20 new books to read in November

Sure, we've got family sagas of all stripes perfect for Thanksgiving reading. But November's slate of new books doesn't end there; we've got essays and thrillers and a few celeb books you'll want to keep an eye out for.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers co-founder takes a lyrical approach to his life story, his writing inspired by the rhythms of jazz and his structure a dreamy recounting of his journey from Australia to Los Angeles to New York, with a specific focus on the grime and wonder of the City of Angels in the ’70s and ’80s. (Nov. 5)

The best-selling YA favorite, known for his fantasy and sci-fi page-turners, makes a memorable, deeply personal turn to adult fiction with this supernatural-tinged Cuban-American family epic. (Nov. 5)

If you're one of the many, many parents or children who've enjoyed Smith's unexpected smash picture book The Wonky Donkey, this wildly adorable follow-up should make for a must-have. (Nov. 5)

The domestic suspense master unfurls another delectably familiar tale of family secrets with Upstairs, about a young woman who receives an enormous inheritance and investigates the dark truth behind it. (Nov. 5)

This charming romance by rising star Hibbert centers on the daughter of a wealthy family eager to break out of her shell, and a heavily tattooed handyman with a bad-boy streak. Will sparks fly? You bet. (Nov. 5)

Evaristo became the first black woman to ever win the Booker Prize with her superb sixth novel, a story of 12 interconnected characters that digs deep into experiences of identity in contemporary U.K. (Nov. 5)

Machado’s fantastical first book, the genre-bending collection Her Body and Other Parties, scored major plaudits and is being developed into a high-profile series for FX; in her next book, equally galvanizing in form and execution, the author turns inward, recounting and reclaiming a harrowing episode from her past. (Nov. 5)

In Slate's own words, this memoir contains the following: heartbreak, a French-kissing rabbit, a haunted house, and divorce — plus a multitude of other topics. Expect this collection to be as charmingly disarming as any of the actress’ onscreen work. (Nov. 5)

For fans of lush but harsh '50s dramas like Revolutionary Road and Far From Heaven, this dreamy drama follows a newly married housewife and her gay brother-in-law as they seek meaning and solace in an unforgiving postwar American landscape. (Nov. 5)

Few capture the literary world’s attention with their debut like this author did; her first novel, A Kind of Freedom, was nominated for the National Book Award and earned several other top accolades. Her anticipated follow-up offers a bracing window into Southern life and tensions, alternating between two women’s stories — set nearly 100 years apart. (Nov. 5)

The best-selling Night Circus author amassed a huge, passionate fanbase with her mystical first novel. It’s unlikely they’ll be disappointed by this sweeping follow-up, which unfolds an epic romance within a secret underground world of lost cities, handsome pirates, and endless puzzles to be solved. (Nov. 5)

Shusterman wraps his Arc of a Scythe YA trilogy with a grand meditation on immortality. In a world that's conquered death, can humanity survive? (Nov. 5)

The incisive mind behind Shrill (recently turned into a Hulu series starring Aidy Bryant) is back with another sharp collection, this time confronting truth, misogyny, and media bias in the post-#MeToo era. (Nov. 5)

It's only been a 50-year wait for the sequel to Michael Crichton's breakout technothriller The Andromeda Strain. In Evolution, written by Daniel H. Wilson in collaboration with CrichtonSun LLC, a microbe threatens to annihilate life as we know it. (Nov. 12)

The longtime food critic retraces the steps of his lifelong culinary education, from childhood homes in Hong Kong and Japan to professional stopovers in cities around the world -- one meal at a time. (Nov. 12)

Building off of the 2018 film Cam, for which she wrote the script, Mazzei revisits her experiences working as (and building a business out of being) a live-streaming camgirl, in brutally funny and candid fashion. (Nov. 12)

This already-controversial biography of Hollywood darling Carrie Fisher traces her biggest career moments (including, of course, Star Wars) as well as her life off-camera, from the family she built with talent agent Bryan Lourd (who has disavowed the book) to the more tumultuous and tragic moments around it. (Nov. 12)

The acclaimed short-fiction writer turns to the essay format in this commanding collection, which features aching personal writing as well as trenchant literary criticism. (Nov. 12)

Award-winning author Michael Crummey has generated plenty of advance praise for his new novel, a gritty portrait of the love and resilience between two siblings isolated in an isolated cove on Newfoundland's northern coastline. (Nov. 12)

Apatow compiles this collection of journal entries by and photos of the late, great comic, as well as appreciations from other titans in the world of comedy. (Nov. 12)