In the Fall 2023 Book Preview, Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) and I shared our 12 most-anticipated books that released mid-August – December. Today we’re going to circle back to share updates on which of these books we’ve read, our thoughts on them, and a few we attempted but couldn’t quite get through.
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Coming Soon
- The updated 2024 Rock Your Reading Tracker will release on December 6! This year’s updated edition will be exclusively available to our $7/month Superstars Patrons and will not be offered for separate purchase as in previous years. Don’t miss out on this and other bookish goodies – become a Superstars Patron here!
Highlights
- Catherine’s curse has been broken — her top pick was a winner!
- Both Catherine and Sarah circle back with two 5-star books each!
- Their reading stats and success rates for fall.
- The best and worst picks from the Fall 2023 Book Preview.
Books We Read Before the Preview [8:38]
Sarah’s Pick:
- Happiness Falls by Angie Kim (August 29) | Amazon
| Bookshop.org [11:19]
Catherine’s Picks:
- The English Experience by Julie Schumacher (August 15) | Amazon
- The River We Remember
by William Kent Krueger (September 5) | Amazon | Bookshop.org
Other Books Mentioned:
- Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher [9:56]
- Miracle Creek by Angie Kim [11:45]
Fall 2023 Circle Back [17:18]
September
Sarah’s Pick:
- Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll (September 19) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:23]
Catherine’s Pick:
- The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar (September 26) | Amazon
Other Books Mentioned:
- The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon [18:53]
- Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka [18:51]
- The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff [21:44]
- Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll [25:56]
- The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll [25:57]
- Honor by Thrity Umrigar [28:12]
October
Sarah’s Picks:
- Kill Show by Daniel Sweren-Becker (October 3) | Amazon
- In Light of All Darkness by Kim Cross (October 3) | Amazon
- The Sun Sets in Singapore by Kehinde Fadipe (October 31) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:33]
Catherine’s Picks:
- The Hank Show by McKenzie Funk (October 3) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:35]
- The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok (October 10) | Amazon
- One Woman Show by Christine Coulson (October 17) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:14]
Other Books Mentioned:
- I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai [30:53]
- When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain [35:15]
- I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara [35:44]
- American Predator by Maureen Callahan [35:46]
November
Sarah’s Pick:
- The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak (November 14) | Amazon
Other Books Mentioned:
- Red London by Alma Katsu [48:08]
- Red Widow by Alma Katsu [48:07]
- Our American Friend by Anna Pitoniak [50:28]
- The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA by Liza Mundy [50:55]
Other Books
- The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff [7:36]
- Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward [7:37]
- Wellness by Nathan Hill [7:39]
- The Fraud by Zadie Smith [7:42]
Other Links
About Catherine Gilmore
Blog | Facebook | Instagram| X (formerly known as Twitter)
Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Books over 10 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Seattle, WA.
Next Episode
In two weeks (November 29), literary agent, Sarah Landis, will be returning to the podcast for the inaugural 2023 State of the Industry episode.
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Which books did you enjoy the most this fall?
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