Wondering what to read now? Here are all the hot new November & December 2023 book releases for you. I’ll let you know what I’ve read, what I can’t wait to read, and what’s getting all the attention this month.
In case you’re new to Booklist Queen, every month I cover all the hottest new book releases. I try to read as many new book releases as I can to give you an honest perspective on what to read and what to skip.
However, I realize that my to-read list might not exactly match yours. That’s why I’ve also included some of the most popular November & December 2023 book releases from your favorite authors.
Enough from me, though, let’s get on to the November & December 2023 book releases so you can fill up your to-read list.
Top November & December 2023 Book Releases
Iron Flame
Rebecca Yarros
Rebecca Yarros took the bestseller list by storm this summer with her captivating fantasy romance Fourth Wing. In the highly anticipated sequel, Violet Sorrengail returns for her second year at Basgiath War College. No one expected her to survive this long, much less bond with one of the strongest dragons in existence and a second dragon as well. Now that she knows the secret the nation has been hiding, it will take all her wits to survive her second year, especially with the new vice commandant determined to make her betray the man she loves.
The whole book world was aflame with anticipation at Iron Flame‘s release and Rebecca Yarros did not disappoint. In the second book of the Empyrean series, Violet starts back again at Basgiath War College. While keeping the steamy romance and the fast-paced plot of Fourth Wing, Yarros delivers a clever twist halfway through to keep Iron Flame from feeling like a retread of the first book. And the twists keep coming, culminating in a cliffhanger that will make you desperate to read the third book.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 7 November 2023
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The Frozen River
Ariel Lawhon
GMA Book Club December 2023 From the author of Code Name Hélène, comes a new novel based on the true story of a fearless midwife determined to find justice. In 1789, Martha Ballard is asked to determine the cause of death of a man found buried in the ice. As a local midwife, Martha knows all the town’s secrets, including that this man was one of the men accused of a heinous rape four months ago. As the trial nears, Martha believes the two cases are connected and her detailed diary ends up as pivotal evidence that might tear the whole town, and her family, apart.
Check & Mate
Ali Hazelwood
When Mallory reluctantly enters a charity chess event, she unexpectedly beats the handsome world champion Nolan Sawyer. Despite her antagonism towards chess for destroying her family, Mallory finds herself entering the professional chess world, since her family desperately needs the prize money. As things heat up between Mallory and Nolan, Mallory must balance her love of the game with the deep pain it has caused her family.
The Future
Naomi Alderman
In a future not too dissimilar from our present, three tech billionaires wield a disproportionate influence over the world and their bottom line conflicts with the good of humankind more often than not. Prepared for the end of the world, they each of their own bunkers and band together to create an early warning system so they can escape before anyone knows what’s happening. After popular survivalist Lai Zhen sleeps with the personal assistant of one of the billionaires, she unexpectedly gains access to the early warning system, sparking a race with catastrophic consequences.
It’s really hard to describe The Future without spoiling the story. Naomi Alderman brilliantly describes a very realistic dystopian scenario where the world is on the brink of collapse. Told nonlinearly, The Future jumps around in its timeline, creating clever twists that dive into intriguing themes about technology, social media, and social responsibility while still giving an action-packed story.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 7 November 2023
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The Edge
David Baldacci
In a sequel to The 6:20 Man, Travis Devine is sent to a small coastal Maine town to investigate the murder of CIA Agent Jenny Sikwell. The town’s residents don’t take well to outsiders and Devine isn’t sure if he can get anyone to talk, including Jenny’s siblings. With government secrets on the line, Devine must once again act as a chameleon to find the truth.
The Mystery Guest
Nita Prose
In a sequel to the hit bestseller, The Maid, return to the five-star Regency Grand Hotel where Molly Gray is now the Head Maid. When famous author J. D. Grimthorpe drops dead in the hotel’s tea room as he’s about to admit to a long-held secret, the entire staff are suspects in his murder. Yet, Molly has her own secret. As a child, Molly worked with her grandmother cleaning Grimthorpe’s mansion. Can Molly solve the mystery and save the hotel’s reputation?
I adored Nita Prose’s cozy mystery, The Maid, but was disappointed in the unoriginality of its sequel. The Mystery Guest was just plain boring. Constantly switching between the past and the present slowed down the current mystery to a crawl and didn’t add as much development as I’d have liked. This time around, Molly’s aphorisms seemed pithy and overused instead of cute and refreshing. Unless you are dying to know more about Molly, I’d skip this contrived repetitive mystery.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ballantine Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 28 November 2023
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Book of the Month – November & December 2023
Receiving my blue box from Book of the Month Club is a highlight of every month.
Here’s how it works – each month, they pick 5 books and you get to choose one book or skip until the next month. If you want to add any extra books, then you get them at a discounted price.
Each month is usually a mix of new releases and advance copies of unreleased books. If you are interested in joining, right now you can use my Book of the Month Club affiliate link to get your first book for $5!
