Weekly Update

November 7, 2025

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A Fun Whirlwind of a Week! 

On Monday night, I went to a great party thrown by Brisa Carleton to celebrate the launch of her debut historical novel, LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY, which will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. It was a brilliant on-theme evening with smart cocktails and wonderful conversation. Above are some photos from the party. The last one is with Brisa’s publicist, Cordelia Calvert; me; Brisa’s friend from middle school, who read every draft of the book; and Brisa.  

I will be interviewing Brisa next week, and LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY will be the first giveaway title in our Holiday Cheer feature, which I will talk more about later in this newsletter.

I have attended many librarian events over the years --- American Library Association and Texas Library Association programs, librarian previews and countless Zoom sessions. Many publishers have library marketing teams that are charged with getting books in front of librarians. 

On Wednesday night, a group of us --- including folks who work in library marketing and the library media, as well as some who have retired --- went out to celebrate Virginia Stanley, who recently left her job at HarperCollins. Virginia was my librarian fairy godmother. She always introduced me to key people in the business and ensured that I was meeting her authors at the booth, as well as joining her team and authors for dinner. That night, the talk was all about her generosity of spirit and love of books and authors.

We all stopped talking for a moment to grab a group photo, which you can see above. It was a brilliantly fun evening.

This afternoon, we hosted our 14 ½ Annual Book Group Speed Dating event for booksellers, librarians and book group leaders. I loved hearing the publishers present 30 upcoming titles that are perfect for book groups. We will share this presentation with you next week!

If there was ever a week that encompassed so much of what I love about what we do, this week was it! 

This is your last Weekly Update newsletter reminder to sign up for November’s “Bookaccino Live” book preview event, which will take place on Wednesday, November 12th at 2pm ET.

The focus will be on titles releasing between November 11th and January 6th, along with a few from February 2026, that we think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up. Those who join us live will be asked to answer a survey about the books from the presentation that they are most interested in reading and will be eligible to win a prize.

After 40 years, John Irving returns to the world of his bestselling classic novel and Academy Award–winning film, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES. In QUEEN ESTHER, Irving revisits the orphanage in St. Cloud’s, Maine, where Dr. Wilbur Larch takes in Esther --- a Viennese-born Jew whose life is shaped by antisemitism.

Roberta O’Hara has our review and says, “As a self-described John Irving fan, I come to each of his books with not only a positive bias but also an expectation and an anticipation. You might even call it a desire --- a desire to read the recognizable, delight in the ‘aha’ moments, and experience the newness he still manages to bring to the tried-and-true recurring themes of his writing. In this, QUEEN ESTHER fulfills all that I want and need from John Irving.”

Word of Mouth Contest Reminder
QUEEN ESTHER is one of our current Word of Mouth prizes; the other is NASH FALLS, the start of a new series from David Baldacci, which we plan to review next week. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win both these titles. Please do so by Friday, November 14th at noon ET.

Do we accommodate ourselves to death or rail against it? Do we spend our “eleventh hour” in serenity or in rage? And how do we achieve fulfillment with our lives if we don’t know the end of our own stories? In THE ELEVENTH HOUR, Salman Rushdie addresses these questions with a quintet of stories that span the three countries in which he has made his work --- India, England and America.

According to Ray Palen in his review, “Rushdie exhibits his mastery of the written word while creating compelling characters and ideas. The concepts of death, grief, respect and faith are all utilized and snake through these five tales with a message for all readers lucky enough to receive it.”

Other books we’re reviewing this week include:

• WRECK: In this much-talked-about follow-up to SANDWICH, which is November’s “Good Morning America” Book Club selection and #1 Indie Next pick, Catherine Newman explores the hidden rules of family, the heavy weight of uncertainty, and the gnarly fact that people --- no matter how much you love them --- are not always exactly who you want them to be.
   
• THE PERFECT HOSTS: Is it a boy or a girl? They would die to know. A couple’s gender reveal party turns deadly, and everyone is a suspect, in this gripping thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of THE OVERNIGHT GUEST, Heather Gudenkauf.
   
• CURSED DAUGHTERS: A young woman must shake off a family curse and the widely held belief that she is the reincarnation of her dead cousin in Oyinkan Braithwaite’s novel about love, female rivalry and superstition, which is this month’s “Read with Jenna” Book Club pick.
   
• VAGABOND: There are few stars in Hollywood today who can boast the kind of resume that Tim Curry has built over the past five decades. Now, in his memoir, the Tony award-nominated actor takes readers behind the scenes of his rise to fame --- from his early beginnings to the moment when he hit the stage for the first time.

I’m Betting You’ll Love…
My latest Bets On pick is BUCKEYE by Patrick Ryan. Click here to find out why I'm betting you'll love this book just as much as I did.

