November is set to be a great month for reading. There are a ton of new books from some of the top authors in the game. New books from Michael Connelly, M.C. Beaton, Anthony Horowitz, Janet Evanovich, and more. As the world turns to fall and gray, this is a great month to pick up a new book.
One highlight will be the release of Ready Player Two, the sequel to Ready Player One. I have a lot of friends who only watched the movie that are interested in seeing where the story goes next.
I’m also interested in checking out The Children of Red Peak by Craig DiLouie. This book about survivors of a religious cult looks absolutely creepy and I can’t wait to pick it up. With so many distinguished authors this month, it’s easy to forget about the new ones. That won’t be the case with Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett that has a similar cult vibe.
A ton of great books this month, let’s check out what’s in store for us.
Best Upcoming Cozy Mystery Books: November 2020
Hot to Trot by M.C. Beaton - Buy at Amazon: The great M.C. Beaton returns with the 31st entry in the Agatha Raisin series. This one sees Agatha crashing the wedding of a former love and causing a major scene. The next morning she wakes up with a hangover and to the news that the man’s wife has been murdered.
The Malt in Our Stars by Sarah Fox - Buy at Amazon: Sometimes you just read a book title and you have to check out the series. That’s The Malt in Our Stars for me. That’s just so clever and I’ll be checking out the third entry in the Literary Pub Mystery series.
Piece of My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark and Alfair Burke - Buy at Amazon: Mary Higgins Clark teams up with Alafair Burke to present piece Piece of My Heart, about a television producer named Laurie Moran who must solve the kidnapping of her fiancée’s nephew while trying to get ready for her own wedding. This book will show readers why Higgins Clark is known as the Queen of Suspense.
On Deadly Ties by Elizabeth J. Duncan - Buy at Amazon: The Penny Brannigan series is now on its 11th entry and the latest is On Deadly Ties. Penny decides to take a vacation to the island of Anglesey off the coast of North Wales, but soon finds herself back investigating when she discovers the body of a New Zealand journalist on a secluded beach. The death is ruled accidental, but Penny thinks there is more to the story and begins her investigation.
Fortune and Glory by Janet Evanovich - Buy at Amazon: The 27th book in the Stephanie Plum series is Fortune and Glory. This unique tale sees Stephanie and her recently widowed grandmother on the hunt for treasure. However, they aren’t the only ones after it and Stephanie soon finds herself in over her head.
Best Upcoming Fantasy/Sci-Fi Books: November 2020
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline - Buy at Amazon: One of the biggest releases of the month will be this sequel to 2011’s Ready Player One. The book picks up where the last one left off and sees Wade taking over Halliday’s empire, only to find that Halliday left behind more than he bargained for including a new version of the OASIS that is a thousand times more addictive.
Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg - Buy at Amazon: Holmberg had a huge hit with The Paper Magician and I am excited to check out the start of this new series this month. The story sees an orphaned girl named Elsie Camden who has grown up as an unlicensed magic user which makes her a criminal in this world. Elsie is put to work by an underground group known as the Cowls to push back against the aristocrats like a magical Robin Hood. However, when she breaks the spell of an elite user named Bacchus Kelsey and gets caught, she’ll have to strike a bargain with him to fix unruly spells around his estate. As the two work together, they grow closer as Elsie works to uncover the mystery of her background.
Refraction by Christopher Hinz - Buy at Amazon: This book sees Aiden Manchester who has the unique superpower where he has ‘manifestations’, mysterious balls of goo which materialize mid-air while he sleeps. It’s not a superpower he ever would’ve chosen and in fact he didn’t choose it. Aiden was a ‘Quiver Kid’, one of seven orphaned children drafted for an illicit experiment at Tau Nine-One. Aiden sets out to find others like him as well as those who did this to him.
The Factory Witches of Lowell by C.S. Malerich - Buy at Amazon: This hisorical fantasy sees the female mill workers of Lowell, Massachusetts going on strike against unfair working conditions and wages. The have a secret weapon on their side, Hannah, who has a gift for witchcraft.
The Alpha Enigma by W. Michael Gear - Buy at Amazon: The start of a new series sees a doctor for the military psychiatric unit at Grantham Barracks who gets a new patient, a woman known only as Prisoner Alpha. She is unlike anything that he has ever seen, but she speaks in a strange language and draws pictures like nothing the doctor has ever seen. Meanwhile, an archaeologist and forensic anthropologist discover an 18th-Dynasty tomb that shouldn’t exist. When Alpha makes her escape, Ryan is the prime suspect.