The November Book of the Month selections are:
The December Book of the Month selections are:
See the Complete List of Upcoming Releases!
Read With Jenna November 2023 Book Club Pick
The Sun Sets in Singapore
Kehinde Fadipe
The lives of three ex-pat women living in Singapore are thrown into chaos with the arrival of a handsome new man. Dara is on the brink of partnership when Lani, a fellow British-Nigerian is hired and given her case, bringing up all her insecurities. Meanwhile, Amaka is desperately trying to hide her shopping addiction and distracting herself with a workplace romance when she feels an instant attraction to Lani. After her divorce, former pianist Lillian is desperately trying to afford to stay in Singapore and takes a part-time job where meeting Lani dredges up painful memories from her past.
Read With Jenna December 2023 Book Club Pick
We Must Not Think Of Ourselves
Lauren Grodstein
In 1940, Adam Paskow finds himself confined by the Nazis to the Warsaw Ghetto along with the rest of the city’s Jewish population. Recruited by an underground network of archivists, Adam begins documenting the stories of his students, friends, and neighbors. After Adam interviews his flatmate Sala, the two fall in love despite the fact she is married with two kids. When Adam discovers a way to escape the Ghetto, he must decide whether to stay or go, who else can he save, and if the cost will be worth it.
Reese’s Book Club November 2023 Pick
Maybe Next Time
Cesca Major
On an ordinary Monday, Emma rushes out the door to work, not having time to deal with her husband Dan and their children, who all seem to be sad or on edge. After dinner, Emma has a blow-up fight with Dan. When Dan takes the dog for a walk, he is killed in a car accident. Waking up the next day, Emma finds it’s Monday again. Desperately trying to change their fate, Emma keeps reliving that awful Monday hoping that this time she might get it right. Reese Witherspoon is set to produce the movie adaptation of Maybe Next Time, hence it’s choice as her November book club pick.
Reese’s Book Club December 2023 Pick
Before We Were Innocent
Ella Berman
Ten years ago, Bess and Joni spend a summer in Greece with their best friend Evangeline. When Evangeline dies, Bess and Joni find themselves suspects, their brash personalities are vilified by the media, but ultimately no charges are filed against them. Since then, Bess has kept the lowest profile possible while Joni has become an outspoken motivational speaker. When Joni’s fiancée disappears, Bess comes out of hiding to support Joni and must face what really happened all those summers ago. A fascinating character study of female friendships, Berman examines how easily our lives can be cherry-picked to paint us white or black, when we are all shades of grey.
GMA Book Club November 2023 Pick
Class
Stephanie Land
In her bestselling memoir Maid, Stephanie Land described her story of working as a house cleaner and trying her best to raise her child in extreme poverty. In the final chapter, she wrote about moving to Montana to attend college. Yet, getting a degree was not the happily-ever-after she imagined. With a searing look at America’s education system, Land discusses navigating a tricky loan system, attending college while still in poverty, and the struggle of a single mother full of desire and ambition.
Oprah’s Book Club Pick
Let Us Descend
Jesmyn Ward
Blending magical realism with a reimagining of American slavery, Let Us Descend follows Annis, a Black girl sold South by the white slave master who fathered her. As Annis marches south, she finds solace in thinking of her mother and her warrior African grandmother. Communing with spirits, both good and bad, along the way, Annis’s descent toward the further hell of slavery is a surprising tale of rebirth and reclamation.
The Most Anticipated November & December 2023 Book Releases
Ruthless Vows
Rebecca Ross
In a sequel to 2023’s hit young adult bestseller Divine Rivals, Iris Winnow returns from the front bruised and battered. With Roman missing, Iris and Attie head west to report on Dacre’s movements. Meanwhile, Roman awakes in Dacre’s realm with his memory wiped clean. Thankful to the god who healed him, Roman agrees to write articles for Dacre, until mysterious letters appear under his wardrobe that make him question where his loyalties lie in the war between the gods.
The Wildest Sun
Asha Lemmie
An aspiring writer on the brink of adulthood, Delphine Auber suspects that her father is actually Ernest Hemingway. Yet, Hemingway is as elusive as he is iconic. From Paris to Havana to Harlem, Delphine searches to find his approval as a writer and a daughter and ends up finding herself in the process.
The Lost Tomb
Douglas Preston
When he hasn’t been writing his bestselling Agent Pendergast mysteries, Douglas Preston has been exploring some of the world’s greatest mysteries. As a journalist, Preston was granted exclusive access to Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, explored the booby-trapped Money Pit on Oak Island, and searched prehistoric ruins in the American Southwest. In a collection of true stories, Preston shares tales of buried treasure, lost tombs, and bizarre crimes and murders.
