Welcome to fall and back to this month’s edition of Book of the Month Predictions! I am craving all of the witchy, spooky, and thrilling reads this month, so I am hoping for some great choices this month! Not that I’ve read all of my September picks but I can’t help it if my reading mood changes with the seasons.

In putting together my October Most Anticipated List, I noticed the majority of books being published fall under the Fantasy, Paranormal, and Thriller genres and I’ve narrowed down my guesses for October below. With that said, because BOTM does try to incorporate a Historical Fiction, a Contemporary/ Literary Fiction, a Mystery/Thriller, a Romance, and one curve ball, I’m predicting we may actually see quite a few extra add-ons this month. At least I hope so.

Whether or not these are actually picks, only time will tell. Even if they are not, all or most of these are on my October Most Anticipated New Releases list, which you can see HERE! When the picks are announced and you find you have space in your box still, make sure to also check out my most recent version of BOTM Add-On recommendations HERE, because who couldn’t use even more books!

Keep in mind that these are simply predictions and books I hope get chosen. I could get these completely wrong but the anticipation and guessing is part of the fun right?!

Mystery & Thriller

I narrowed down my two picks for the Mystery and Thriller category to The Last Guest and These Silent Woods. I’m just about done with These Silent Woods and while it’s labeled as a thriller it’s more a contemporary mystery in my humble opinion. Remember how What Comes After (one of my favorite reads of the year, see my REVIEW HERE) was labeled as a thriller? These Silent Woods is similar in style. It’s been a fantastic read so far but don’t go in thinking it’s a thriller. I have a feeling BOTM might opt into a more contemporary mystery for the month of October, as it does have all the fall vibes.

My second choice would be The Last Guest seems more like a traditional BOTM suspense thriller pick. It’s technically a debut, as it was originally published in the UK under the title of The Octopus. I did not see a ton of other debuts coming out in October, so I would not be surprised to see this one pop up as a pick.

Literary & Contemporary Fiction

I had such a hard time narrowing down my pick for this category. However, Onuzo’s Sankofa, is being compared to An American Marriage, which was a previous BOTM pick. That plus the synopsis sounding absolutely compelling made me put it as my pick for October’s Literary Fiction pick.

Historical Fiction

Amor Towles is a fairly well known author. I personally really enjoyed A Gentleman in Moscow and if his newest release The Lincoln Highway was a pick I would be very happy. This would one could also count as the literary pick for the month as well.

“>Crossroads is another book that sounds right up BOTM’s alley and while I know the stories are different give me Daisy Jones & Six and The Final Revival of Opal and Nev vibes. Mainly due to the time period but also due to many reviews descripting Franzan’s characters to be vividly depicted and flushed out.

Fantasy & Science Fiction

Now for the genre that had way to many for me to pick from this month! First up if The Book of Magic, the final book in the Practical Magic series isn’t an add-on pick, I will riot. I need it to match the rest of my Practical Magic set!

I also feel that Alix E. Harrow’s newest release, A Spindle Splintered, a fairytale retelling would be a great fit for BOTM. She would be a repeat author and while I don’t think this will be a main pick, I think it would make an excellent add-on for spooky season.

Cackle seems like a unlikely choice but I’m in the mood for some more witchy reads and I hope that BOTM delivers. I really enjoyed Rachel Harrison’s The Returned last year (REVIEW). Her writing is vivid and slightly strange. While BOTM doesn’t normally delve into the horror genre too much, I think this one would be a perfect pick for a month when members are looking for a slightly darker than usual read.

Lastly, Trashlands is less a fantasy read than it is a dystopian science fiction read. I’ve heard some very mixed reviews but it might just be a contender this month.

Romance

My top romance pick for the month is Not Your Average Hot Guy. With a little bit of magic and lots of romance, this would be the perfect pick for October.

Also hoping for Well Matched, the third in a series that I believe BOTM offered both as picks. Well Met was for sure a pick so it would make sense to include the third in the installation.

Non-Fiction

If you follow me either here on SPEAKINGOF.ORG or over on my instagram @speakingof_books, you’ll know I’m not a huge memoir or non-fiction fan. But The Deep Places has completely peaked my interest. Following Douthat’s story of suffering with a Chronic Disease, I’m curious to see his view point and his journey to getting diagnosed. I also have a chronic disease, and while RA is nowhere near as debilitating as others, it’s something I’ve had to learn to live with at a very young age. Getting to the point where I can manage the pain and how an understanding of what’s happening to my body, has taken years. Because of memoirs on chronic diseases or survivors of other illnesses really speaks to me. I also think it’s very important to raise awareness to the fact that most chronically ill people don’t look sick, so I would love if BOTM featured The Deep Places.

I hope you found a book that you are truly excited about in this post. Let me know which other new releases you are excited for this month or that you’re hoping are BOTM picks, by commenting below or by messaging me on Instagram @speakingof_books. Don’t forget to follow me to get weekly updates and new reviews!

Happy Reading!

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