October is drawing to a close and we can’t believe the month has flown by so quickly—and my what a month for book lovers! While celebrating National Reading Group Month, National Book Month, and spooky season, new discoveries and old favorites overwhelmed our bookshelves. We saw your comments, your likes and shares, and clicks. And we’re excited to review all of the books we’ve collected this month. Here’s a rundown of the best of the best for your re-reading pleasure. Check out the most popular books featured on Off the Shelf in October—according to our readers (that’s you)!
Readers’ Choice: Our 10 Most Popular Books in October
The Lost Queen
A splendid mix of THE MISTS OF AVALON and your favorite Philippa Gregory novel, THE LOST QUEEN has it all: romance, bloodshed, and betrayal. This thrilling read reveals the untold story of Languoreth—a forgotten queen of sixth-century Scotland and the twin sister of the man who inspired the legend of Merlin.
OUTLANDER Meets CAMELOT in this Mystical Historical Novel
The Lost Queen
MENTIONED IN:
Close
The World That We Knew
This harrowing novel of sacrifice, resilience, and love takes place in Berlin, 1941, when Hanni Kohn knows she must send her 12-year-old daughter Lea away to protect her from the Nazis. Ettie, the daughter of a renowned rabbi, creates a mystical creature, a golem, to protect Lea. Lea and the golem embark on a journey through France to find safety. Meanwhile, Hanni and Ettie struggle for survival as their world falls apart.
Add these magical novels to your shelf today!
The World That We Knew
Close
The Light Over London
Julia Kelly's latest novel is a must-read for fans of sweeping historical fiction with an added touch of romance and mystery. THE LIGHT OVER LONDON portrays two exceptional women from different generations who rose to the challenges and discovered an inner strength neither knew they possessed.
Snuggle up with these book club picks this fall.
The Light Over London
MENTIONED IN:
Close
The Woman in Cabin 10
A travel writer assigned to review a luxury cruise vacation witnesses a terrifying murder. But all the passengers remain accounted for—and as the ship sails on, she must attempt to convince the other passengers that something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.
In a reading rut? Not with this psychological thriller!
The Woman in Cabin 10
MENTIONED IN:
Close
Three Things About Elsie
Eighty-four-year-old Florence has fallen in her flat at Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. As she waits to be rescued, she thinks about her lifelong friend Elsie and wonders if a terrible secret from their past is about to come to light. Is the charming new resident who suddenly appeared who he claims to be? Why does he look exactly like a man who died sixty years ago? And why will no one listen to her concerns?
What’s the best book club book you’ve read this year? Here are a few of our picks.
Three Things About Elsie
MENTIONED IN:
Close
Ordinary Grace
When tragedy unexpectedly comes to call on his family, thirteen-year-old Frank Drum finds himself thrust into a world of secrets, adultery, and betrayal. Set in 1961, ORDINARY GRACE is the story of what a shocking murder does to a boy standing at the door of adulthood and the fabric of a small Minnesota town.
William Kent Krueger fans will love these coming-of-age tales.
Ordinary Grace
When tragedy unexpectedly comes to call on his family, thirteen-year-old Frank Drum finds himself thrust into a world of secrets, adultery, and betrayal. Set in 1961, Ordinary Grace is the story of what a shocking murder does to a boy standing at the door of adulthood and the fabric of a small Minnesota town.
MENTIONED IN:
Close
Clock Dance
Every life consists of defining moments, and Willa Drake can count on one hand how many she has experienced—four. Then one day she receives a call about a woman she doesn’t know who needs her help. Willa takes the next flight to Baltimore to care for her son’s ex-girlfriend, Denise, her nine-year-old precocious daughter, Cheryl, and their dog, Airplane. Her spontaneous decision will lead Willa to the biggest epiphany of her life, one that she chooses for herself. The CLOCK DANCE is an endearing novel about the transformative power of life’s second chances.
Check out these beautiful and inspiring novels.
Clock Dance
Close
An Invisible Thread
When Lauren Schroff encounters an 11-year-old panhandler on the street she doesn’t plan to stop. But then she changes her mind and gives him spare change. She does this every day for the next three decades. AN INVISIBLE THREAD is the story of an unexpected lifelong friendship between a busy sales rep and a disadvantaged young boy. If this story of friendship and kindness doesn’t make you cry, we don’t know what will.
Grab a tissue! These books are tearjerkers.
An Invisible Thread
MENTIONED IN:
Close
11/22/63
English teacher Jake Epping’s life changes forever the day his friend Al tells him that the storeroom in Al’s Diner is a portal back to 1958. He enlists Jake in his mission to travel back in time and prevent the JFK assassination. Soon Jake finds himself living in the ’50s under an assumed name, placing himself into the world of troubled loner Lee Harvey Oswald in this gripping historical thriller.
Making a cross-country trip? Bring these books along for the ride.
11/22/63
“Regardless of what genre of literature one prefers, 11/22/63 comes down to this: it is a gripping, harrowing, tragic, and beautiful story about love, memory, evil, and how the best of intentions can go awry... This is King for the faint of heart, for the history buff, for the romantic—for everyone.”
MENTIONED IN:
Close
Girl in Snow
Who are you when no one is watching? When a beloved high schooler is found murdered, no one in her sleepy Colorado suburb is untouched—not the boy who loved her too much; not the girl who wanted her perfect life; not the officer assigned to investigate her murder. In the aftermath of the tragedy, these three indelible characters—Cameron, Jade, and Russ—must each confront their darkest secrets in an effort to find solace, the truth, or both.
Domestic thrillers for your binge-reading pleasure.
Girl in Snow
MENTIONED IN:
Close