Many bestsellers in October were titles just released in September, such as SenLinYu’s Alchemised, Ian McEwan’s What We Can Know, Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune and Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets. Among the books published in September that were also bestsellers in October is Falling in Love While Stuffing a Zebra by Dutch author Roland Kupers.
But there are also titles released in October. Among them and an instantaneous bestseller is Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon, after a hiatus of 12 years without publishing a book. As well as Alta Hensley’s Dark Romance He Sees You When You’re Sleeping, and Mate by Ali Hazelwood a sequel to Bride.
And of course the incredible White Nights keeps making an appearance, as well as A Dictionary of Color Combinations, I Who Have Never Known Men, The Bell Jar and Amsterdam. Last but not least the classic 1984 is well asked for as well. Maybe because of the difficult times we’ve been living in? George Orwell’s grim vision of the future is a good title to revisit and maybe rethink our present.
1984 – George Orwell
The Thought Police, Doublethink, Newspeak, Big Brother – ‘1984’ itself: these terms have moved from the world of fiction into our everyday lives. They are central to our thinking about freedom and its suppression; yet they were created by George Orwell in 1949 as he conjured his dystopian vision of a world where totalitarian power is absolute.
Amsterdam – Russell Shorto
An endlessly entertaining portrait of the city of Amsterdam and the ideas that make it unique, by the author of the acclaimed Island at the Center of the World. Tourists know Amsterdam as a picturesque city of low-slung brick houses lining tidy canals; student travelers know it for its legal brothels and hash bars; art lovers know it for Rembrandt’s glorious portraits.
But the deeper history of Amsterdam, what makes it one of the most fascinating places on earth, is bound up in its unique geography-the constant battle of its citizens to keep the sea at bay and the democratic philosophy that this enduring struggle fostered.
Blood Over Bright Haven – M.L. Wang
Magic has made the city of Tiran an industrial utopia, but magic has a cost—and the collectors have come calling.
Staff Choice by Iris, Else and Tiemen
The Book of Bill – Limited Collector’s Edition – Alex Hirsch
Is there a horrifying screaming inside your head? Do you want it to get louder? Well, you’re in luck The Book of Bill, the #1 New York Times bestseller, is back in a limited collector’s edition that will make all the other books on your shelf jealous.
This time, Bill Cipher has blessed you with rare special extras.
Cartoons for the New Yorker 2026 Day-to-Day Calendar – Conde Nast
Enjoy witty, subtle humor every day with a new cartoon from The New Yorker. This daily calendar features a variety of topics, no single-use plastic, tear-off pages, and combined weekend pages.
Falling in Love While Stuffing a Zebra: A Philosophical Tale – Roland Kupers
The Queen’s Zebra has been stolen. But why? At the threshold of the French Revolution, the Enlightenment has taken 18th century Paris by storm. The Palais Royal has become the hub of free thought and freer behaviour. A whirlwind of passionate debates unfolds in the city’s new cafés, with a flourishing of theatre, satire, and opera…
The Haunting of William Thorn – Ben Alderson
A split timeline queer twisted love story, set against the backdrop of a haunted English manor, William & Edward’s story is perfect for fans of The Haunting of Hill House and How to Sell a Haunted House.
William Thorn had his life all planned out… until his long-term boyfriend Archie cheats, breaking his heart. Distraught, William kicks him out of their home, where tragedy strikes when Archie is killed instantly in a car accident.
Riddled with guilt, William is shocked to learn that he’s inherited a manor in the quaint village of Stonewall, left to him in Archie’s will. He leaves the city with plans to make a new start for himself, but is surprised by the rundown state of the manor, and the unwelcoming villagers who want him gone. His only ally is Edward, a seemingly friendly local with secrets of his own.
He Sees You When You’re Sleeping – Alta Hensley
Why choose between naughty and nice in this steamy, suspenseful Christmas-themed stalker romance that’s perfect for dark romance readers seeking a spicy, festive read.
It’s the night before Christmas and I’m alone in the house…
Popular jewelry influencer Chloe Hallman is steeling herself to spend another holiday on her own. Instead, she finds herself drawn to two different guys… a smoldering hot fan of her secret, seductive online persona, and a sexy fireman named Jack who looks out for her in their NYC neighborhood.
The Impossible Fortune – Richard Osman
Who’s got time to think about murder when there’s a wedding to plan?
It’s been a quiet year for the Thursday Murder Club. Joyce is busy with table plans and first dances. Elizabeth is grieving. Ron is dealing with family troubles, and Ibrahim is still providing therapy to his favourite criminal.
But when Elizabeth meets a wedding guest who’s in trouble, kidnap and death are hot on their heels once more. A villain wants access to an uncrackable code, and will stop at nothing to get it. Plunged back into action once more, can the gang solve the puzzle and a murder in time?
The Lamb – Lucy Rose
A folk tale. A horror story. A love story. An enchantment.
Margot and Mama have lived by the forest since Margot can remember. When Margot isn’t at school, they spend quiet days together in their cottage, waiting for strangers to knock on their door. Strays, Mama calls them. Mama loves the strays. She feeds them wine, keeps them warm. Then she satisfies her burning appetite by picking apart their bodies.
But Mama’s want is stronger than her hunger sometimes, and when a white-toothed stray named Eden turns up in the heart of a snowstorm, little Margot must confront the shifting dynamics of her family, untangle her own desires and make a bid for freedom.
Mate – Ali Hazelwood
A Human hybrid and an Alpha Were claw against the bonds of fate in the highly anticipated companion novel to Bride.
Serena Paris is orphaned, pack-less, and one of a kind. Coming forward as the first Human-Were hybrid was supposed to heal a centuries-long rift between species. Instead, it made her a target, prey to the ruthless political machinations between Weres, Vampyres, and Humans. With her enemies closing in on her, she has only one option left—if he’ll have her.
As Alpha of the Northwest pack, Koen Alexander commands obedience. His authority is so absolute, only a fool would threaten his mate. It doesn’t matter if Serena doesn’t reciprocate his feelings, nothing will stop him from keeping her safe.
But power-hungry Vampyres and Weres are not the only threats chasing Serena. Sooner or later, her past is bound to catch up with her—and Koen might be the only thing standing between her and total annihilation…
Shadow Ticket – Thomas Pynchon
Milwaukee 1932, the Great Depression going full blast, repeal of Prohibition just around the corner, Al Capone in the federal pen, the private investigation business shifting from labor-management relations to the more domestic kind.
Hicks McTaggart, a onetime strikebreaker turned private eye, thinks he’s found job security until he gets sent out on what should be a routine case, locating and bringing back the heiress of a Wisconsin cheese fortune who’s taken a mind to go wandering. Before he knows it, he’s been shanghaied onto a transoceanic liner, ending up eventually in Hungary where there’s no shoreline, a language from some other planet, and enough pastry to see any cop well into retirement—and of course no sign of the runaway heiress he’s supposed to be chasing.
By the time Hicks catches up with her he will find himself also entangled with Nazis, Soviet agents, British counterspies, swing musicians, practitioners of the paranormal, outlaw motorcyclists, and the troubles that come with each of them, none of which Hicks is qualified, forget about being paid, to deal with.
Surrounded by history he has no grasp on and can’t see his way around in or out of, the only bright side for Hicks is it’s the dawn of the Big Band Era and as it happens he’s a pretty good dancer. Whether this will be enough to allow him somehow to Lindy-hop his way back again to Milwaukee and the normal world, which may no longer exist, is another question.
