Happy October! As we roll right into autumn, we’ve got the perfect line-up of books coming your way to tuck into as the colder weather creeps in.
This month we've got a Booker long-listed title, the long-awaited return of one of our favourite authors, a Zambian mother on trial for her husband's murder, a novel inspired by a real-life scandal in 1970s Alabama, a dark ravenous slice of weird girl lit and a backlist gem from 1929 that feels incredibly modern.
Our Hardback Picks
Switzy by Emma Cline
A private plane cuts through the winter night, somewhere over Greenland. David, a retired executive, sits back in his leather seat, playing solitaire on his phone. Click. Click. Drag. Click. In his pocket is a notebook filled with urgent reminders — but he can no longer read his own handwriting.
He’s travelling with his assistant. There will be a stopover in London, dinner with his adult daughter, a meeting in France with an old friend. His final destination: a clinic in Zurich.
As David glides through hotel rooms, airports and foreign cities, his grasp on the present slips away and the past rushes in.
With David’s arrival in Zurich looming, an exquisitely rendered portrait of an unravelling mind emerges. Hypnotic and moving, Switzy probes the depths of human consciousness, revealing what a man is left with when the accomplishments and compromises that have defined him, and the illusions he's relied on, vanish.
Why we chose it: Long-listed for the 2026 Booker Prize, this is a slightly different pick here at Well Read Women, but our founder has put this in her top three books of the year, so we couldn't not include it. Where to start with Switzy? Having read all of Cline's other novels, we can say this is a departure from her previous work and easily her most ambitious yet. It's a hard novel to recommend given the nature of the story, but Cline's writing is hypnotising, unsettling and difficult to put down. It's the book people are up in arms about it not making it onto the Booker Prize shortlist, and we wholeheartedly agree. #JusticeForSwitzy
American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee
John and Helen Koh and their three children – Bo, DH and Mido – are building new lives in Korea when they find their worlds upended, first by a terrible betrayal and then by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Striving to regain their footing, the Kohs set out to do whatever it takes to provide for their children’s futures.
They leave Seoul for Sydney and eventually settle in California, where new opportunities open for the Koh children, as the parents, strangers in a strange land, adjust to a difficult existence in which their qualifications mean little. Their way forward is lit by the faith that education will lead the next generation to the success and security that have eluded their parents.
The Kohs, their friends, relatives and even their foes move in and out of each other’s lives as they navigate love, work, fortune and fulfilment across the years. But with each new sacrifice and fresh horizon, larger questions begin to open up before them: what are we willing to give up to secure the happiness of the ones we love? What is the purpose of education? And what is truly important for a good life?
Why we chose it: American Hagwon is the long-awaited successor to Pachinko, a universally loved novel and a firm favourite here at WRW HQ. American Hagwon follows the Koh family across three continents from 1992 to 2007. It focuses on how the societal pressure to excel academically and become successful comes with huge strain and sacrifice.
We're always in awe of Lee's writing and her ability to bring an extensive cast of characters to life, with multiple storylines woven together perfectly. It is a real literary feast at 640 pages and by the end, we were so attached to the Koh family that we didn't want to say goodbye. An incredible read worthy of all the praise.
The Shipikisha Club by Mubanga Kalimamukwento
A woman on trial. A marriage built on silence. A culture that demands endurance.
Sali, a working mother of three, is on trial for the murder of her husband, Kasunga. Accused of shooting him after a fight in their bedroom, she pleads not guilty and must rely on an overworked legal aid lawyer as a courtroom hungry for judgement looks on.
Fourteen years earlier, Sali’s life was shaped by a different kind of violence. The pressure to conform, to endure, to shipikisha. When an affair with a wealthy, married man ends in sudden death, she enters a loveless marriage to escape the shame of unwed motherhood. What follows is a life marked by infidelity, financial strain, postnatal depression and quiet suffering, until endurance finally gives way.
Told through a braided narrative moving between past and present, The Shipikisha Club is a powerful literary novel about marriage, motherhood and the devastating cost of silence in contemporary Zambia.
Why we chose it: The book opens with the definition of shipikisha, a Bemba word from Zambia that means to relentlessly endure. People often refer to joining the shipikisha club when they are getting married. This phrase reflects the expectation that wives should silently suffer and never complain when their marriage gets difficult. Here at Well Read Women, we champion sharing literary voices from all over the world, and this incredible story, told through three generations of Zambian women, taught us so much and opened our eyes to the female experience in Zambia. There's so much to unpack in this book, which makes for a brilliant discussion.
