October Book Releases

And just like that, we’re in October with a new group of upcoming book releases! From the highly anticipated release of the first instalment in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials companion series, to John Green publishing his first book since The Fault in Our Stars in 2012, and the release of the stunning Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban: Illustrated Edition.

Or perhaps something from Dan Brown or Ender’s Game author, Orson Scott Card, is more up your alley? Well you’re in luck because both of these talented authors have books coming out! Even the award-winning actor Tom Hanks is dabbling in writing short stories in his upcoming novel, Uncommon Type.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you will be checking any of them out!

La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman  |  FANTASY  |  Goodreads

The companion series to the His Dark Materials trilogy follows eleven-year-old Malcolm Polstead and his dæmon, Asta. He lives with his parents at the Trout Inn near Oxford. Across the River Thames (which Malcolm navigates often using his beloved canoe, a boat by the name of La Belle Sauvage) is the Godstow Priory where the nuns live. Malcolm learns they have a guest with them, a baby by the name of Lyra Belacqua . . .

The Naturalist by Andrew Mayne  |  THRILLER + MYSTERY  |  Goodreads

Professor Theo Cray is trained to see patterns where others see chaos. So when mutilated bodies found deep in the Montana woods leave the cops searching blindly for clues, Theo sees something they missed. As a computational biologist, Theo is more familiar with digital code and microbes than the dark arts of forensic sleuthing. But a field trip to Montana suddenly lands him in the middle of an investigation into the bloody killing of one of his former students. As more details, and bodies, come to light, the local cops determine that the killer is either a grizzly gone rogue…or Theo himself.

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli  |  FANTASY + YOUNG ADULT  |  Goodreads

The Namsara was the child of sky and spirit, but where there is light, there must be dark. The Iskari is the child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death bringer. Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, grew up with these tales, but it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari—a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl. Conquering each dragon, she is shackled until she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for facing the most powerful dragon. Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her.

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green  |  CONTEMPORARY + YOUNG ADULT  |  Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis. Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban (Illustrated Edition) by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay | Goodreads

An extraordinary creative achievement by an extraordinary talent, Jim Kay’s inspired reimagining of J.K. Rowling’s classic series sees a fully illustrated edition of Prisoner of Azkaban. With new characters to illustrate, including Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Professor Trelawney, the book fizzes with magic and brimming with humour. The full-colour edition will captivate fans and new readers alike as Harry, now in his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, faces Dementors, death omens and – of course – danger.

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover  |  CONTEMPORARY + NEW ADULT  |  Goodreads

The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit who collects other people’s trophies. Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves.

Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks  |  FICTION  |  Goodreads

A gentle Eastern European immigrant arrives in New York City after his family and his life have been torn apart by his country’s civil war. A man who loves to bowl rolls a perfect game–and then another and then another and then many more in a row until he winds up ESPN’s newest celebrity, and he must decide if the combination of perfection and celebrity has ruined the thing he loves. An eccentric billionaire and his faithful executive assistant venture into America looking for acquisitions and discover a down and out motel, romance, and a bit of real life.

Nightblade’s Vengeance by Ryan Kirk  |  FANTASY  | Goodreads

In a feudal land, a Kingdom is at risk. With no heir to the fragile throne, its future rests with the powerful members of the dying king’s Council, including Minori, a nightblade warrior, and Kiyoshi, a dayblade healer. The two men are bound by the sword but divided by two opposing principles: rule the land, or serve it. In their challenge for supremacy, a spark has been lit. Asa, a fierce nightblade warrior, has spent a decade in pursuit of the enigmatic general who killed her father in a violent revolt. Now, her desire for reckoning has led her to the village of Two Falls—and straight into the heart of an impending civil war. Minori and Kiyoshi are vying for her loyalty. And Asa must choose sides.

I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll  |  MYSTERY + THRILLER  |  Goodreads

When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it—until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls has disappeared. A year later, the girl is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she’s not the only one who can’t forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters—letters that make her fear for her life.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone  |  CONTEMPORARY + YOUNG ADULT  |  Goodreads

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. He looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out. Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack.

Children of the Fleet by Orson Scott Card  | SCIENCE FICTION  | Goodreads

Ender Wiggin won the Third Formic war, ending the alien threat to Earth. Afterwards, all the terraformed Formic worlds were open to settlement by humans, and the International Fleet became the arm of the Ministry of Colonization, run by Hirum Graff. MinCol now runs Fleet School on the old Battle School station, and still recruits very smart kids to train as leaders of colony ships, and colonies. Dabeet Ochoa is a very smart kid. Top of his class in every school. But he doesn’t think he has a chance at Fleet School, because he has no connections to the Fleet. That he knows of. At least until the day that Colonel Graff arrives at his school for an interview.

Origin by Dan Brown  |  MYSTERY  |  Goodreads

Here to witness the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever”, Robert Langdon’s ex-student, Edmond Kirsch, is about to make the big reveal. The event soon erupts into chaos and Langdon is forced to flee and with him is Ambra Vidal, the museum director who worked with Kirsch to stage the provocative event. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret. The pair must evade a tormented enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain’s Royal Palace itself . . . and who will stop at nothing to silence Edmond Kirsch.