Hello friends! With so many books coming out every week, I am bringing you a list of 5 new releases that I find myself enticed to read. Let me know which books interest you, or if I am missing a new release you are excited about… We can always grow our TBR!.

I tried to pick books that made me curious and at the same time were different genres, so hopefully one of these books catches your attention.

WHALE HARBOR: a Novel by Mary Beth Keane
HISTORICAL FICTION

Spanning lifetimes and continents, Whale Harbor is “tender, immersive, and exquisitely written” (Florence Knapp, author of The Names) with award-winning author Mary Beth Keane’s signature wit, eloquence, and attention to the emotional resonance of family, brotherhood, and the choices that echo across generations.

Book cover for 'Whale Harbor' by Mary Beth Keane, featuring a colorful sky with birds in flight.

THE SLANTWISE HISTORIES: Collected Stories by Alix E. Harrow
SHORT STORIES FICTION

Dive into a dazzling collection of short fiction from Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of The Everlasting and Starling House.

Book cover for 'The Slantwise Histories: Collected Stories' by Alix E. Harrow, featuring an orange background with colorful birds and intricate border designs.

WHAT THE FOREST DEVOURS: a Novel by Elaine Vilar Madruga
HORROR FICTION

A Caribbean-flavored novel of gothic horror from one of Latin America’s most exciting young writers, What the Forest Devours is a macabre examination of what women must sacrifice to survive in a society with the power to destroy them at any turn. With its spine-tingling allegories, impressive imaginative vision, and a dazzling translation courtesy of acclaimed translator Kevin Gerry Dunn, English language readers can experience the dazzling masterpiece that has swallowed the Spanish literary world whole.

Book cover of 'What the Forest Devours' by Elaine Vilar Madruga, featuring a silhouette of a woman against a forest backdrop and a quote praising the author's style.

CROOKED CROSS: a Novel by Sally Carson
HISTORICAL FICTION

A thrilling, long-lost British novel—never before published in the U.S.—that warned of Hitler’s rise through the story of an ordinary German family during six fateful months in 1933; it has been hailed as “a surprise breakout success” and “a word-of-mouth jaw-dropper” in the UK.

Book cover for 'Crooked Cross' by Sally Carson featuring a collage of faces and a scenic background.

BLACK MOON: a Novel by Stephen Wright
HISTORICAL FICTION

Moon introduces a character you’ll never forget in an adventurous world you’ll never want to leave. Throughout Meeks’ globe-spanning narrative, we come to know a heroine of unconquerable ambition, boundless intelligence, and insatiable appetite—and to recognize a lawless, brutal, and bounteous world much like our own. Black Moon is an ingenious work of ventriloquism and page-turning entertainment from “an extravagantly talented novelist” (The New York Times).

Cover of the novel 'Black Moon' by Stephen Wright, featuring a silhouette of a figure against a cloudy sky and a ship in the background.
A promotional graphic showcasing new book releases for October 20, 2026, featuring five novels: 'Whale Harbor' by Mary Beth Keane, 'Black Moon' by Stephen Wright, 'The Slantwise Histories' by Alix E. Harrow, 'Crooked Cross' by Sally Carson, and 'What the Forest Devours' by Elaine Vilar Madruga against a blue sky background.

So there you have it! This is my short list of books that caught my attention released this week. Let me know if any of these made it to your TBR or if you pre-ordered or you are getting ready to get it!.

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I’m Mari

Welcome to the Friendly Bookshelf, my cozy corner of the internet dedicated solely to books. Here, I invite you to join me in the magical world of books, including backlisted, new releases, TBR, and bookish news.

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