13 November releases that deserve a spot on your TBR
Spooky season is over and the festive season is beginning. It’s my favourite time of year, but the end of British Summer Time has brought in the early, dark evenings and so I need a little extra treat when I finish work in the evenings. A hot chocolate and an hour of reading hits the spot before I have to start getting on with things, so I need some excellent new releases to fill the gaps.
There’s a surprising number of releases in what’s usually a pretty quiet month for publishing, with some big authors releasing new novels.
‘In Love with Love’ by Ella Risbridger
Part literary criticism, part investigation, total passion project, In Love with Love is a wild tour from the very beginnings of kissing in books through historic trends, favourite tropes, beloved friends and brand-new loves, from Jane Austen to Jasmine Guillory, Jilly Cooper to Georgette Heyer, from the depths of the ocean to the furthest reaches of the outer galaxy . . .
I adore romance books and I love Ella Risbridger so this is going to be a perfect book for me. One I intend to listen to on audio this month.
Empire of the Dawn, Jay Kristoff
It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. Ever since, vampires have waged war against humanity building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Gabriel de León, half man, half monster, and last remaining silversaint – a sworn brother of the holy Silver Order dedicated to defending the realm from the creatures of the night – is all that stands between the world and its end.
I only read book one last month, but I fell head over heels in love with it and it snagged an elusive five stars from me. I’m both excited and scared to read the rest of the trilogy.
Freeing the Wild, Paisley Hope
Rising country star Cassie Spencer's music career is just taking off when tragedy strikes mid-tour. Seeking solace, she retreats to rural Kentucky to escape the spotlight and visit her family. Haden Westbrook, the charming heartthrob of Laurel Creek only wants one thing: a peaceful life tending to the Silver Pines ranch and his rescue horses.
This is the fourth book in a cowboy romance series that is proving to be a lot of fun, even if book three was a little lacklustre for me.
The Employees, Olga Ravn
On the Six-Thousand Ship, things have started to feel changed. Since bringing aboard a number of strange objects from a newly discovered planet, the crew – both human and humanoid – have begun to feel a yearning. They want to be near the objects, to feel them pressed against their skin, but they also all now feel a curious new hunger for home: Earth, that place many cannot even remember.
This translated novel was originally published in 2021 by a small press and shortlisted for the International Booker, but it’s being republished by Penguin this month and will finally be available on Kindle!
Shy Girl, Mia Ballard
In this harrowing tale of survival and revenge, Mia Ballard crafts a visceral, unflinching descent into the dark heart of lost autonomy - and the feral rage it awakens. Shy Girl is a scream against the cage of expectation, where justice isn't quiet - it's bloody and unapologetic.
I’m a sucker for a dark, female rage novel and Shy Girl looks like it’s going to hit the spot.
Eternal Ruin, Tigest Girma
Hidden in our world, a society of vampires originating in Africa, can only feed from select human bloodlines. Each bloodline represents a House more cutthroat than the next. To ensure peaceful co-existence and inherit their legacy, human children of these families must study at an elite university before choosing a vampire companion.
We read Immortal Dark in 2024 for our podcast, The Dark Academicals, and though I had mixed feelings on the book at the time, I’m looking froward to picking up the sequel.
The Strength of the Few, James Islington
At the elite Catenan Academy, a young fugitive uncovers layered mysteries and world-changing secrets in this new fantasy series by internationally bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington.
Like a lot of fantasy readers, I’m eager to dive into the sequel to The Will of the Many, but I may have to do a reread of book one first.
Bound, Ali Hazelwood
A reluctant con artist and a professor with too many secrets are bound together in Ali Hazelwood’s intoxicating new dark academia romance—available only in audio!
I’ve had a bit of a rocky road with Ali’s book this year, but I’m super excited to see how she tackles dark academia.
Brigands and Breadknives, Travis Baldree
Return to the cosy fantasy world of the No. 1 New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes series with Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree, a freshly baked adventure featuring fan-favorite, foul-mouthed bookseller Fern.
I loved book one, liked book two, and I’m intrigued to see how Fern carried on after Viv,
The Last Wish of Bristol Keats, Mary E Pearson
After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an 'aunt' she has never heard of, who promises to help, Bristol reluctantly agrees to meet her – and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie.
I haven’t read book one yet, but I think it’s really going to be a bit of me.
Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore, Emily Krempholtz
Guy Shadowfade is dead, and Violet Thistlewaite is out of a job. After a lifetime as the dark sorcerer's right-hand witch, she's ready to turn over a new leaf. And this time, she wants to sprout peonies instead of poison. The quiet town of Dragon's Rest seems like the perfect place to start over. Violet opens a flower shop, swears off dark magic, and does her best to be...good.
This sounds so cosy and fun!
Brimstone, Callie Hart
Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen's reservoirs for as long as she can remember. But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.
I haven’t read Quicksilver yet, but Sarah loved it and she’s super excited for Brimstone.
Fallen Stars, Imani Erriu
In a world ruled by the Stars, cruel and merciless gods, Elara has been cursed by fate.
A prophecy promises she will fall for a Star, but that it will kill them both.
I currently have book one on hold at the library so I’ll be diving into this series as soon as it comes in!
Are any of these on your wishlist? What are you excited for this November?
