Books and audiobooks
What is trending now and what arrives in October 2026: news, official bestseller lists and release dates, in books and audiobooks. Follow along for publishing market news.
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Trending now
Official bestseller lists, with the week each ranking covers.
Bestsellers in the US — Publishers Weekly, week of October 12, 2026
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#1Threshing Day
The #1 book in the country: Rebecca Yarros gathers 13 stories set in her Empyrean universe (Fourth Wing) — already the third bestselling book of the year after one week on sale.
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#3American Hagwon
Nine years after Pachinko, Min Jin Lee returns with a saga of ambition, education and family duty that starts in 1992 Seoul — book three of her Diaspora Quartet.
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#1Trust Fall
Lynn Painter (Better Than the Movies, a BookTok favorite) tops the children's fiction list with a standalone YA rom-com.
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#1
The Steps
Sylvester Stallone's memoir debuts at #1 on the hardcover nonfiction list: the Rocky steps, 50 years after the movie.
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#8
Fictional Selves
The memoir of Twin Peaks agent Dale Cooper: MacLachlan recalls David Lynch, 1984's Dune and four decades of collaboration.
Bestsellers in Brazil — Nielsen-PublishNews, week September 28, 2026 to October 4, 2026
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#1Verity
The movie effect: with the adaptation in theaters since October 1, Colleen Hoover's bestseller jumps from #3 to #1 on Brazil's overall list — with the collector's edition still at #17.
See the movie's page in the calendar → -
#2
Eu duvido você terminar este livro
The interactive comedy holds at #2, keeping publisher Outro Planeta with two books inside Brazil's top 3.
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#3
Dia da Ceifa
The hardcover of Dia da Ceifa — Brazil's edition of Threshing Day, the Empyrean collection that is the #1 book in the US — debuts straight at #3, with the standard edition landing at #5.
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#4
A hipótese do amor
Ali Hazelwood's romance slips from #1 to #4 after weeks at the top — the author remains among the country's bestsellers.
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#6
Diários de uma Apotecária 2
The second volume of the fantasy light novel debuts at #6 on the overall list, published by Alt.
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#12
A estranha na cama
The Rio-born author's thriller is still on the list in its third week, now at #12 on the overall ranking.
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#16
Confiando em nós dois
The same Lynn Painter topping the US children's fiction list with Trust Fall also has a title inside Brazil's top 20, from Intrínseca.
October 2026 releases
Official US on-sale dates, according to the Publishers Weekly On-Sale Calendar.
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October 6, 2026
Partita
Barbara Kingsolver's new novel "Partita" arrived October 6 with a 275,000-copy first printing — the biggest literary launch of the US fall season.
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October 13, 2026
Something Is Killing the Children: Hope is a Knife
The hit comic universe expands into an original novel, co-written by its creator: teen horror with a 100,000-copy first printing.
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October 13, 2026
Vibe
The biggest non-fiction launch of the month: Adam Grant explores how "vibe" — cultural resonance — shapes decisions, careers, and what becomes a trend.
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October 19, 2026
The Family Cross
A new Alex Cross thriller opens the week of October 19: a 500,000-copy first printing, the biggest of its day and one of the month's largest.
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October 20, 2026
I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me
Rapper Lil Jon hits shelves October 20 with a 100,000-copy first printing.
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October 20, 2026
Miss Wolcott's Ghost
A new Inspector Armand Gamache mystery: 750,000 copies, the single biggest October printing according to Publishers Weekly.
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October 20, 2026
Queen of Lombard Street
The bestselling historical romance author arrives October 20 with a 150,000-copy first printing.
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October 20, 2026
Royal Witch
Historical fantasy: a new Philippa Gregory novel with 150,000 copies.
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October 20, 2026
The Betrayal of Cora Wexford
Actress Bethany Joy Lenz publishes a new novel on October 20, with a 125,000-copy first printing.
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October 20, 2026
The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City
A new novella from the author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell — the week's literary bet, with 100,000 copies.
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October 20, 2026
The Throwaways
A new fantasy novel with a 200,000-copy first printing, one of the week's biggest genre launches.
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October 20, 2026
There and Back Again
Sam Moore's new book arrives October 20 with 150,000 copies — one of the week's biggest nonfiction launches.
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October 20, 2026
With Hearts of Flame
A deluxe romantasy edition with a 250,000-copy printing — one of the biggest romance launches of the October 20 week.
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October 20, 2026
Young Sheldon
The unofficial oral history of The Big Bang Theory's hit spinoff, by Jessica Radloff, with 100,000 copies — a direct bridge to the TV audience.
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October 27, 2026
Earthrise: Jeremy Hansen's Journey into Deep Space
Nonfiction about Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen: the week's science story, with a 150,000-copy printing.
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October 27, 2026
In My Own Time
Memoirs from Back to the Future's Doc Brown — a 200,000-copy printing, the week's biggest memoir, riding the franchise's everlasting momentum.
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October 27, 2026
Mingle All the Way
A holiday romance from Susan Mallery — the Christmas-romance season starts in October's last week.
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October 27, 2026
Soulhider
Supernatural comedy from Ghostbusters' Dan Aykroyd, days before Saturday's Halloween — a 100,000-copy printing.
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October 27, 2026
The Brightness
A new novel from the author of The Art of Fielding — the week's literary bet, with a 150,000-copy first printing.
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October 27, 2026
The Hollow
A new Harry Bosch novel closes out the month with 750,000 copies — matching Louise Penny's giant printing.
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October 27, 2026
The Keeper
A deluxe romantasy edition from BookTok queen Ana Huang — a 100,000-copy early gift for genre readers.
Audiobooks: market and news
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The US audiobook market grew 9% in 2025 to $2.43 billion, with 750,000 active titles — 58% of American adults have listened to an audiobook. Publishers Weekly
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Audible is ramping up English translations of European audiobooks. Publishers Weekly
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Quebec-based distributor De Marque will now let publishers in its network release AI-narrated audiobooks via ElevenLabs' ElevenReader platform — a push to grow audiobook supply in languages other than English. Publishers Weekly
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Audiobook platform Libro.fm and the Silent Book Club are organizing read-ins at bookstores and libraries during Banned Books Week, with giveaways and fundraising in defense of the freedom to read. Publishers Weekly
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Libro.fm, the audiobook platform tied to independent bookstores, is expanding into e-books: a beta this fall and a subscriber catalog in 2027. Publishers Weekly
Sources
- Publishers Weekly — The On-Sale Calendar: October 2026 (October releases; reread live on October 13, 2026)
- Publishers Weekly — This Week's Bestsellers (October 12, 2026; published October 9, 2026, rechecked live on October 13, 2026)
- Nielsen-PublishNews — Bestsellers (September 28 – October 4, 2026; published October 12, 2026, read live on October 13, 2026)
- Publishers Weekly — Libro.fm, Silent Book Club Plan Banned Books Week Read-In (October 1, 2026)
- Publishers Weekly — De Marque to Offer AI Audiobook Capabilities Via ElevenLabs (September 29, 2026; latest sector news as of October 13, 2026)
- Publishers Weekly — Audible Ramps Up English Translations of European Audiobooks
- Publishers Weekly — U.S. Audiobook Sales Grew 9% in 2025 (June 8, 2026)
Data checked on October 13, 2026 against the sources below; research first collected on September 29, 2026.