The 10 best books of October

The Trespasser by Tana French
The newest book in the Dublin Murder Squad series tells the story of Antoinette Conway, a detective who is convinced a seemingly simple argument between a boyfriend and girlfriend isn't what it appears to be. "This one keeps building and building," Amazon senior editor Chris Schluep says of the book.
Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple
The latest novel from bestselling Where'd You Go, Bernadette author Semple is the story of Eleanor, who finds her life in upheaval after her husband unexpectedly goes on vacation, her son pretends he's ill, and a graphic memoir threatens to disclose what had been left in the past. "It's quirky, it's funny," Schluep says.
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
This new novel by Jiles, author of The Color of Lightning, depicts the journey of a widowed veteran and a young girl raised by the Kiowa tribe as they travel through Texas in the late 19th century. "I think this will be a popular one," Schluep says.
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
The Pact writer Picoult's new novel tells the story of a racist father who sues a black nurse after his baby dies and the public defender who is brought on to defend the nurse. Schluep predicts that the book "will probably be the biggest book on our list".
Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Younge
The Speech writer Younge tackles the topic of gun violence, examining the deaths of children and teenagers that occurred on one day (in this case, a day in November 2013). Younge aims to take the numbers that represent gun violence and "turn them back into real lives that were lost," Schluep says. He notes the book is a "hard read".
Truevine by Beth Macy
Factory Man author Beth Macy's nonfiction book tells how young brothers George and Willie Muse were living in Virginia as part of a sharecropping family at the end of the 19th century when they were kidnapped and forced to join a circus. The work "raises almost as many questions as it answers", Schluep says, leaving the reader wondering about the 'what if's of the boys' lives.
Messy by Tim Harford
Most of us likely see a mess as something to be cleaned up. The Undercover Economist writer Harford instead discusses the unexpected benefits of messiness and argues that cleanliness can keep us from being creative. "This book will do for messy people what Susan Cain's Quiet did for introverts," Schluep says.
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
Debut novelist Bennett tells the story of teenager Nadia Turner, who becomes romantically involved with Luke Sheppard, the son of a pastor who is working at a diner. An unexpected event forces Nadia, Luke, and others to make difficult choices.
American Ulysses by Ronald C White
Presidential biographer White (A. Lincoln) aims to change what most readers probably think of Ulysses S Grant with this new work. "He's reestablishing Grant as a real man of talent," Schluep says. "...It feels very definitive."
The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang
Debut novelist Chang's work is the story of the Wang family's road trip following the 2008 recession and the adventures that occur. The title is a "well-written, high-energy debut," Schluep says.
- The Christian Science Monitor