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.

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).

CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.

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 | Bookshop.org [8:43]
• The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger (September 5) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [15:26] 

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 | Bookshop.org [26:17]

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 | Bookshop.org  [28:15]
• In Light of All Darkness by Kim Cross (October 3) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [34:42]
• 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 | Bookshop.org  [38:23]
• 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 | Bookshop.org  [47:43] 

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

• Instagram | @ataleoftwolitties : Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll