Anticipated October 2019 Book Releases

Happy October book lovers! I’m ready to start having cooler weather and get cozy with tea and books this month. Do you have any books you’re planning on reading for October? Since it is the season to be spooky, I’m hoping to read a couple of thrillers and a witchy historical fiction novel, Her Kind, so keep an eye out for those reviews throughout the month! For now, let’s take a look at some of the most anticipated book releases of October (or at least the ones I’m most excited about).

1. The Girl I Left Behind by Andie Newton

This is a World War 2 historical fiction spy novel! The Girl I Left Behind is the debut novel from Andie Newton and I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Reader Copy to check out. I fell in love with the writing and the characters, it was beautifully told and it wasn’t a typical WW2 novel where its focused on the concentration camps. Instead, Newton writes about Germans who were part of the Nazi party and tells the story of their perspective, depicting them as average people rather than monsters (which I think makes them scarier).  People usually wonder why Germans didn’t do something sooner to stop the atrocities or if they even knew, well this novel gives us a clearer picture of that. I think if you liked Tattooist of Auschwitz or WW2 novels in general, you’ll fall in love with Andie Newton’s novel as well!

Here’s the synopsis:

“What would you risk to save your best-friend?
As a young girl, Ella never considered that those around her weren’t as they appeared. But when her childhood best friend shows Ella that you can’t always believe what you see, Ella finds herself thrown into the world of the German Resistance.

On a dark night in 1941, Claudia is taken by the Gestapo, likely never to be seen again, unless Ella can save her. With the help of the man she loves, Ella must undertake her most dangerous mission yet and infiltrate the Nazi Party.

Selling secrets isn’t an easy job. In order to find Claudia, Ella must risk not only her life, but the lives of those she cares about.

Will Ella be able to leave behind the girl of her youth and step into the shoes of another?”

You can check out my review here.

Release date: October 3rd

2. Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris

Speaking of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and WW2 novels, Heather Morris’ sequel to The Tattooist, Cilka’s Journey, is also being released this month! If you haven’t read her first novel yet, Cilka is a character we see in The Tattooist and get bits of her story from Lale but we never fully know about her. Well now Morris is telling us how Cilka made it into Auschwitz, what happened to her during her time in the camp, and what happens to her afterwards when she is sent to Siberia for being a collaborator to the Nazis. I read The Tattooist of Auschwitz in August and I’m very excited to learn more about Cilka and experience Morris’ gift for writing once more.

Synopsis:

“Her beauty saved her life – and condemned her.

Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, in 1942. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival.

After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to Siberia. But what choice did she have? And where did the lines of morality lie for Cilka, who was sent to Auschwitz when still a child?

In a Siberian prison camp, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, including the unwanted attention of the guards. But when she makes an impression on a woman doctor, Cilka is taken under her wing. Cilka begins to tend to the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under brutal conditions.

Cilka finds endless resources within herself as she daily confronts death and faces terror. And when she nurses a man called Ivan, Cilka finds that despite everything that has happened to her, there is room in her heart for love.”

Release Date: October 3rd

3. The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes

Wow it is a month for historical fiction! Obviously I’m excited about this one because of the genre but also I love JoJo Moyes’ writing. I first fell in love with her books with the Me Before You trilogy and now I hope to read all of her other work. To find out that my favorite author was writing a historical fiction novel, I couldn’t resist! Oh and it’s going to be made into a movie so if you like to read the book before seeing the movie, then I recommend not waiting too long to pick up a copy.

Synopsis:

“Set in Depression-era America, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond, from the author of Me Before You and The Peacock Emporium

Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically.

The leader, and soon Alice’s greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who’s never asked a man’s permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Horseback Librarians of Kentucky.

What happens to them–and to the men they love–becomes a classic drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. Though they face all kinds of dangers, they’re committed to their job–bringing books to people who have never had any, sharing the gift of learning that will change their lives.

Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope. At times funny, at others heartbreaking, this is a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.”

Release Date: October 8th

4. How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones

I’ve heard about this book from one of my favorite podcasts, Pod Save the People, and I don’t read memoirs very often but I’m trying to read more of them. I don’t know how to truly describe this book other than saying, based on the synopsis, it’s going to be an emotional, powerful book. I’ll let the synopsis provide you with the details and maybe you’ll want to read it too.

“From award-winning poet Saeed Jones, How We Fight for Our Lives is a stunning coming-of-age memoir written at the crossroads of sex, race, and power.

“People don’t just happen,” writes Saeed Jones. “We sacrifice former versions of ourselves. We sacrifice the people who dared to raise us. The ‘I’ it seems doesn’t exist until we are able to say, ‘I am no longer yours.’ ”

Haunted and haunting, Jones’s memoir tells the story of a young, black, gay man from the South as he fights to carve out a place for himself, within his family, within his country, within his own hopes, desires, and fears. Through a series of vignettes that chart a course across the American landscape, Jones draws readers into his boyhood and adolescence—into tumultuous relationships with his mother and grandmother, into passing flings with lovers, friends and strangers. Each piece builds into a larger examination of race and queerness, power and vulnerability, love and grief: a portrait of what we all do for one another—and to one another—as we fight to become ourselves.

Blending poetry and prose, Jones has developed a style that is equal parts sensual, beautiful, and powerful—a voice that’s by turns a river, a blues, and a nightscape set ablaze. How We Fight for Our Lives is a one of a kind memoir and a book that cements Saeed Jones as an essential writer for our time.”

