What To Read

Every month, we share the books we can't wait to read. Our October staff picks include: a heart-pounding International Booker finalist from a rising Latin American star; a deeply personal memoir from the author of Call Me By Your Name; a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning novelist's latest coming-of-age tale; and a timely work of reportage from a legendary journalist.

FICTION

The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich (Oct 1)

Selected by Sam Haecker

Ever since reading her 1988 novel Tracks, which fascinated me with its multilayered trickster figure Nanapush, I've been a superfan of Louise Erdrich. Her work straddles the line of human life and the beyond, leaving us wondering what we may or may not have control over - and how nature can still provide for us. From what I've heard so far, this might be my book of the year.

Model Home by Rivers Solomon (Oct 1)

Selected by Iliyah Coles

This book came on to my radar during the last Tertulia First Dibs editors' salon and now I HAVE to get my hands on a copy. I love a good surrealist fiction piece, and when you add in the elements of Blackness and white suburbia and siblings trying to escape a haunted house long after they've up and gone – I'm sold. Rivers Solomons' team is pitching them as this generation's Toni Morrison, and the thought crossed my mind before the editor even mentioned it.

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny (Oct 29)

Selected by Fernanda Gorgulho

Did you know that Canadian author Louise Penny has made history by winning the prestigious Agatha Award for mystery books a record nine times? This summer, I finally dove into her Inspector Gamache series, which follows the adventures of a police inspector in the small Quebecois town of Three Pines. These detective stories have a quaint and almost light feel, much like the tiny village they're set in, and I’m thrilled to jump into the newest installment, which Publishers Weekly called 'one of the series' best.'

Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown (Oct 1)

Selected by Iliyah Coles

I recognized the building on the cover and soon realized this campus novel is set at my alma mater. Oddly enough, the main character is returning for her younger sister's graduation, which I'll be doing next summer. Thankfully, the similarities end there, as it's revealed the younger sister is found dead, and somehow, a secret social club is involved. This familiar setting takes a very twisted spin, as the sister's death wasn't the first death on campus. Maybe we'll even get some more tea on what it's really like to be a college kid at an Ivy these days.

Miss Kim Knows: And Other Stories by Cho Nam-Joo (Oct 29)

Selected by Romina Raimundo

Ever since learning about the radical feminist movement 4B on a podcast, I've been intrigued by the South Korean author Cho Nam-Joo, who is credited with igniting the movement with her controversial first book Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, which was longlisted for the National Book Award for Translation. Her latest collection follows the stories of eight women grappling with sexism and violence in various settings.

Clean by Alia Trabucco Zerán (Oct 15)

Selected by Romina Raimundo

This book by rising Chilean author Alia Trabucco Zerán, finalist for the International Booker Prize, hooked me for two reasons. First, it starts with a murder, which always gets my reading adrenaline pumping. Second, I'm intrigued by the figure of Estela, the family’s maid/nana who’s been interrogated, since the maid has always been a kind of controversial figure in Latin American countries. Plus, I'm sold that LitHub calls this one a “modern masterpiece!”

NONFICTION

Roman Year: A Memoir by André Aciman (Oct 22)

Selected by Fernanda Gorgulho

I'm in the club that sees Call Me By Your Name, famously adapted into the film that put Timothee Chalamet on the map, as a poetic masterpiece. This month, Andre Aciman returns with a deeply personal story about his childhood in Rome after his family’s expulsion from Egypt for being Jewish. In a memoir that’s been described as novel-like for its captivating storytelling, he shares memories of biking through the Italian streets of the Eternal City, his deaf mother’s anger, his great uncle’s antics, all while navigating the challenges of coming of age in a new, unfamiliar place.

Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman (Oct 8)

Selected by Emmanuel Hidalgo-Wohlleben

I've long been curious about meditation and yoga, but for one reason or another have failed to make mindfulness practices into a habit. As we hurtle toward the election and holiday season, I'm taking the release of Oliver Burkeman's new book as a cue to prioritize my health and sanity.

War by Bob Woodward (Oct 15)

Selected by Emmanuel Hidalgo-Wohlleben

Like clockwork, legendary investigative reporter Bob Woodward is out with a new book to break down the tumultuous times we are living in. As we inch toward the end of the Biden era, Woodward dishes out the inside scoop on the president's response to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and the political war being wage within the United States itself.

COOKBOOK

Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi (Oct 8)

Selected by Fernanda Gorgulho

As a fan of his New York Times column and with Simple as a go-to in my kitchen, I’m hooked on this Middle Eastern magician’s flavorful dishes like Pappardelle with Rose Harissa, Black Olives, and Capers. He’s turned my everyday ingredients like olives and capers into a weeknight dinner sensation! I can’t wait to get my hands on his latest cookbook filled with feel-good, nostalgic dishes perfect for cozy nights in. It’s perfect for fall!