Grief, Secrets, and Competing Murder Stories

Brea and Mallory name their most anticipated books for October 2026! Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!

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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

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