Release Date: October 8th

5. Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, and Advice for Living Your Best Life by Ali Wong

Another memoir that I’m really looking forward to, and probably the non-fiction book I’m most excited about for the entire year! I have loved Ali Wong’s comedy specials and roles in popular media like American Housewife and Always Be My Maybe. She is hilarious and honest making her one of my favorite comedians. When I heard she was writing a book, all I could think was “hell yes!” and instantly pre-order it. If you have been living under a rock and don’t know the name Ali Wong, please do yourself a favor and watch Baby Cobra or Hard Knock Wife on Netflix and prepare to laugh until you cry.

Synopsis:

“Ali Wong’s heartfelt and hilarious letters to her daughters (the two she put to work while they were still in utero), covering everything they need to know in life, like the unpleasant details of dating, how to be a working mom in a male-dominated profession, and how she trapped their dad.

In her hit Netflix comedy special Baby Cobra, an eight-month pregnant Ali Wong resonated so heavily that she became a popular Halloween costume. Wong told the world her remarkably unfiltered thoughts on marriage, sex, Asian culture, working women, and why you never see new mom comics on stage but you sure see plenty of new dads.

The sharp insights and humor are even more personal in this completely original collection. She shares the wisdom she’s learned from a life in comedy and reveals stories from her life off stage, including the brutal singles life in New York (i.e. the inevitable confrontation with erectile dysfunction), reconnecting with her roots (and drinking snake blood) in Vietnam, tales of being a wild child growing up in San Francisco, and parenting war stories. Though addressed to her daughters, Ali Wong’s letters are absurdly funny, surprisingly moving, and enlightening (and disgusting) for all.”

Release Date: October 15th

4 Exciting April Book Releases

Hi everyone! I hope you had a good reading month for March and maybe even found a new favorite. Now that it’s April, there’s more books to look forward to and add to your TBR pile. Here are four books I’m most looking forward to reading.

1. Women Talking by Miriam Toews

Toews bases her novel on real events and tells the story of women claiming their power to make their own choices. Eight women conduct a secret meeting in a hay loft to discuss being violated and attacked. For two years, hundreds of girls were visited by  demons coming to punish them for their sins. They learn later that these ‘demons’ are a group of men in their own Mennonite community who drugged and violated them. Now the women must decide how to protect themselves and their daughters. While the men go into the city to raise money to release the rapists from jail, the women must decide: do they stay in the only community they have ever known or do they try to escape?

This story caught my attention right away with the plot but then to discover it is based on real events, I knew I had to read it! These women are illiterate and know nothing of the world outside of their community, but they know that staying could mean more danger. The novel is told in a unique way compared to other novels. Since we see the women meeting to discuss their choices after finding out the truth, we read the story through the ‘minutes’ of the meeting. I can’t wait until Toews’ novel is released and be able to read about these women’s bravery.

Release Date: April 2

2. The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes

Moyes’ story focuses on a young woman, Suzanna Peacock, who finds meaning after opening an eclectic shop and coffee bar, The Peacock Emporium. She must comes to terms with her past and her mother’s legacy. Her mother, Athene Forster, was called ‘The Last Deb,’ known for her beauty and glamour. She agrees to marry a young heir, but within two years rumors spread of her infidelity with a young salesman. Enter present day, where Suzanna opens the only place where she can find comfort. she makes friends along the way and learns she must confront her family to make amends with the past and find happiness after all.

I love Jojo Moyes’ books! She writes relatable, strong female characters and her storytelling always pulls me in. I am also a big fan of family sagas and stories that go between two different time periods. If these things interest you too, or you’re a fan of Moyes’ writing, check this book out!

Release Date: April 9

3. Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly

This historical fiction novel follows three women from St. Petersburg to Paris in 1914, on the brink of World War I. Eliza Ferriday is excited to be travelling to St. Petersburg with her close friend Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanov’s. Shortly after arriving, Austria declares war against Serbia and Eliza flees back to her home in New York. Sofya stays behind with her family in Russia at their country estate. The third female we see is Varinka, hired as a housekeeper for Sofya’s estate, and bringing unknown dangers to their house. From the other side of the Atlantic, Eliza tries to help Russians escape as revolution breaks out when suddenly Sofya’s letters stop arriving. The novel spans different countries and three different women as their lives begin to intersect.

This novel focuses on Caroline’s mother Eliza from  Martha Hall Kelly’s previous novel, Lilac Girls. To have a prequel with be exciting to continue learning about the Ferriday women and see another sweeping novel of a different World War. I love historical fiction and adored Kelly’s last novel which means this is another one of my pre-orders for the year. If you enjoy historical fiction, check out her novels!

Release Date: April 9

4. Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

The debut novel is a literary courtroom drama focusing on the murder trial. A Korean immigrant family living in the small town of Miracle Creek in Virgina, Pak Yoo and Young run an experimental medical treatment called “Miracle submarine.” This submarine claims to cure medical issues such as autism or infertility. One day the submarine explodes, killing two people. The trial asks the question of who could of caused the explosion? Was it the single mother of one of the patients, an eight year old autistic boy, claiming to be sick but found smoking by the creek? Or was it Pak Yoo and Young trying to get a big insurance pay out to help pay for their daughter’s college? The trial uncovers dark, unimaginable secrets such as mysterious notes, affairs, child abuse charges, and tense rivalries.

I have been trying to read more diverse authors to learn more about different writing styles, backgrounds, and cultures. The idea of a courtroom drama always intrigues me and Kim’s plot caught my attention from the start. Plus, Kim’s experience herself as a trial lawyer, Korean immigrant, and mother of a ‘submarine’ patient should add an interesting element to the storytelling.

Release Date: April 16

These are just four of many novels being released this month. Please comment below any thoughts on these books or tell me what books you’re looking forward to reading this month!