Sun’s out, books out, isn’t that the saying? No? We don’t care! Welcome back to Litty Committee, PTV’s monthly book club where we (Soaliha, who is typing right now, and Lachy) talk new releases and best reads of the month. I don’t know what it is with this end of year rush, but some of what I reckon will be the best books of the year are being published this November. Here’s everything you need to read.
In great news for our certified Sad Girls, November will see the latest release of critically acclaimed Melissa Broder, who you might know because of her books The Pisces (longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction AND The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize) and Milk Fed (named Best Book of the Year by Entertainment Weekly, Vogue and Time).
It’s ALSO a huge month for fantasy nerds, because Rebecca Yarros is about to release the sequel to enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance of the year Fourth Wing. Oh, and Christopher Paolini has casually entered the chat with a *checks notes* new book set in the Inheritance Cycle universe???? I feel like I’m a 15-year-old on Tumblr again and I’m living for it.
Not to mention our queen Britney Spears also dropped her bombshell memoir, which details all the abuse she’s endured as a star, including under her conservatorship — and it dishes plenty of dirt on other A-list celebrities, too.
Like I said, it’s like everyone is competing for a place in our list of best books of November. We are not ready. Let’s dive in.
Best fantasy books coming out in November
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (Soaliha’s pick)
About the book:
Everyone and their horny mum is frothing at the mouth waiting for the highly anticipated sequel to Rebecca Yarros‘ Fourth Wing, and I am no exception. The last book’s ending (which involved dragons, a dark academia setting and an enemies-to-lovers romance — YES PLEASE) had us SCREAMING, but we’ve been blessed in that we’ve only had to wait six months for the second installment. This is definitely going to sell out when it publishes (even I, a book reviewer, am struggling to nab a copy), so make sure you’re ready to pounce.
Violet Sorrengail survived first year at Basgiath War College, but second year is here, and so is the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is — unless she betrays the man she loves.
But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year. Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.
Release date: November 8
Murtagh by Christopher Paolini (Soaliha’s pick)
About the book:
It is a great month to be a dragon-loving fantasy fiend my friends, for we are also seeing a new Eragon-verse book release! I’ll be honest, I haven’t thought about Eragon since I was in high school, but what I *do* remember is that this series slapped. And now, a new novel is releasing set in-universe, one year after the events of the Inheritance Cycle series. Strap yourselves in and get ready for an epic throw-back.
The world is no longer safe for the Dragon Rider Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn. An evil king has been toppled, and they are left to face the consequences of the reluctant role they played in his reign of terror.
Now they are hated and alone, exiled to the outskirts of society. Throughout the land, hushed voices whisper of brittle ground and a faint scent of brimstone in the air – and Murtagh senses that something wicked lurks in the shadows of Alagaësia. So begins an epic journey into lands both familiar and untravelled, where Murtagh and Thorn must use every weapon in their arsenal, from brains to brawn, to find and outwit a mysterious witch. A witch who is much more than she seems.
Release date: November 7
Best November fiction releases
Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher (Lachy’s pick)
About the book:
TikTok’s Lauren Asher is back with new book series Lakefront Billionaires, the spin-off from the bestselling Dreamland Billionaires series. Asher fans, I hope you’re gearing up for another addictive romance. Love Redesigned is a steamy, small town romance about two family friends-turned-childhood rivals. Consider me hooked!
Julian: “If I ever caught on fire, Dahlia Muñoz would fan the flames with a smile. So, when she returns to Lake Wisteria, I fully intend to avoid the interior designer. At least until my meddling mother exploits my saviour complex”.
Dahlia: “People say the devil has many faces, but I know only one. Julian Lopez – my childhood rival and family frenemy. I vow to steer clear of him while recovering from my broken engagement, but then the billionaire makes an irresistible offer”.
Release date: November 7
The In-Between by Christos Tsiolkas (Lachy’s pick)
About the book:
Christos Tsiolkas has returned to the shelves with one that’s purely for the gays and theys (and allies, of course). Recognised for his diverse catalogue including The Slap, Tsiolkas brings us another heart-pulling, drama-fuelled story that talks to family dynamics of a gay man and his relationships both past and present. The In-Between is a life drop-in, exploring the many layers of our two main characters Perry and Ivan. Within seconds, I fell in love with their story.
It’s très smutty but sweet and Christos spares no attention to detail. I was left immersed into every scene.
Our two leading men meet on an internet date. Each has been scarred by a previous relationship; each has his own compelling reasons for giving up on the idea of finding love. But still, they turn up for dinner, feel the spark and the possibility of something more. Feel the fear of failing again, of being hurt and humiliated and further annihilated by love. How can they take the risk of falling in love again? How can they not?
Release date: October 31
Death Valley by Melissa Broder (Soaliha’s pick)
About the book:
I devoured Death Valley in days, like I was starving of thirst and this spiny read was the cactus flesh that quenched me. Despite its themes of grief (another “sad woman floats around” novel, which I usually don’t adore), it is darkly funny — no, hilarious — with a candour that’s disarming and an earnestness that’ll leave you addicted to turning these pages. Profound, self-aware, quite meta and cheeky, this is my best read of November. Enjoy!
