Debutiful’s Adam Vitcavage recommends noteworthy debut books for readers to discover each month.
Something Small of How to See a River by Teresa Dzieglewicz (October 1)
A revelatory collection about operating a school in Standing Rock that opened my eyes to stories often forgotten. It feels like a docuseries in poetry form. Dzieglewicz strikes with undeniable force.
Sing Me a Circle by Samina Najmi (October 1)
This book came to me late in the year, and I am glad it found me. Place and belonging have always preoccupied my reading, and Najmi explores her ties to various places she has called home in a way that I have never experienced. For those who question where their home is, this book is for you.
Herculine by Grace Byron (October 7)
A perfect psychological horror about a transwoman fleeing New York to a trans inclusive commune started by her ex-girlfriend. Byron’s book is a maze you can’t escape. You turn the page and discover something new. I could not put this book down.
Sister Creatures by Laura Venita Green (October 7)
Give me more books like this. Green grabbed me on page one and didn’t let me go. She has a pitch-perfect tone and pace. I felt like I lived in Pinecreek, Louisiana, where feral girls kick off a chain of events that consume the novel, for ages, and I never want to leave it. Her voice is one we’ll be reading for years to come.
A Place in the World by Bill Gaythwaite (October 7)
Winner of the 2025 Drue Heinz Literature Prize, the first stories in Gaythwaite’s collection (the title story, “If You Only Knew,” and The Joy Factory”) are riveting portraits of voice-driven characters. Given the track record of the prize and his writing, the rest are sure to please.
If the Dead Belong Here by Carson Faust (October 7)
This year has been a renaissance for Southern Gothic literature, and Faust leads the pack. This book had a chokehold on me, with pitch-perfect atmosphere throughout. The perfect book for chills and thrills.
Happy Bad by Delaney Nolan (October 14)
Buckle up and get ready for a ride. Nolan is wickedly hilarious and is bold and uncompromising in presenting how urgent we need to act on the climate. In Happy Bad, a blackout in the near-future Texas causes workers of a treatment facility to confront volatile girls. Catastrophic, indeed.
Happy People Don’t Live Here by Amber Sparks (October 14)
As a longtime fan of Sparks, when her debut landed on my desk, I stopped everything I was doing to read the first few chapters, where an unforgettable cast of characters call a peculiar apartment complex home. If you love And I Do Not Forgive You and The Unfinished World, you’ll love Happy People.
The Past is a Jean Jacket by Cloud Delfina Cardona (October 14)
Selected for the Hub City BIPOC Poetry Series this collection cuts like a knife. In it, Cardona asks, “why am I nostolgic for the shitty times in my life?”
This is the Only Kingdom by Jaquira Díaz (October 21)
Díaz’s debut memoir Ordinary Girls moved me in ways I can’t explain. I have been eagerly awaiting her novel, which is about the aftermath of a murder in Puerto Rico.
Crawl by Max Delsohn (October 21)
A writer on this list told me this was their most anticipated list, and we gushed over how smart Delsohn’s stories are. This is sexy, sharp, and sincere. Each story about trans life in Seattle is vibrant and electric. “Sex Is a Leisure Activity” is the perfect taste for what to expect in Crawl.
The Book of Kin by Jennifer Eli Bowen (October 21)
Subtitled “On Absence, Love, and Being There,” this book opened my eyes to how I view community and how to build, nurture, and evolve it. Bowen writes with such emotional intelligence, beauty, and grace. This book feels like an education, a reckoning, and a guide.
2 thoughts on “12 noteworthy debut books you should read this October”