October is bursting with 2026 anticipated releases. Because it’s hard to keep track of the many notable new books out this month, I combed through some prominent lists to make sure you know which books are the talk of the town.

If you want to browse the full lists, here are the ones I consulted to find the most popular books out in October 2026:

Which were the most popular new books of October 2026? Here’s the list of titles that made it onto four or more lists:

Here’s a selection of exciting books that made it onto fewer lists, but absolutely deserve your attention:

I am so mad that a) I didn’t know about National Book Tokens until this week, and b) we don’t have them in the U.S.

In 1932, Harold Raymond was at a Christmas gift exchange and was distraught to see that no books were given. A friend said that it was because it can be hard to pick out books for readers, because you don’t know what they already have (or want). So he cooked up the National Book Token.

Essentially, it is a gift card that can be redeemed at participating bookstores across the UK and Ireland. And because it is administered in conjunction with the Bookseller’s Association, that means that many, many bookstores participate, from tiny indies to the major national chains.

I came across it while reading Katie Clapham’s excellent Receipts from the Bookshop, a year-long diary of working in a small English bookstore. And there were so many mentions of these National Book Tokens that I had to figure out what they are.

We talk about it more on the most recent episode of The Book Riot Podcast. Mostly, it is just “pretty please, can we get this in the States?” on this topic, but seriously, can we? —JO

At my big age, I’ve recently become obsessed with fanfic. There’s no question that I’ve read more fanfic than books this year, and I don’t regret it. I’ve even started writing some of my own lately, which has been its own journey.

After a lifetime of thinking and writing about stories roughly every waking moment, I was surprised to find that reading fanfic shifted my relationship to storytelling more broadly.

I’m picky with the books I pick up. I have a long list of subgenres, styles, and plot hooks that I gravitate towards—or avoid.

That means that I’ve tried fanfic that I never would have in book form, whether because of the tropes used or the writing style.

Even if I don’t love an individual fic, I often find a line that jumps out at me, a memorable scene, or some other detail to appreciate. Some of the fanfiction I’ve returned to over and over has terrible punctuation—something that would usually be a dealbreaker for me.

Between reading fanfic and writing it, I’ve begun to think of stories less as a finished product—which should be polished, flawless—and more as play. It’s two kids in a game of pretend, saying, “Imagine if…”

Language is an imperfect medium through which we try to convey our thoughts to someone else’s mind. Something is always lost or transformed along the way. But there’s so much joy in the attempt, especially in fanfic, where the people on either side of that exchange share the same excitement and investment in the characters.

I hope I can carry that sense of play and discovery into my book-reading life as well. —DE

Young adult nonfiction is severely underrated.

Like adult nonfiction, YA nonfiction offers numerous formats, ranging from compelling memoirs–both traditional and comic form–to how-to guides, deep dives into history, essay collections, and more. There’s even an award for outstanding YA nonfiction, too. The Excellence in YA Nonfiction Award, given by the American Library Association, will announce its finalists in December.

YA nonfiction is no less rigorous than adult nonfiction. Rather, it’s written with teen readers in mind, meaning that the pacing can be zippier and there are often more visual elements to explore.

Here’s a slice of this year’s most interesting offerings so far:

→ Baseball’s Shining Season by Martin W. Sandler and Craig Sandler: This is the story of the 1941 American baseball season, one marked by the game’s reckoning with its Black and female players. 

→ Defying China by Tsultrim Dolma and Rebecca Wei Hsieh: Tsultrim Dolma was born in an eastern Tibetan town, dreaming of more than what she was told was her lot: no education, an early marriage, life under an oppressive Chinese regime. When she turned 16, she began to join protests for a free Tibet, and it wasn’t long before she was arrested and sent to the brutal Gutsa Detention Center.

→ The Fight of Our Lives: AIDS in America by David Levithan and Gabriel Duckels: The history of AIDS in America is complex. It’s one of grief and heartbreak, alongside stories of activism and hope. This explores the history of where and how America has handled the AIDS epidemic since its early years. 

→ The Healers of Harlem by Nina Chhita: For fans of Hidden Figures, Chhita’s debut is about the history of Harlem Hospital. It traces the hospital’s origins as a small institution through its more recent era, focusing on four Black women who were key figures in its desegregation.

→ Queer and How We Got Here by Hazel Newlevant: When Hazel was 12, they told their parents that they were bisexual. That’s not who Hazel is today, and this book tells their story of coming to understand themselves as a nonbinary, transmasc individual in parallel with queer history.

Keep up with YA nonfiction releases every month with the What’s Up in YA? newsletter. — KJ 

While Goodreads’ lists of the most anticipated books their members want to read are always great to have—especially considering the site’s more than 150 million members—their editors’ picks are just as insightful.

Their picks for this month in particular are comprised of a lot of highly anticipated, genre-bending literary fiction releases—one of which was shortlisted for the First Novel Prize.

Below is a sampling of the literary fiction Goodreads editors are most excited about this month:

More of the editors’ October picks. —EE

Samantha Josephs is the author of the trans horror novel Carrying, out tomorrow from G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Below, she recommends three trans and queer horror reads.

Herculine by Grace Byron: After flailing around broke in New York City, a trans girl in her twenties goes to an all-trans commune in the woods run by her ex-girlfriend, hoping to be saved from her old Christian demons in a new queer utopia. But at the secluded camp, she finds secrets, sex, and unfortunately, actual demons. A deft portrayal of how hard it is to actually be in community with each other, especially when we all come with so many scars. If you want a tender but painful portrait of trans women that builds to a big, bloody conclusion, this book delivers.

The Secret Dinner by Raphael Montes: In Rio, Brazil, four childhood friends struggling to pay the rent turn to hosting elite secret cannibal dinner parties. As the parties grow bigger and bigger, making more money, needing to push the boundaries of this culinary frontier, the friends get more and more attention from the outside world and law enforcement. This book dares to make your mouth water with delicious descriptions of stomach-churning food. There is one scene in here that is so unflinchingly dark that it will stay with me forever. If you like fast, shadowy books, with a gay male protagonist that never quite lingers too much on his queerness, you’ll love this first English translation from the incredibly popular Brazilian author. 

Castle F****t by Derek McCormack: An incredibly messed-up Saturday morning cartoon set in a haunting amusement park, this slim book truly stands alone. Count Choc-o-log, a Dracula made of chocolate and feces, lives in a castle with his other spooky friends where dead gay men hang from the ceiling like the most fashionable decór. I devoured this whole thing with a huge grin, blown away by the bravado and ingenuity. If you want classic horror icons in a way you’ve absolutely never read before, filled to the brim with unadulterated disgusting filth, you’ll feel like you need to wash your hands, and maybe more, after reading this book.

Did you know? Kaur wanted to study fashion design in college, but was dissuaded by her father, who didn’t think it was a viable career. As a poet, she has sold more than 12 million copies of her books.

Hear from nearly 50 librarians talking about libraries (gifted link)

Get into the spirit with October’s new horror books

Read these books featuring bizarre relationships ahead of Wicker

Read about the literacy backlash sparked by an influencer

Read horror set in creepy places

Written by Sharifah Williams, Jeff O’Neal, Kelly Jensen, Danika Ellis, and Erica Ezeifedi. Thanks to Erica Ezeifedi for copy editing.

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