November is almost here, which means it’s time to start guessing what Book of the Month is going to put in our blue boxes!
November is a little bit of a weird release month. Like I mentioned in my Most Anticipated list, it’s VERY front-heavy as publishing starts to slow down heading into the holidays but the first half of the month is packed with some really good possibilities. We have buzzy thrillers, big-name authors, historical fiction, romance, fantasy, and a handful of debuts that feel like they could come out of nowhere and land in the BOTM box.
As always, these are predictions, not spoilers! I’m looking at release dates, publishers, previous BOTM authors, early buzz, genres BOTM tends to favor, and the completely unscientific question of whether a book just feels like a BOTM pick.
So, let’s get into my November 2026 Book of the Month predictions!
I will hopefully have some spoilers later in the month, follow me on Instagram @speakingof.books if you’re interested! I have ARCs of many of the others waiting to be read. Be sure to come back in the upcoming weeks to see reviews for these.
Whether or not these are actually picks, only time will tell. Even if they are not all or most of these are on my November 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!
Fall Most Anticipated List
November MOST ANTICIPATED LIST
October Most Anticipated List
BOTM ADD-ON GUIDE
Keep in mind that these are simply predictions and books I hope get chosen. I could get these completely wrong but the anticipated and guessing is part of the fun right?!
Mysteries & Thrillers
I think Revenge Plot is one of my strongest predictions this month. It just feels like a BOTM thriller, and Stephanie Wrobel is already a previous BOTM author. I’m also watching The Terrarium, which gives us a darker, more atmospheric option, and The Party in the Woods, because an isolated setting, secrets, and things going very wrong is exactly the kind of thriller I can see showing up in a blue box. If we get more than one mystery/thriller option this month, I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of these.
Romance
My romance prediction is First Love Last Love. This one feels like a pretty natural BOTM pick: first love, second chances, fame, and plenty of emotion. It also feels like a good November romance, something a little more sweeping and emotional as we head into the holidays rather than another summery rom-com.
Historical Fiction
Historical fiction might actually be my hardest category to narrow down this month. The Cursed Diamond has dual timelines, mystery, obsession, and a supposedly cursed gemstone, so obviously I’m intrigued. Love, Like Apples is another one I keep coming back to, and Whale Harbor feels like a very natural BOTM-style historical pick especially since it would be a repeat author. Finally, I’m watching Peregrine Hill, which rounds out a surprisingly strong group of historical possibilities. I would be pretty shocked if we don’t see at least one of these in November’s box.
Science Fiction & Fantasy
For fantasy, I’m going with The Trial of Magdalena Overmorrow. It’s a big fantasy debut with magic, political intrigue, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, which checks quite a few BOTM boxes. This is also one I personally really want to read, so I may be manifesting this prediction just a little bit.
Contemporary & Literary Fiction
There are a LOT of possibilities here. Switzy is on my radar especially since they’ve feature Cline before. Every Goodbye Ain’t Gone, sounds like it could be one of the more emotional books of the month. Sweet Pea feels like another strong literary pick, while Long Wave gives BOTM an opportunity to go a little more unexpected. I could easily see this being the category where we get one obvious pick and one book none of us predicted.
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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