Knowing how to choose which books to buy, borrow, or pass on is essential knowledge for book enthusiasts. We are all aware that there is not enough time to read and that there are many more books than one person could ever read in their lifetime. In addition, many people find the expense of reading continuously to be excessive. We'll examine why these recently published novels are the most talked about by looking at what most readers have to say about them.

1. The Fiction Writer by Jillian Cantor

In Jillian Cantor's The Fiction Writer, the USA Today bestselling author of Beautiful Little Fools, a writer hired by a dashing billionaire to write about his family history with Daphne du Maurier gets entangled in a complicated web of obsession, marital secrets, and stolen manuscripts. The Fiction Writer is a thriller that investigates the limits of creative freedom and whose stories we have the right to create. It has as many twists and turns as the California coast. If we enjoy mysteries, female writers, sultry billionaires, opulent Malibu mansions, dark discoveries, narrative turns, gothic atmospheres, Daphne du Maurier, and The Lost Letter, we ought to read this book.

2. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid, a Good Morning America Book Club Pick, presents a standalone story featuring Molly Gray in which a meticulous maid must find the truth, no matter how grim, after a celebrated novelist passes away at the Regency Grand Hotel. If we enjoy cozy mysteries, eagerly anticipated sequels, housekeeping, manners, opulent hotels, enigmatic estates, and characters with fantastic names like JD Grimthorpe and The Maid, then we should definitely read this novel.

3. Betting on You by Lynn Painter

Bailey, who is seventeen, is not happy to discover an old acquaintance working for her at her new job at a hotel waterpark. After her parents' divorce, Bailey relocated to Omaha, where she met Charlie a year ago on the lengthy journey. Bailey's well-mannered demeanor didn't mesh well with Charlie's pessimism, and his constant commentary was an unpleasant addition to an already emotionally charged experience. If you enjoy YA romance, phony dating, enemies-to-lovers clichés, lengthy airline rides, hotel waterparks, office gossip, unlucky bets, and Better than the Movies, you should read this novel.

4. Inheritance by Nora Roberts

The first book in #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts' Lost Bride Trilogy, Inheritance, tells the story of tragedies, lost and found loves, and a family plagued for centuries. If we enjoy historical fiction, paranormal suspense, haunted houses, family secrets, ghost brides, or Nora Roberts novels in general, we ought to read this one.

5. The Winthrop Agreement by Alice Sherman Simpson

An immigrant daughter rises from a deplorable tenement to the pinnacles of haute couture in this engrossing historical tale set in Gilded Age New York City, propelled by an unquenchable desire for a position in society and secrets she must keep. The Winthrop Agreement is a riveting narrative of a resolute lady that will captivate Bridgerton and all readers of historical fiction. It is half romance, part history, and it has a hint of gothic. If we enjoy historical fiction, romance, Gilded Age New York City, ambitious young ladies, strange wealthy individuals, questionable deals, gothic flavors, and Bridgerton vibes, we should read this book.

When a major character searches for love, romance novels put their happiness, needs, passions, and joys first. As you may know, romances typically have happily ever afters. The knowledge that the wants of a key character will be satisfied is incredibly comforting, particularly when things are tough in real life. As a result, many people start reading romance novels.

These are a few romantic books that are slated for release in December:

1. Technically Yours by Denise Williams

Denise Williams, the author of Do You Take This Man, The Fastest Way to Fall, and How to Fail at Flirting, has a new romantic comedy out. A workplace affair, a second chance romance, and a love tale that will have you turning pages until the very end—this is technically perfect. Fun, sensual conversation is a skill that Denise Williams has perfected. A bit sultry, yet clever and funny all at the same time. Berkley is planning to publish this book on December 5, 2023.

2. Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

On a covert Aztec mission, rival archaeologists must cooperate or risk having their careers and hearts destroyed. An exciting narrative that will keep readers flipping pages. With a blend of intellectual rivalry, second-chance romance, mystery, a fierce female protagonist, and tons of archeological hijinks amid a stunning Mexican backdrop, Raiders of the Lost Heart is as distinctive as it is captivating. Jo Segura created the perfect romantic comedy about rivals becoming lovers. Berkley is planning to publish this book on December 5, 2023.

