Ep 484 - Most Anticipated Books for October!
Reading Glasses
Scream Queens, Murderous Movie Reenactments, and Lady Knights
They close their recommendations with a horror-movie murder mystery and Knight of the God King, a fantasy featuring a sword-wielding woman and her squire.
Brea and Mallory name their most anticipated books for October 2026! Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!
Links -
Reading Glasses Facebook Group
Reading Glasses Goodreads Group
To join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership! Join us here!
Books Mentioned -
Decomposition Book by Sara Van Os
Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann
OCTOBER
Partita by Barbara Kingsolver
Historical fiction, art, music, love
Victorious by V.E. Schwab
Fantasy, Villains #3
The Witch by Freida McFadden
Thriller, witchcraft, haunted house, Massachusetts
A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas
ACOTAR #6
Reap & Sow by Charlotte B. Plumb
Gothic romantasy, demon bargain, slow burn, magic
Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus
Historical fiction, books about books, poetry publishing
As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers
Sci fi, queer, found family, romance, what it means to be human
The Museum of Modern Love by Mariko Turk
YA, rom com, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Look What the Cat Dragged In by Jason Rekulak
Supernatural thriller, woman petsitting a cat with a mysterious secret, illustrated
To Dream in Darkness by Ann Liang
Romantasy, historical, China, two gods striking a bargain
Broken Rival by Tessa Bailey
Romance, sci fi, YA, time travel
One of My Patients is a Vampire by Abigail Moyer
Gothic thriller, romance, vampires, horror
Off the Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones
Sequel to Only Good Indians
Once, Again, Always by Amanda Gayle
Romance, second chance, memory loss, rivals to lovers
Undone by Peyton Corinne
Romance, second chance, hockey, angsty, coach’s daughter
Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger
Sci fi, time travel, romance, time traveling as a disease
Mortal Things by Marie Lu
YA romantasy, immortals, rivalries, mythology
Scorpion Deep by C.G. Drews
Queer horror, gothic romance, gay, eldritch gods
The Sixth Faction by Veronica Roth
YA dystopian romantasy, new Divergent series
The Keeper by Ana Huang
Sports romance, soccer, grumpy sunshine
Solace House by Will Maclean
Horror, historical, dark academia, gothic, mystery, weird Victorian mansion
Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong
Horror, sci fi, mystery, Final Destination meets Cabin at the End of the World
Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson
Romance, books about books, author and critic who ruined his career
Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun
Queer horror, mysterious TV realm, conspiracy, thriller
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Ally Carter
Holiday romance, mystery, Christmas, murder, slow burn, forced proximity
The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
Historical mystery, funny, murder of a moonshiner in a small town
The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman
Blacktongue #2
Trust No One by Mary Burton
Thriller, woman’s return to creepy family estate, murderer
Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen
Thriller, true crime, glamorous European castle-turned hotel, family secrets, murdered family member
The House Built on Alligator Bones by Sophia Huneycutt
Horror, Southern Gothic, sudden death of her mother causes woman to learn of long lost rich relatives in a weird Florida mansion/alligator farm
Mothsblood by Lynn D. Jung
Romantasy, gothic, dark academia, queer, sapphic, alchemy
Rottenheart by Kat Dunn
Queer horror, sapphic, historical, retelling of Hamlet, gothic
The Tarot Trials by Katee Robert
Romantasy, queer, tarot, magic, a deadly competition
Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa Kleypas
Historical fiction, love, mystery, Victorian England, financial corruption
Missing Molly by Natalie Barelli
Thriller, journalist trying to hide her secrets, cold case murder of young girl
Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane
Historical fiction, Ireland, family drama, 1960s, huge family, family saga
The Lost Guardian by Natalia Hernandez
Romantasy, mythology, New Adult, Peru, archaeology, lost tomb, mysterious map
Hallowed Bones by Lucy Smoke
Romantasy, witches, dark romance, why choose, secret societies
Royal Witch by Philippa Gregory
Historical fantasy, Britain, witches, court intrigue, historical reimagining
The Memory of Borrowed Books by Meg Anderson
Fantasy, books about books, librarian who discovers a hidden room of unfinished memories
This Shattered Tempest by Thea Guanzon
The Hurricane Wars #3
It Ends Here by Heidi Perks
Thriller, crime, killer in a small seaside town