Best Upcoming Horror Books: November 2020
The Children of Red Peak by Craig DiLouie - Buy at Amazon: This book sounds absolutely creepy and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. The story sees three people who were apart of a religious group that had a horrific end. The trauma never left them, but when a fellow survivor commits suicide their memories come back to the surface and they decide to go search for answers.
This Is Not a Ghost Story by Andrea Portes - Buy at Amazon: Daffodil Franklin takes a summer job house sitting a mansion for a wealthy couple. At first it seems like the perfect job, but it soon becomes clear that this house is more than it seems. It’s watching her, pulling her, and it has a grudge that it needs to settle.
The Last Ritual by S.A. Sidor - Buy at Amazon: An Arkham horror novel, this book sees an aspiring painter named Alden who is asked to join a mysterious art commune in Arkham. There he meets Spanish surrealist Juan Hugo Balthazarr who everyone at the commune immediately falls in with. However, Alden soon starts to realize that Balthazarr is using his decadent parties and influence to try and free that which lies beyond the boundaries between nightmare and reality.
From the Neck Up by Aliya Whiteley - Buy at Amazon: I love a good shorty story collection and Aliya Whiteley looks to have a hit here. Her stories run the gamut from terrifying to tender to funny.
Ink by Jonathan Maberry - Buy at Amazon: A standalone from Jonathan Maberry sees a town that is seeing their most precious memories taken from them. From the tattoo artist with a tattoo of her dead daughter’s face on her hand to the serial killer whose skin is covered with tattoos of his victims, the tattoos are starting to fade and with them the memories that come with them. A monster is responsible for all of this. A monster who targets the lonely and disenfranchised.
Best Upcoming Mystery/Thriller Books: November 2020
Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz - Buy at Amazon: Anthony Horowitz returns to the world of the Magpie Murders with this month’s release. The writing on this is incredibly clever and evokes the best of Agatha Christie. Be ready for plenty of suspense as well as twists and turns in this one.
Shadow of the Dragon by Marc Cameron - Buy at Amazon: The 30th book in Tom Clancy‘s Jack Ryan is another thrilling adventure. Jack is now the President and he’ll be sending out John Clark to find a brilliant Chinese scientist who has gone missing. Clark’s mission will take him to China to try and find the key to his whereabouts.
Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly - Buy at Amazon: This month is really something as not only do we get a new Jack Ryan, but a new Lincoln Lawyer too. Michael Connelly’s latest sees Mickey Haller pulled over by police who find the body of a former client in his trunk. Mickey has been framed and he’s charged with murder, and he’ll rely on his team including Harry Bosch to investigate.
Deadly Cross by James Patterson - Buy at Amazon: A new Jack Ryan, a new Lincoln Laywer, and a new Alex Cross?! This month is just too much. This book sees Alex on the case of a high-profile murder of the vice president’s ex-wife. The woman had many enemies in her life and Alex finds more trouble and resistance the deeper that he digs.
Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett - Buy at Amazon: A lonely college freshman is lured into joining a cult in this debut thriller from Jennifer Moffett. The Kingdom is an exclusive on-campus group that offers Emily everything that she could possibly want out of college and more. They end up taking her on a summer mission trip to Italy, but it ends up being anything but a vacation. The students are stripped of their passports, money, and connections to home, and someone just ended up dead.
Best Upcoming Romance Books: November 2020
The Awakening by Nora Roberts - Buy at Amazon: The Awakening is the first book in a new series by romance legend Nora Roberts. The fantasy trilogy sees a young woman traveling across worlds to find her true self.
Everything Changes by Catherine Bybee - Buy at Amazon: Grace Hudson is a civil engineer who is the only woman in her department. She needs her space from men after her last love interest traumatized her. She’s not looking for anything, but a little flirting at the coffee shop never hurt anyone. So she is surprised to see Dameon Locke, the other flirter, at her work meeting. Grace can’t ignore Dameon’s charms, but when she is accused of taking bribes, she risks losing much more than her job.
Dusk by Aleatha Romig - Buy at Amazon: The first book in a new series that takes place in the world of Sparrow Webs. The story follows Reid Murray, a man who will do whatever it takes to once against dance in the dusk with his wife.
Little Lies by H. Hunting - Buy at Amazon: Words hurt. Words like “I don’t want you. You mean nothing to me. I never loved you.” hurt even more. Sometimes those words come with regrets.
On the Sidelines by JB Salsbury - Buy at Amazon: Football is in full swing right now and dominating my weekends (when I’m not reading) so why not read the latest in the BSU Football series by JB Salsbury?
So that’s what I’m checking out this month. What do you think of my choices? If there’s anything I missed that you think I should check out, please leave a comment below. Or just let me know what you’re reading! I love hearing about what books people are reading.
