October is officially here, which means spooky season is in full swing, the cozy reading pile is growing, and of course, it’s time to see what Book of the Month has in store for us. And while October is usually the month, I’m hunting for anything creepy, mysterious, or just a little unhinged, BOTM’s lineup…
Aardvark October 2026
Aardvark is going VERY spooky for October, and I am absolutely not mad about it. This month’s lineup has a little bit of everything, from historical fiction and horror to sci-fi, gothic mystery, paranormal romance, and dark academia fantasy. There are six picks total, and honestly, October feels like the perfect month to let your…
The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford
Rich Milford is dead. And honestly? Nobody seems particularly heartbroken about it. Set in 1920s Oklahoma, just outside Tulsa and in the aftermath of the 1921 massacre, this short, genre-bending novel follows the death of Rich Milford, an infamous moonshiner, womanizer, and wealthy businessman with four wives: Lally, Sophronia, Georgette, and Vivianne. Each woman has…
October 2026 BOTM Predictions
It’s time for my favorite monthly guessing game: October BOTM predictions! October is always one of the more fun months to predict because I’m hoping BOTM leans into a few spooky, atmospheric, or mysterious reads while still giving us the usual mix of romance, historical fiction, and contemporary fiction. There are so many good October releases this year that…
October 2026 Aardvark Predictions
October is basically made for Aardvark, so I’m expecting another month of weird, dark, atmospheric, and slightly unexpected picks. With spooky season officially here, I’m looking for a mix of horror, thrillers, speculative fiction, and a few wildcard picks that feel like the kind of books Aardvark loves to sneak into the box. As always,…
October 2026 Most Anticipated
October is here, which means it’s officially time for spooky reads, atmospheric stories, cozy nights, and a very ambitious TBR. And this month? The new releases are stacked. As I do each month, I’ve narrowed down the releases I’m most excited to read and this time I have 16 making the list. A few are thrillers and mysteries (obviously),…
Stay Buried
In 1919, Frankie O’Massey is the black sheep of isolated Boone’s Ferry, Vermont, training in medicine when a mysterious illness strikes and the town suspects supernatural forces. Nearly a hundred years later, siblings Ashley and Malcolm inherit property in Boone’s Ferry after their grandmother’s death, a place she always refused to talk about. The town…
The Secret Dinner
Four childhood friends, Dante, Piglet, Miguel, and Hugo, swap rural Brazil for an apartment in Copacabana, Rio, eager for a taste of city life. But when their rent skyrockets, they adopt an unorthodox plan to stay afloat and are soon sucked into a dark world of secret dinner parties catering to the twisted fantasies of…
Before You Were Anne
Detective Chelsey Calhoun is married, pregnant, and mostly happy, until an explosive new case shatters everything. A mother is dead, her sixteen-year-old daughter Naomi has vanished, and the search will awaken questions about Chelsey’s own origins that she’s spent a lifetime avoiding. The victim called herself Anne Walker, but she was born Rika Takahashi, and…
Aardvark September 2026
The September Aardvark picks are here and this might be the most on-brand lineup they’ve ever put together. Six books, heavy on horror and dark fiction, heading straight into spooky season with zero hesitation. This month’s box has a little bit of everything except romance or anything that has cozy good feelings. Instead we get…