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Must-Read Books October 2026 |
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| Under Story by Chloe BenjaminAfter a terrible loss and a divorce, grieving Wisconsin scientist Laurel Salter takes a job washing dishes at Antarctica’s McMurdo Station. When a surreal light, dubbed the Arc, suddenly appears near the research base, it draws in more scientists, including Laurel’s ex, Eli. Believing the Arc is evidence of Eli’s theory of a second universe where time moves backward, Laurel tries to talk him into entering the Arc. For fans of: Scott Alexander Howard’s The Other Valley. |
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| The Barman of the Ritz by Philippe CollinIn 1940 Paris, while other businesses close, the legendary Ritz Hotel hosts locals, celebrities, and Nazis. Frank Meier, the hotel’s acclaimed barman who’s secretly Jewish, adapts to his new clientele while doing what he can to help other Jewish people, including his young mentee and the hotel manager’s wife. Based on a true story and translated from French, this is an absorbing, thought-provoking novel.
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| Sublimation by Isabel J. KimWhen you immigrate, you create a copy of yourself that stays behind. Soyoung Rose Kang hasn't spoken to her "instance" in years, but when she returns to Korea for a funeral, she realizes that the other Soyoung has a plan to steal her life. Fans of the TV show Severance will devour this provocative and complex speculative horror novel, along with similar books such as Ezra Claytan Daniels' Upgrade Soul or Maud Woolf's Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock. |
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| The Pirate Queen by Ariel LawhonIn 16th century Ireland, Grace O'Malley dreams of a life at sea, but her chieftain father insists she marry to forge an alliance. She obeys and has children, but after her husband’s death, she becomes the leader of her clan’s ships, fights battles, and finds love. This well-researched, adventure-filled saga moves back and forth across time, with alternating chapters depicting the three eras of Grace’s life (Maiden, Mother, and Matriarch). For fans of: intriguing biographical novels based on strong heroines. |
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| The Birthing Tree by Amanda PetersUnder a tree sacred to Mi'kmaq women, Aliet Paul’s mother died giving birth. Since her father wasn’t named, Aliet grows up in 1960s and ‘70s Nova Scotia with her Mi'kmaq grandmother Kiju, learning about her midwifery work. But when Aliet is 17, a disturbing event sends her away. After Kiju’s death in the 1990s, Aliet leaves her nursing job in the city to return home and reckon with the past. Read-alike: Mona Susan Power’s A Council of Dolls. |
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| They Say a Girl Died Here by Sarah PinboroughA skilled con artist with a talent for assuming new identities finds her carefully controlled world threatened when she is assigned her most dangerous job yet. Stylish and fast-moving, this psychological thriller combines deception, shifting loyalties, and clever twists with a sharp, character-driven narrative about identity, survival, and reinvention. For fans of: The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson. |
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| The Savage Landscape: How We Made the Wilderness by Cal FlynJournalist Cal Flyn proposes the ironic notion that the very concept of “wilderness” is manufactured by humans, since we tend to define it by the areas where people aren’t. The author travels to wild landscapes in her native Scotland, Brazil, Uganda, and Antarctica, marveling at the sights while referencing mythology, philosophy, and literature to examine the meaning that humans have invested in wild places. If you enjoy this, try Flyn’s last book, Islands of Abandonment: Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape. |
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| The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State by Jill LeporeTaking inspiration from Hannah Arendt’s 1951 classic The Origins of Totalitarianism, Pulitzer Prize winner Jill Lepore’s thought-provoking latest examines the origins and evolution of artificial intelligence, detailing AI’s damaging influence over politics, economics, and the everyday fabric of life. Try this next: Reboot: AI and the Race to Save Democracy by Beth Simone Noveck. |
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| The Castle: Adventures in a World of Unraveling Men by Jon RonsonIn his nuanced and compelling latest, bestselling investigative journalist Jon Ronson (So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed) explores the modern masculinity crisis, focusing on the eyebrow-raising exploits of predatory steel industry heir Chris Mark; actor and alleged cannibal Armie Hammer; Ronson’s former friend, disgraced Irish showrunner Graham Linehan; “manosphere” content creator Dan Bilzerian; and more. Read-alike: What Is Wrong with Men: Patriarchy, the Crisis of Masculinity, and How (Of Course) Michael Douglas Films Explain Everything by Jessa Crispin. |
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| Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature by Emily WilsonIn this engaging and accessible essay collection, classical studies professor Emily Wilson, whose work includes revered translations of Homer’s The Odyssey (which served as the inspiration for Christopher Nolan’s recent film adaptation) and The Iliad, discusses the complex history and challenges of translating ancient literature. Try this next: Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old by Mary Beard. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Pasadena Public Library 285 E. Walnut Street, Pasadena, California 91101 (626) 744-4066
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