A woman arrives alone at a Best Western seeking respite from an emptiness that plagues her. She has fled to the California high desert to escape a cloud of sorrow – for both her father in the ICU and a husband whose illness is worsening. What the motel provides, however, is not peace but a path, thanks to a receptionist who recommends a nearby hike.
Out on the sun-scorched trail, the woman encounters a towering cactus whose size and shape mean it should not exist in California. Yet the cactus is there, with a gash through its side that beckons like a familiar door. So she enters it. What awaits her inside this mystical succulent sets her on a journey at once desolate and rich, hilarious and poignant.
Release date: October 31
Baumgartner by Paul Auster (Lachy’s pick)
About the book:
I’ve been easing into new genres and writing styles recently. Paul Auster is recognised as “one of the great American prose stylists of our time” and Baumgartner is described as a masterpiece of love, memory and grief (obviously, I was sold). Personally, George Orwell‘s 1984 prose is one of my all-time favourite books, so I knew I was in for a treat.
Baumgartner’s life has been defined by his deep, abiding love for his wife, Anna. But now Anna is gone, and Baumgartner is embarking on his seventies whilst trying to live with her absence. Rich with compassion, wit and Auster’s keen eye for beauty in the smallest, most transient episodes of ordinary life, Baumgartner is a tender late masterpiece of the ache of memory. It asks: why do we find such meaning in certain moments, and forget others?
If you’re looking to expand your literature library, proses and classics is where I found myself falling in love with words again.
Release date: November 7
The Little Liar by Mitch Albom (Lachy’s pick)
About the book:
The history nerd in me is shaking. The beloved, bestselling author Mitch Albom is back with The Little Liar, after gifting us the incredible Stranger in a Lifeboat in 2021. His latest is a powerful novel that moves from a coastal Greek city during the Holocaust, to America, where the intertwined lives of three survivors are forever changed by the perils of deception and the grace of redemption.
We follow eleven-year-old Nico who has never told a lie. When the Nazi’s invade his home in Salonika, Greece, the trustworthy boy is discovered by a German officer who offers him a chance to save his family. Only after it is too late does Nico discover that he helped send the people he loved – and all the others – to their doom at Auschwitz. Nico never tells the truth again.
The Little Liar is Nic Albom at his very best. Narrated by the Voice of truth itself, it is a timeless story about the harm we inflict with our deceits, and the power of love to ultimately redeem us.
Release date: November 14
Best non-fiction book releases in November
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (Soaliha’s pick)
About the book:
Every time I think of Britney Spears‘ explosive memoir’s release, I imagine that scene in Jurassic Park when the puddle starts to trembling as thuds grow louder in the distance. Something huge is coming folks, and Justin Timberlake (the man about to be eaten by mama T-Rex Britney) is quaking in his boots. We’ve already covered some juicy (and some downright horrific) tidbits from The Woman In Me, but there’s a lot more to come. And yes, I know this *technically* is not a November release, but Britney is not bound by time like us mere mortals.
In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.
Written with remarkable candour and humour, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.
Release date: October 25
How to Spot the (Star) Signs by Matty Galea (Lachy’s pick)
About the book:
‘Yuge news we HAD to share with you guys this month: PEDESTRIAN.TV’s very own resident horoscope and woo-woo-stuff writer (and Managing Editor) Matty Galea has written the perfect guide for astrology girlies who are looking to find love, navigate that one manager and keep their friends close in his new book How to Spot the (Star) Signs. It’s a debut baby, and we’re stoked to be able to share it with our Litty Committee family this November. On ya Matty!
This is for when you’re preparing that last-min Tinder date and want to suss if you’re compatible. For when you’ve started a new job and want to navigate the new workplace. Or if you’re mate is doing your head in and can’t figure out how to manage their moods. This one is for you.
From devout astrologers and toe-dipping cosmic cuties to agnostics who can’t quite deny things are a bit weird when Mercury is in retrograde, How to Spot the (Star) Signs is everyone’s spicy, savage guide to winning at life.
We are immensely proud of Matty and want to congratulate him on the release. From the whole team at Pedestrian.TV, we love you.
Release date: October 31
I Don’t by Clementine Ford (Soaliha’s pick)
About the book:
This one might be controversial for some, but as a newly (and very happily) married woman, I was really excited to get my hands on Clementine Ford‘s latest book. Why? Because it’s legitimately true that, statistically speaking, marriage actually decreases the quality of life of women. I reckon it’s important to acknowledge that, seek to learn more, and arm yourself with knowledge about the way marriage has been historically weaponised against us — especially right now, when icky trends like the “tradwoman” or “tradwife” are making waves online. Also, Clem Ford is just a force to be reckoned with and I always want to hear what she has to say.
Why, when there is so much evidence of the detrimental, suffocating impact marriage has on women’s lives, does the myth of marital bliss still prevail? If the feminist project has been so successful, why do so many women still believe that our value is intrinsically tied to being chosen by a man?
I Don’t presents an inarguable case against marriage for modern women. From the roots of marriage as a form of property transaction to the wedding industrial complex, she explains how capitalist patriarchal structures need women to believe in marriage in order to maintain control over women’s agency, ambitions and freedom.
Release date: October 31
Litty Committee is PEDESTRIAN.TV’s monthly book column. Every month, we’ll take you through the newest reads and spotlight a novel we think you might like. We hope you enjoy our list of best new books of November!
You can catch up on our other Litty Committee recommendations here.
