Yahoo Lifestyle The 23 Best New Book Releases This Week: Oct. 29-Nov. 5, 2024
Here are the best new book releases out this week: October 29-November 5, 2024. Boo! Yes, it’s Halloween this week, a time for trick or treating (or trunk or treating) and fun costumes and haunted houses and scary movies and piles of leaves on the ground and books! Books? Yes, books: read-aloud picture books and spooky short stories and supernatural novels and spell-casting romances and so much more.
Every week has its own funky flavor and this week, we’ve got three really fun mysteries, along with the usual assortment of cookbooks and a thriller-like book about mercenaries and books about loving books and a movie fan’s roundup of every post-apocalyptic movie you can name and kids books and–my favorite–the true story behind Handel’s Messiah. So let’s get reading. At the head of the Parade are…
The 23 Best New Book Releases This Week: Oct. 29-Nov. 5, 2024
1. Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times That Made Handel’s Messiah by Charles King
No, I’ve never wondered about the story behind the writing and first performance of Handel’s Messiah either. But this work of popular history by Charles King reveals a movie-worthy backstory. It features everyone from an African Muslim man held captive in the American colonies and hatching a bold plan to break free to an actress with an abusive husband and fans that have turned against her to Handel himself, a man beset by illness and fickle fame.
Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times That Made Handel’s Messiah by Charles King ($32; Doubleday) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
Related: Legendary Journalist Bob Woodward Sets a New Milestone and Folks Are Impressed
Courtesy of Minotaur Books, Mindy’s Book Studio, Soho Crime)
2. The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny
3. Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs
4. Eight Very Bad Nights: A Collection of Hanukkah Noir edited by Tod Goldberg
Three welcome mysteries.
Canadian author Louise Penny returns with her acclaimed series starring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team in the small–but crime-ridden!–village of Three Pines in Québec. This time, the stakes are enormously high, but it all begins with a phone call Gamache refuses to answer.
Amelia Diane Coombs is known for her Young Adult romances featuring strong female characters and friendships. Now she’s making her mystery debut…and three distinctive sisters are at the heart of it. In this kooky romp, they’re out camping, a hateful guy is accidentally killed and they try to cover their tracks and hide the body from the super-hot law enforcement men closing in. Hey, that’s one way to rebond with an estranged sibling. Mindy Kaling loves it so much, she’s publishing it! (I can definitely see my three sisters in this scenario!)
And they had me at the cover image for Eight Very Bad Nights. This collection of Hanukkah noir features a striking design of a dreidel with a skull on one side and a knife on another that just killed me. Right away, you know there will be blood…but humor, too. Would it kill you to bring a little something to gnosh on while we figure out who dunnit?
The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny ($30; Minotaur Books) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs ($16.99; Mindy’s Book Studio) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
Eight Very Bad Nights: A Collection of Hanukkah Noir edited by Tod Goldberg ($27.95; Soho Crime) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
5. My Three Dogs by W. Bruce Cameron
Okay, W. Bruce Cameron cornered the adorable dog story market ever since breaking out with his 2010 novel A Dog’s Purpose. At this point, all you need to see is the cover image of adorable doggies and you’re sold, right? This one combines The Incredible Journey with a found (doggie) family so all can be reunited. Awww, who’s a good book? Yes, you are!
My Three Dogs by W. Bruce Cameron ($27.99; Forge Books) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
Courtesy of Running Press Adult, Ballantine Books
6. The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge by Erika Berlin
7. Gather Me by Glory Edim
You’re reading this so you love books. Plus, you’ve got a pulse so I assume you also love Gilmore Girls, which for the first four seasons was one of the best shows of all time. (I love it all, but they stumbled for a bit when Rory went to college. And ending the show’s original run without the creators on board? Don’t get me started.) You probably know Rory never went anywhere without a book in her hand. Since TV met the internet, that also means everyone paid attention to what she was reading and it turns out they showcased or referenced more than 300 books during the show’s run. You can find lists online but The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge features all the titles, plus tips on how to tackle them and in what order, not to mention an episode guide and more. (From A-C, I’ve got about 33 books I haven’t read; but really, who reads the book of a musical like Brigadoon?)
Reading can change your life. Just ask Glory Edim, the founder of the Well Read Black Girl book club and online community that has blossomed into a powerful force for good. Edim tells her own story, growing up in Virginia to immigrant parents from Nigeria. Through all the ups and downs of her life, the library in general and books in particular were always there for Edim…and still are. This book may offer the same solace and strength to someone else someday soon.
