A few long-awaited YA and adult novels (from E. Lockhart! Naomi Alderman! Emily St. John Mandel! John Green!) were all satisfying. I read some excellent picture books this month too; hat tip to the Pennsylvania Center for the Book for their “Baker’s Dozen” children’s booklist. Over on Heavy Medal, the mock Newbery discussion is heating up. And November is already off to a good start, with Alix Harrow’s Slantwise Histories, Barbara Kingsolver’s Partita, and Becky Chambers’ As You Wake, Break the Shell. What books are you reading this month?

Picture Books

• Pumpkin Smash by Michelle Schaub and Rilla Alexander
• Two Turtles by Kiah Thomas and Jake A. Minton
• New Cat by Stephanie Lucianovic and Chris Park
• Giant Parsnip Soup by Daniela Sosa
• Horizontal Crocodile by Scott Rothman and Brian Won
• A Quilt of Stars by Karen Nyberg, Ann McCallum Staats, and Alida Massari (nonfiction)
• Duel by Shawn Harris
• What Rhymes with Pterodactyl? by Raj Haldar and Emi Ordas
• The Little Stone Buddha by Grace Lin
• Whatever You Do… by Luke Pearson

Middle Grade

• The Wild Season by Dashka Slater (nonfiction)
• Life on the Moon by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr

YA

• The Pools by E. Lockhart

Adult

• The Nightingales by Emil Wilson (graphic novel)
• The Strangers by Naomi Alderman (fiction/memoir/speculative)
• Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan (romance)
• Isola by Allegra Goodman (historical fiction)
• Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
• Hollywood, Ending by John Green
• Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy