October is a month full of exciting new nonfiction releases that come in the form of memoirs, biographies, history lessons, and so much more, which are all perfect additions for your fall TBR. From intimate life stories to extensive explorations of creativity and strength, each of these ten books demonstrates some of this fall’s most well-known voices.
1. That’s a Great Question, I’d Love To Tell You by Elyse Myers
Releasing on October 28th comes the long-awaited debut memoir from “The Internet’s Best Friend” Elyse Myers. That’s a Great Question, I’d Love To Tell You is both vulnerable and packed full of Myers’s signature humor that has made her a staple in the online world. With her humorous storytelling and raw honesty, she perfectly blends her real-life experiences with honest reflections on her neurodivergence, impostor syndrome, and what it means to truly accept who you are. That’s a Great Question I’d Love To Tell You is Myers at her most honest and perfectly captures what made her so relatable in the first place.
2. Writing Creativity and Soul by Sue Monk Kidd
Releasing on October 21st is Sue Monk Kidd’s own memoir, where she reflects on her journey as a writer and how she was inspired by iconic authors such as Virginia Woolf, Maya Angelou, and Harper Lee. Writing Creativity and Soul is a blend of both a memoir and writing advice as she presents writing as both a discipline and a divine act that is given to only a few. This book is perfect for those who have always longed to write and reminds readers that the ability to put words on a page is both transformative and a journey.
3. It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin by Marisa Meltzer
Releasing on October 7th is a deeply researched biography of 1960s “It Girl” Jane Birkin, as it unravels the myths surrounding the icon and reveals the woman behind the cultural allure and style that transformed a decade. Meltzer takes the time to carefully explore Birkin’s early days in 1960s London, through to her celebrated life in France, along with her inventive achievements, complicated relationships, and the struggles that shaped her into the woman we know and love today. Birkin is more than a muse and emerges as a creative force whose influence on music, fashion, and womanhood has continued to resonate with people all over the world, cementing her legacy that extends far beyond the iconic Hermès bag that continues to uphold her name today.
4. Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution by Amanda Vaill
Releasing on October 21st is Amanda Vaill’s perfectly crafted collection of research that brings Angelica and Eliza Schuyler to life in a way that’s never been done before. Vaill traces the Schuyler sisters’ intertwined journeys through love and revolution, and how — despite their close relationship — both sisters lived very different lives where Angelica pursued glamour and a relationship abroad and Eliza stayed in New York building a life with Alexander Hamilton just to face scandal, loss, and reinvention against her own wishes. Vaill draws from never-before-seen letters and long-lost archival sources that craft an extensive narrative of sister loyalty, betrayal, and strength that reveals how two very different women helped shape the creation of early America.
5. The Man of Many Fathers by Roy Wood Jr.
Releasing on October 28th comes a debut memoir from comedian, Emmy-nominated producer, and actor Roy Wood Jr. The Man of Many Fathers blends together heart and humor as Roy Wood Jr. reflects on all the unconventional role models who shaped his life and career after losing his father as a teenager. Roy Wood Jr. pieces together all the life lessons that prepared him for fatherhood from fellow comedians, childhood friends, and Hollywood peers in ways he never expected. Both funny and heartfelt, The Man of Many Fathers is a celebration of community, strength, and wisdom that showcases the places where love and mentorship can be found.
6. Joyride by Susan Orlean
On October 14th, a reflection on a life defined by storytelling from the celebrated journalist and author Susan Orlean is set to be released. Orlean perfectly blends memoir with her behind-the-scenes look at the life of a writer, sharing her insights on creativity, relentlessness, and resilient curiosity that power her work. Both warm and inspiring, Joyride is a raw portrait of one of nonfiction’s greatest writers and a guide for those seeking a creative path of their own.
7. Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America by Beth Macy
Releasing on October 7th is celebrated journalist Beth Macy’s memoir of her return to her hometown of Urbana, Ohio, just to be met with the reality of the unsettling changes that have transformed the community that she once loved. Through her time spent back in Urbana, Macy examines the decline of local institutions, the rise of deception, and the struggles that friends and family face against poverty and disconnection. Paper Girl is both a deep personal view and reflection on America’s ruptured small towns and an influential story of loss, strength, and the search for hope amongst the hopeless.
8. Next of Kin: A Memoir by Gabrielle Hamilton
Releasing on October 14th is Gabrielle Hamilton’s critically acclaimed memoir, a sharp and honest account that unravels the mysteries and fractures that shaped both her childhood and adulthood. As she confronts her estrangement from her family, loss, and the burdensome legacies of independence and nonconformity, she also delivers an honest and empathetic portrait of the ties that both break and bond us to our siblings and parents. Next of Kin is both personal and resonant as it explores what it means to search through a complicated family history in the search for freedom and the truth.
9. Future Boy: Back To the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum by Michael J. Fox
Releasing on October 14th is Michael J. Fox’s own story of the remarkable period when he was filming for both Family Ties and Back to the Future as he starred in two iconic roles at once. Future Boy draws on brand new interviews with the cast and crew of both roles as Fox captures the exhaustion, mayhem, and euphoria of such an iconic time in Hollywood history. Michael J. Fox’s memoir shines a behind-the-scenes look at two of Hollywood’s most beloved classics and is a celebration of the drive and artistry that defined Fox’s career.
10. The Uncool: A Memoir by Cameron Crowe
Releasing on October 28th comes the long-awaited memoir from one of America’s most iconic journalists and filmmakers, Cameron Crowe. Cameron Crowe gives readers an inside look back on his remarkable teenage years as a rock writer during the golden age of 1970s music, where he toured with Led Zeppelin and inserted himself into the life of David Bowie to earn the trust of icons such as Joni Mitchell and Gregg Allman. Crowes’s early life was spent in a world where music was alive, raw, and transformative, and he gives readers a taste through this part memoir and part cultural history that’s also a love letter to rock and roll and a testament to finding one’s meaning and purpose in a world where so many are lost.
Each of these October non-fiction new releases offers something different for every reader, and whether you’re looking for inspiration, comfort, or a deep and personal reflection, make sure to add these books to your fall TBR.
Check out last month’s non-fiction new releases in our article, 10 New Nonfiction Releases for an Eye-Opening September 2025!
Find these books and more on our Bookshop 2025 New Releases You Need to Grab Today bookshelf!
