Our Favorite Must-Read Books Releasing in October 2025

It's officially fall, and with the cooler, wetter weather, we find ourselves spending way more time indoors to cozy up with great books.

Lucky for us, there's no lack of captivating new reads to get lost in every month, and October is no exception. Our favorite publishers sent us advance copies of their upcoming releases so we could dig in early, and between cozy romance stories, haunting thrillers and tales of magic and intrigue, we're obsessed. Can't wait to read what we loved best? Discover more about October's hottest releases, and when you can get your hands on them, below.

Heartstrings by Ali Novak – Oct. 7

From Ali Novak, the author My Life With the Walter Boys, comes Heartstrings, the third of four books in the dreamy Heartbreak Chronicles series. This story follows Indie Mitchell-Jamiolkowski, a high school senior and violin prodigy who's lived in the shadow of her older sister, popular TV actress Violet "James," for much of her life. Their relationship used to be great until Violet got too busy with work to acknowledge her much, and it doesn't help that their dad—now Violet's manager—has also gotten swept up in her career, and that their mom is on the other side of the country following her own musical ambitions.

Indie begrudgingly gets roped into being Violet's personal assistant at New York Comic Con, on the one condition she can get a break to watch a panel featuring one of her favorite makeup artists. Things go from bad to worse when a surprise errand—and losing her badge—makes her miss out on the opportunity. Everything changes, though, when Indie has a run-in with the adorably geeky Xander Jones, guitarist of the world-famous pop band, The Heartbreakers. Indie's known the group's bassist, Alec, her whole life, so the friendship that blooms between them is easygoing and sweet. Soon, however, as they encourage each other's artistic dreams and bond over a mutual sense of feeling outshone, that connection grows into something more—something that will show them both their full potential and that by taking a second look at their dreams, they can find an even deeper sense of joy and fulfillment.

We hopped right into this third book in the series and were immediately obsessed (so much so that we've now gone back and read the first two books in the series, telling the love stories of Heartbreakers members Oliver and Alec). Heartstrings is a sweet and breezy romance with a relatable lead, swoon-worthy love interest, just a touch of angst and an inspiring message we seriously appreciated.

(Heartstrings via Sourcebooks Fire)

 

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins – Oct. 6

Overdue starts with the story of usually sunshiney librarian Ingrid and her boyfriend, Cory, who've been together for 11 years. In fact, they've never been with anyone else. But when Ingrid's sister gets engaged after just two years, the two suddenly feel the pressure on their long-term relationship. Cory suggests an experiment—they should both see other people for the month of January, just to experience dating and realize they're not missing out on anything, and then reunite and get engaged at the start of February.

Ingrid realizes this unusual arrangement is going to be more challenging than she thought when she's immediately rejected by her work crush, the grumpy yet thoughtful Macon. Now, she's living on her own, desperate to date someone new by the end of the month, and she's created an awkward environment with her favorite co-worker and close friend. Things get even stranger when Ingrid makes it to the end of the month without successfully seeing anyone else, and Cory proposes an extension of their scheme. As the year moves on, will Ingrid and Cory's relationship actually survive this test, and what about Ingrid's growing feelings for Macon?

Overdue is a story that had us positively hooked from the beginning, rooting for Ingrid and Macon's will they, won't they romance and begging for both characters to finally acknowledge the obvious and intense spark between them. It's packed with delicious pining, with a cozy vibe that's perfect for fall (even if the story spans the course of an entire year), and it'll definitely hit home with its audience of avid readers.

(Overdue via Saturday Books)

 

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Love Stories (The Taylors Version) by Elizabeth Eulburg – Oct. 7

Here's a tale written by a Taylor Swift fan for Swifties everywhere. Love Stories (The Taylors Version) follows the Taylors—Taylor, Tay, TS and Teffy—four best friends who share a first name and an immense love for Taylor Swift. It's the start of freshman year, which means adjusting to a brand new environment where there's massive potential for new romance to blossom.

Taylor sets her eyes on the dreamy senior Hunter, getting sidetracked from her ambitions to run for class president, while cheerleader Tay falls for the cool yet quiet rock band frontman Reece. Meanwhile, TS tries to stay focused on being the star of the soccer team, conflicted about her feelings for English teammate Gemma, and Teffy continues to hide her feelings for longtime crush and family friend, Liam. As these relationships unfold, the girls start having less and less time for each other, and as their friendships are put to the test, revealing where their true affinities lie—and what's truly important.

Though this one feels tailored to a slightly younger audience than our typical reads, we could still appreciate its classic coming-of-age story (and the fact that it's positively packed to the brim with Taylor Swift references, down to the chapter titles). It's short and sweet, with a really satisfying and heartwarming conclusion for the four Taylors' stories that also sets the scene for more to come.

(Love Stories (The Taylors Version #1) via Scholastic Inc.

 

Secrets of the Blue Hand Girls by Rowana Miller – Oct. 7

Seeking some thrills ahead of the Halloween season? Check out Rowana Miller's Secrets of the Blue Hand Girls. Kay Anderson hasn't ever felt like she really fit in with the rich and connected girls at Davison, her private, all-girls preparatory school in Manhattan. She did have one close friend, Emily, who was also able to attend the school on a scholarship, but she was expelled their freshman year, and soon died under mysterious circumstances. Kay feels partially responsible, because her feelings for Emily and jealousy of her girlfriend, Aubrey, led to the actions that got Emily expelled.