Announcing This Year’s Holiday Cheer Feature
What better way to ring in the holiday season than with our Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature? This year’s giveaways will kick off at noon ET on select days in November and December, and will run for just 24 hours, so you will have to check the site to see what is being featured. As always, we will be sending our Holiday Cheer newsletter on the days when there are contests. Click here to sign up for these email alerts.

Our preview email with all the books to be featured will go out this Monday, November 10th to those who have opted into the Holiday Cheer newsletter. The first contest will go live the following day at noon ET, and the prize book will be the aforementioned LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY by Brisa Carleton.

This Year’s “What to Give, What to Get” Guide
We also have brought back our “What to Give, What to Get” feature. This year, we are spotlighting four books that we think are “reader perfect” suggestions for holiday giving and getting: BURY OUR BONES IN THE MIDNIGHT SOIL by V. E. Schwab, GIRL DINNER by Olivie Blake, GIRL LOST by Kate Angelo, and THE SANDS OF SEA BLUE BEACH by Rachel Hauck.

November’s New in Paperback Feature
Our New in Paperback roundups for November are now up. We’re featuring paperback fiction reprints from such bestselling authors as Louise Erdrich (THE MIGHTY RED), Richard Price (LAZARUS MAN), Craig Johnson (TOOTH AND CLAW: A Longmire Story), Jacquelyn Mitchard (A VERY INCONVENIENT SCANDAL), and Georgia Hunter (ONE GOOD THING); nonfiction titles, including CHER: The Memoir, Part One by Cher and FROM HERE TO THE GREAT UNKNOWN: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough; and paperback originals like WHERE HE LEFT ME by Nicole Baart and FALLING APART AND OTHER GIFTS FROM THE UNIVERSE by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Books on Screen Offerings for November
We’ve also updated our Books on Screen feature for this month. November’s roundup includes the films The Running Man, Train Dreams, Wicked: For Good, Hamnet, Karen Kingsbury's The Christmas Ring and Eric Jerome Dickey's Friends and Lovers; the series premieres of "Death by Lightning" on Netflix and "All Her Fault" on Peacock; the season premieres of Apple TV+'s "WondLa" and Netflix's "Unicorn Academy"; the season finales of "The Morning Show" on Apple TV+ and "Anne Rice’s Talamasca: The Secret Order" on AMC; the continuation of CBS's "Tracker" and "Watson," HBO's "IT: Welcome to Derry" and Apple TV+'s "Down Cemetery Road"; and the DVD/Blu-ray releases of The Long Walk, The Roses, Caught Stealing, Looking Through Water and Freakier Friday.

Remember to Vote in Our Poll
Our poll continues to ask which of the 14 finalists for Barnes & Noble’s Book of the Year you would pick as your favorites of 2025. Be sure to let us know by Friday, November 14th at noon ET, and in the next newsletter we’ll give you the results of the poll and announce the B&N Book of the Year.

Reese’s Book Club pick for November is WILD DARK SHORE by Charlotte McConaghy, which is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us disappears. Reese calls the book “a breathtaking novel of romance, mystery, and twists that will shock you.” Click here to read our review.

LIKE FAMILY by Erin O. White is this month’s Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. After a near-stranger dies in their small town, a tightknit group of friends can no longer ignore their long-dormant desires and unfulfilled dreams. On Tuesday, December 2nd at 3pm ET, B&N will host a live virtual event with Erin, which you can sign up for here.

For more November selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here. Please note that Oprah will announce her book club pick on Tuesday, and we will talk about it in next week’s newsletter.

News & Pop Culture

Reader Mail:

Deborah wrote, “Thank you for sending me Hank Phillippi Ryan’s book, ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS. I have heard her talk several times and have been aware of her work as I used to live in the Boston area, but I’ve never read any of her novels. I look forward to it. I will keep entering your contests in hopes one day of winning your year-end Bets On collection! I really enjoy your monthly reviews, although they do tend to swell my TBR list disastrously. Hope you are having a good fall.” I responded, “ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS will be ONE of the year-end prize books…so you are a partial winner already!”

Linda wrote this about winning a collection of Marie Benedict's books in our ReadingGroupGuides.com contest: “Look at this fabulousness that arrived yesterday! So exciting! On the docket for January. Thank you, Carol, Francesca and team!”

Elayne wrote, “Thank you for sending me THE WIDOW and THE TIN MEN  At first, I was puzzled at the arrival of THE TIN MEN. I didn't think I ordered the book. It finally dawned on me that I must have won the Word of Mouth contest. What a surprise! I look forward to reading both books and enjoy reading your newsletters and listening to your author interviews. Thanks again.”