3. The Gentleman's Gambit by Evie Dunmore

Evie Dunmore writes historical romance that is incredibly enticing to current readers because of her clever, well-researched storylines and compelling characters. This series strikes the ideal balance between friendship, politics, romance, and history. For readers who enjoy Victorian romance, it is a literary gold mine, full of passion, history, and feminist wisdom. Berkley is planning to publish this book on December 5, 2023.

4. This Spells Love by Kate Robb

What if one small request changed everything? In this funny, whimsical friends-to-lovers first romantic comedy, a young lady reeling from a recent split tries to cure heartache with a spell, only to wake up in an other universe where she's lost more than she asked for. December 5, 2023 is when Dial Press Trade Paperback is expected to publish this book.

5. The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson

In this seductive paranormal romance comedy by Lana Ferguson, two wolf shifters decide to be false mates but unintentionally discover something genuine. The book perfectly captures the essence of my two favorite universes: the high-stakes phony dating situation that a grumpy, dark-haired doctor finds himself in, and the doctor who practically cries to the moon. Without a doubt, Lana masterfully combines the humor found in the greatest modern rom-coms with the things we adore from a paranormal romance—namely, gorgeous shifters with wonderfully intriguing drives. This novel is very seductive, engrossing, and the much-needed breath of new air for the romance genre. Berkley is planning to publish this book on December 5, 2023.

Historical fiction personalizes events, making them vivid and emotional in human stories, and reflects the failures and successes of individuals who have gone before us. Not only are historical fiction books a better read, but they may also be more useful for understanding the state of the world now. 

The following historical fiction books are scheduled for release in December of 2023.

1. When We Were Enemies: A Novel by Emily Bleeker

In the limelight are two ladies who are decades apart. This is a riveting book from the popular author of When I'm Gone about family secrets, terrible decisions, and hope for the future. Lake Union Publishing is scheduled to release this book on December 1, 2023.

2. Where the Dead Wait by Ally Wilkes

From the author of the richly detailed, completely absorbing horror book All the White Spaces comes an evocative, unsettling Polar Gothic tale about a Victorian adventurer searching for his fallen shipmate and his own salvation. The anticipated release date of this book by Atria/Emily Bestler Books is December 5, 2023.

3. The Wildest Sun by Asha Lemmie

Asha Lemmie's latest sweeping and lyrical novel, after the New York Times bestseller first Fifty Words for Rain, follows a young lady in postwar Paris who is fleeing her past and looking for the larger-than-life man she thinks to be her father.  Dutton is scheduled to publish this book on December 5, 2023.

4. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

An engrossing historical mystery based on the life and journal of Martha Ballard, a famous midwife of the eighteenth century, who looks into a startling murder that rocks her little town. Ariel Lawhon depicts a courageous and empathetic unsung hero in her most recent work, one who would not settle for anything less than justice for the people no one else would stand up for. A extraordinary lady who had the guts to stand up and in the process write herself into American history is the subject of the gripping, suspenseful, and poignant novel The Frozen River.  Doubleday is scheduled to publish this book on December 5, 2023.

5. Bonfire Night by Anna Bliss

An incredibly delicate piece of art that offers a painful glimpse into a pair in love while their surroundings erupt and collapse around them. Bliss has the painter's eye, using the finest brushes to capture her characters' details crisply and vividly, all the while demonstrating an incredible depth of empathy for the circumstances that force them to endure hardship and perseverance. A gem of a book, Bonfire Night is masterfully written with the unwavering style and nuanced psychological insights of writers like Ian McEwan and Graham Swift. The anticipated release date of this book by A John Scognamiglio Book is December 26, 2023.

Readers' minds have been captivated by thrillers for decades, if not millennia. The genre's ongoing appeal is difficult to dispute, whether it be a psychological thriller, a traditional "Whodunit" murder mystery, or a book that became so popular that it was made into a successful motion picture. Reading suspenseful fiction, such as mysteries and thrillers, works our minds by activating different parts of the brain.

