Our Most Anticipated Books of November/December 2023

The first novel in ten years from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Hours is an indelible portrait of family life. This poignant and insightful novel, set on the same day in each of three years, is a compassionate story of love, loss and the evolution of one family as they endure tragedies and living together and apart.  

In this wry new novel from the award-winning author of Everywhere You Don’t Belong, a grieving young Black woman and her husband work together to create a utopian community where everyone has an equal shot at life. A perceptive and timely story for readers of Jennifer Egan’s The Candy House, The New Naturals captures our humanity with candor and grace.  

Asha Lemmie, the author of Discover Debut Author pick Fifty Words for Rain delivers an evocative novel about a young woman on a wild search of the renowned literary figure who she believes is her father. A story about ambition, imagination and self-discovery, this glittering work of historical fiction spans decades and continents in a story of personal loss, political turmoil and the way art transcends all. 

Where would you go if you could travel through time? Whether you’re looking to reread Before the Coffee Gets Cold (coming soon in a B&N exclusive edition) or are looking for more time travel with Before We Say Goodbye, this is a terrific moment to transport yourself to a magical café in a back alley in Tokyo and meet four new visitors as they make the journey of a lifetime. 

A collection of stories about women on the precipice of change from the author of Trespasses, one of our former Discover Debut Author picks. Rich with Irish history, these fifteen taut tales consider our agency in moments of heartbreak and struggle; Kennedy’s lyricism makes these dark but dazzling stories come to life.   

Booker Prize Finalist Claire Keegan (Small Things Like These and Foster) is known and celebrated for her powerful short fiction. So Late in the Day showcases her skill with three stories of love, betrayal and gender dynamics. This triptych of succinct tales is an engrossing and affecting collection that will leave you reaching for Keegan’s other books.  

From Naoise Dolan (Exciting Times) comes a sharp new novel about the relationships between a group of friends as they prepare for an impending wedding. An intimate and clever story, The Happy Couple follows this ensemble over the course of the year in a fresh look at the nuances of modern relationships.   

The third novel from Roxane Gay’s imprint is a standout story of betrayal and its aftermath. Destruction ripples through two families when a woman’s all-consuming desires lead to murder in the latest from Lindsay Hunter (Eat Only When You’re Hungry). 

Molly Gray returns to solve another mystery at the Regency Grand Hotel. In this standalone story, Molly must figure out who killed a well-known author at her hotel. Molly’s past might just hold the answers she needs to uncover the killer’s identity, but she has to work fast because secrets don’t stay hidden forever.  

Fourth Wing flew off our shelves as fast as the publisher could reprint it. Get ready for the epic adventure to continue in this fiery sequel, Iron Flame. Violet may have survived her first year at Basgiath War College, but her challenges have only begun…  

We first met Travis Baldree when we fell in love with Legends & Lattes, which went on to become one of our Best Books of 2022. Now we get to learn about Viv’s life before she was a barista in Bookshops & Bonedust, a delightfully cozy high-fantasy novel of first loves, a quiet town and a struggling bookshop.  

From the New York Times bestselling author of Maid comes a gripping memoir about what comes after — after college, after motherhood, after poverty. A candid and heartbreaking story of dreams, resilience and success, Class grapples with the conflicts of personal desire, professional ambition and a mother’s role.  

To Free the Captives is a revelatory journey of family, love and history, a long and loving look at a life in America as our society continue to struggle with racism. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith traces her own family’s story, weaving her personal history with the history of our nation to get a fuller picture of the challenges we face and the hope we look for.  

From the bestselling author of To Shake the Sleeping Self, one of our former monthly picks, comes a new book about a 5,000-mile road trip he took with his mother (retracing a 5,000 mile walk she did with his father decades earlier). Telling of their difficult relationship and the complex love that underscores it, Mother, Nature is a tender story of their journey across America and the conversations they had together while doing it.  

The illustrated edition of this bestselling book about fungi includes over 100 full-color images that will help give readers a new appreciation for the diversity of this kingdom of organisms. Merlin Sheldrake will blow your mind as he dives into the immensely complex and surprising relationship we have with these extraordinary organisms.  

A City on Mars — a hilarious and informational investigation on the benefits (and hazards) of becoming multiplanetary — will answer all of your questions about space settlement. From the bestselling authors of Soonish and featuring art from the beloved creator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal comes this enlightening look at exactly what needs to be done before we consider leaving earth.