9 of the best books we recommend reading this October

Oct 3 2022, 1:00 pm

We’re delighted to present our next book column and hope you discover a new read from our curated selection. With forthcoming titles from Colleen Hoover, Adam Silvera, and a highly anticipated memoir from Constance Wu, it’s an exciting month ahead.

These are nine books we recommend this October.

The Goddess Effect by Sheila Yasmin Marikar

A radiant and clever debut following Anita, who moves from New York to Los Angeles in search of a new career. Instead, she discovers an elite workout class called The Goddess Effect, and the alluring results of her daily ritual take priority over all else.

When Anita is invited to an exclusive retreat in the desert, she starts to question the whispers of “enhancements” that only founder Venus can provide. Has she joined a cult? Or is this just the wild, wild world of wellness?

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Adam Silvera’s New York Times bestselling They Both Die at the End is one of BookTok’s most hyped novels, taking the platform by storm with more than 90 million views. Get ready to have your emotions stirred because the prequel is here.

Following two new strangers, Orion and Valentino, who have both registered for Death Cast under different circumstances. The boys cross paths in Times Square and spend a life-changing day together, but neither is prepared for how it will end. Are you ready?

The Family Outing by Jessi Hempel

We’ve read our fair share of memoirs this year, and Jessi Hempel’s life story is among the best. A picture-perfect family life is often far from the truth, as was the case with the Hempels. As a child, Jessi’s father was frequently travelling for work, while her mother was lonely and erratic. 

Growing older, Jessi, her father, and her two siblings had all come out, and her mother had been harbouring her own secret. Between the lines, each member of the Hempel family shares an incredibly moving story as they overcome obstacles, both alone and together again as a family unit. Dubbed “The Project” by Jessi, this book is a tremendous accomplishment.

Newsroom Confidential by Margaret Sullivan

Not many know newsroom politics like Margaret Sullivan, who held the unique title of public editor at The New York Times in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. After more than three decades of experience, Sullivan accepted a position within the influential Pulitzer Prize-winning organization, and through her memoir, she offers an unparalleled look into American journalism.

For aspiring writers, journalists, and anyone who consumes news today, this is a must-read. It’s a page-turner from start to finish.

Singer Distance by Ethan Chatagnier

Debut author Ethan Chatagnier delivers an atmospheric world beyond our imagination. Set in 1960, Singer Distance is an exploration of ambition, loneliness, and love, as five MIT students, including Rick Hayworth and his girlfriend Crystal, make a cross-country road trip to Arizona.

Crystal believes she’s solved a mystery and plans to transmit a message to Mars when they arrive. After 30 years of silence, the Martians respond to her message; then one day, she vanishes. The disappearance puts Rick on a different path than he ever imagined.

README.txt by Chelsea Manning

American whistleblower Chelsea Manning’s forthcoming memoir is one of this year’s most long-awaited releases. Manning, who worked as an intelligence analyst for the United States Army in Iraq, disclosed hundreds of thousands of classified military documents to WikiLeaks that she had smuggled out via the memory card of her digital camera in 2010. 

She was later charged and sentenced to 35 years in military prison. Manning’s memoir is an account of her difficult childhood, the fight to defend her rights as a trans woman, and why she made the decision to leak the documents.

Psyched by Amanda Siebert

Award-winning Canadian journalist Amanda Siebert’s Psyched is a fascinating look into the world of psychedelics. While ayahuasca has been used for years as part of a healing ritual in countries like Peru and Ecuador, psychedelic therapy is becoming increasingly popular in North America.

Siebert guides readers through seven substances, including psilocybin, ketamine, and LSD, and includes cutting-edge research and interviews with leading experts.

Making a Scene Constance Wu

In an exclusive excerpt of her upcoming memoir shared with Vanity Fair, award-winning actor Constance Wu opened up about being a victim of sexual assault when she was in her 20s. The star of Fresh off the Boat, now 40, speaks to survivors who hold guilt and shame for things they “didn’t say or do in the moment, for fear of making a scene.”

Told through a collection of essays, Wu shares stories of her childhood, and after a decade of waiting tables and auditioning, her eventual break into the entertainment industry as an Asian American woman.

It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

With eight books dominating the New York Times bestseller list, Colleen Hoover’s success as an author is unrivalled, and we’re here to celebrate every moment. The sequel to her novel, It Ends With Us, is hitting shelves later this month. 

Picking up right where we left off, Hoover’s next book is told from the alternating perspectives of Lily Bloom and Atlas Corrigan. Lily has a baby now and is co-parenting, and Atlas is running his own restaurant, but after running into one another by chance it’s clear that their love for one another is palpable. It started with them. Where will it end?

Sean LoughranSean Loughran

+ Curated
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