“Poldark” on Netflix: I confess that I have not given much thought to British soldiers returning home after the American Revolutionary War. A friend suggested this series, and Tom and I have been watching it together.

Farmers' Almanac: Whoever knew there were two of them? Not me. Publishers Weekly had a piece that the Farmers' Almanac is ceasing to be published after 208 years, but The Old Farmer's Almanac, which is 234 years old, is still going strong! It makes me want to get out and plan the crops for planting next spring.

After hearing Belle Burden discuss her memoir, STRANGERS, at a preview event last week, I requested an advance copy of the audiobook (I love it when a memoir is recorded by the author), and I flew through it. I found myself walking around the house listening to it for hours.

It opens in March 2020 just as the pandemic was starting to shut down the world. Belle and her family were at their home on Martha’s Vineyard for a week. At 6:00 one morning, her husband walked into their room with his bags packed. He said he did not want to be married anymore, and he did not want custody of the children either. It is a gut-wrenching story about the dissolution of a marriage, as Belle also examines their relationship through the years. It releases on January 13th and will be a Bets On pick (my first 2026 selection). I am hoping to interview her.

Now I am back to listening to John Grisham’s book, the aforementioned THE WIDOW, which is terrific. I got stuck in traffic on the way to dinner on Wednesday night, and I found myself happy to have some extra book time. I also am listening to DON’T LET HIM IN by Lisa Jewell. Yes, I am listening to two books; you can be amused. I am enjoying both! 

I am planning to read Laura Dave’s THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM next as I peek ahead to a January 6th title, though I still have some year-end books to read. The shelves here with 2026 books are filling up, and I am seeing some great selections ahead.  

Mercury is going retrograde, and longtime readers know what that means. It goes from November 9th through November 29th. But as always, I think I am ahead of the curve! This week, I feel like there were many moments when I was not sure whether I was making progress or heading backwards.

This weekend, I will be shopping for amaryllis bulbs to give as holiday gifts, and I am going to hit the Jockey Hollow Weavers Annual Show and Sale, where they always have interesting pieces that people have crafted. Yes, 'tis the season to start thinking about holiday gifts. I ordered a number of potholder loops in red, green and white from Acorns & Twigs for making holiday gifts. I made a few last year, and everyone who saw them was asking me for one. It is really fun to work on designs with the red, green and white loops.

Now it’s time to stash the pumpkins away, bring on the turkeys, and start planning the menus. I keep the menus from year to year in a folder, so I have time to review what we have done before we come up with new ideas.

Read on, and have a great week.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

P.S. For those of you who shop online, if you use the store links that appear on our site for shopping, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieBound. As you read our reviews and features, we would appreciate your considering this as you buy!

Featured Review: QUEEN ESTHER by John Irving

QUEEN ESTHER by John Irving (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Ari Fliakos
Esther Nacht is born in Vienna in 1905. Her father dies on board the ship to Portland, Maine. Her mother is murdered by antisemites in Portland. Dr. Larch knows it won’t be easy to find a Jewish family to adopt Esther. In fact, he won’t find any family who’ll adopt her. When Esther is 14, soon to be a ward of the state, Dr. Larch meets the Winslows, a philanthropic New England family with a history of providing foster care for unadopted orphans. The Winslows aren’t Jewish, but they despise antisemitism. Esther’s gratitude for the Winslows is unending. Even as she retraces her roots back to Vienna, she never stops loving and protecting the Winslows. In the final chapter, set in Jerusalem in 1981, Esther Nacht is 76. Reviewed by Roberta O'Hara.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review:
THE ELEVENTH HOUR by Salman Rushdie

THE ELEVENTH HOUR: A Quintet of Stories by Salman Rushdie (Fiction/Short Stories) 
Audiobook available; read by Sanjeev Bhaskar, Nicholas Khan, Sid Sagar, Naveen Andrews and Neil Shah
Salman Rushdie turns his extraordinary imagination to life’s final act with a quintet of stories that span the three countries in which he has made his work: India, England and America. “In the South” introduces a pair of quarrelsome old men and their private tragedy at a moment of national calamity. In “The Musician of Kahani,” a musical prodigy from the Mumbai neighborhood featured in MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN uses her magical gifts to wreak devastation on the wealthy family she marries into. In “Late,” the ghost of a Cambridge don enlists the help of a lonely student to enact revenge upon the tormentor of his lifetime. “Oklahoma” plunges a young writer into a web of deceit and lies as he tries to figure out whether his mentor killed himself or faked his own death. And “The Old Man in the Piazza” is a powerful parable for our times about freedom of speech. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: WRECK by Catherine Newman
November’s “Good Morning America”
Book Club Selection and #1 Indie Next Pick

