Need a new book? 15 you can read now, from historical fiction to horror

What’s spookier than Halloween this fall? Having an empty to-be-read list!

But there’s no need to fret if your library holds are barren or your nightstand bookstack is a little thin – USA TODAY has you covered across genres so that every reader has a juicy new book to dive into as October comes to a close. 

It’s been a big month for celebrity titles, with new releases from Tim Curry, Malala Yousafzai, Lukas Gage, Judd Apatow and Michael J. Fox. But October has also seen new cozy fall romances, advice guidebooks from influencers and a whole lot of “Twilight” craze amid the 20th anniversary.

What to read next: 15 new books to check out now

Here are 15 of our favorite books that came out in October. There’s a little something for everyone on this list, whether you’re leaning into all things spooky this time of year, want a book that’ll make you think or need an escapist romance. 

‘Bog Queen’ by Anna North

“Bog Queen” is a literary page turner, the story of an American anthropologist in northern England who discovers a 2,000-year-old body, immaculately preserved, in a bog. North balances the nitty-gritty of anthropological work with the mystery of an Iron Age druid, unraveling how she ended up the titular “bog queen.” 

‘King Sorrow’ by Joe Hill

Hill’s latest horror fantasy is almost 900 pages, but don’t let that scare you away from this compelling story of college friends who make a deal with a devious dragon. “King Sorrow” follows a student who has been pressured into stealing rare books from his college library. He and his friends instead summon a dragon to do the dirty work, but find themselves bound to a deadline bargain. 

‘The Black Wolf’ by Louise Penny

The latest addition to Penny’s Armand Gamache series opens as Chief Inspector Gamache and his team realize the domestic terrorist attack they thought they stopped was merely the beginning of an even deeper conspiratorial espionage plot. Recovering in seclusion, Gamache and his team must use what little evidence they have to take down the Black Wolf and their undoubtedly powerful allies.

‘The White Octopus Hotel’ by Alexandra Bell

If you want something more whimsical than creepy this fall, try “The White Octopus Hotel.” In this magical hotel in the Swiss Alps, reclusive art appraiser Eve meets a man from another century who seems oddly familiar. The two are lost in time in the halls of the White Octopus Hotel, shuffling through 1935 and 2015 London in hopes of a second chance.

‘Finding My Way’ by Malala Yousafzai

Filled with heart, humor and gravity, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning girls’ education activist reintroduces herself to the world in “Finding My Way.” Yousafzai pens a portrait of a young woman discovering her identity amid immense pressure. Come for the stories of college dating and friendships – stay for Yousafzai’s reckoning with the Taliban attack that changed her life and what her work has cost. 

‘A Guardian and a Thief’ by Megha Majumdar 

“A Guardian and a Thief,” set in near-future India ravaged by famine and flood, is a literary gem with the pace of a thriller. Ma has carefully procured immigration documents for herself, her elderly father and her toddler to join her husband in the United States. Then a thief breaks in. Documents gone, Ma embarks on a weeklong rampage while readers also get to know teenage thief Boomba. His own protection of his family leaves us questioning who actually occupies the role of the thief and the guardian.

‘Female Fantasy’ by Iman Hariri-Kia

Both satirizing the romance genre and leaning all in, “Female Fantasy” follows Joonie, a copywriter by day and fanfic enthusiast by night. The disappointing men she dates don’t measure up to her book boyfriend, the sexy merman protagonist of her favorite fantasy series. After she discovers he has a real-life inspiration, Joonie journeys to track him down.

‘Remain’ by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan

This collaboration combines beloved author Sparks’ romance repertoire with a paranormal edge from director Shyamalan. “Remain” is set on Cape Cod, following New York architect Tate Donovan, who hopes to make a fresh start after a psychiatric facility stay. He’s saddled with grief after losing his sister, who told him on her deathbed she could see spirits “still tethered to the living world.” That, plus meeting a beautiful woman at the bed and breakfast he’s living at, challenges everything he thought he knew. 

‘We Survived the Night’ by Julian Brave Noisecat

“We Survived the Night” is a memoir, oral history and work of journalism from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Noisecat. Noisecat starts with a haunting family origin story – his father left to die in the garage incinerator at a forced assimilation Canadian Indian residential school. He was rescued by a night watchman. Using his family story, history and cultural legend, Noisecat grapples with the trauma, erasure and colonization of North America’s First Peoples.

‘Boleyn Traitor’ by Philippa Gregory

“Boleyn Traitor” is the perfect read for historical fiction and Tudor period fanatics. Get to know Anne Boleyn’s sister-in-law Jane as she plays the role of loving wife and doting sister to a powerful family. Jane uses her wit to survive under Henry VIII’s reign, an era where one wrong move, including the faintest whisper of gossip, may be the end of you. 

‘Herculine’ by Grace Byron

Biting and eerie, “Herculine” follows a woman who tries to outrun literal visions of demons by seeking refuge in an all-trans commune. Secluded in the rural Indiana camp, reigniting a messy relationship with a longtime friend and wary of the cryptic stares of her peers, our narrator discovers the demons have followed her all the way from New York City.

‘The Widow’ by John Grisham

Grisham pens his first whodunit in “The Widow,” which follows small-town lawyer Simon, a man with bills to pay and a crumbling marriage. Then he nets his wealthiest client yet, an elderly widow seeking a new will. But just as Simon starts to doubt her story, he finds himself a murder suspect, a crime he certainly didn’t commit. Can he save himself and uncover the truth?

‘Girl Dinner’ by Olivie Blake

Have your novel and eat it too with Blake’s “Girl Dinner,” a cannibalistic romp through sorority houses and sinister wellness fads. This novel follows a sophomore seeking popularity and refuge in an elite sorority and an adjunct professor adjusting to new motherhood. Both are drawn to The House’s seeming perfection, but quickly realize it comes served with a side of blood. 

‘Red City’ by Marie Lu

“Red City” is a dark contemporary fantasy set in a world where alchemy is controlled by rival syndicates Grand Central and Lumines, who exist with a delicate, carefully negotiated balance. Two childhood friends now must face off from opposite sides – Sam, the daughter of a poor single mother scraping toward a better life in Grand Central, and Ari, a Lumines prodigy. 

‘The Defender’ by Ana Huang

Huang’s latest steamy sports romance pairs the leading captain of a famous soccer team and a sports nutritionist, also the daughter of a legendary coach. Blackcastle Football Club player Vince is infuriating to Brooklyn, but as her best friend’s brother, there’s no escaping him. A relationship between the captain and the coach’s daughter is a recipe for disaster, right? 

Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at [email protected].