These are a few suspense novels that will be released in December 2023.

1. The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong

Armstrong introduces protagonist Ruby Vaughn in her Minotaur Books & Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut, The Curse of Penryth Hall, an evocative gothic mystery that masterfully captures the old Cornish landscape. Minotaur Books is scheduled to publish this book on December 5, 2023.

2. Five Bad Deeds by Caz Frear

An engrossing story of devotion, retaliation, and secrets kept within the most exquisite house in town. Ellen Walsh has committed a grave offense. If only she was aware of its nature. Harper is scheduled to release this book on December 5, 2023.

3. The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner

The same themes of parenting, the unsaid aspects of women's relationships, desire, jealousy, and heart-pounding suspense will appeal to fans of Chandler Baker and Ashley Audrain. Although the changing timeframes heighten suspense, readers will be left wondering until the very end. A superb thriller featuring gripping language, surprising turns, and endearing yet repulsive characters. This book is scheduled to be published by Gallery Books on December 5, 2023.

4. Here in the Dark by Alexis Soloski

A sophisticated and disturbing psychological thriller book about a young theatrical critic entangled in a risky game that muddies the distinctions between performance and reality. Here in the Dark by Alexis Soloski is a gripping, compelling film that peeks behind the scenes of New York theater while exposing the falsehoods we tell one another and ourselves. It is laced with dread and dark splendor. This book is scheduled to be published by Flatiron Books on December 5, 2023.

5. Two Dead Wives by Adele Parks

Erroneous. Absent. Killer? How would you locate a woman who never existed? At its most captivating, this is vengeance fiction at its finest. Powerful and thought-provoking. This novel is scheduled to be published by MIRA on December 26, 2023.

Fiction is a go-to source for those who feel lonely or alone. There are moments when individuals are really alone. When they have time to themselves or are traveling, they spend those hours getting acquainted with the book. Fiction readers get to witness the main character's deepest sentiments in addition to understanding his point of view. They listen to his point of view and study his history for hours. They have a significantly different perspective on and concern for someone than themselves.

The following fiction books are scheduled for publication in December 2023.

1. Dazzling by Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ

In Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ's enchanting, multi-award winning literary debut, Dazzling, The Girl with the Louding Voice meets The Water Dancer, presenting a fresh perspective on West African folklore. This work was first published on February 16, 2023, and The Overlook Press is now planning a reprinting for December 5, 2023.

2. Flores and Miss Paula by Melissa Rivero

A funny, sensitive tale about a woman who immigrated from Peru and her millennial daughter, who have one more shot to make things work. Extremely wise and empathetic, Melissa Rivero's latest book creates a powerful picture of the mother-daughter relationship. We see the remarkable development and maturation of an immigrant mother and her millennial daughter through alternating chapters. Melissa is an incredible talent that creates real, memorable people and characters by fusing her bright, contemporary voice with honesty. Ecco will publish this book on December 5, 2023.

3. The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac: Stories by Louise Kennedy

Louise Kennedy shows how common lives may become entangled in a larger, national drama in The End of the World is a Cul de Sac, where politics and the personal are linked.  A significant new voice in literary fiction for the twenty-first century is introduced in this anthology. Riverhead Books will publish this book on December 5, 2023.

4. Welcome Home, Stranger: A Novel by Kate Christensen

In addition to having people as real as your family and friends, a rich, vividly rendered environment, gripping conflict, and always, hiding in the background, a fiery authorial intellect, Kate Christensen's latest book, Welcome Home, Stranger, is a revelation. This smart and emotionally compelling novel by the author of The Great Man is lively, humorous, and brutally familiar. It addresses the way some of us must continue living in the modern world. Harper Publishing will release this book on December 5, 2023.

5. Familia by Lauren E. Rico

Imagine discovering that the fundamental assumptions you had about your life were false. Two young women are pulled together in this gripping, poignant book by a genealogy test and a nagging issue that challenges their conceptions of family and identity. Kensington Publishing will release this book on December 26, 2023. 

