5 books not to miss: 'Going There' with Katie Couric, unpacking Alan Cumming's 'Baggage'

In search of something good to read? USA TODAY's Barbara VanDenburgh scopes out the shelves for this week’s hottest new book releases. All books are on sale Oct. 26.

1. "Going There," by Katie Couric (Little, Brown and Company, nonfiction)

What it’s about: The famed journalist and former co-anchor of the “Today” show takes readers behind the scenes of her professional life and shares the obstacles she overcame – sexism, insecurity, an eating disorder, the death of her first husband – in this intimate portrait of an undeniably modern woman.

The buzz: “It represents a moment in time and is a certain period of history from the perspective of someone who was very lucky to have the seat she had,” Couric said of her book in an interview with USA TODAY.

2. “Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life,” by Alan Cumming (Dey Street, nonfiction)

What it’s about: The acclaimed queer Scottish actor follows up his 2014 memoir, “Not My Father’s Son.” Cumming continues the story of his self, chronicling his life in Hollywood and personal transcendence from a traumatic past.

The buzz: “Cathartic and revelatory, Cumming’s memoir will fascinate fans and those who relate to his internal struggle," says Kirkus Reviews.

3. “The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel,” by Kati Marton (Simon & Schuster, nonfiction)

What it’s about: This definitive biography of Angela Merkel, the first female chancellor of Germany, details the political rise of one of the world’s most powerful and elusive women.

The buzz: “This smart, readable biography chronicles Merkel’s remarkable odyssey, weaving her career in the context of the European politics of the day,” writes USA TODAY Washington Bureau chief Susan Page in a ★★★½ (out of four) review.

4. “As the Wicked Watch,” by Tamron Hall (William Morrow, fiction)

What it’s about: Real-life journalist Hall invents fictional journalist Jordan Manning, a crime reporter new to Chicago who works to unravel the mystery of a serial killer brutalizing Black girls.

The buzz: “Readers will want to see a lot more of intelligent, ambitious, and assertive Jordan,” says a starred review in Publishers Weekly.

5. “Gated Prey,” by Lee Goldberg (Thomas & Mercer, fiction)

What it’s about: Goldberg’s third novel featuring Eve Ronin finds the Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy and her soon-to-retire partner, Duncan Pavone, trying to solve a string of violent home invasions in gated communities.

The buzz: “Lively descriptive prose enhances the tight plot of this episodic crime novel, which reads like a TV show in narrative form. ‘Columbo’ fans will have fun,” says Publishers Weekly.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Katie Couric's 'Going There,' Alan Cumming: 5 books not to miss