WRECK by Catherine Newman (Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Helen Laser
If you loved Rocky and her family on vacation on Cape Cod, wait until you join them at home two years later. (And if this is your first meeting with this crew, get ready to laugh and cry --- and relate.) Rocky, still anxious, nostalgic and funny, is living in Western Massachusetts with her husband, Nick, and their daughter, Willa, who's back home after college. Their son, Jamie, has taken a new job in New York, and Mort, Rocky’s widowed father, has moved in. It all couldn’t be more ridiculously normal…until Rocky finds herself obsessed with a local accident that only tangentially affects them --- and with a medical condition that, she hopes, won’t affect them at all. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to see why the book is November's “Good Morning America” Book Club pick.

Click here to read our review.

Announcing Bookreporter.com's
Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature

Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.

Announcing Bookreporter.com’s
“What to Give, What to Get” Guide:
“Reader Perfect” Suggestions
for Holiday Giving and Getting

Bookreporter.com Bets On: BUCKEYE by Patrick Ryan

BUCKEYE by Patrick Ryan (Historical Fiction)
I had the pleasure of meeting Patrick Ryan at a publisher lunch where he talked about his debut novel, BUCKEYE. I was intrigued by the storyline and his extensive research in writing the book, which moves from World War II right up until the Vietnam War. I listened to the audiobook; the narrator, Michael Crouch, did a wonderful job of bringing the story to life for me. The characters were so well drawn, and I felt invested in what was happening to each of them.

The book opens against the backdrop of V-E Day, and there is lots of celebrating going on in Bonhomie, Ohio. Cal Jenkins, who has a disability, works in the local hardware store as he has been unable to go to war. He is married to Becky, a spiritualist who can connect people with the dead. She keeps this gift a secret at first, but as time goes on, many trek to her home to get readings. I don’t have a love for anything supernatural like this, but somehow I felt that Becky was truly helping those who needed closure.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.

Click here to read more of Carol's Bets On commentary.

Featured Review: THE PERFECT HOSTS
by Heather Gudenkauf

THE PERFECT HOSTS by Heather Gudenkauf (Domestic Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Brittany Pressley and Xe Sands
Madeline and Wes Drake have invited 200 of their closest friends and family to their sprawling horse ranch for the most anticipated event of the year: a “pistols and pearls” gender reveal party so sensational it is sure to make headlines. But the party descends into chaos when the celebratory explosive misfires, leaving one woman dead and a trail of secrets. As the aftershocks of the bloody party ripple across the small town, Agent Jamie Saldano is brought on the scene to investigate. Battling his own demons from the past, Saldano unearths a web of deceit spun around the Drakes. The appearance of some unexpected houseguests only deepens the mystery. And as tensions mount, it becomes clear that the explosion wasn’t just an unlucky accident. But who was the target, and why? Reviewed by Ray Palen.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review:
CURSED DAUGHTERS by Oyinkan Braithwaite
November’s “Read with Jenna” Book Club Pick

CURSED DAUGHTERS by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Diana Yekinni, Nnei Opia Clark and Weruche Opia 
When Ebun gives birth to her daughter, Eniiyi, on the day they bury her cousin, Monife, there is no denying the startling resemblance between the child and the dead woman. So begins the belief that Eniiyi is the actual reincarnation of Monife, fated to follow in her footsteps in all ways, including that tragic end. There is also the matter of the family curse: “No man will call your house his home. And if they try, they will not have peace...” which causes three generations of abandoned Falodun women to live under the same roof. But when Eniiyi falls in love with the handsome boy she saves from drowning, she can no longer run from her family’s history. She ill-advisedly seeks answers in older, darker spiritual corners of Lagos. Is she destined to live out the habitual story of love and heartbreak? Or can she break the pattern once and for all? Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's "Read with Jenna" Book Club pick.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: VAGABOND by Tim Curry

VAGABOND: A Memoir by Tim Curry (Memoir) 
Audiobook available, read by Tim Curry
There are few stars in Hollywood today who can boast the kind of resume that Tony award-nominated actor Tim Curry has built over the past five decades. From his breakout role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show to his iconic depiction as the sadistic clown Pennywise in It to his critically acclaimed role as the original King Arthur in both the Broadway and West End versions of Spamalot, Curry redefined what it meant to be a “character actor,” portraying heroes and villains alike with complexity, nuance and a genuine understanding of human darkness. Now, in his memoir, Curry takes readers behind the scenes of his rise to fame --- from his early beginnings as a military brat to his formative years in boarding school and university, to the moment when he hit the stage for the first time. Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Historical Fiction Author Spotlight:
CALDER STRONG by Janet Dailey

CALDER STRONG by Janet Dailey (Historical Romance)
At 24, Joseph Dollarhide is struggling to find his place as the future head of his ranching family. His father, Blake, may have been disabled in an accident, but he’s as domineering as ever. Joseph’s childhood friend, Chase Calder, has inherited the rival Calder operation, and for both young men, longstanding battles over water and grass continue. But there’s yet another weight on Joseph’s shoulders.

