All the Books for October
Submitted by Terri S.

Isn’t there just something so alluring to readers about fall? About curling up with a good book as the days grow shorter leaving longer evenings to settle in with a good book? Some of the best books of the year are released in the fall. Mystery, romance, and compelling non-fiction – so many great titles to keep you reading long into the night. October’s crop of new releases feature an excellent mix. Literary fiction, long standing popular authors, long awaited sequels, a creepy retelling of an American classic, and an impressive collection of celebrity biographies top our list this month.
Regardless of what your favorite genre is, there is a new release (or two, or ten!) for you to enjoy. 
Ahead, discover some of the best new books out this month.
FICTION
Takes One to Know One
by Susan Isaacs
(October 1)

Isaacs has written numerous best-sellers, beginning with her debut, C ompromising Positions (1978), but this is her first full-length novel since 2012's Goldberg Variations , and it's a good one. In her latest, Corie Geller, a retired FBI agent-turned-Long Island-homemaker, taps into her investigative past when she begins to suspect that her neighbor is harboring criminal secrets. A well-crafted tale of suburban malaise, chock full of wisecracking wit, make this a fun fall page-turner.
The Fountains of Silence
by Ruta Sepetys
(October 1)

The pitiless dictatorship of Francisco Franco is examined through the voices of four teenagers: one American and three Spaniards. Daniel is a white Texan who wants to be a photojournalist, not an oilman; Ana is trying to work her way to respectability as a hotel maid; her brother, Rafael, wants to erase memories of an oppressive boys' home; and Puri is a loving caregiver for babies awaiting adoption—together they provide alternating third-person lenses for viewing Spain during one of its most brutally repressive periods. A gripping and often haunting novel that will have readers hitting the shelves for more from this talented author.

Full Throttle
by Joe Hill
(October 1)

Looking to add a creepy edge to your October reading? Then settle in for a fright. Replete with shocking chillers, including two previously unpublished stories written expressly for this volume (“Mums” and “Late Returns”) and another appearing in print for the first time (“Dark Carousel”),  Full Throttle  is a darkly imagined odyssey through the complexities of the human psyche. Hypnotic and disquieting, it mines our tormented secrets, hidden vulnerabilities, and basest fears, and demonstrates this exceptional talent at his very best.

Grand Union: Stories
by Zadie Smith
(October 8)

Nineteen finely crafted stories wheel through a constellation of topics, tones, and fonts to dizzying literary effect. The reader can enter and re-enter anywhere in this stellar collection. The book both begins and ends with two arresting mother-daughter tales—the first nestled in alienation, the last, "Grand Union," in communion with the dead. Several of Smith's stories are on their ways to becoming classics. If you haven’t had the chance to read Zadie Smith, this is a very good place to start.
Marley
by Jon Clinch
(October 8)

Clinch’s gripping tale spins a dark backstory for two of Dickens’s most notorious characters, Jacob Marley and Ebenezer Scrooge, as intrigue and betrayal infest the shadowy underworld of Dickensian London. Here, the tight-fisted Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghost of Jacob Marley come vividly to life in this reimagining of Charles Dicken’s tale unfurling in a tale of greed and passion certain to grip reader’s hearts. Jon Clinch is a masterful writer. His depiction of the mysterious life and strange death of Huckleberry Finn’s infamous father was a literary tour de force. Expect nothing less with his latest release.

Olive, Again
by Elizabeth Strout
(October 15)

As direct, funny, sad, and human as its heroine, Strout’s welcome follow-up to  Olive Kitteridge  portrays the cantankerous retired math teacher in old age. The novel, set in small-town coastal Crosby, Maine, unfolds like its predecessor through 13 linked stories. And once more, Olive is still trying to understand herself and those around her. She’s a bit softer now, but only a bit. Age and the death of her husband, Henry, have worn away some of her edge. As with Strout’s Pulitzer Prize winning Olive Kitteridge, these interconnecting stories are beautifully written and alive with compassion, at times almost unbearably poignant. A thrilling book in every way, and truly not to be missed.

More fiction by your favorite authors available this month!
Quantum by Patricia Cornwell 
Bloody Genius by John Sanford
The Lying Room by Nicci French 
The Guardians by John Grisham 
Stealth by Stuart Woods 
A Book of Bones by John Connolly 
The Deserter by Nelson Demille 
Blue Moon by Lee Child 
Find Me by Andre Aciman
NON-FICTION
No Surrender:
A Father, a Son, and an Extraordinary Act of Heroism that Continues
to Live On Today
by Christopher Edmonds
& Douglas Century 
(October 8)

