From rainn wilson’s highly anticipated memoir to sally andrew’s mystery series set in south africa, this month’s new releases are an eclectic group of captivating tales. We’ve rounded up the 10 books we were most excited to read, including five novels, four non-fiction titles, and a collection of fairy tales for adult readers.
Check out our picks below, then leave a comment describing the books you want to read.
You are reading: New books november 2015
1. avenue of mysteries by john irving
release date: November 3rd from simon & schuster why you’ll love it: “no good novel is a disaster; Many of the so-called real lives are messy”, says Juan Diego in Avenida de los Misterios. This dream-filled story follows heartbroken novelist Juan Diego, a man who appears to have written several books similar to Irving’s. irving makes the fascinating decision in the story to dissect his own work, attempting to explain how a novelist’s imagination works and how a novelist’s work is based on experience without simply transcribing it. As in all of his novels, Irving dedicates his life not so much to the avenue of mysteries as to expressing what he knows and believes with the intensity and focus of a fighter. As has become increasingly apparent over his long and fulfilling career, what Irving knows is worth telling. —steve nathans-kelly description: juan diego, a 14-year-old boy who was born and raised in mexico, has a 13-year-old sister. her name is lupe, and he thinks he sees what lies ahead, specifically his own future and that of his brother. lupe is a mind reader; Without you telling her, she knows all the worst things that have ever happened to you. but she considers what a terrible burden she is, if you think you know the future, especially your own future or, worse yet, the future of someone you love. what could a girl be driven to?
older, juan diego makes a trip to the philippines, but what travels with him are his dreams and memories. avenue of mysteries is the story of what happens to juan diego in the philippines, where what happened to him in the past collides with his future.
2. Ended Badly: 13 of the Worst Breakups Ever by Jennifer Wright
Release Date: November 3rd, Henry Holt and Co. Why You’ll Love It: “It’s not you…it’s history.” Jennifer Wright’s new book offers an entertaining and heartwarming collection of evidence that, in the midst of heartbreak, there are people who have acted far more inappropriately than you. Ended Badly is Wright’s hybrid of academic documentarian crossed with deliciously funny advice columnist, taking the reader (ideally one with a recent relationship) on a snappy journey through 2,000 years of well-known figures. think kings, queens, caesars, and philosophers, showing you that there simply is no smooth, subtle, or even sensible way for humans to overcome the experience of being abandoned. —jeff milo description: from ancient rome to medieval england to 1950s hollywood, ended badly guides you through the worst of the worst in historically bad breakups emperor nero had almost everyone he ever loved executed, from his former tutor to most of his friends. oscar wilde’s lover, for whom wilde went to jail, left him when he faced being separated from his wealthy family and wrote several selfish books denying the whole thing. And poor, unstable Caroline Lamb sent Lord Byron a letter from hell and attached a bloody lock of her own pubic hair. Your obsessive social media bullying of your ex doesn’t look so bad now, does it? With wry wit and considerable empathy, Wright digs deep into the archives to bring these 13 terrifying breakups to life.
3. made to kill by adam christopher
See Also: The 2 Best Canning Books I Use and Recommend – Stocking My Pantry
Release Date: Tor Books November 3 Why You’ll Love It: The celebrated author of empire state is finally back with a novel speculative black. In Built to Kill, we follow “Hollywood’s greatest hitman” Raymond Electomatic, who just so happens to be the world’s last robot. Ray’s investigation of a missing movie star takes him to the dangerous heart of Tinseltown, revealing a gripping story you won’t be able to put down. —frannie jackson description: raymond electromatic is good at his job, as good as he ever was at being a true private investigator, the sole employee of the electromatic detective agency— Except for Ada, the girl from the office, and the supercomputer, the constant voice in Ray’s inner ear. Ray might have taken up a new line of work, but money is money, after all, and he was programmed to make a profit. Plus, with his 24-hour memory tape limits, he sure can keep a secret.
When a familiar-looking woman arrives at the agency and wants to hire Ray to find a missing movie star, he is inclined to tell her to go on a field trip. but she has the cold, hard cash, a demand for total anonymity, and a tendency to disappear on her own. Plunged into a glittering world of fame, fortune and secrets, Ray uncovers a sinister plot that goes far beyond the silver screen, and this robot is in the wrong place at the wrong time.