Years ago, Joseph abandoned his teenage love, Annabeth, to court glamorous Lucy Merriweather, a seductive trickster. The affair, of course, imploded, and Annabeth went on to marry a farmer, Silas Mosby, and have two children. But now Joseph has spotted Annabeth and her family in town...and he has no doubt that her oldest, a boy, is his.

Joseph’s love for Annabeth never died --- and Annabeth, too, still has feelings for him, though they’re tainted by anger. Learning that Silas is involved in a bootlegging ring leaves Joseph troubled. His natural father, Mason Dollarhide, is a reformed bootlegger, but the two have long been estranged, and Joseph won’t ask his advice.

Meanwhile, Joseph feels pressed to start his own family. The town’s sweet new schoolteacher seems a perfect match. But as the strain of long-standing feuds persist and Lucy reappears, flush with stolen money and armed with blackmail, Joseph and some others in Blue Moon will find out just how strong they really are.

- Click here to read Janet Dailey's bio.
- Click here to visit Janet Dailey's website.

Click here to read more in our Historical Fiction Author Spotlight.

Don't miss our review of CALDER STRONG in next week's newsletter.

November’s New in Paperback Roundups

November's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes THE MIGHTY RED by Louise Erdrich, a stunning novel that tells a story of love, natural forces, spiritual yearnings, and the tragic impact of uncontrollable circumstances on ordinary people’s lives; LAZARUS MAN, an electrifying novel from Richard Price that gives us a razor-sharp anatomy of an ever-changing Harlem; ONE GOOD THING by Georgia Hunter, a propulsive and heart-wrenching story of a young woman entrusted with a boy’s life as WWII rages in Italy; Jacquelyn Mitchard's A VERY INCONVENIENT SCANDAL, a page-turning family drama that explores the emotional consequences of loyalty, deception and jealousy; and LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER by Susan Rieger, an enthralling novel about three generations of strong-willed women, unknowingly shaped by the secrets buried in their family’s past.

Among our nonfiction highlights are CHER: The Memoir, Part One, an intimate account that follows Cher's extraordinary beginnings through childhood to meeting and marrying Sonny Bono --- and reveals the highly complicated relationship that made them world-famous but eventually drove them apart; CITIZEN, a powerful, candid and richly detailed memoir from Bill Clinton, revealing what life looks like after the presidency --- triumphs, tribulations and all; FROM HERE TO THE GREAT UNKNOWN, in which Lisa Marie Presley tells her whole story for the first time in a raw, riveting, one-of-a-kind memoir faithfully completed by her daughter, Riley Keough; and REALM OF ICE AND SKY, Buddy Levy's thrilling narrative of polar exploration via airship --- and the men who sacrificed everything to make history.

Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of
November 3rd, November 10th, November 17th and November 24th.

November’s Books on Screen Feature

Here is a preview of this month's movies, TV shows and DVDs/Blu-rays that are based on books. For a complete list of November's offerings, please click here.
 

Film Releases

Karen Kingsbury's The Christmas Ring
Release Date: Thursday, November 6th (limited release in theaters)
Based on: THE CHRISTMAS RING by Karen Kingsbury

Train Dreams
Release Dates: Friday, November 7th (limited release in theaters); Friday, November 21st on Netflix
Based on: TRAIN DREAMS by Denis Johnson

The Running Man
Release Date: Friday, November 14th (wide release in theaters)
Based on: THE RUNNING MAN by Stephen King

Wicked: For Good
Release Date: Friday, November 21st (wide release in theaters)
Based on: WICKED: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch, by Gregory Maguire

Hamnet
Release Date: Wednesday, November 26th (limited release in theaters)
Based on: HAMNET: A Novel of the Plague by Maggie O'Farrell

Series Premiere

"Death by Lightning" (4-episode limited series)
Release Date: Thursday, November 6th on Netflix (all episodes of the series will be available) 
Based on: DESTINY OF THE REPUBLIC: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, by Candice Millard
 

Season Premiere

"WondLa"
Release Date: Wednesday, November 26th on Apple TV+ (all episodes of Season 3 will be available)
Based on: The WondLa trilogy by Tony DiTerlizzi
 

Season Finales

"The Morning Show"
Release Dates: Wednesdays on Apple TV+; Season 4 Finale on November 19th
Based on: TOP OF THE MORNING: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV by Brian Stelter