The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge by Erika Berlin ($22; Running Press Adult) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
Gather Me by Glory Edim ($28; Ballantine Books) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
Courtesy of St. Martin’s Griffin; Little, Brown and Company; Mariner Books
8. Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore
9. Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco
10. This Motherless Land by Nikki May
Okay, Perfect Fit is the well-reviewed romance about an overworked CEO who has to hire a consultant and somehow ends up with the twin brother of her ex-best friend and he was angsty (she thought) and she was shallow (he thought) and now they’re falling for each other? No, it won’t work. No, no, no. But let me add, since we’ve just discussed Rory Gilmore that this is the second romance author in two or three weeks with the last name Gilmore! Suspicious? Or fate? Can I get a romance novel published if I use the pen name Jess Mariano?
In the stand-alone romantasy Throne of Secrets, the Prince of Gluttony (not to worry, he’s very fit and handsome; this is a fantasy, after all) realizes something wicked is going on at his court and must partner with a pesky journalist to get to the bottom of the conspiracy. Falling for the reporter is of course out of the question. It’s the second book in author Kerri Maniscalco’s Prince of Sin series.
Jane Austen wrote about six novels, two of which are towering masterpieces. Read them all, though perhaps save Mansfield Park for later. It’s both profound and problematic, say many. Writer Nikki May takes the bones of the book and transforms it into This Motherless Land, the story of a little girl from Nigeria who is exiled to England when tragedy strikes. The lead character Fanny becomes Funke and the novel stretches over two decades. But you can be certain that, just like Austen, May will tease out the ambiguities and hypocrisies of English society with fresh eyes.
Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore ($17.99; St. Martin’s Griffin) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco ($29; Little, Brown and Company) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
This Motherless Land by Nikki May ($30; Mariner Books) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
11. The Wagner Group by Jack Margolin
Most of us learned about the Wagner Group when Russia attacked Ukraine, launching the largest land war in Europe since World War II. They’re mercenaries endorsed by Russia’s autocratic leader Vladimir Putin. They’re a power base. And they marched on Moscow and almost overthrew the government. Investigative researcher Jack Margolin tells its story, from the group’s inception to the fiery death of its leader in a jet plane “accident.” (In Russia, stay away from windows and private jets.) Critics describe it as riveting and as exciting as any thriller.
The Wagner Group by Jack Margolin ($22.50; Reaktion Books) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
Courtesy of Knopf, Clarkson Potter
12. Marcella’s Italian Kitchen by Marcella Hazan
13. Chapter One by Bobby Flay and Emily Timberlake
14. My Mexican Kitchen by Eva Longoria
Three more delicious cookbooks as the holiday approaches. Marcella’s Italian Kitchen is an updated new edition of the classic work by the author credited with revolutionizing how Americans cook Italian food. Bobby Flay tells his story via 100 seminal recipes in Chapter One. And actor/producer/activist/entrepreneur Eva Longoria apparently also finds time to whip up classic dishes and shares her favorites with My Mexican Kitchen.
Marcella’s Italian Kitchen by Marcella Hazan ($40; Knopf) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
Chapter One by Bobby Flay and Emily Timberlake ($60; Clarkson Potter) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
My Mexican Kitchen by Eva Longoria ($35; Clarkson Potter) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
15. World Gone Wild by David J. Moore
Author David J. Moore is crazy about post-apocalyptic movies. In this updated and expanded edition of World Gone Wild, he’s added in even more reviews and profiles of the talent behind some of the most famous and cultish and just plain obscure films in this genre. Moore covers everything, from the Mad Max films to obscure TV movies from bygone days he tracked down because that’s the sort of thing you do when you’re obsessed with these films. The book is coffee table worthy, packed as it is with photos. If you’ve ever watched Don Johnson in A Boy and His Dog or had an argument about whether Blade Runner even counts as a post-apocalyptic movie, this is the book for you. With this magnum opus, Moore should be invited to sit on panels at Comic Cons for the rest of his life.
World Gone Wild by David J. Moore ($60; Schiffer) Buy now from Amazon
Courtesy of Tachyon Publications, Wednesday Books, Feiwel & Friends
16. Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions by Nalo Hopkinson
17. For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga
18. Don’t Let The Forest In by C.G. Drews
It’s been almost a decade since author Nalo Hopkinson published a collection of her short fiction, so it’s a welcome concoction indeed. You know she’s talented because critics call this speculative fiction. But when stories are described as being about scientists studying the remains of an alien life form or nanotechnology getting all woke and someone has a cyborg pig on a waterworld, I’m gonna just name it sci-fi and call it a day.
