What We're Reading This Weekend: Brand New Fiction

Helen Fielding's first novel in 14 years and the latest from Meg Cabot's Size 12 series – there's lots to like about this fall's fiction lineup

Helen Fielding’s first novel in 14 years, the latest from Meg Cabot’s Size 12 series, a wine-steeped romance – there’s lots to like about this fall’s fiction lineup.

Tell us what you think of our staffers’ picks – and let us know what you’re reading.

Betsy Gleick, Executive Editor

Her Pick:

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding.

I’m whipping through the new Bridget Jones book (out in the U.S. on Oct. 15. We’re lucky here at PEOPLE – sometimes we get to read things early). A huge spoiler is already out there, but you won’t hear it from me.

Let’s just say that Bridget is still as shambolic as ever; that her diary entries now include obsessive monitoring of her Twitter followers as well as her caloric intake; and that although she is now a mother, the “boy” she is “mad about” is not her son. Was there this much sex in the first two books?

Lisa Kay Greissinger, Editorial Manager
Her Pick: The Bride Wore Size 12 by Meg Cabot

Cabot’s Size 12 series, about teen-pop-star-turned-plump-dorm-director Heather Wells, is delightful. This time around Wells is finally getting to plan her big wedding to Prince Charming. But when a coed turns up dead and one of her residents seems connected to the case, Wells – an amateur sleuth on top of everything else – finds herself in familiar crime-solving territory. It’s a delicious mix.

Marissa Conrad, Associate Food & Lifestyle Editor for PEOPLE.com
Her Pick: Vintage Attraction by Charles Blackstone

Giving me hope that I may one day score a date with Curtis Stone, Vintage Attraction is told through the eyes of an English professor (Peter) who writes a letter to his favorite TV wine expert (Izzy) and ends up marrying her after a whirlwind four months of dating. The ups and downs of their love story will hit home with anyone who has fallen hard and fast for a partner.

But the real reason I can’t stop turning the pages: the wine! The book dives as deeply into different grapes and vintages as it does into Izzy and Peter’s romance. Since starting it I’ve stocked my wine cabinet with new (to me) grapes like Xinomavro and Assyrtiko – perfect to sip while reading, of course. This book is out Oct. 22 – pick it up if you’re a Top Chef fan, wine fan or just someone who likes a good love story.

Check back every Thursday for another round of staff picks, and see more book reviews each week in PEOPLE magazine, on newsstands now. Plus, check out last week’s historical biographiesand more great book finds here.