participate in this award-winning program share their stories, poems, and reflections in stunning, stirring language. If you're ever feeling discouraged about the future, these words will offer a jolt of hope from the next generation." — Lindsay Miller, News and Culture Director

Out Nov. 2

If you love rom-coms, this incredibly charming novel will sweep you off your feet. The titular Chloe Brown at the centre of the story — a chronically ill computer geek who has a glamorous, wealthy family — decides to "get a life" by writing down a set of goals for herself. As she checks off things like "enjoy a drunken night out" and "do something bad," she bumps into the handsome Redford "Red" Morgan, who just might be able to help her with a few things on her list. (Like fall in love, maybe?!)

Out Nov. 5

In The Book of Lost Saints, Marisol disappears without a trace during the Cuban Revolution, and now years later, her foul-mouthed ghost visits her nephew, Ramon, in 2019 New Jersey with the goal of him unearthing a painful piece of their family history. So begins Ramon's eventful investigation into the story of his ancestors, which bring him to places he never could have imagined.

Out Nov. 5

If you yearn to revisit the decadent, dark, and magical world created by Erin Morgenstern in her first novel, The Night Circus, then here's a piece of good news: the author has a new book, The Starless Sea, which introduces us to another stunning, lushly created world and a powerful love story. The novel involves "pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea" as it tracks grad student Zachary Ezra Rawlins's adventure after finding a mysterious book hidden in his school's library.

Out Nov. 5

In That's Mental, English comedy writer Amanda Rosenberg gifts us with a collection of confessional essays that are simultaneously raw, hilarious, and touching as she explores every facet of her own mental illness.

Out Nov. 21

Calling all fantasy fans! Unnatural Magic centres on two women from vastly different backgrounds — a talented spellcaster denied an education because of her gender, and a troll outcasted from her village — and how they come together when a series of shocking murders begin happening in their homeland.

Out Nov. 5