Our Paperback Picks
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Montgomery, Alabama. 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend has big plans to make a difference in her community. She wants to help women make their own choices for their lives and bodies.
But when her first week on the job takes her down a dusty country road to a tumbledown cabin and into the heart of the Williams family, Civil learns there is more to her new role than she bargained for. Neither of the two young sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling their welfare benefits, that's reason enough to have them on birth control. When Civil discovers a terrible injustice, she must choose between carrying out instructions or following her heart and decides to risk everything to stand up for what is right.
Inspired by true events and a shocking chapter of recent history, Take My Hand is a novel that will open your eyes and break your heart. An unforgettable story about love and courage, it is also a timely and uplifting reminder that one person can change the world.
Why we chose it: We read Take My Hand back in 2022, and this powerful novel, inspired by true events, both moved and enraged us. In 1973, two young sisters from Montgomery, Alabama, were sterilised without their consent. The novel follows a Black nurse who is horrified by what is taking place and fights to expose the system and end the non-consensual sterilisation of black, poor and disabled women and girls in the United States. It's a poignant and heartbreaking read. For Black History Month, we wanted to choose a story that shines a light on a period of women's history that seems to slip under the radar. Take My Hand sparks so many important discussions. An incredible backlist gem we're excited to add to your TBR.
Ex Wife by Ursulla Parrott
New York, 1924. Patricia and Peter are a thoroughly modern married couple. Both drink. Both smoke. Both work. Both believe in 'Love-Outside-Marriage'. Until they don't. Or, really, until he doesn't. So when Peter pushes for divorce with increasing violence, Patricia has to forge a new life as a single woman: as an ex-wife.
A sensational bestseller in 1929, yet utterly timeless, Ex-Wife plunges us into the 'era of the one-night stand'. It evokes not only the Manhattan bars, fashion advertising offices, female friendships and all-night parties of a dazzling city, but the hollow affairs, emotional hangovers, backstreet abortions, and struggles for sexual freedoms amidst the moral double standards of a patriarchal world.
Why we chose it: Ex-Wife was first published back in 1929, yet it reads like it was written yesterday. It's the story of an intelligent, independent woman rebuilding her life on her own terms in an era recovering from the war and dry under Prohibition, all while women's role in society was shifting. Pat is such a memorable narrator, and her journey overcoming her divorce was a joy to read. Parrott also vividly brings to life Jazz Age New York. It's vibrant and was scandalous in its day for how frank it is about the double standards women faced. We can't wait to put this one in your hands!
A Healthy Appetite by Katie Huttlestone
Hannah is dying for a cure. After a decade subsumed by a cancer diagnosis, Hannah is now thirty, existing in a hinterland between life and death. Her boyfriend Scott has become more of a carer than a lover, and - with no job, no plans, and no more options - she has resigned herself to no future. But then she's given the opportunity to join phase one of a clinical trial that might just save her. Almost immediately, she feels different; that evening, her appetite returns. And it keeps growing ... Now Hannah is hungry for life. A committed vegetarian, Hannah suddenly finds herself craving meat - but her new hunger isn't limited to food. Now she wants everything. As new and suppressed desires surface she becomes reckless, destructive, and deceitful. It's the miracle drug she's been waiting for, but at what cost?
Why we chose it: We adored A Healthy Appetite, a standout debut from an indie publisher we just had to feature. It's a unique, unsettling and fast-paced read following our main character Hannah, a young woman in her 30s battling cancer. After she joins a clinical trial, her cancer begins to shrink but her hunger becomes ravenous, taking her from being a diligent vegetarian to gorging on meat. The novel explores chronic illness and how it impacts every aspect of a person's life. It's a brilliant addition to the 'weird girl lit' category, and we all finished it in just a couple of sittings and couldn't wait to unpack it together. Not for the squeamish in places, but perfect for those who don't mind dipping their toe into horror via such a fascinating premise.
Thanks for reading. We hope you love this month's picks as much as we do. If you still can't decide, we have our One Page In feature on Substack, and our wonderful quiz on our homepage.