"Anne Rice’s Talamasca: The Secret Order"
Air Dates: Sundays at 9pm ET/PT on AMC; Season 1 Finale on November 23rd
Based on: The Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches by Anne Rice
 

Ongoing Series

"IT: Welcome to Derry"
Air Dates: Sundays at 9pm ET/PT on HBO; Season 1 continues
Based on: IT by Stephen King

"Down Cemetery Road"
Release Dates: Wednesdays on Apple TV+; Season 1 continues
Based on: DOWN CEMETERY ROAD by Mick Herron
 

On DVD and Blu-ray

Caught Stealing
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: Tuesday, November 11th
Based on: CAUGHT STEALING by Charlie Huston

The Long Walk
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: Tuesday, November 25th
Based on: THE LONG WALK by Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman
 

Click here to see our Books on Screen feature for November.

Our Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for November

Each month, we share top book picks from Indie Next and LibraryReads. We also feature a number of other prominent selections, including the Barnes & Noble Book Club, the "Good Morning America" Book Club, Oprah’s Book Club, the PBS Books Readers Club, the "Read with Jenna" Book Club, Reese's Book Club, and the Target Book Club.

Below is a preview of November's "Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks." For the complete Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, as well as additional links pertaining to this month's selections, please click here.

Indie Next
#1 Pick: WRECK by Catherine Newman
GOOD SPIRITS by B.K. Borison
BRIGANDS & BREADKNIVES by Travis Baldree
THE EVERLASTING by Alix E. Harrow
GIRL DINNER by Olivie Blake

LibraryReads
Top Pick: I, MEDUSA by Ayana Gray
BLACK-OWNED: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore by Char Adams
CURSED DAUGHTERS by Oyinkan Braithwaite
DADDY ISSUES by Kate Goldbeck
THE FERRYMAN AND HIS WIFE written by Frode Grytten, translated by Alison McCullough

Barnes & Noble Book Club
LIKE FAMILY by Erin O. White

"Good Morning America" Book Club
WRECK by Catherine Newman

Oprah's Book Club
To be announced on Tuesday, November 11th

PBS Books Readers Club
AMERICA'S FIRST DAUGHTER by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

"Read with Jenna" Book Club
CURSED DAUGHTERS by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Reese's Book Club
WILD DARK SHORE by Charlotte McConaghy

Target Book Club
THE MIGHTY RED by Louise Erdrich

Click here for November's Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks.

More Reviews This Week

AFTER THAT, THE DARK: A Cameron Winter Mystery by Andrew Klavan (Hard-boiled Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Adam Barr
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a solid citizen named Owen McKay suddenly went mad and killed his wife and child. Locked in a padded cell and monitored on video, he was nonetheless discovered dead from a projectile fired into his head. As Cameron Winter begins to ask questions, he finds that Tulsa officials have been intimidated into silence by a killer who once tried to attack Winter during his days as a government assassin. What’s more, another mysterious death --- just like McKay’s --- has taken place in Connecticut. And both murders seem linked to a sinister billionaire who once clashed with Winter’s old mentor, the Recruiter. Winter’s past and present are coming together in a single dangerous conspiracy. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

THE GREAT CONTRADICTION: The Tragic Side of the American Founding by Joseph J. Ellis (History) 
Audiobook available, read by Kimberly Farr 
On the eve of the American Revolution, half a million enslaved African Americans were embedded in the North American population. The slave trade was flourishing, even as the 13 colonies armed themselves to defend against the idea of being governed without consent. This paradox gave birth to what Joseph J. Ellis calls the “great contradiction”: How could a government that had been justified and founded on the principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence institutionalize slavery? How could it permit a tidal wave of western migration by settlers who understood the phrase “pursuit of happiness” to mean the pursuit of Indian lands? In THE GREAT CONTRADICTION, Ellis addresses the questions that lie at America’s twisted roots --- questions that turned even the sharpest minds of the Revolutionary generation into mental contortionists. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.

LIGHTBREAKERS by Aja Gabel (Fiction) 
Audiobook available; read by Ina Barrón, Jay Myers and Mirai
Maya, an artist, and Noah, a quantum physicist, share an insatiable curiosity about the world. But their happy marriage has a shadow over it: Serena, the child Noah had with his first wife, who died before she turned four. When Noah is invited by the Janus Project to unravel the secrets of time travel, he jumps at the opportunity. At a laboratory deep in the Texas desert, he begins participating in a dangerous experiment that could result in something he thought impossible: seeing his daughter again. Meanwhile, Maya embarks on a journey back to her own past in Japan, and to a formative lover who once shattered her heart. As Noah and Maya grapple with hope and despair, new information emerges that the experiments might not be exactly what they seem. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