4. sally andrew’s recipes for love and murder
Release Date: November 3rd from ecco Why You’ll Love It: Sure, Sherlock Holmes may solve a mind-boggling mystery before breakfast, but can he cook the food? perfect? milk chocolate cake? She meets Tannie (“Aunt”) Maria, a fifty-something South African advice columnist with a flair for research and a penchant for cooking up glorious Afrikaans specialties. Possessing more than a little grit, she stars in this charming new mystery series from debut novelist Sally Andrew. Fans of Alexander McCall Smith are sure to love The Adventures of Tannie Maria for years to come. —Frannie Jackson Description: Tannie Maria is a widow who likes to cook and eat. She shares her love of cooking as a recipe columnist for the local paper, until the gazette decides her readers are more hungry for advice on matters of the heart than ideas for lunch and dinner. dinner. Tannie Maria doesn’t like change, but she soon discovers that she has a gift and a passion for helping people. By helping other people with her problems, she is eventually forced to face problems of her own, especially when the problems of those she helps touch on the pain of her past, as a woman desperate to escape her husband. abusive of her.
When the woman is murdered, Tannie Maria becomes dangerously involved in the investigation, despite the best efforts of a surprising detective determined to keep her safe. Suddenly, this practical, down-to-earth woman is drawn into something far more sinister than perfecting recipes.
5. the bassoon king by rainn wilson
Release Date: Dutton Nov 10 Why You’ll Love It: Remember when being a nerd was lame? if so, open this book. You don’t have to be a devoted fan of The Office, or know about Rainn Wilson’s rise to fame as the show’s eccentric character, Dwight Schrute. This isn’t the “how I became famous” memoir that most celebrities write, rather it’s Wilson’s unglamorous, geeky story about how he’s getting famous. —jeff milo description: viewers fell in love with dwight schrute in the office, and grew to love the actor who played him even more. Now, Rainn Wilson is ready to tell his own story and explain how he came up with his incredibly unique sense of humor and perspective on life. the bassoon king chronicles wilson’s journey from nerd to drama fanatic (“the top rung on the huge, pimply high school loser”), his years of mild debauchery and his struggles as a young actor in new york, his many adventures and insights about the office, and ultimately his achievement of success and satisfaction, both career-wise and spiritually, reconnecting with artistic and creative values of the Bahá’í faith in which he grew up. .
6. north america hotels by rick moody
See Also: 14 Of The Best Make-Out Scenes In Literature
release date: november 10 from little, brown and company why you’ll love it: rick moody is in the zeitgeist. A novelist, critic, and short story writer, his analysis of contemporary life and culture has attracted appreciation in some quarters and occasional frustration in others. His latest novel, Hotels of North America, is a life story told almost exclusively through one man’s online hotel reviews. The central concept of the book is intriguing on its own, but the way Moody illustrates the depth of his narrator marks the book as one of the most compelling reads of the year. — mack hayden description: reginald edward morse is a top reviewer for rateyourlodging.com, where his numerous reviews reveal more than just details of hotels around the world : tell the story of his life. The puzzle of Reginald’s life is pieced together through reviews commenting on his motivational speaking career, the dissolution of his marriage, the separation from his beloved daughter, and his devotion to a love known only as “K.” . But when Reginald disappears, we are left with the fragments of a life, or at least the life he has carefully built.
7. a wild swan and other stories by michael cunningham
release date: november 10 farrar, straus and giroux why you’ll love it: in his new book, michael cunningham offers a delightfully refreshing twist on 11 fairy stories. the stories are a bit more “grown-up”, a bit more contemporary, and a lot more creative. Subverting old stories has become something of a trend in recent years, but the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Hours confidently guides the tales into new territory while still respecting the source material. . —mack hayden description: these are the moments our fairy tales either forgot or deliberately hid: the years after a spell is broken, the spellbound moment of a miracle performed unexpectedly or the fate of a prince only half cured of a curse. the beast stands before you in line at the store, buying cigarettes and a slim jim, his devouring smile directed at the cashier. a misshapen little man with a knack for minor acts of sorcery goes to disastrous lengths to get a child. a rude and lazy cat would rather live in his mother’s basement than get a job, until the day he trades a cow for a handful of magic beans. Reimagined by one of the most talented storytellers of his generation and exquisitely illustrated by Yuko Shimizu, seldom have our bedtime stories been so dark, so wicked, or so true.
