November always feels a little different when it comes to new releases. With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the general chaos of the holidays coming at us fast, publishers tend to load the beginning of the month and then things slow wayyyy down as we get closer to December. Honestly, I’m not mad about it. My 2026 TBR could desperately use the breathing room.
That does mean November is VERY front-heavy, though, and there are some seriously good books coming out before we all collectively disappear into holiday mode. I narrowed my list down to 16 of the books I’m most excited about, and once again it’s a very me mix: thrillers, horror, fantasy, romantasy, historical fiction, literary fiction, and a couple of books that are just weird enough that I immediately needed to know more.
I already have copies of most of these, so November and December are going to be packed with reviews as I try to catch up before the end of the year. I’ve actually already read Pinfeathers by Christina Henry, and I’ll have my full review up this week. There are also several here that I’m hoping to get to very, very soon, so consider this your preview of what you’ll be seeing reviewed on Speaking Of… over the next few weeks.
As I always do in my ‘Most Anticipated’ write ups, I’m sharing a few that I’m most excited for first. I then separate out new releases by their release date. I don’t go into too much detail on each of the books being released, because we’d be here forever, but you can always click on the image of the book to get more info.
The 16 Books I’m Most Excited About
November is bringing plenty of darker reads, which obviously works for me. There Used to Be People Here mixes mystery, horror, and sci-fi, while Revenge Plot gives us a dark publishing-world thriller that immediately caught my attention. I’ve already read Pinfeathers and will have my full review up this week but it’s strange, unsettling, and definitely gave me plenty to talk about. Until the Last Light, All the Little Secrets, and Celiou’s Gate are also firmly on my mystery/thriller radar.
On the fantasy and romance side, This Wretched Alchemy has deadly competitions, assassins, revenge, and dangerous magic, while The Trial of Magdalena Overmorrow promises a sweeping fantasy with a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance. Swipe Bite might have one of my favorite premises of the month. A vampire dating app, corporate sabotage, vampires eating their dates, and a mystery to solve. Add Devil in the Dusk, and apparently November is also determined to keep me firmly in my fantasy era.
Then there are the harder-to-categorize books that I’m equally curious about. The Cursed Diamond combines dual timelines, historical mystery, and a possibly cursed gemstone; Tiger’s Mouth dives into ambition, class, friendship, and the tech world; and Every Goodbye Ain’t Gone sounds like the emotional read of the month. Murmuration has a bookseller, a too-perfect town, strange disappearances, and mysterious flocks of starlings, while Ministry of Oh! brings John Scalzi’s particular brand of speculative weirdness to round things out.
I already have copies of most of these, so expect plenty of reviews over the next few weeks and into December. First up will be Pinfeathers, with several more hopefully coming very soon—assuming my TBR and the holiday season don’t completely take me out.
FALL MOST ANTICIPATED
October Most Anticipated
SEPTEMBER MOST ANTICIPATED | AUGUST MOST ANTICIPATED
Keep scrolling to see a full list of all the books I’m looking forward to in October.
November 3, 2026
November 10, 2026
November 17, 2026
November 24, 2026
I hope you found a book or books that you are truly excited about in this post. Make sure to sign up to receive updates of new reviews, reading lists, and more.
Let me know which other new releases you are excited for this coming winter by commenting below or by messaging me on Instagram @speakingof_books. You can also find me on Pinterest @speaking_of and TikTok @speakingof.books