The 33 Most Anticipated Books Of November 2022

Nov. 1

Jake Maia Arlow’s How to Excavate a Heart is a classic holiday rom-com with a sapphic, Jewish bent. Aspiring paleoichthyologist Shani is just coming off of a bad breakup when she accidentally hits May with her car. That should end any hope of a relationship between these two young women, but Fate has other plans... like making sure they’re stuck in the same home together on Christmas Eve.

Nov. 1

Everyone’s favorite Aliens side character, PFC Jenette Vasquez, gets her own novel this November, courtesy of Goddess of Filth author V. Castro. Aliens: Vasquez stretches all the way back to its eponymous hero’s hardscrabble beginnings to tell the story of one woman’s quest to see the stars up close — and the sacrifices she was forced to make along the way.

Nov. 1

Andrew needs to be married to collect his inheritance, and Ellie — who lost her dream woman and her dream job in one fell swoop — could really use a break. They’re pretty sure they can fake their way to the altar and set themselves up for financial success, but their plan hits a snag when Andrew takes Ellie home to spend the holidays with his family. His sister, Jack, is the one-night stand Ellie fell in love with before her whole world came crashing down. Could sparks still fly between them?

Nov. 1

In this posthumous release from Geek Love author Katherine Dunn, a reclusive woman living with a toad and some goldfish mulls over her college memories — and in particular, the tentative connections she formed with three classmates: Sam, Carlotta, and Rennel.

Nov. 1

Miss Austen author Gill Hornby brings Jane Austen’s dear friend, Anne Sharp, to life in this new novel. Anne’s mother has just died, leaving the penniless 31-year-old with no choice but to start a new career as governess to Jane’s niece, Fanny Austen-Knight. The placement is a financial and social boon that will result in a lifelong friendship between Jane and Anne, but at first, the new governess’ position in the Austen-Knights’ home is tenuous at best.

Nov. 1

In N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became, New York’s human avatars managed to save the city from the Woman in White and the forces of R’lyeh. Now, in this sequel, a new threat rises in the form of a politician — a xenophobic mayoral candidate backed by the Woman in White — who launches a campaign built around white supremacist rhetoric.

Nov. 1

The second installment in Freya Marske’s Last Binding trilogy arrives in stores this month. A Restless Truth centers on Robin Blyth’s sister, Maud, who finds herself entangled in a murder mystery — and a steamy romance — when her elderly employer turns up dead on an ocean liner.

Nov. 1

When COVID-19 brought tourism to a halt, Nantucket’s economy was devastated. Many on the island, including Police Chief Meredith “Merry” Folger, hope that Nantucket’s annual Christmas Stroll will bring some much-needed cheer back to the community. It’s not all fun and festivities for Merry, though, who’s forced to juggle the needs of the visiting Secretary of State, a TV production shooting on the island, and the locals. After two people turn up dead, things go from bad to worse.

Nov. 1

The citizens of Majestic, Pennsylvania are reeling from a mass shooting that claimed 17 lives. Lucas lost his wife, and now claims she visit him every night in the form of an angel. The shooter’s kid brother, Eli, is struggling too — largely, with his guilt for not trying to stop his brother. When Eli begins camping out in Lucas’ backyard, the two form an unlikely bond.

Nov. 1

In 1944, Franny got hit with a Showstopper: a special joke that, when delivered by a great comedienne, has a magical effect on women in the audience. Seven years later, Franny’s caring for her shell-shocked brother and trying to make sure that an old friend’s wedding goes off without a hitch. It’s all fairly unremarkable... until Franny realizes she can tell her own Showstopper, and her life takes a new, unexpected turn.

Nov. 1

This new horror novel about a haunted family heirloom comes from the author of Crazy Horse’s Girlfriend, Erika T. Wurth. The story follows Kari, whose life is thrown for a loop after her cousin finds her late mother’s bracelet — and accidentally unleashes a supernatural force. Kari becomes haunted by her mother, who won’t rest until she uncovers the truth about how she died. But few people care to investigate the murder of an Indigenous woman, and fewer still are able to help Kari in her quest.

