November Book Nook: 8 New Releases To Dive Into This Month
Now that the nights are drawing in and we’ve switched out sundresses for layering jumpers, all we’re dreaming about is curling up on the sofa with a good book.
If you’re itching to get your hands on the hottest new releases, we’ve put together a guide for the best books released this month. From the hotly anticipated release from Sue Lynn Tan to the Sandringham royal murder mystery, scroll on for our edit…
The Family String – Denise Picton
The brand new coming-of-age release from Denise Picton, The Family String follows a family of Christadelphians from Adelaide. Set in the 1960s, the story centres around a feisty 12-year-old named Dorcas, who is afraid of reaching for her dreams after her brother is exiled for pursuing a girl at a youth camp.
The least favourite of her mum’s children, Dorcas always finds herself struggling to win her mum’s attention, but when she thinks she has won her round, a series of tragedies unwrap. A story for the underdogs, this is a story of resilience and testing family quarrels.
Now Is Not the Time to Panic – Kevin Wilson
From the New York Times bestselling author of Nothing to see Here comes Kevin Wilson’s new release, Now Is Not the Time to Panic.
A sixteen-year-old aspiring writer, Frankie Budge, is on a mission to make it through yet another lonely summer in Tennessee when she bumps into Zeke, a misfit artist. Immediately hitting it off with romance and chemistry in the air, the pair make an unforgettable poster that gets the attention of the local town’s community. Rumours start spreading across the town trying to pinpoint who’s behind these posters and repercussions are put in place that tears the two apart.
Twenty years on, Frances Eleanor Budge – now a famous author, wife and mother – gets a call out of the blue threatening to reveal everything. Is the truth finally going to surface?
Idol Burning – Rin Usami
Translated by Asa Yoneda
Rin Usami’s Idol, Burning is the coming-of-age novel on everyone’s lips right now. Translated by Asa Yoneda, this book offers an insider’s look at Otaku culture, tackling everything from addiction to obsession and fandom culture.
The narrative follows a high-schooler Akari whose only drive in life is her idol, Masaki Ueno, best known as one-fifth of the Japanese pop group Maza Maza. But when Masaki is rumoured to have assaulted a female fan, Akari’s world falls to pieces.
Heart of the Sun Warrior – Sue Lynn Tan
Sue Lynn Tan’s final instalment in her fantasy series inspired by the Chinese moon goddess arrives on the scene this month.
Strange magic has been discovered on the moon and it’s threatening Xingyin and the Celestial Kingdom that’s ruled by an emperor. Forced to flee once again, Xingyin and her friends uncover unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm, filled with legends, shrewd monarchs and adversaries, but alas it’s an evil erupts across the realm and it’s left to Xingyin to rise to the challenge to defeat it once and for all.
Murder Most Royal – S. J. Bennett
It’s December 2016. A severed hand has just washed ashore at the beach next to the Queen’s North Norfolk estate at Sandringham. Thankfully, the Queen has become somewhat used to solving murder mysteries and instantly recognises the hand of 70-year-old Edward St Cyr thanks to his signet ring, but identifying the murderer isn’t easy.
When another murder occurs, the Queen and her assistant Rozie, must uncover the riddles and piece together the puzzles to whittle down who is committing these crimes.
No Longer Human – Osamu Dazai
Translated by Donald Keene
One of the ten bestselling books in Japan, Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human has been translated by Donald Keene.
It follows an unseemingly ‘normal’ protagonist who struggles to understand human beings. From becoming the class clown at school and attempting to understand the world around him in his adolescence, to his eventual failed suicide attempt as an adult, he begins recording these occurrences in an attempt to understand society.
A Restless Truth – Freya Marske
The follow-up to Freya Marske’s bestselling fantasy novel, A Marvellous Light, comes A Restless Truth, a twist on your classic murder mystery.
The narrative follows Maud Blyth, an eager adventurer who embarks on a volunteering expedition as an old lady’s companion. The old lady turns up dead on the first day of the voyage, and it’s left up to Maud to unravel the mystery.
The Prisoner – B.A. Paris
A clenching story of survival, The Prisoner follows Amelie. Having lost her parents as a young child and building a life for herself on her own, it’s surprising when she wakes up in a pitch-black room unsure how she got there. Questions await to be answered: who has taken her hostage? And why does she feel safer here than with her husband Ned?
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