Author Emily Varga makes her debut with a Pakistani-inspired reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo with fantastical elements and an unwelcome romance for its revenge-inspired female heroine. Sign me up.
And just in time for Halloween comes Don’t Let The Forest In, a queer, creepy horror story about two teen boys battling the dark forces they’ve awakened in the woods. But the more they fight, the stronger their bond and the stronger these creatures become. Maybe their attraction is the problem? Maybe one of them needs to die?
Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions by Nalo Hopkinson ($16.95; Tachyon Publications) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga ($20; Wednesday Books) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
Don’t Let The Forest In by C.G. Drews ($19.99; Feiwel & Friends) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
Related: Need a Quick, Fun Book? Goodreads Has Your Back (and so do we)!
19. The Chronicles of DOOM by S.H Fernando Jr.
If you’re looking for a biography of the Marvel villain/anti-hero Doctor Doom, keep looking. (That would be pretty cool, actually.) But if you’re into hip hop, you should know about MF DOOM, one of the most intriguing and talented purveyors of rap in the late 90s/early 2000s. He used a Doctor Doom-like mask in stage shows and even sent out other rappers to pose as MF DOOM (to fan’s displeasure). Author S.H. Fernando Jr. tells Daniel Dumile’s life, from the childhood nickname of “Doom” (short for Dumile) to the tragic deaths of his brother and son and Dumile’s own travails with the U.S. But mostly it’s about the music, including DOOM’s serious rapping skils and his acclaimed collaborations with Danger Mouse and others. Plus, the cover is just very cool.
The Chronicles of DOOM by S.H Fernando Jr. ($30; Astra House) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
Courtesy of Feiwel & Friends, Quill Tree Books, Greenwillow Books
20. Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy
21. Lost In The Empire City by Avi
22. Unsinkable Cayenne by Jessica Vitalis
Three books for kids will entertain anyone who gives them a go.
Marissa Meyer (queen of the remixed fairy tale) and kid’s author Joanne Levy team up–appropriately enough–for this holiday-themed story about two girls who team up. They meet at an audition and freak out because they’re clearly identical twins. Naturally, they decide to swap homes for the holidays without telling anyone, just to see what their lives might have been like if they’d gone to another home.
Avi is always good for an engaging story. With Lost in the Empire City, he tells about a boy from a small Italian village who travels with his mother and little sister to America to join their father in the early 1900s…and gets separated from them even before they reach New York City. Our hero barely speaks a word of English but a gang of thieves takes him in. Then he’s seized by police and his troubles really begin. It’s an engaging story and reminds me of how books can capture events with such immediacy you remember them forever. We all know immigrants traveled to America and that was a life-changing journey. But until I read this book, I never quite appreciated what that meant. The journey from their village just to the port town is dangerous and brave. Then simply waiting to board the ship, being waylaid by scammers, the confusion and fear about being sick or rejected, how they’re told repeatedly if they lose the scrap of paper saying they’re healthy that they’ll be sent back, the panic just to get on board, the chaos that ensues…. It’s truly overwhelming and they haven’t even left Italy yet! You’ll realize forever exactly how dangerous and intimidating and frightening even starting the journey to America must have been.
The 1980s seems like yesterday, to me, but that setting makes Unsinkable Cayenne a period novel, just like Lost in the Empire City, which takes place 80 years before that. Our hero Cayenne has hippie parents (I mean, “unconventional”) but they decide it’s time to put down some roots. Twelve year old Cayenne is thrilled–now she can make friends, fit in and actually belong somewhere. Or can she?
Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy ($9.99; Feiwel & Friends) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
Lost In The Empire City by Avi ($19.99; Quill Tree Books) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
Unsinkable Cayenne by Jessica Vitalis ($19.99; Greenwillow Books) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
23. I Know How To Draw An Owl by Hilary Horder Hippely; illustrated by Matt James
In this lovely, understated picture book by Hippely and James, a little girl named Belle is too shy to explain why she can draw owls so well. How to tell them she and her mom are homeless, sleeping in their car in a park and a nearby owl keeps watch over them? Lots of complex ideas presented subtly and beautifully, as the best picture books can do.
I Know How To Draw An Owl by Hilary Horder Hippely; illustrated by Matt James ($18.99; Neal Porter Books) Buy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