A Married Little Christmas by Abby Jimenez
Romance, Christmas, three novellas, illustrated, recipes
Succubus: A Love Story by Kate Fox
Paranormal romance, succubus death doula falls for doctor
Mystery Play by Elizabeth Kostova
Historical horror, dark academia, mystery, Dracula
Monster in the Mirror by Janasha Prabhu
Horror, thriller, serial killer legacy, small town
The Throwaways by Greta Kelly
Thriller, multiple generations of women, spies, creepy dolls
Another Name for Red by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala
Horror, mystery, woman searching for her missing sister on reservation
The Haunted Librarian by Auralee Wallace
Cozy romantasy, paranormal, lonely librarian finding love, ghosts
Hear the Dead by Ann Davila Cardinal
Horror, thriller, music, woman who can hear the voices of murder victims
Miss Wolcott’s Ghost by Louise Penny
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #21
Find Me Where It Ends by Cassandra Khaw
Queer horror novella, fantasy, black hound of death
The Slantwise Histories: Collected Stories by Alix E. Harrow
Fantasy short stories
Dark Reading Matter by Jasper Fforde
Thursday Next #8
Killing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar
The Boogeyman #3
What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne
YA dystopian horror, sci fi, teen tour guides for the Void
Love You to Death by Jenna Levine
Paranormal romance, woman and jaded sexy grim reaper
Death Devours All by Kieran Dimitri
Queer thriller, gay, dark academia, mystery, historical, 1990s Appalachia
Until the Last Light Goes Out by Courtney Gould
YA queer thriller, sapphic, Miami, gothic, abandoned summer resort
When the Night Comes Knocking by Katherine Daniel
Horror, Appalachia, mystery, monsters, estranged siblings trapped in a convenience store
The Southern Sorority of Superstitious Witches by Katie Ortiz
Historical fantasy, witches, Southern Gothic, post civil war Alabama, queer
Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe
Paranormal romance, rival ghost guides, rom com
In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood by Collin Gosselin
Nonfiction, memoir, reality TV
The Haunting of Lavender House by Natalie Kikic
Historical horror, Croatian folklore, gothic, Adriatic Sea, multigenerational saga
This B Just Won’t Die! by Tanya Pell
Horror, feminist slasher, funny, former scream queen pursued by serial killer impersonating the villain from her films
My Violet Muse by Rosie Sycamore
Queer historical horror, sapphic, art, murder, revenge
Camera Stays On by Tylor Paige
Horromance, slasher, dark romance, filmmaking
Portrait of a Haunting by Madison Tyler Nelson
Horror, witches, mystery, woman who can see ghosts, murder linked to her past
Your Beloved Remains by Quinn Connor
Queer horror, sapphic, dark academia, obsession, forgery, murder
The Scarlet Ball by Nghi Vo
Queer gothic fantasy, horror, historical, ballrooms and bloodshed
Under the Orchard’s Spell by Ann Adams
Contemporary romantasy, woman reunites with first love to solve mystery of strange occurrences in her family’s pear orchard, magic
Luna, Phoenix, Queen by Julie Orringer
Queer literary fiction, infidelity, power of storytelling, identity
The Occidental Book of the Dead by T. Geronimo Johnson
Thriller, murder, racism, Atlanta, police corruption, conspiracy
Truth to Power: A Luke Cage Marvel Crime Novel by S.A. Cosby
Mystery, superheroes, does what it says on the tin
It Looks Like You in the Dark by Mathilda Zeller
Indigenous horror, folklore, monsters, Arctic
Venus, Vanishing by Rebecca Birrell
Queer historical fiction, sapphic, Berlin, 1920s, art
The Tulip Poplars by Silas House
Queer historical fiction, gay, 1900s, race, class, small Kentucky town
The Chain House by J.H. Markert
Horror, thriller, cults, books about books, mass murderer reveals before execution reveals that he is a bestselling author
Lethal Kiss by Taylor Grothe
Horror, sapphic, Jennifer’s Body meets Ninth House, dark academia
The Rush: California Gold, the Civil War, and the Making of the Modern world by Nathaniel Philbrick
Nonfiction, history
Trigger Happy by Meredith Trapp
Romance, romcom, small town, two rival contract killers hired for the same job
Savage Lake by Nick Medina
Indigenous horror, mother and son travel to a dilapidated cabin in the words from her past
The Finalist by Faith Gladwin
Queer gothic thriller, horror, Black Swan meets The Haunting of Hill House
Never Been Tamed by Corinne Michaels
Contemporary romance, cowboy romance, fake dating, sexy doctor
Where There’s Smoke by Rachel Louise Adams
Coldren Country #2, horror
Every Story is a Love Story by Imbolo Mbue
Literary fiction, love, healing from grief
Crash Course by Piper Lawson
Contemporary romance, F1, slow burn, family secrets
Knight of the God King by Lauren Blackwood
YA romantasy, lady knight and her handsome squire, court intrigue, evil king
The Dues and Don’ts of Magic by Delemhach