UNABRIDGED: The Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary by Stefan Fatsis (Linguistics/Cultural Studies)
Audiobook available, read by Kevin R. Free
Words are the currency of culture --- and never more than today. From selfie to doomscrolling to rizz, our hyper-connected digital world coins and spreads new words with lightning speed and locks them into mainstream consciousness with unprecedented influence. Journalist and bestselling author Stefan Fatsis embedded as a lexicographer-in-training at America’s most famous dictionary publisher, Merriam-Webster, to learn how words get into the dictionary, where they come from, who decides what they mean, and how we write and think about them. As he recounts in UNABRIDGED, he discovered the history and fascinating subculture of the dictionary and of those who curate and revere “one of the most basic features of our collective humanity.” Reviewed by Ron Kaplan (www.RonKaplansBaseballBookshelf.com).

HELM by Sarah Hall (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Louise Brealey
Helm is a ferocious, mischievous wind --- a subject of folklore and awe, part-elemental god, part-aerial demon blasting through the sublime landscape of Northern England since the dawn of time. Through the stories of those who’ve obsessed over Helm, an extraordinary history is formed: the Neolithic tribe who tried to placate Helm, the Dark Age wizard priest who wanted to banish Helm, the Victorian steam engineer who attempted to capture Helm --- and the farmer’s daughter who fiercely loved Helm. But now Dr. Selima Sutar, surrounded by infinite clouds and measuring instruments in her observation hut, fears that human pollution is killing Helm. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

BLOOD LIKE OURS by Stuart Neville (Horror/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Elisabeth Rodgers and Caroline Lennon
El Paso, Texas: Rebecca Carter awoke on a morgue table with only two desires: to find her daughter, Moonflower, and to sate her gnawing hunger. Rebecca sets out on a desperate quest, fighting her murderous craving for blood and pursued by a vengeful FBI agent. One night, a young man lures Monica Carter through the mountain scrub with the scent of human blood, promising that he and his little brother will feed her and keep her safe. Somehow they know her nickname --- Moonflower --- and the truth of what she is. Can she trust them? When FBI Special Agent Sarah McGrath learns that Rebecca’s body has disappeared from the morgue, she’s on the next plane to El Paso. Rebecca is responsible for the death of her partner, and McGrath wants answers. But she never expected them to come from a shadowy figure within the Bureau. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

THE DEVIL IN OXFORD: A Ruby Vaughn Mystery by Jess Armstrong
(Gothic/Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Emma Love 
American heiress Ruby Vaughn and her octogenarian housemate and employer, Mr. Owen, run a rare bookshop in Exeter. His penchant for arcane, unusual --- and occasionally illegal --- books has been known to get Ruby into her fair share of trouble. And after the last year, she is looking forward to spending a quiet holiday in picturesque Oxford while Mr. Owen attends the annual meeting of his antiquarian society. When he secures two tickets to an upcoming exhibition of artifacts amassed by disgraced scholar Julius Harker, she reluctantly agrees to attend. Harker’s dead body is discovered amongst the collection, and his business partner is hastily arrested. The murder case is suspicious at best, but the last thing Ruby wants is another investigation. That is, until an old friend comes begging for her help. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.

THE WEEKEND CRASHERS by Jamie Brenner (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Cynthia Farrell
Maggie Hodges and her daughter, Piper, are looking forward to a restful knitting retreat in the picturesque village of New Hope, Pennsylvania. But instead, they are surprised to find themselves sharing their charming riverside inn with a rowdy bushcraft bachelor party. Undaunted by the clash of interests and personalities, Maggie suggests a lighthearted competition --- a battle of crafts --- that sparks a rivalry between the two groups, and perhaps something more. But as the weekend unfolds, old mistakes and buried resentments begin to surface, threatening to destroy Maggie and Piper’s cherished connection. In knitting, one can easily fix mistakes by picking apart each stitch and starting anew. But life’s tangles aren’t so easily mended. With tensions rising and the retreat coming to a close, Maggie must act quickly before she loses everything she holds dear. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on November 11th

Below are some notable titles releasing on November 11th that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks available the week of November 10th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

EVENSONG by Stewart O'Nan (Fiction)
This intimate, moving novel follows The Humpty Dumpty Club, a group of women of a certain age who band together to help one another and their circle of friends in Pittsburgh as they face the challenges of their golden years.

EXIT STRATEGY: A Reacher Novel by Lee Child and Andrew Child (Thriller)
Jack Reacher will make three stops today. Not all of them were planned for. EXIT STRATEGY is the page-turning new Reacher thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling authors Lee Child and Andrew Child.

