New Books to Read in October

October 2021 is turning out to be another great month for books! Looking to read some of the buzziest books coming out this October? Here are six October new books that readers everywhere are really excited about diving into this month. From David Sedaris’s new book to personal development books to sci-fi thrillers to investigative nonfiction, there’s a little something for everyone in these October new releases.

If you enjoyed David Sedaris’s Theft by Finding, which was a collection of his diary entries from 1977 to 2002, then you’ll be excited to hear Sedaris’s diary entries from 2003 to 2020 have just been released! In A Carnival of Snackery, Sedaris reflects on our ever-changing world, from back in 2003 when we still hated George W. Bush and Donald Trump was just a reality TV star to now.

 

No other actor is known for being cool quite like Samuel L. Jackson. In Bad Motherfucker, Gavin Edwards gives readers a biography that explores the life of Hollywood’s coolest actor. The books takes you through Jackson’s career, from his breakthrough roles in Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino films, to his starring turns in major franchises like Star Wars and Marvel, and of course the cult favorite Snakes on a Plane. But this book is so much more than the story of an actor. Bad Motherfucker examines what Jackson has done for Black identity in mainstream culture, why being cool matters, and what we can learn and apply to our own lives from Jackson’s attitude.

 

The Apollo Murders is a debut sci-fi thriller from author Chris Hadfield, one of the most accomplished astronauts in the world. The year is 1973, and NASA is preparing to launch Apollo 18. Flight controller Kazimieras “Kaz” Zemeckis knows that the mission is supposed to be scientific, but really there is a hidden agenda. There’s a secret Soviet space station spying on America, and Apollo 18 has been tasked with stopping it. But when a deadly accident occurs, Kaz begins to wonder if everyone involved in the mission is who they say they are.

 

Hooked is a memoir from two-time Tony Award–winner and star of TV’s Younger, Sutton Foster. Foster has had quite the busy—not to mention stunningly successful—career. Her secret? Crafting. During the most stressful times in her life, Foster was able to turn to crafting projects to channel her emotions and escape the outside world when needed. In this collection of essays, Foster shares the moments of her life where she turned to crafting to get through it and the pieces she created that remain a tangible memory to those difficult times.

 

Is Christianity going extinct? In The Vanishing by Janine di Giovanni, the author explores communities where Christianity is becoming a thing of the past. What’s fascinating is the places where Christianity is currently dying out are the same places where the religion was born. From Syria to Egypt, to Iraq and the Gaza Strip, these birthplaces of prophets and saints are losing all connection to the religion that once defined the region. Janine di Giovanni travels to these places to examine the last remaining traces of Christianity as it is dying.

 

Join Jenn Lim, the cofounder and CEO of Delivering Happiness, as she updates the Delivering Happiness model for our new and unprecedented times in Beyond Happiness. Lim has made a career of helping workplaces foster positive and productive work environments. But what does that environment look like now, in these “new abnormal” times? Drawing from her a deep understanding of the science of happiness, Lim helps readers find their best, happiest, and most productive self at work, even in this ever-changing work environment.

 

Hip-Hop (and Other Things) is the third book in the New York Times bestselling And Other Things series. As the title suggests, this book is about rap music, but it’s also about other things. Some chapters are a serious exploration of hip-hop, featuring some of the genre’s most beloved artists. Some chapters are silly. Many are a combination of both, adding up to an entertaining, thought-provoking, and educational read about hip-hop music.