Do you still need a reason to start a new book this week? Based on preliminary information from other readers, we've got things covered with this week's most anticipated releases.

1. The General and Julia by Jon Clinch

This epic and intimate novel from the author of the "masterly" novel Marley follows Ulysses S. Grant as he writes his memoirs and wrestles with his complex legacy as a spouse, father, commander, and president. If historical fiction about the American Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant, deathbed confessions, memory flashbacks, complex legacies, Gilded Age New York City, or Finn appeals to you, do read this book.

2. Good Girls Don't Die by Christina Henry

From the author of Alice and Near the Bone comes a taut and incredibly complex thriller about three women who become imprisoned in stories they know aren't their own. Three females. Three narratives. Merely a single exit. Until the very end, readers will be left guessing by this gripping book. If you enjoy mysteries, horror, thrillers, various points of view, intricately woven tales, outrageously imaginative concepts, and Alice, Lost Boy, you should read this book.

3. Before We Say Goodbye by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Geoffrey Trousselot (Translator)

The fourth book in the best-selling Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, set in a mystical time-traveling Tokyo café, follows a new set of patrons. Geoffrey Trousselot's translation of Kawaguchi's Last Chance to Say Goodbye, which has her trademark endearing characters and melancholy writing, asks the reader once more, "What would you do if you could travel back in time?" If you enjoy magical realism, time travel narratives, peculiar Tokyo cafés, best-selling Japanese books translated into English, and the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, you should read this book.

4. Day by Michael Cunningham

Michael Cunningham, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Hours, offers a poignant and masterfully written meditation on love, loss, the challenges and constraints of family life, and how to live together and apart. Day follows a family as they grow older, fall in and out of love, lose the things that are most precious to them, and learn to move on. If you enjoy literary fiction, Pulitzer Prize-winning writers, stories of pandemic lockdowns, secluded cabins in Iceland, family conflict, love, sorrow, and life, then you should read this.

5. The Professor by Lauren Nossett

The Professor explores the murkiest reaches of intellectual ambition, deception, and obsession for lovers of Tana French. With the backdrop of a historic campus and an organization that occasionally fails its most vulnerable members, Marlitt will be compelled to confront the power structures embedded in the classroom in her unwavering quest to solve the mystery surrounding Ethan's murder. If you enjoy character studies, Tana French, mysteries, thrillers, strange murders, dubious teachers, and the peculiarities of the American college campus in the twenty-first century, you should read this book.

6. The New Naturals by Gabriel Bump

Readers of Paul Beatty's The Sellout and Jennifer Egan's The Candy House will find The New Naturals, one of the most intriguing new literary voices out today, to be both original and incredibly acute, encapsulating the absurdity of existence in the twenty-first century. Bump tells us that eventually, our love and connection to each other will be what saves us in this amazing act of creativity. If you enjoy literary fiction, highly buzzed-about books, hidden utopian societies, many points of view, hope triumphing over despair, love triumphing over fear, The Candy House, and Everywhere You Don't Belong, then you should read this book.

“If pain must come, may it come quickly. Because I have a life to live, and I need to live it in the best way possible. If he has to make a choice, may he make it now. Then I will either wait for him or forget him.”

― Paulo Coelho, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

This moving tale about the depth of love and life is written by Paulo Coelho, the best-selling author of The Alchemist.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

 Rarely does adolescent love reach its full potential, but what happens when two young lovers reunite after eleven years? Time has transformed Pilar into a strong and independent woman, while her devoted childhood friend has grown into a handsome and charismatic spiritual leader. She has learned well how to bury her feelings… and he has turned to religion as a refuge from his raging inner conflicts.

Now they are together once again, embarking on a journey fraught with difficulties, as long-buried demons of blame and resentment resurface after more than a decade. But in a small village in the French Pyrenees, by the waters of the River Piedra, a most special relationship will be reexamined in the dazzling light of some of life’s biggest questions.

My reaction to this novel...