Nov. 8

Part memoir, part self-help guide, Shavone Charles’ Black Internet Effect is here to show BIPOC women how to make space for themselves — space to live, work, grow, and prosper — both online and offline.

Nov. 8

Cassandra Khaw has thrilled and chilled readers with novels like Hammers on Bone and The All-Consuming World. Now, they’re set to publish their debut collection this November: Breakable Things, a selection of 23 short stories that riff on urban legends and eldritch evils.

Nov. 8

Li Zi Shu’s debut novel, The Age of Goodbyes, is finally available to read in English this month. Here, Li weaves together three stories set in contemporary Malaysia: one involving a woman entering a marriage of convenience, another that centers on a writer who shares her name, and a third in which “you” read a novel called The Age of Goodbyes.

Nov. 8

When a New Year’s Eve blowout ends with the host’s corpse floating in a nearby lake, it’s up to Detective Constable Ffion Morgan to crack the case. She knows everyone in the village — including those who had a motive to murder the victim, a vacation-rental magnate. But which of DC Morgan’s suspects is the actual killer?

Nov. 8

Drew never had an interest in reading, but books become her life after she inherits her late grandmother’s small business, The Book Nook. The shop comes with an established book club made up of seven meddling grannies called the Dirty Birds, who are looking forward to a pre-planned signing with bestselling author Jasper. Sparks fly when the Dirty Birds set Drew and Jasper up on a date, but can a book-hater ever fall in love with a romance novelist?

Nov. 8

Set in an alternate version of 1940s Chicago, Even Though I Knew the End centers on Elena, a magic-wielding P.I. whose days on Earth are swiftly coming to an end. Elena sold her soul to the devil a decade ago, and now she has only three days left before Hell comes to collect. Unless, that is, she can track down a serial killer known as the White City Vampire, and save her soul in the process.

Nov. 15

The proliferation of online pornography has been the butt of jokes for decades, but did you know that Playboy magazine was integral to creating early image file types? As Samantha Cole shows here, sex has been critical to the development of internet culture, and the internet has, in turn, forever altered the way we think about intimacy and lust.

Nov. 15

Three sisters living in late-19th-century Louisiana find themselves caught up in a hoodoo horror story in Tracy Cross’ debut novel. Betty, Ann, and Pee Wee spend their summers with their Aunt Teddy, a hoodoo practitioner who teaches the girls about hexes, blessings, and other varieties of magic. It’s idyllic. But when a tragedy involving a scheming local sheriff hits close to home, it forever alters the course of the girls’ lives.

Nov. 15

Olivia Dade returns with another sexy story involving the Gods of the Gates crew in Ship Wrecked. Here, Maria gets the surprise of her life when Peter, a man she thought she’d lost forever, lands a big role on the show. There’s just one problem — she ghosted him after their one-night stand, and he doesn’t seem eager to forgive.

Nov. 15

When Strega was first published, it won the PEN Translates Award and was short-listed for the European Union Prize for Literature. Now, thanks to this new English translation, readers stateside can enjoy it, too. The story follows a group of new maids working at the swanky Olympic Hotel, who are pulled into a mystery when hotel’s wealthy guests throw a blowout party and one of their own vanishes, leaving only her dress behind.

Nov. 15

Michelle Obama discusses the challenges of living through a sea change in this follow-up to her bestselling memoir, Becoming. The Light We Carry contains stories of resilience to help buoy readers through the tough times that lie ahead.

Nov. 15

A DJ protesting gentrification plunges into a love-hate relationship with the hot CEO of the development company in this Pride and Prejudice retelling. Dorsey — a Filipino American man adopted by white parents — thinks Liza B. has nothing constructive to add to the conversation surrounding his building and restoration project. After their volatile confrontation goes viral, however, the two find some common ground.

