Readers looking for new book releases on Oct. 13 have a packed week to choose from, led by a long-awaited Stephen King sequel and a Divergent spinoff from Veronica Roth. The lineup also includes a gothic mystery tied to Dracula, a historical novel about the invention of the nocturne, and a Pulitzer Prize winner’s latest work.
Here are the titles worth adding to the shelf this week, with the author, genre and one standout fact for each.
“Other Worlds Than These” By Stephen King
Stephen King returns to one of his oldest story worlds with this horror and fantasy novel, the second sequel to The Talisman, the 1984 book he co-wrote with Peter Straub. More than 25 years have passed since the last installment in the trilogy, according to Polygon. The new book follows an older Jack Sawyer as he confronts a gang of infected teenagers on Earth alongside a menacing force from the Territories known as the Gullet.
“The Sixth Faction” By Veronica Roth
Veronica Roth’s new release imagines an alternate path for her “Divergent” heroine, exploring what might have happened had Tris chosen differently at her Choosing Ceremony instead of joining Dauntless. The book arrived Oct. 6 in the United States and Oct. 8 in the United Kingdom, according to IGN. Roth said in promotion for the book that it “goes into parts of dystopian Chicago that you didn’t see in the original Divergent series.”
“Public Access Afterworld” By Jane Schoenbrun
Jane Schoenbrun, the director behind “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” and “I Saw the TV Glow,” makes a horror fiction debut centered on a mysterious television broadcast. IGN reports the story opens in 2009 when a teenager disappears after watching the titular program, then jumps 14 years later to Bethany, a trans content moderator who stumbles on a streamer investigating the network’s origins.
“Funny Business” By Matt Singer
Film critic Matt Singer digs into how a string of early 2000s comedies became cultural touchstones in this nonfiction release. According to IGN, the book traces the making of “Anchorman,” “Old School,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Zoolander,” examining what turned those films into lasting favorites.
Sixth Book In Sarah J. Maas’ “A Court Of Thorns And Roses” Series
Fans of Sarah J. Maas’ fantasy romance series have a new entry to pick up this week, IGN reports. The title continues the bestselling “A Court of Thorns and Roses” saga, though specific plot details were not disclosed in the announcement.
“Mystery Play” By Elizabeth Kostova
Elizabeth Kostova returns to gothic fiction with a novel centered on Jay, who inherits a medieval book connected to Dracula from his secretive mother. Kostova’s 2005 novel “The Historian” has drawn more than 280,000 ratings on Goodreads, according to Book Riot, giving her new release a built-in audience among fans of literary horror.
“Peck & Peck” By Bonnie Garmus
Bonnie Garmus, the bestselling author of “Lessons in Chemistry,” sets her new novel in 1982 New York City. Book Riot describes the story as following Batter Gray, who pursues a career in poetry and lands a job at a celebrated literary journal despite the editor-in-chief’s open dislike of her.
“Music Against the Night” By Li
This award-winning historical fiction novel spans late 18th-century Dublin, England, Russia and India. Book Riot reports the story follows pianist Adelaide Percheron and John Field, the composer credited with inventing the term “nocturne,” weaving music history into a sweeping period narrative.
“The Wayfinder” By Adam Johnson
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Adam Johnson returns with a novel examining how struggles for resilience shape both individual lives and cultural legacies. According to Literary Hub, Johnson explores the many ways a single story can be told, continuing the thematic depth that earned him the Pulitzer.
For a deeper look at historical nonfiction, see our review of “The Bomber Mafia” by Malcolm Gladwell.
As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this article.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