Cozy romantasy, The Spellshop meets Legends and Lattes
The Pools by E. Lockhart
YA contemporary romantasy, small New England town, shocking transformation
Quaint Folk by Bitter Karella
Queer horror, folk horror, island town, Wicker Man meets The Twisted Ones
Needlemouth by K-Ming Chang
Horror, vampires, gothic, three cousins forced to complete impossible task set by a demon
Trunk No. 3 by Allie Millington
Middle grade fantasy, magic, correspondence, magical library
Ghost Me, Maybe by Manda Collins
Contemporary romance, Halloween, forced proximity, librarian moves to small historic island library with a grumpy tenant
Friends and Family by Natalie Baszile
Literary fiction, friendship, two best friends at odds over their beliefs on race
It’s Only Dancing by Jasmine Guillory
YA contemporary romance, Dirty Dancing retelling
Chateau Reverie by Natasha Siegel
Historical romantasy, mystery, magical auction where you bid secrets in exchange for desires
Rise After Silence: An ER Doctor and the Patients Who Healed Her by Dr. Anne Aspler
Nonfiction, memoir
What Happens at Nightfall by Lauren Willig
Contemporary paranormal romance, Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery, demons, ghosts
The Story Baker by Carsten Henn
Literary fiction, bakery, healing through loaves of bread
The Two Wills by Blair Fell
Queer historical romance, inspired by Oscar Wilde’s theory on Shakespeare
The Jewel of Corlivo by Kathleen Carr Foster
Historical romantasy, reimagined Byzantine empire, runaway courtesan and her disgraced suitor hunt for ancient treasure
The Betrayal of Cora Wexford by Bethany Joy Lenz
Historical mystery, romantic, psychological suspense, Victorian London, Jack the Ripper
Book Club Confidential by Julie Hatcher
Literary fiction, books about books, friendship, challenge to live life like the protagonists of their book club picks
This is What Happens When Women Read by Julianna Glasse
Nonfiction, memoir, Evangelical Christian pop star’s life was transformed when she started reading banned books
Carrying by Samantha Josephs
Queer horror, trans protagonist, funny, impossible pregnancy
Solar Eclipse of the Heart by Kate Robb
Contemporary romantasy, grieving researcher finds magical jacket that sparks visions, friends to lovers
From the Library of Jurgen Leitner by Premee Mohamed and Jonathan Sims
Horror, novel of The Magnus Archives
Wench by Erynne Rivers
Historical romantasy, fae, enemies to lovers, Robin Hood retelling
The Woman of the House by Kate Mooney
Supernatural thriller, haunted house where the previous occupant disappeared
Odette Rising by Julianne Edwards
Historical fiction, coming of age, 1897 France
Once in a Timeline by Iman Hariri-Kia
Contemporary romantasy, time travel, NYC influencer stuck in a loop
Written in Starlight by Sloane Brooks
Romantasy, portal fantasy, sci fi, chambermaid and intergalactic bounty hunter, magical book
What a Nightmare by Rebekah Faubion
Queer horror, sapphic, small town Texas, girl with powers, revenge
Morsels by Abe Moss
Horror, meeting boyfriend’s rich family and something weird is going on
Something is Killing the Children: Hope is a Knife by James Tynion IV and Kiersten White
Horror, novelization of the comic
The Bookshop Book by Mark Lawrence
Fantasy, books about books, adventure
Fangs by K.L Speer
Dark romantasy, dystopia, magic, post apocalyptic
All the Little Houses by May Cobb
Historical thriller, 1980s Texas, family secrets, mean girls and mean moms
What Rough Beast by Mindy McGinnis
YA horror, Stranger Things meets Don’t Let the Forest In
A Wall is Also a Road by Annalee Newitz
Queer sci fi adventure, meaning of life and love, alien grad student studying a backwater planet (us)
Night of the Mallrats by Nicolina Torres
YA queer horror, five friends travel to the 1990s to solve the murder of their friends
Eternal Glow by Heather Gay
Horror, Mormon wife undergoes new beauty procedure with a too high cost
Falling for a Villainous Vampire by Charlotte Stein
Paranormal romance, enemies to lovers, small town
The Savage Mind: An American Legacy by David Treuer
Nonfiction, Indigenous family memoir and history
The Housekeeper by Rose Tremain
Historical fiction, sapphic, Rebecca retelling
Fair Ones by Lydia Millet
Literary fiction, two women in their forties reeling from the murder of their friend
A Reunion to Die For by K.J. Whittle
Mystery, someone murdered the school bull at a high school reunion
Don’t Fall by B.B. Reid
Romantasy, why choose, Little Red Riding Hood retelling, witches
Return to Breakneck Island by Tom Ryan
Mystery, sequel to Treasure Hunters Club
As We Fall Through Time by Claire North
Sci fi, time travel, love, queer, historical
Fail Sons by Adam Wilson
Literary fiction, As I Lay Dying retelling, brothers drive their father’s frozen body across the country
Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinglasses
The AI-powered Podcast Player
