October Fiction to Watch For: A Dozen Big Name Releases

Normally with my monthly posts, I try to mix things up a bit: some big name authors, some up-and-coming authors, the things you'd expect alongside a few discoveries. This month while researching this post, however, I was overwhelmed by the number of big name book releases that are packed into just 31 days. So, this month's post is super-sized with big names: 12 new fiction titles being released this month.

The Beat Goes On: The Complete Rebus Stories by Ian Rankin (October 6): Rebus was gone, then he came back. And now we're getting a compilation of his short form appearances from a variety of sources, some appearing in print for the first time.

Otherworld Nights: More Otherworld Tales by Kelley Armstrong (October 7): Reader's can't seem to get enough of Canadian writer Armstrong's paranormal tales. Fans will be flocking to read this new book: "an exciting, suspenseful and sexy new collection of stories and novellas".

Some Luck: A Novel by Jane Smiley (October 7): Smiley is perhaps a bigger name in the US than in Canada, but a new book from this Pulitzer Prize winner is a big event, especially for fans of well crafted literary fiction (and it's the first in a trilogy).


Closer To Home  by Mercedes Lackey(October 7): The first book in a new series from one of the biggest names in fantasy writing, what more needs to be said?

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult (October 14): Picoult's website boasts "it is estimated that there are 25 million books by Jodi Picoult in print", that number is about to jump.

Nora Webster by Colm Toibin (October 14): A new novel from one of Ireland's most important writers.


Gray Mountain: A Novel by John Grisham (October 21): A new legal thriller set against the backdrop of the US economic collapse.

Abattoir Blues by Peter Robinson (October 28): Inspector Banks, book 22.

The Peripheral by William Gibson (October 28): According to Wikipedia, William Gibson has been called "the "noir prophet" of the cyberpunk subgenre". I'm not sure I even understand what that means, but I do know a new book by him is a big event.


The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (October 28): Book 15 in the ever-popular series featuring Precious Ramotswe.

Pegasus: A Novel by Danielle Steel (October 28): And you thought Jodi Picoult's website had a lot to boast about, here's what Steel's says: "Danielle Steel has sold 600 million copies of her books internationally, and every one of her books is a bestseller"

Prince Lestat: The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice (Oct 28 2014): Just when you thought the vampire trend was over, Anne Rice is back with a new volume in the Vampire Chronicles.