Release Week: 18 November 2025
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Release Week: 18 November 2025
Posted on 2025-11-18 at 12:00 by Samuel Montgomery-Blinn
PICKS:
I, Medusa: A Novel by Ayana Gray, read by Tyla Collier and A'rese Emokpae for Random House -- "A new kind of villain origin story, reimagining one of the most iconic monsters in Greek mythology as a provocative and powerful young heroine."
Exo: A Novel by Colin Brush, read by Gildart Jackson for Dreamscape -- "A debut sci-fi mystery set on an abandoned future Earth, featuring a twisty mystery straight out of a John le Carré novel, a group of larger-than-life characters who’d be at home in the work of John Scalzi, and a deeply weird and dangerous hyperdimensional entity to haunt the dreams of any fan of Kim Stanley Robinson."
Outlaw Planet by M. R. Carey, read by Stephanie Cannon for Orbit -- "From one of genre fiction’s most original and revolutionary voices comes a space opera adventure like no other. Sometimes the fate of entire worlds can be decided by a woman with nothing to lose, and the smartest gun in the multiverse in her hand."
Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus is Alive! by Melissa Lozada-Oliva for Tantor -- "An ethereal and revelatory short story collection about faith, delusion, and the demons that can't get enough of us."
The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers, read by Gabrielle Nellis-Pain for Orbit -- "A disgraced bookseller journeys into a lush, wondrous world of magical books, deadly ink magic, and secret societies, in this darkly spellbinding standalone fantasy novel."
The Glowing Life of Leeann Wu by Mindy Hung, read by Natalie Naudus for Spotify -- "Leeann Wu’s hands have started glowing at the most inconvenient times, and the single mother and midwife doesn’t know why. Could it be perimenopause? A hallucination brought on by a lack of sleep? On top of that concerning development, her daughter is off to university in a few months, her tenuous relationship with her ob-gyn mother is in peril of cracking, and she’s attracted the attention of a younger man who sees far more than she’s comfortable with. Her hands, glowing or not, are already full. But as widespread insomnia plagues the town and life-threatening accidents begin to pile up, Leeann discovers the glow is not an anomaly at all—rather, she’s part of a long line of women who possess a power unlike anything Leeann’s ever known."
The Pelican Child: Stories by Joy Williams, read by Xe Sands, Roger Wayne, Cynthia Farrell, and John Pirhalla for Random House -- "A razor-sharp new collection of stories of visionary childhood misfits and struggling adult dreamers from a legendary writer."
Beasts of the Sea: A Novel by Iida Turpeinen, translated by David Hackston, read by Lawrence Neale for Little Brown and Company -- "In the spirit of Richard Powers and Daniel Mason, a novel spanning three centuries and tied together by the tale of Steller’s sea cow—a long-extinct denizen of the northern oceans—at once intimate and sweeping about the tragic clash between man and nature."
The Ferryman and His Wife: A Novel by Frode Grytten, translated by Alison McCullough, read by Colin Mace for Algonquin -- "In the spirit of Amor Towles and George Saunders, the renowned, bestselling Norwegian author Frode Grytten takes readers on a quietly epic journey: ferry driver Nils Vik’s last route along the fjord, on what he knows will be his last day alive."
NON-FICTION WATCH:
Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They're Too Much by Cynthia Erivo, read by the author for Macmillan -- "In this vulnerable and enlightening book of life lessons, the globally renowned performer draws from her singular experience to show us how to embrace being "too much" and to live up to the fullest iteration of ourselves."
100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke, read by Tom Bergeron for Hachette -- "On the eve of his 100th birthday, national treasure Dick Van Dyke brings us this autobiographical collection of stories, reflections, and life advice on how he's maintained a zest for life."
BACKLIST WATCH:
- Blinding Light: A Novel by Paul Theroux (2005), read by Joe Knezevich -- "Incisive, sometimes hilarious takes on the manifold ironies of travel, of trespass and trangession, and of the trappings of the writer’s life—from the fear of the blank page to the unexpected challenges of the book tour."
SERIES WATCH:
Shadows Upon Time: Sun Eater, Book 7 by Christopher Ruocchio, read by Samuel Roukin for Recorded Books -- "The seventh and final novel of the galaxy-spanning series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe at last lights the greatest fire humanity has ever seen." On a personal note, I've been looking forward to this book for a very, very long time, and am practically incandescent with disappointment that Amazon's Audible's enshittification tentacles prevent Libro.fm from offering the title for purchase using credits until after a three month contractual period.
Reaper: Quincy Harker, Book 10 by John G. Hartness, read by James Anderson Foster for Tantor -- "What's the first rule of fight club? Don’t invite the friggin' Reaper to fight club!"
TIE-IN WATCH:
- Kingdom Come by Mark Waid, Alex Ross, and Dirk Maggs, read by a full cast for Random House -- "Originally published to critical acclaim by DC Comics in 1996 as a four-issue comic book series. Superheroes are ubiquitous, but heroism is rare. After decades as Earth's champions, the members of the Justice League have all retreated out of the public eye, replaced with a new generation of anti-heroic crime-fighters whose brand of justice leaves humanity terrified, rather than inspired. With the planet's future in jeopardy, Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman must come out of retirement to make one last stand for truth and justice."
INDIE WATCH:
Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory by Yaroslav Barsukov, read by Andrew Joseph Perez for Tantor -- "Refusing the queen's order to gas a crowd of protesters, Minister Shea Ashcroft is banished to the border to oversee the construction of the biggest defensive tower in history. However, the use of advanced technology taken from refugees makes the tower volatile and dangerous, becoming a threat to local interests. Shea has no choice but to fight the local hierarchy to ensure the construction succeeds—and to reclaim his own life."
Tiny Dungeon Core 1: A LitRPG Adventure by The Bearded Man, read by Christopher Tester for Podium -- "In a realm of epic quests and powerful gods, the tiniest Dungeon Core ever created is about to prove that size isn't everything. Armed with a mysterious System, and a handful of fiercely loyal creatures, the Core must grow, adapt, and defend itself against a world that sees it as prey."
The City That Wove Its Own Shadow by Phaedra Quanette Holloway, read by Tegan Johnson -- "A luminous tale of faith, memory, and the language that keeps a city alive."
MOST MISSING:
- On the Calculation of Volume (Book III) by Solvej Balle, translated by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell (New Directions) -- "Introduces new thrills to the adventures of Tara Selter’s endless November day."