The Best Books You Can Read In October 2026

Derek Künsken’s The Quantum Evolution series is back, with the fourth book hitting our shelves later this month. And if it happened to pass you by before, or you want to reacquaint yourself with the world before delving into the latest story, there’s still plenty of time to do so.

Book four picks up at the end of the Quantum War, with Belisarius having been sucked into a collapsing wormhole. So, it’s up to Cassandra, Rosalie, Saint Matthew, and their comrade Stills to journey through time itself to find him. But, as you might imagine in a series like this one, things don’t exactly go to plan.

Even with Rosalie’s indicative and potent nightmares seemingly signalling to them from somewhere within the wormhole network, it will take them journeying to its ancient beginnings, and the very dawn of the universe, to hopefully bring him back.

The Sixth Faction by Veronica Roth

Release date: October 6 (US) and October 8 (UK)

After speaking exclusively to Veronica Roth earlier this summer, we’ve been counting down the days until her latest book – and a return to the Divergent universe – hits our shelves. And the time is finally here.

Instead of being a spin-off, sequel, or prequel, The Sixth Faction asks and answers the question of what could have happened if Beatrice “Tris” made a different choice at her Choosing Ceremony. If you’ve read the previous books or watched the movie adaptations, you’ll know that she ultimately chooses to leave her home and loved ones in Abnegation to join Dauntless.

However, this time tragedy strikes as she makes her decision, changing the course of her future in one fell swoop. And with Roth confirming that this new “book goes into parts of dystopian Chicago that you didn’t see in the original Divergent series,” and “felt like building a new world inside the old one,” we’re so looking forward to being reunited with Tris and the world that we fell in love with all those years ago.

Look What The Cat Dragged In by Jason Rekulak

Release date: October 13

With Halloween only a few weeks away, if you’re looking for a slightly different take on all things possession, or something just scary enough to make you want to check for any strange goings-on before you settle in to read it, look no further than Jason Rekulak’s Look What The Cat Dragged In.

For those who read his earlier novel, Hidden Pictures, which utilised increasingly unhinged illustrations throughout, his latest book has a new take on this, with the lead character being a talented cartoonist.

The story begins with Penny’s beloved pet cat, Popcorn, going missing. Not only is her cat like a family member to her, but Popcorn also serves as inspiration for her cartoon strips and comic books. Struggling with the grief of losing him and her new reality, when it’s suggested that she pet-sits for another cat, one who immediately warms to her, she hopes that it will help to get her creative spark back.

And well, it does that, just in a way that she would never have anticipated. Let’s just say, when things take a turn, it soon becomes clear that Godfrey is no ordinary cat and more dangerous forces are at work.

The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman

Release date: October 13

The second book in Christopher Buehlman’s Blacktongue series, The Thrice-Bound Fool reunites us with professional thief and perennial trickster Kinch Na Shannack. And this time, his life and the lives of all of Manreach depend on one thing: his ability to decipher a truly abominable book. But it’s not just any old book; it’s an ancient tome that is trying to kill him, both when opened and even when it’s closed.

And to make things worse, the all-seeing Taker's Guild doesn't want him to discover the dark magic and hidden secrets held within the book’s pages. So, when Galva, a veteran of the Goblin Wars and Death's sworn handmaiden, agrees to help Kinch and protect him for reasons of her own, could this partnership actually work? You’ll have to pick up a copy to find out.

Off The Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones

Release date: October 13

Another great horror to pick up in time for spooky season, Stephen Graham Jones – author of My Heart Is A Chainsaw and The Buffalo Hunter Hunter – returns to the world of The Only Good Indians in this follow-up story.

Taking place five years after the horrific massacres on the Blackfeet reservation, survivor Nate Yellow Tail takes this as his opportunity to start life afresh, after a terrible accident that should have taken his life left him on the brink of death.

Lugging his broken body with him, he and three older Blackfeet step aboard a run-down camper van with one aim in mind – to find and repatriate the bones of a fellow Blackfeet member who died at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, where Indigenous children were abused for decades. But, as you might expect, this journey into the past reveals more than they could ever have predicted or expected.

Victorious by V.E. Schwab

Release date: October 6

This month brings us the epic conclusion to V.E. Schwab’s Villains trilogy, and we could not be more excited to see how it all wraps up.

Picking up after the incredible showdown with Marcella, Eli, and Serena, the ExtraOrdinary of Merit City have been laying low and doing their best to avoid attracting EON’s attention.

However, with EON now under new leadership, with a horrifying new agenda to boot, they can no longer stay in the shadows. With Victor, Sydney, Mitch, and the rest of them travelling into the enemy’s stronghold at EON headquarters, it’s here that they encounter a number of unforeseen allies, as well as a host of unexpected new abilities, all culminating in the ultimate confrontation. But can they beat the ExtraOrdinary Organization – and the odds – one final time?

Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun

Release date: October 27

For fans of this summer’s cult hit horror movie gem, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, and 2024’s I Saw the TV Glow, the writer and director of both brings us a fresh new story revolving around a mysterious TV network broadcast, simply known as Public Access Afterworld. And it’s certainly piqued our interest; that’s for sure.

It begins back in 2009, when two suburban teens are sitting together watching TV's transition from analogue to digital. But after the static clears, one of them catches a glimpse of Public Access Afterworld before vanishing into thin air, in turn upending her friend’s life forever.

Fourteen years later, Bethany – a trans content moderator who spends her time sifting through a seemingly endless slew of horrific videos – notices one young streamer call out Public Access Afterworld over and over again. Can Bethany find and rescue them? And what connection does it have to the 2009 disappearance? It’s safe to say that we’ll be picking up a copy.

Funny Business by Matt Singer

Release date: October 6

For those of us who grew up watching comedy classics like Anchorman, Old School, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Zoolander, they continue to be some of the most memorable and beloved movies of the time. And in Matt Singer’s Funny Business, we’re given a chance to take a peek behind the scenes at what made those movies so successful and such a big hit with viewers.

Charting the successes of stars who first cut their teeth in improvisational comedy troupes and groups, before making their way onto the likes of SNL, there was a time when you simply couldn’t visit the cinema, or switch on the movie channels, without seeing Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, Seth Rogen, Vince Vaughn or the Wilson brothers front and centre.

But what happened to that type of comedy? And can they ever make a triumphant return in the age of digital and streaming? Reminiscing and reflecting on the types of comedies that came before, and what could possibly come next, this is a must-read for cinephiles and comedy fans alike.

Bound and Unbound by Ali Hazelwood

Release date: October 6

We always love it when authors get creative with the ways in which they share their stories, and Ali Hazelwood is doing exactly that with the release of Bound and Unbound. Even though both were originally released as audiobooks, this is the first time that they have appeared in print, with Bound on one side and Unbound on the other.

To begin, Bound follows Vero, a down-on-her-luck grad student who is forced to turn to her special talent for forgery to make ends meet. But when her work draws the attention of Dr. Viktor Ashworth, he makes her an offer. However, is it as simple as her helping him forge this mysterious ancient manuscript? Or is there a reason why they seem to be inexplicably drawn together?

Flipping things over to Unbound, this story focuses on the lives of a five-thousand-year-old female revenant, Lilit, and an overworked ER doctor called Roman, who are thrust together. But when someone starts hunting Lilit down and Roman is caught in the crossfire, she must choose between the world that she has sworn to protect and the man she has fallen for. So, whether you’re looking to dip your toe into the world of paranormal fantasy/romantasy or want a change of pace this month, it’s definitely one to try out, especially if you couldn’t get into the audiobook versions.

The Chain House: A Novel by J.H. Markert

Release date: October 6

With pseudonyms and sometimes even ghostwriters, a lot of the time we’re not always aware of who is behind some of our favourite books and series. And Chain House poses the question: what if a mass murdering cult leader was the author of a bestselling thriller series?

With just days until Sal Batise is set to be executed, he agrees to an interview. However, there is a catch – in order to release his final unpublished manuscript, one which could lead them to finding his victims’ bodies – he wants a stay of execution.

At the same time, a ransom note arrives with a single demand – to save the governor’s recently kidnapped wife – Batise’s execution must go ahead as planned. As the clock ticks down, the young filmmaker, who is conducting the interview, decides to enlist one of the childhood survivors of the cult to help locate the missing manuscript and, in turn, decide the fate of both Batise and the governor’s missing wife.

A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas

Release date: October 27

And it wouldn’t be a roundup of the best new books to be released in October 2026 without mentioning the sixth book in Sarah J. Maas’ record-breaking A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

One of the most highly anticipated releases of the entire year, this book centres around Koschei the Deathless and the imminent threat of his return. Obviously, the Night Court won’t be able to stand by and watch while innocents are attacked, but at the same time, rifts and recent betrayals mean that the Night Court isn’t as united and strong as they once were. It will take finding a way to reunite and repair what has broken, if they have any way of surviving and, in turn, defeating Koschei and what is coming their way. With book seven being released in January, it’s definitely a good time to be an ACOTAR fan.