Glossy Magazine’s book editor, Sophie Hughen, offers her expert preview of some of the most anticipated literary works arriving this October/November. Her selection features a spectrum of genres, celebrated authors, and noteworthy new narratives, ensuring a wealth of engaging options for every reader. For more book-related inspiration from our editor, follow @readablereviews on Instagram.
1. Monsters by Claire Dederer, £10.99 Paperback
In this incredible non-fiction read, writer Claire Dederer asks the difficult question: Is it possible to separate art and artist, when the artist is morally questionable? Using lived experience and ample research, Dederer creates a clever, thought-provoking and open assessment of how, as ‘fans’, we deal with idols and heroes, artists and geniuses being immoral people. Thought-provoking and thoroughly captivating, this book will leave you thinking long after you’ve finished reading it.
2. What You Are Looking For is in The Library by Michiko Aoyama, £9.99 Paperback
Sayuri Komachi is a librarian with the special ability to know exactly what book each visitor to her library could do with reading. This magical book, written by the talented Michiko Aoyama and translated by Alison Watts, is about the beauty of stories and how they can help us in our most vulnerable moments. Warm, vibrant and inspirational, this tale is about connection and discovery through the written word and the gift of giving. A must-read perfect for this time of year.
3. If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, £9.99 Paperback
This book is the perfect answer for those who have read The Secret History by Donna Tartt and don’t know what to read next, or for those who love a gothic novel. This tale follows Oliver, a man who has just served 10 years for a murder he may not have committed. Upon his release, the now-retired detective who put him away visits and asks that, as a favour, Oliver tells him what really happened 10 years ago. And so begins the retelling of a story that could prove his innocence.
4. The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden, £9.99 Paperback
When Isabel’s peace is disrupted by the arrival of her brother’s girlfriend, she isn’t best pleased. Used to a life of solitude, peace and precision, her life is somewhat turned upside down. In the sweltering heat of summer, her need for control reaches boiling point and Isabel’s reign on a simple life slips. What happens between the two women threatens to change their lives forever.
5. Bonds of Blood and Duty by Jen A. Egerton, £11.99 Paperback
In this exciting much-anticipated release, we meet our heroine, Evelin. Living a life of duty, under the rule of her husband, in their kingdom where humans are unwelcome, to stay quiet and obedient is to keep safe. But when Evelin finds she is pregnant with a human baby, she must flee the kingdom for safety. In doing so, she risks wars and danger to find refuge for her and her baby. A tale of fantasy, love and danger, filled with excitement and romance, this is the new obsession for all of you fantasy lovers out there!
6. The Artist by Lucy Steeds, £16.99 Hardback
This amazing debut has just won Waterstones’ Debut Fiction Award 2025, and for very good reason. In 1920 Provence, Ettie works alongside her artistic uncle, secretly making his genius possible. All the while, Joseph, an aspiring journalist, upon invitation to the house, hopes to capture this genius within an interview. As the conversations progress, truths and lies start to blur, and secrets threaten to be revealed. Full of romance, mystery and legacy, this book is a must-read.
7. Held by Anne Michaels, £9.99 Paperback
After experiencing a traumatic blast whilst deployed in the war in 1917, John returns home and tries to restart his normal life. He opens a photography business and tries to tell himself to keep on living. But the darkness starts to creep back in, and a ghost starts to follow him in his dreams and photographs, with messages he can’t understand, about what he has seen and what awaits him in the future. This mystery is a great page turner.
8. Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan, £9.99 Paperback
In this popular release by the incredible Andrew O’Hagan, we meet the wealthy and successful Campbell Flynn, known for his appetite for all things controversial. As an art historian and pundit, he has famously had a lot to say and has spent his life palling around with oligarchs and aristocrats. However, things have started to change, and investigations have started to take place into the powerful people Flynn rubs shoulders with. This threatens to expose secrets and frame lies so much so that he could lose the life and reputation he has built. An absolutely thrilling novel that exposes the illusion of high society. This book is a must-read.
9. The Promise by Damon Galgut, £9.99 Paperback
This incredible novel won the Booker Prize in 2021 and is a book I don’t want you to miss out on! The story follows a family as they grieve their Ma’s death. The younger members of the family are struggling with the unfair realities of what their family stand for when they realise that Salome, the black lady working for Ma before her passing, was promised her own home and land after her death and had not received what was rightfully hers. This is a book about promises and human kindness and how a family can fall apart when lies and unfair decisions threaten bonds.