Nov. 15

In this new novel from the author of Black Sun, the Old West is reimagined as a dark fantasy world. Here, society is divided between the privileged Elect and the Fallen: the descendants of demons who lost a war against the Elect long ago. The Elect allow the Fallen to live, if only because the Fallen are capable of mining a precious resource, but the Fallen are hardly given the same rights and privileges as the Elect. So when a young Fallen woman murders a high-ranking lawmaker, her estranged sister has no choice but to play Devil’s Advocate — literally — to defend her in court.

Nov. 15

Yasmen and Josiah couldn’t hold their marriage together, but they’ve managed to make their post-relationship life work with a smooth co-parenting schedule and a shared business plan. The longer she works side-by-side with Josiah to give their children a comfortable life, however, the more Yasmen feels like something’s missing from her own. And when some sexy sparks begin to fly between her and Josiah again, she has to wonder if they really gave their marriage all they had.

Nov. 22

It’s been one year since Astrid’s major breakup, and she’s spent the last 12 months dumping all of her energy into her career. Her efforts seem to pay off when she’s offered an on-screen role in an episode of the home-improvement show Innside America — until Jordan, the granddaughter of the Everwood Inn’s owner, attempts to hijack the reno project. Jordan opposes every change Astrid suggests... but their not-so-friendly rivalry might turn into something more than friendship.

Nov. 22

From the author of In the Garden of Spite and The Witch in the Well comes this novel about Kansas’ infamous serial-killing family. The Bloody Benders preyed upon unsuspecting travelers for 19 months in the 1870s, before they disappeared without a trace. In All the Blood We Share, Camilla Bruce resurrects the Benders, imagining the story behind one of the Old West’s greatest mysteries.

Nov. 22

This debut novel from Jell-O Girls author Allie Rowbottom centers on a washed-up Instagram influencer working as a makeup salesperson, some 16 years after she became a household name. She desperately needs to reinvent herself, and that’s where Aesthetica™ comes in. This high-risk plastic surgery purports to reverse all of the former influencer’s other procedures and resurrect her authentic self — whatever that means.

Nov. 29

After his sister married a prince, Jordy became a high-profile — and highly eligible — bachelor. Now, he’s the star of Second-Chance Romance: a Bachelor-esque reality show in which his exes compete to win him back. Of course, Jordy’s womanizing ways aren’t going to be media-friendly once they come to light, and one of the competitors, Maya, is determined to make sure everyone knows how he treated her.

Nov. 29

It’s 1973, and every little girl in the USSR wants to be part of the Soviet gymnastics program. When 8-year-old Anya is chosen to compete, her best friend — an older neighbor who spent 10 years in the Gulag — is happy for her. What Anya doesn’t know is that her friend might be able to answer Anya’s questions about what happened to her missing mother — but as the competition heats up, Anya finds she cannot afford to go looking for things the USSR doesn’t want her to see.

Nov. 29

The 18th book in Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series finds Gamache and his fellow investigator, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, confronted by a pair of living ghosts from their shared past: a brother and sister whose parents were murdered years ago. They’ve returned by to the village, and Gamache and Beauvoir don’t understand why. Luckily, the investigators are distracted from their traumatic memories of the siblings’ case, as they uncover the mystery around a 160-year-old letter. But when they open a room full of literal curiosities, a new — and deadly — investigation cranks up.

Nov. 29

Why are we so obsessed with butts? That’s the driving question of Heather Radke’s Butts: A Backstory, which takes readers on a decades-long journey, examining the evolving cultural significance of derrières all along the way.

Nov. 29

Amanda Sellet draws on Louisa May Alcott’s classic coming-of-age novel in this new YA rom-com. The novel follows Jo, whose mother has devoted her life to the Little Women author, even going so far as to name her daughters Jo, Meg, and Bethamy and to have them call her Marmee. Jo is far less fond of Alcott — not least because her mom’s recently taken things up a notch, turning their home into a tourist attraction and making Jo act in Little Women Live! A visit from a photojournalist might be the most embarrassing thing Jo can think of, but at least it gives her a look at the world outside her little family. And it doesn’t hurt that the photographer has a teenage son who seems to be interested in Jo.