Picture the scene: a new book has been released. You are dying to read it. Then you go to your nearest bookshop and find that it is only out in hardback, which you know to be heavy and unwieldy and that the dust jacket is always doing something it shouldn’t. Not to mention the fact it costs a not insignificant 20-odd pounds.
If this feels overly familiar, then we come with good news: October has brought with it a brilliant selection of reads now released in paperback. From Jonathan Coe’s genre-hopping satire to crime from David Baldacci and memoirs from the likes of Cher and Barbra Streisand, there is almost too much to choose from. Thank goodness they are light and half the price…
The Proof of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe
A fugitive blogger, a curious woman and Liz Truss’s short-lived reign all feature in this satire-cum-mystery. As ever, Coe skewers politics with intelligence while staying light and funny.
Penguin, £9.99
The Company of Owls by Polly Atkin
Atkin recounts the nightly visitation of owls to her garden and reflects on solitude, belonging and the quiet power of nature. This heartwarming read was longlisted for the Wainwright Prize.
Elliott & Thompson, £10.99
Strangers in Time by David Baldacci
As bombs fall on Blitz-era London, the lives of a pickpocket, an evacuee and a grieving bookseller converge. A sweeping, emotionally charged period thriller from one of crime fiction’s most reliable names.
Pan, £9.99
My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand
Epic in length but rarely self-indulgent, Streisand’s memoir charts her rise to superstardom. It is packed with both moving anecdotes and gossipy showbiz detail – a big, brassy self-portrait from a distinctive force.
Century, £18.99
Murder Under the Mistletoe by Rev Richard Coles
Canon Daniel Clement returns as Christmas cheer turns sinister at the rectory when a meeting under the mistletoe ends in death. Witty and warm, yet sharpened with just enough bite.
W&N, £9.99
The Hotel by Daisy Johnson
Gothic unease seeps from every page of this female-driven collection from the Booker-shortlisted author. Set around a hotel built on cursed ground, stories of obsession and transformation leave a quiet chill.
Vintage, £9.99
Sonny Boy by Al Pacino
The actor reflects on a life lived through roles, resilience and reinvention. From Bronx beginnings to Hollywood icon, this candid memoir reveals an artist still grappling with his craft – and his place in the world.
Penguin, £10.99
The Party by Tessa Hadley
A winter party in post-war Bristol forms the backdrop to this quiet drama of class, desire and self-discovery. It captures the charged moments that tip two sisters into adulthood, and lives they never expected.
Vintage, £9.99
Never by Rick Astley
Little could have prepared him for the pop superstardom to which “Never Gonna Give You Up” propelled him. Nearly 40 years later, Astley’s memoir is a melancholic tale of industry pressures and personal reckoning.
Pan, £10.99
Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto
In this dazzling heist story billed as a sci-fi Ocean’s 8, ex-convict Edie is ready to put a life of crime behind her – until someone who once betrayed her makes her an offer. Steeped in Hawaiian spirit, it is a stylish read.
Gollancz, £10.99
Eight Weeks by Lola Young
Young went into foster care at eight weeks old; by her fifties, she was one of the first black women in the House of Lords. This memoir is her compelling story of growing up in care and going on to defy the odds.
Penguin, £10.99
Henry V by Dan Jones
Jones cuts through myth to deliver a pacy portrait of the warrior king. Insightful on Henry’s youth, brutalities and contradictions, this is history written with real verve – both accessible and rich storytelling.
Apollo, £12.99
Cher: The Memoir, Part One by Cher
In the first instalment of a two-part memoir, Cher recounts her rise from troubled childhood to “the goddess of pop”. Told without gloss, it offers a glimpse of what made her the woman she is today.
HarperCollins, £10.99
Helle’s Hound by Oskar Jensen
Another entertaining whodunnit from the author of Helle and Death. This time our eponymous Danish sleuth investigates the death of his mentor. But there are several people who would have wanted him six feet under.
Viper, £9.99