FALLING APART AND OTHER GIFTS FROM THE UNIVERSE by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Fiction)
Two disparate people --- lost in their own way --- find an unexpected healing connection in a poignant novel about redemption and chosen family by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde.

FALSE WITNESS by Phillip Margolin (Legal Thriller)
A lawyer who was set up, imprisoned and disbarred, only to be vindicated and reinstated, is determined to find out who set her up and cover their tracks with a trail of dead bodies.

THE KING'S RANSOM by Janet Evanovich (Thriller/Adventure)
Janet Evanovich takes you on a global hunt to track down missing masterpieces in this action-packed and steamy sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller THE RECOVERY AGENT.

THE LAND IN WINTER by Andrew Miller (Historical Fiction)
An exquisite, page-turning examination of relationships, THE LAND IN WINTER is a master class in storytelling --- proof yet again that Andrew Miller is one of the most dazzling chroniclers of the human heart.

NASH FALLS by David Baldacci (Thriller)
When Walter Nash is recruited by the FBI to help bring down a global crime network, his life is turned completely upside down in this thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci, which kicks off a brand-new series.

SOME BRIGHT NOWHERE by Ann Packer (Fiction) 
The bestselling, beloved author returns with her first novel in over a decade, an intimate and profoundly moving look at a long marriage and the ways in which a startling request can change a couple’s understanding of who they are, together and apart.

THEO OF GOLDEN by Allen Levi (Fiction) 
A story of giving and receiving, of seeing and being seen, THEO OF GOLDEN is a beautifully crafted novel about the power of creative generosity, the importance of wonder to a purposeful life, and the invisible threads of kindness that bind us to one another. 

WILD INSTINCT by T. Jefferson Parker (Thriller)
WILD INSTINCT is a gripping high-stakes thriller by three-time Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author T. Jefferson Parker.

WITHOUT CONSENT: A Landmark Trial and the Decades-Long Struggle to Make Spousal Rape a Crime by Sarah Weinman (True Crime)
From Sarah Weinman, author of SCOUNDREL and THE REAL LOLITA, comes an eye-opening story about the first major spousal rape trial in America and urgent questions it raised about women’s rights that would reverberate for decades.

Click here to see the latest “On Sale This Week” newsletter.

From left to right: Lee Child, Brisa Carleton, Andrew Child

Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events

Here are four upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.

Tuesday, November 11th at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf and Kaira Rouda will talk to Lee Child and Andrew Child about EXIT STRATEGY, book #30 in the page-turning Jack Reacher series.

Wednesday, November 12th at 2pm ET: “Bookaccino Live” Book Preview Afternoon Event: Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between November 11th and January 6th, along with a few from February 2026, that we would like to get on your radar. Included will be fiction; historical fiction; thrillers and mysteries; and memoirs, biographies and other nonfiction.

Wednesday, November 12th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with Brisa Carleton about her debut novel, LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY. Set amongst the glittering backdrop of London's iconic Savoy hotel, a young woman is forced to confront her troubled past as she uncovers the story of the hotel’s first female bartender who has been erased from the history books.

Thursday, November 13th at 7pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Lev AC Rosen will talk about MIRAGE CITY, the fourth captivating 1950s mystery in his award-winning series starring Private Investigator Evander “Andy” Mills, whose next case takes him out of his comfort zone in San Francisco --- and, much to his dismay, back home to Los Angeles.

 "Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts

“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers long-form, in-depth author interviews. For years, Carol has moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)

Here is our latest interview:

• Lily King (HEART THE LOVER) Video | Podcast

Other authors we've interviewed recently include:

• Megan Abbott (EL DORADO DRIVE) Video | Podcast
• Julie Clark (THE GHOSTWRITER) Video | Podcast
• Jeanine Cummins (SPEAK TO ME OF HOME) Video | Podcast
• Virginia Evans (THE CORRESPONDENT) Video | Podcast
• Lori Foster (THE GUEST COTTAGE: A Firefly Summer Novel) Video | Podcast
• Bruce Holsinger (CULPABILITY) Video | Podcast
• Sharon Kurtzman (THE LOST BAKER OF VIENNA) Video | Podcast
• Kaira Rouda (JILL IS NOT HAPPY) Video | Podcast
• Hank Phillippi Ryan (ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS) Video | Podcast
• Francesca Serritella (FULL BLOOM) Video | Podcast

Upcoming interviews include:

• Brisa Carleton (LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY)
• Alex DeMille (THE TIN MEN)
• Vicky Nguyen (BOAT BABY: A Memoir)

Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.

Our Latest Poll: 
The Barnes & Noble Book of the Year Finalists

Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, November 14th at noon ET.

Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What
You've Read --- and You Can Win Two Books!

Click here to enter the contest.

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