The Good Part
Sophie Cousens
Twenty-six-year-old Lucy Young is tired of her career, love life, and flatmates, none of which are coming anything close to what she imagined. When she stumbles upon a wishing machine, she makes a wish to skip to the good part of her life. Suddenly, Lucy finds herself a married 40-year-old with two kids living the life she imagined. Did she skip ahead or just forget? And if she could go back, would she?
The Good Part is a heartfelt romance reminding you of the value of all your experiences, both good and bad. Completely overwhelmed by being a working mom, Lucy struggles with impostor syndrome, finding she can’t magically jump into a more mature life. For it’s in the living of our lives that we have become who we are today. While I enjoyed the deeper themes of Cousen’s novel, I found Lucy annoyingly immature, which was supposed to be funny but I found it more irritating than anything.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from G. P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 7 November 2023
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
The Helsinki Affair
Anna Pitoniak
Amanda Cole has followed in her father’s footsteps as an ambitious young CIA agent. When a Russian defector walks into the office warning of the assassination of a US senator, Amanda is the only one to believe him. When the senator is killed, Amanda teams up with a legendary female spy to uncover the truth of the Kremlin plot.
I love me a good spy thriller and, unfortunately, this was not it. The Helsinki Affair was a run of the mill story where you quickly realize you don’t really care what happens. The writing is so weak that you don’t develop any feelings, positive or negative, for any of the characters. Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t awful. It was just meh – uninspired and completely forgettable.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 14 November 2023
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Day
Michael Cunningham
Cracks begin to form for a Brooklyn family as troubled husband and wife, Dan and Isabel, find they are both a little in love with Isabel’s younger brother Robbie, who lives in the attic. Meanwhile, their children try to navigate growing up while ignoring the strain between their parents. After Robbie moves to Iceland, the pandemic hits, adding even more strain as the family tries to figure out how to live together and apart.
Told as snippets of the same day, April 5, over a three year period from 2019 to 2021, Day is both beautiful and boring. With not much plot, Day is the kind of story that only English majors truly enjoy. All of the characters are all too in love with each other, making for an extremely dysfunctional family setup. Luckily it was short for its brevity saved it from feeling too pretentious.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 14 November 2023
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The Engagement Party
Darby Kane
At a swanky engagement party on a secluded Maine Island, Sierra Prescott can’t help but sense that something is amiss. When a dead man is found in the trunk of a car with a note about telling the truth, Sierra learns everyone else is hiding secrets. One graduation day, twelve years ago, a student was killed and another committed suicide. The police closed the case, but Sierra’s friends all know more about it than they let on.
Spirit of the Wood
Kristen Britain
Before the eighth and final book of the Green Rider series, Kristen Britain tells the backstory of fan-favorite character Laren Mapstone. Green Rider trainee Tavin Bankstone is not thrilled to travel with Lieutenant-Rider Laren Mapstone. Although acclaimed for her battles against the Darrow Raiders, Laren is emotionally closed off and cold. When Laren is injured in an attack, they seek refuge in a waystation. But as Laren’s emotional control comes down, Tavin must quickly learn to control his empathic abilities before it destroys them both.
Although I love the Green Rider series, Spirit of the Wood felt like an unnecessary side story only the most diehard Green Rider fans will enjoy. Since it was described as Laren Mapstone’s backstory, I found Spirit of the Wood extremely disappointing. Instead, the novella was more about Tavin Bankside than Laren, only giving the barest details of Laren’s past. With tempered expectations, you might enjoy this one but feel free to skip it and wait for the final installment of the Green Rider saga.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from DAW through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 7 November 2023
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
The Narrow Road Between Desires
Patrick Rothfuss
In 2007, Patrick Rothfuss took the fantasy world by storm with The Name of the Wind, the astounding first entry in the Kingkiller Chronicle, which he followed up with an equally compelling sequel, The Wise Man’s Fear. Rothfuss finally returns to the Kingkiller Chronicle universe with a short standalone novel that follows a single day where Bast makes a bargain that knocks his world off-kilter. Is this a signal that Rothfuss is finally ready to publish The Doors of Stone, the much-anticipated final book of the trilogy? Will a Kingkiller Chronicle novella win back Rothfuss fans? Honestly, will fans ever forgive him for making them wait over twelve years for The Doors of Stone?
Popular November & December Upcoming Releases
What November & December 2023 Book Releases are You Most Excited to Read?
What books can you not wait to get your hands on this month? Did I miss any November & December 2023 book releases that you are anticipating? As always, let me know in the comments!
More New Book Releases:
Linda Phillips says
Katherine Faulkner writes Greenwich Park. So good!
virginia westlake says
I really like it when you give a star rating for the books. That helps me decide whether I want to read it or not.
You are doing a great job. It’s just what I want in a book blog, not too much information, just a brief summary.
Anne M says
The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner!
Patricia says
Thanks! You have given us a peek into so
many good reads for 2024. The Frozen River is going to be the first on my list.