Like most members of the Greatest Generation, Roddie Edmonds, a humble American soldier from East Tennessee, rarely spoke about his experiences during World War II. Not even his son Chris—who always considered his father a hero—knew the full details of Roddie’s capture at the Battle of the Bulge or his captivity at Stalag IXA, a Nazi POW camp. When Chris’s daughter was assigned a family history project, Chris reread Roddie’s wartime diaries, setting in motion a series of life-changing events. “What was most remarkable about my journey to discover what my father did during the war,” Chris writes, “was the realization that any one of us has the untapped potential to do something incredibly courageous. We all have the potential to change the world simply by standing up for what’s right.” 
A quintessential American story of bravery, compassion, and righteousness,  No Surrender  is a shining example of the transformative and redemptive power of moral courage and a celebration of faith, family, and service, the very characteristics that continue to define us today.
Atlas Obscura:
An Explorer’s Guide
to the World’s Hidden Wonders
by Joshua Foer, Dyland Thuras,
& Ella Morton 
(October 15)

Discover the dazzling glowworm caves in New Zealand, a baobob tree in South Africa that’s so large it has a pub inside where 15 people can drink comfortably, architectural marvels, including the M.C. Escher-like stepwells in India and mind-boggling events, like the Baby Jumping Festival in Spain, where men dressed as devils literally vault over rows of squirming infants. Compellingly written, scrupulously researched, filled with photographs, illustrations, maps, charts, and more, this book inspires equal parts wonder and wanderlust. It informs us on every page of something we never knew, painting a rich panorama of what a marvelously strange world we live in. For the travel lover and curious reader.

Me
by Elton John
(October 15)

In his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life, from his rollercoaster lifestyle as shown in the film Rocketman , to becoming a living legend.  Elton also writes powerfully about getting clean and changing his life, about finding love with David Furnish, and becoming a father. In a voice that is warm, humble, and open, this is Elton on his music and his relationships, his passions, and his mistakes. This is a story that will stay with you for a long time to come.

Before and After:
The Incredible Real-Life Stories
of Orphans Who Survived
the Tennessee Children’s Home Society
by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate 
(October 22)

Authors Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate tackle the true stories behind Wingate’s blockbuster  Before We Were Yours,  of the orphans who survived the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. With a journalist’s keen eye and a novelist’s elegant prose, Christie and Wingate weave together the stories that inspired  Before We Were Yours  with the lives that were changed as a result of reading the novel. Many of the long-silent victims of the tragically corrupt system return to Memphis with the authors to reclaim their stories at a Tennessee Children’s Home Society reunion, with extraordinary results.
Touched by the Sun:
My Friendship with Jackie
by Carly Simon
(October 22)

Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis and Carly Simon – how can we resist? Fans will love this intimate, vulnerable, and insightful portrait of the bond that grew between two iconic and starkly different American women, Carly Simon’s  Touched by the Sun  is a chronicle, in loving detail, of the late friendship she and Jackie shared. A beautiful meditation on the ways someone can unexpectedly enter our lives and change its course, as well as a celebration of kinship in all its many forms.

Janis: Her Life and Music
by Holly George-Warren
(October 22)

This superb biography captures singer Janis Joplin's complex essence, beginning with her Texas youth and early performing years through often-stressful recording sessions, tours, and sold-out concerts. With her distinctive voice and onstage style, Joplin shared her unforgettable rock and blues sound with adoring audiences while privately craving love, approval, and a more traditional life. A poignant and ultimately tragic account of an iconic performer that is a must for Joplin fans, but anyone who enjoys a good biography will appreciate this exceptional work.

The Beautiful Ones
by Prince
(October 29)

Prince was a musical genius, one of the most beloved, accomplished, and acclaimed musicians of our time. He was a startlingly original visionary with an imagination deep enough to whip up whole worlds, from the sexy, gritty funk paradise of “Uptown” to the mythical landscape of  Purple Rain  to the psychedelia of “Paisley Park.” But his most ambitious creative act was turning Prince Rogers Nelson, born in Minnesota, into Prince, one of the greatest pop stars of any era. This work is not just a tribute to an icon, but an original and energizing literary work in its own right, full of Prince’s ideas and vision, his voice and image—his undying gift to the world.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Fall Big Read Discussion
The Art of Racing in the Rain
by Garth Stein

Though there has been a proliferation of “my life with my dog” books since the wonderful  Marley and Me ,  The Art of Racing in the Rain  is entirely different – though no less captivating. Told from the perspective of a dog, Enzo, this novel could easily have been titled  Zen and the Art of Racing in the Rain . It is a serious treatment of what it means to believe in your dreams and yourself when everything around you seems determined to bring you down. Join us for a lively and thought provoking discussion and share your thoughts on this year’s Fall Big Read.
Check out the book at the library or on the Hoopla or OverDrive apps

*At the Wauconda Area Library

*At Side Lot Brewery in Wauconda
Meet the Author: An Evening with Garth Stein
Thursday, October 25th at 7 p.m.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to hear Garth Stein discuss his book,  The Art of Racing in the Rain , the writing process, and so much more. Books will be available for purchase and signing following the program. 

This program is made possible through the partnership and support of the Wauconda Area Library Foundation.

All the Books!
Wednesday, October 30 at 7 p.m.

Join us for a lively “everything about books” discussion! Each month we get together to share what we’ve been reading, discover new books coming ‘round the bend, and what books have library staff all abuzz. It’s a good time and everyone goes home with a free book to add to their “to be read” collection. Come join us this month! Weather permitting, we’ll enjoy our discussion outdoors.