Alas, the clocks have changed and it’s starting to get dark up here in the north. This is the one time where the idea of early Christmas decorating might have something to it: getting more twinkle lights out on these dark streets could definitely liven things up! But cozy weather is always great for new books, so here are some we’re looking forward to this month!
Serena’s Picks
Book: “The Wolves of War” by John Gwynne
Publication Date: November 3, 2026
Why I’m Interested: It’s been a while since I’ve read a good, old school-feeling fantasy novel, and I know that John Gwynne has some highly praised works in his catalog. So the start of a new series by him seems like a great place to see what all the hype is about! This one sounds especially intriguing as it follows a father whose main concern is his family, especially is daughter who has been trapped in her body since birth. But she dreams of wolves, and lately these dreams seem to have greater import than ever. The cover is also fantastic on this one!
Book: “Murder at Enscombe Park” by Vanessa Kelly
Publication Date: November 24, 2026
Why I’m Interested: It’s been great fun having two Jane Austen mystery series to follow during the last several years. Emma has been a great amateur sleuth, and it’s always fun to see what shenanigans she’s going to get up to in each new entry. Here, I’m especially excited because Emma and company are travelling outside of Highbury for the first time, and the series is pulling in the Churchills, Frank and Jane, who were central to the original novel. Frank Churchill is also one of the few Austen men who straddles the line between heroic and villainous. By the end of “Emma,” readers are left to make their own judgements about him, largely. What will Kelly do with him here?
Book: “Mooncursed” by Holly Renee
Publication Date: November 3, 2026
Why I’m Interested: I maaaay have thought this was a werewolf novel when I first picked up the ARC that the publisher sent me. But really, with at tile like that and the moon so prominently displayed in the background, who could blame me? Instead, the book seems to be much more focused on the sea and a long-running feud between celestial beings? Throw in an ancient curse of madness, an arranged marriage, and ocean magic, and I’m definitely intrigued!
Kate’s Picks
Book: “Milkteeth” by Caitlin Starling
Publication Date: November 10, 2026
Why I’m Interested: I love vampire horror, I’m always extra freaked by body horror, and if you make that body horror tied into motherhood and pregnancy it’s going to be all the more distressing. Enter “Milkteeth”! Because apparently lady vampires also have to deal with the unfair and exhausting expectations of motherhood! I love the idea of a vampire being run ragged by raising fledglings, and then seeking out answers after a third one actually physically transforms her. Vampires generally don’t make great parents in horror stories, but this one sounds like it could be an interesting take on the mental load of motherhood but through a vampire’s eyes.
Book: “Pinfeathers” by Christina Henry
Publication Date: November 17, 2026
Why I’m Interested: I was very impressed with Henry’s last horror novel so I wanted to read this one almost the moment I heard of it. And it is another body horror book with motherhood themes, as it turns out! A mother named Nora is concerned about the fact that her baby is starting to grow feathers. While her husband wants to have the baby checked and examined, Nora would rather keep it hidden, as she worries about what would happen if people discovered this weird anomaly. I have a few theories about what the metaphors could possibly pertain to, but I definitely want to check it out and see what’s actually going on.
Book: “Until The Last Light Goes Out” by Courtney Gould
Publication Date: November 10, 2026
Why I’m Interested: And we round out the picks with something completely different! We trade in parental body horror themes for a good old fashioned slasher horror tale! And this one has some interesting themes of generational trauma to boot, when a bunch of kids of survivors of an infamous massacre go to the place of their parents’ trauma, at an abandoned resort in search of a missing person. Courtney Gould has some good horror tales under her belt, and this one sounds like it could be a lot of wicked fun!
What books are you looking forward to reading this month? Let us know in the comments!