8. woman with a blue pencil by gordon mcalpine
release date: seven street books november 10 why you’ll love it: woman with a blue pencil summons one of the tragic and unforgivable chapters of american history: the smear and internment of usa uu. citizens of Japanese descent during World War II, with a subtle narrative of manipulation, acceptance, compromise and self-betrayal. but it also features a sliver of resistance balance, as well as a brazen, subversive twist on writer-editor relationships. die-hard fiction fans could use more books like the woman with the blue pencil: novels that work on multiple levels and take the genre to fascinating places. —steve nathans-kelly description: on the eve of pearl harbor, sam sumida, a Japanese-american academic, has taken on the role of p.i. amateur. for investigating the murder of his wife. Distraught over her loss and disoriented by her ill-planned career change, Sam realizes the worst is yet to come. she discovers that, inexplicably, not only has she become unrecognizable to her former acquaintances, but all signs of her existence (including even the murder she is investigating) have been erased. Unaware that she is a discarded character in a novel, she takes up the investigation of her in a world now characterized by fear of war.
Behind it all is the ambitious 20-year-old Nisei author who has made changes to his novel, despite his transfer to a Japanese internment camp. Above is the editor of her book in New York, who serves as both a muse and a manipulator for the young author: the woman with the blue pencil, a new type of femme fatale.
9. the vonnegut brothers: science and fiction in the house of magic of ginger strand
release date: november 17 farrar, straus and giroux why you’ll love it: the vonnegut brothers benefits start with ginger strand’s insights into the professional and domestic lives of brothers kurt and bernard vonnegut. Strand also draws attention to the vital support they both received from their wives: Jane Marie Cox and Lois Bowler, respectively. more than that, however, these women substantially enter the insightful spotlight of the narrative, rather than exist as a supportive backdrop for the brothers. and as for you, who would read this solely for your fanaticism for brother kurt? well, if the cat cradle was always your favorite, you’ll be more than rewarded. —jeff milo description: in the mid-1950s, kurt vonnegut takes a job in the public relations department of general electric in schenectady, where his older brother, bernard Are you a scientific leader in your research lab? or “house of magic”. Kurt has ambitions as a novelist, and Bernard is working on a series of cutting-edge weather control experiments aimed at making deserts flourish and farmers prosper. As the Cold War looms, Bernard’s fight for integrity plays out in Kurt’s evolving writing style. The Vonnegut Brothers reveals how science’s ability to influence the natural world also influenced one of our most inventive novelists.
10. luke skywalker can’t read and other freaky truths by ryan britt
release date: plume november 24 why you’ll love it: with star wars anticipation at a fever pitch, it’s just expect internet geek analysis to hit an all-time high. instead of engaging in the tiresome “who shot first?” arguments, it’s a good time to arm yourself with a nerdy analysis that doesn’t leave an option for a meme-only response, which just so happens to be the target of ryan britt’s new essay collection, luke skywalker can’t read and other truths geeks. imagine if chuck klosterman was more concerned with doctor who than the real world, and you’ll get the picture. — tyler r. kane description: pop culture and sci-fi guru ryan britt has never met a monster, alien, wizard or superhero that didn’t need further analysis. essayist ryan britt got a sex education from dirty dinosaur pictures, made out with jar-jar binks at midnight, and found out how to beat depression with a doctor who netflix-binge. alternating personal anecdotes, hilarious insights and clever analysis, luke skywalker can’t read argues that barbarella is good for you, that monster movies are just rom-coms with commitment issues , that dracula and sherlock holmes are totally hipsters and, what is more surprising, that practically everyone in the star wars universe is functionally illiterate.
See Also: LDAB