This story unfolds as a journey from fragmentation to wholeness. It culminates in a significant and pivotal shift in the lives of the protagonists, inspiring readers to examine their own lives and embark on their own life journeys. This story is the culmination of an emotional journey. The genuine meaning of love, the urge to dream and follow one’s fantasies, the worry of seeing your loved one injured by your fantasies, and the female aspect of God as an integral component of our interaction with everyone around us are all elegantly woven into this embroidered artwork.

The narrative is complete in itself, and it will interest, sustain, and cause you to ponder on events in your life. The book is written in the style of The Alchemist, and it is clearly a story for our benefit. Rather than the more abrasive experience of Valkyries or even Pilgrimage, it had an otherworldly quality for me. The exceptional quality, I believe, stems from the affection that pervades the tale like a subtle fog. After all, love is a kind of divine franticness, the point where the powerful collide with our everyday existence. While telling this anecdote, Coelho may have sought to capture such quality in his life and the people around him. If this is so, he has worked really hard to bring this tale to reality.

This book is excellent! It read more like a verse or tune to me, and I enjoyed it from start to finish. I urge that everyone read this; it will make you think on the various elements and strength of love, as well as our drive for enlightenment, while also providing beautiful stories of the novel’s main characters.

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)

“Meeting you and falling in love with you was an experience I would relive a thousand times in a thousand different lives, if I was ever given that chance.”

― Nicholas Sparks, Every Breath

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks is back with a tale about a fortuitous meeting that transforms into a turning point in the lives of two radically different people, spanning decades, continents, and the bittersweet workings of fate, in the romantic vein of The Notebook and Nights in Rodanthe.

Every Breath examines the various aspects of love that claim our deepest allegiances while shedding light on life's tragic regrets and persistent optimism. It also poses the question, "How long can a dream survive?"

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Hope Anderson is at a crossroads. At thirty-six, she's been dating her boyfriend, an orthopedic surgeon, for six years. With no wedding plans in sight, and her father recently diagnosed with ALS, she decides to use a week at her family's cottage in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, to ready the house for sale and mull over some difficult decisions about her future.

Tru Walls has never visited North Carolina but is summoned to Sunset Beach by a letter from a man claiming to be his father. A safari guide, born and raised in Zimbabwe, Tru hopes to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding his mother's early life and recapture memories lost with her death. When the two strangers cross paths, their connection is as electric as it is unfathomable . . . but in the immersive days that follow, their feelings for each other will give way to choices that pit family duty against personal happiness in devastating ways.

My reaction to this novel...

I've been a longtime fan of Nicholas Sparks' writing and bought this book for a while, but I got busy and completely forgot about it. I was only able to begin this two weeks ago, and because I had a lot of errands to go, I was only able to finish it today. In any case, the book cover is great. I was immediately drawn in by the cover's simplicity and could tell that it had something to do with letters. This book intrigued me since I love reading letters. In the hopes of finding a fantastic love story, I opened myself to the story and started reading it with heart.

That being said, I have found that whenever I read one of Nicholas Sparks' works, the book's opening is often dull and uninteresting, leaving the reader to question if the plot will hold together. I persevered, and the book caught me in the third chapter, just as I had anticipated. I'm not sure why, but I found the beginning boring. Perhaps it's because I find the character's life to be quite dull, but I'm not sure. However, as I read the narrative and came to know Tru's personality, I became sad. I'm not sure why, but I think that the story's portrayal of him as genuinely alone and depressed made me feel that way. As a result, I developed an interest in him.

Nicholas Sparks' novels are typically Hallmark-style romances, with the exception of the explicit parts, which I avoid since I happen to be a Christian. I can say that notwithstanding that aspect turned me off, I enjoyed the plot and the idea; it just failed to hook me as some of his previous works did.

I felt that there was no connection between Hope and Tru, and their love appeared forced. Their unexpected love seemed to come out of nowhere as they appeared to be developing a friendship. Their love announcements appeared to come out of nowhere for me. I too wasn't the biggest fan of Hope, even if I can see why she made some of the choices she did. She just struck me as being really conceited and unaccommodating for a man who is purportedly the love of her life. I also lost everything my mind had developed with those two major characters as a result of Part 2's abrupt time leap.