Now a junior, Kay mostly keeps her head down and focuses on keeping perfect grades and getting into her dream college. That is, until the day she receives a mysterious letter telling her to come to school with her hand dyed blue. Intrigued and unable to resist the strange request, she obeys, discovering that Aubrey and a small group of girls have also arrived at school with blue hands. Soon, they get drawn into an imitation test for a secret society called the Blue Hand Girls. Wondering what these students have in common and why this clandestine group brought them together, Kay soon learns that there may be more to Emily's "accidental" death that they'll all be uncovering together. But will Kay be able to work with Aubrey without getting herself in even deeper, while dealing with her growing feelings for Zola, the only revealed member of the Blue Hand Girls?

This quick and snappy thriller had us on the edges of our seats to its riveting conclusion. Somehow, a prestigious private school makes the perfect setting for a murder mystery with an exciting dose of espionage and misdirection, with a very modern approach to solving its tangled scheme. The clues are all there, and we dare you to solve Emily's murder right alongside Kay as you read.

(Secrets of the Blue Hand Girls via Sourcebooks Fire)

 

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Witchlore by Emma Hinds – Oct. 13

Every October reading list needs a bit of magic, so be sure to spend some time with Witchlore this season. In a world where everyone knows about the existence of witches, Lando still can't manage to fit in. For one, they're the only shapeshifter at the Demdike College of Witchcraft, resulting in general distrust from the witch population, but they're also an outcast among shifters. Not only do they have zero control over their magic, resulting in random changes between different bodies, but by now, they "should" be settled into either a male or female resting form. As a non-binary shifter who feels equally uneasy in both types of bodies and can't control this anyhow, they feel like they can't win.

To top it all off, Lando also feels responsible for the recent death of their girlfriend, Elizabeth, and most of the school blames them, too. So, when a dashing new witch named Bastian shows up out of nowhere, eager to be Lando's friend, they have to be suspicious. Even more so when Bastian says he knows of a resurrection spell that may be able to bring Elizabeth back, healing Lando's heart and reputation in one fell swoop. It sounds too good to be true, but they go along for the ride. However, retrieving what's needed for the spell will put their lives at risk again and again, and, as Lando suspects, Bastian may not be everything he makes himself out to be.

If you've been hunting for a more grounded fantasy story to get lost in, we can't recommend Witchlore enough. It feels rooted in reality yet deeply magical all at once, with a powerful queer allegory and lovely story of love, longing and loss at its core. The story also does a fabulous job of leaving breadcrumbs for readers to figure things out as they go, making it extra gratifying to arrive at its thrilling conclusion.

(Witchlore via Wednesday Books)

 

A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford – Oct. 21

Need a good dose of cozy and whimsical magic this fall season? Dive right into Mara Rutherford's A Curious Kind of Magic, which follows Willow Stokes, a teen girl who inherited her dad's magic shoppe when he suddenly died two years ago. She's struggling, not just with the loss, but with the shoppe's finances, as he may or may not have been a bit of a swindler, and as far as she knows, everything in the shoppe is fake.

Everything turns around, though, when she meets an outlander named Brianna Hargrave whose touch can temporarily reveal the potential of any items imbued with magic. While Bri considers this a curse—one that has driven her to leave home, and possibly never return—Willow knows a moneymaking opportunity when she sees it. The two clash over differing cultures and views on magic—as well as Willow's jealousy when Bri quickly befriends her closest friend and crush, Finlay—but Willow recognizes Bri may be her ticket to not just stability but prosperity.

As the two form an unlikely alliance, Willows discovers there may be a way to break Bri's curse once and for all, questioning herself as she continues to hide the truth for selfish reasons, and unraveling a much grander conspiracy involving dragons, witches and giant cats in the process. Will she learn to do the right thing, or ignore her conscience in the name of getting rich quick?

(A Curious Kind of Magic via Wednesday Books)

 

Julia Song Is Undateable by Susan Lee – Oct. 27

At 29 years old, Julia Song seems to have it all. She's the successful CEO of her own K-beauty company, Starlight Cosmetics, which has become so popular that most of her time these days is focused on its expansion and growth. The problem? She's still single, and her Korean family—and their community at large—won't consider her established until she is. Then, her grandmother has a health scare, pleading with Julia to get married before she dies. The pressure is on, despite the fact that Julia has always considered herself "undateable."

Begrudgingly, Julia agrees to go on three blind dates with eligible bachelors, knowing she's going to have a horrible time. In the midst of the madness, however, she's reunited with her 25-year-old neighbor, Tae Kim, and he's no longer the little kid she remembers. He's not just handsome and muscular, but kind, thoughtful and extra generous with his time. Tae, however, feels like a nobody, leaving behind a good job in Chicago to live in his parents' basement, doing odd jobs to support his dad during his recovery from cancer. Tae soon agrees to become Julia's dating coach, and it's no surprise that sparks start flying between the two childhood friends as her dates become more and more humiliating. But will these two be able to see beyond the expectations of their families and recognize what's right in front of them? Or will they let that burden prevent them from ever finding happiness?

We love a good dual-perspective story, and Julia Song Is Undateable does the narrative right. Both Julia and Tae are a delight to follow, and the story balances yearning, angst and moments of triumph in a way that kept us turning the pages to the very last. It's also wonderful to see Korean American culture reflected in such a relatable way—and all in the middle of a sizzling and sweet romance.

(Julia Song Is Undateable via Canary Street Press)

 

Missed out most anticipated books of September? Click HERE to check out our favorites and add them to your backlog.