In addition to being confused, I thought the plot got monotonous. I have some ideas in my head that I believe will add additional twists and excitement to the plot, but I don't have the means to come up with them. I was hoping for a satisfying conclusion to this book, something I always look forward to from a Sparks novel, but I'm a little let down because that wasn't the case in this one. Although I believed that the writing style was good, I felt that there was an excessive amount of talking and little doing. Additionally, there were a lot of infos, which I found tedious to read completely.

Even though I wrote a lot of unfavorable criticism about this book, I still want to read another Nicholas Sparks novel. Perhaps this one isn't for me, but I still appreciate the way he conducts his work. I would still like to suggest it to any Nicholas Sparks fans who are searching for a romantic book.

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐(3/5)

Where to buy this book

“The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.”

― Paulo Coelho, Veronika Decides to Die

Veronika Decides to Die is Paulo Coelho's book. This book explores the theme of lunacy and is partially based on Coelho's experiences in several mental facilities. The main point of the message is that normalcy is the collective insanity.

Paulo Coelho takes the reader on a uniquely contemporary journey in Veronika Decides to Die, where he explores the search for purpose in a society dominated by lifeless monotony, anguish, and ubiquitous conformity. It is a brilliant depiction of a young lady at the intersection of liberty and despair, poignant and instructive, and a beautiful, enthusiastic celebration of every day as a fresh start.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

What am I doing here today? and Why do I go on living?

Twenty-four-year-old Veronika seems to have everything she could wish for: youth and beauty, plenty of attractive boyfriends, a fulfilling job, and a loving family. Yet something is lacking in her life. Inside her is a void so deep that nothing could possibly ever fill it. So, on the morning of November 11, 1997, Veronika decides to die. She takes a handful of sleeping pills expecting never to wake up.

Naturally Veronika is stunned when she does wake up at Villete, a local mental hospital, where the staff informs her that she has, in fact, partially succeeded in achieving her goal. While the overdose didn't kill Veronika immediately, the medication has damaged her heart so severely that she has only days to live.

The story follows Veronika through the intense week of self-discovery that ensues. To her surprise, Veronika finds herself drawn to the confinement of Villete and its patients, who, each in his or her individual way, reflect the heart of human experience. In the heightened state of life's final moments, Veronika discovers things she has never really allowed herself to feel before: hatred, fear, curiosity, love, and sexual awakening. She finds that every second of her existence is a choice between living and dying, and at the eleventh hour emerges more open to life than ever before.

My reaction to this novel... 

This is the second time I read this novel and I still found it good. Suicide is the main subject of this novel. Some thoughts about this subject are different from others. Some may think that the individuals who are ending their life are narrow minded, some comprehend and some don’t comprehend. All things considered, it is a miserable and extreme thing to go through when a relative or dear companion choose to end their own life. Yet, when you endure the topic “suicide”, some of us may think on how does the one ending their life feel? How can one feel then, at that point, confronting their own demise knowing its inescapable? This story was perfectly composed and has stir within me the delight of living. Living as life ought to be appreciated and consistently trust in yourself.

The other topics of the book are really intriguing – the get over among frenzy and mental soundness, the trouble individuals face when they believe they are at chances with society. The idea that each one is different yet that the majority use imperative energy attempting to be equivalent to every other person. It takes a gander at the worth of life – the careless redundancy of days versus the excitement of accepting every day may be our last, and living each second to the full in a true manner.

What doesn’t work in the book, for me at any rate, is the manner in which the story shifts perspectively in an inconsistent way, detracting from rather than adding to the worth of the piece. The author figures out how to embed himself into one of the parts out of the blue, adhering to the afterword would have been more successful. Following Veronika’s journey near its decision would have been undeniably fulfilling. It doesn’t focus on the story, and maybe this is to mirror that Veronika didn’t focus on her life. Yet, it doesn’t feel like an analogy. It feels lethargic and not well idea out. It is a decent story, yet there are moments wherein you will feel the spaces between each words you read. Though I felt that way, I still recommend it to those who still did not read it and to those who are looking for this kind of story. 

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨(3.5/5)

Where to buy this book?