Best Book Club Books for 2025 (Discussion-Worthy!)

It’s that time again! I’ve put together a list of some the best novels for book clubs to read and discuss this year, including a mix of standout reads from 2024 and exciting new 2025 book releases. From engrossing historical fiction to twisty mysteries and beyond, there are lots of wonderful reads to choose from!

best 2025 book club books

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Popular Book Club Reads for 2025

Does your book club need some inspiration for what to read next? I’ve got you covered!

This list features a combination of discussion-worthy novels published in 2024 and brand new, highly-anticipated books slated for publication in 2025. That way, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from, whether you’re looking for a hot new release or a book that’s been around a little while (and therefore easier to get from the library).

For more ideas, feel free to peruse my previous lists as well: best 2023 book club picks and must-read 2024 book club books. (Also, be sure to check out this list of book club discussion questions for any book!)

James by Percival Everett

James book cover

Genre: Historical Fiction/Literary Fiction/Retellings

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This reimagining of the American literary classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn tells the story from Jim’s perspective.

It follows the events of the novel we know – the treacherous river rafting down the Mississippi River and beyond – but with fresh eyes and an important new take on a beloved character.

This story was incredibly poignant and clever at the same time. The way certain plot points were given a new perspective, the way unexpected things happened but fit perfectly with the narrative – it was all so well-written and emotionally-charged. A riveting 5-star read that I highly recommend to everyone!

Publication date: March 19, 2024

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

All The Colors of the Dark book cover

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

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I loved Chris Whitaker’s novel We Begin At The End, and this book – his newest – has gotten tons of rave reviews! It’s a blend of crime thriller and love story, with a twist.

It’s set during 1975 in a small town in Missouri where girls have been going missing. A young, one-eyed boy named Patch saves a girl from a wealthy family from being abducted. But his act of heroism is intertwined with heartache.

Publication date: June 25th, 2024

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

The God of the Woods book cover

Genre: Mystery/Historical Fiction

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The bestselling author of Long Bright River is back with a new multi-layered family drama/mystery novel. This was one of my favorite books I read in 2024 – definitely 5-star worthy, and highly recommended!

When a girl goes missing at summer camp in 1975, tensions flare between the rich family that owns the camp and the blue collar community that works for them.

Even stranger, this isn’t the first time one of the family’s children has gone missing – the girl’s older brother disappeared sixteen years ago (as a child). Is it a pattern, or mere coincidence? And who’s to blame?

Here are my thoughts on this historical mystery novel, plus a character list and book club questions for The God of the Woods!

Release date: July 2nd, 2024

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

The Wedding People book cover

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance

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After years dreaming of traveling to the Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, Phoebe Stone arrives – but without her husband. And as it turns out, she’s the only guest that isn’t there for a wedding.

Somehow, she and the bride find themselves confiding in each other. Soon, Phoebe realizes that chance encounters can have a huge effect on the paths our lives take.

I loved this book, and I have a strong feeling it will be a popular summer read. (This is on my list of the best seasonal summer book club books!)

(Here are more details about the book, including a character list and book club questions for The Wedding People.)

Publication date: July 30th, 2024

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

There Are Rivers in the Sky book cover

Genre: Historical Fiction/Contemporary Fiction

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This richly-told historical fiction story feels like a woven tapestry, combining history, science, and the human experience into one interconnected tale.

We follow the lives of three characters (living at different times): a young historian – fascinated by ancient Mesopotamia – who grew up in poverty in London, a Yazidi girl growing up along the river Tigris, and a young woman – a scientific researcher focusing on water – living on a houseboat in London in 2018.

All these characters are somehow connected through the central theme of water – a single raindrop, two rivers, and a painful yet hopeful history that the water never forgets.

If you’re looking for a historical fiction novel that will teach you things you didn’t know while also entertaining you with emotional storytelling and complex characters, I highly recommend this one!

Publication date: August 20th, 2024

(I read an advanced gifted copy of this book from the publisher. My thoughts are my own.)

The Favorites by Layne Fargo

The Favorites book cover

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance

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If you loved the epistolary storytelling of Daisy Jones and the Six, and/or if you follow the Olympics (and the personal dramas that occur behind the scenes), this is a perfect book club pick!

It follows the dramatic story that unfolds between a pair of Olympic ice skaters – Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha – and their relationship both on and off the rink.

Ten years ago, something happened that tore them apart. Now, a documentary attempts to uncover the truth.

Publication date: January 14th, 2025

We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin

We Could Be Rats book cover

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Literary Fiction/LGBTQ

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High school dropout Sigrid has never really felt like she fit in. Especially not like her sister, Margit, the golden child. But when Margit learns that Sigrid is haunted by past traumas, the sisters try to find a way to finally understand each other.

This novel explores sisterhood, identity, and growing up.

Publication date: January 28th, 2025

Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson

Good Dirt book cover

Genre: Historical Fiction/Literary/Contemporary Fiction

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From the bestselling author of Black Cake comes a new multi-generational epic about an affluent Black family in New England, and the ways the past and present can intertwine.

When Ebby Freeman was ten years old, her brother was shot and killed, and the crime was never solved. Years later, after her romance crashes and burns, she flees to France to avoid the media swarm – but she can’t escape her past.

Publication date: January 28th, 2025

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

Wild Dark Shore book cover

Genre: Mystery/Literary Fiction

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I loved McConaghy’s novels Migrations and Once There Were Wolves, so I can’t wait for her newest book (it’s been getting rave reviews)!

Dominic Salt and his children are the last inhabitants of the tiny island of Shearwater, near Antarctica. With water levels rising to dangerous levels, they are the only ones left to protect and help relocate the world’s largest seed bank, which was once a hub for research.

When a woman washes up on shore after a terrible storm, secrets begin to surface, and the group must decide if they can trust one another enough to save the seeds–and themselves.

Publication date: March 4, 2025

Homeseeking by Karissa Chen

Homeseeking book cover

Genre: Historical Fiction/Literary/Contemporary Fiction

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This epic story follows two people – Haiwen and Suchi – across sixty years and multiple continents, as they fall in love in their youth in Shanghai and are pulled apart by war, famine, and distance.

This was both a Book of the Month and Good Morning America book club pick, and has already gotten lots of rave reviews!

Publication date: January 7th, 2025

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

Broken Country book cover

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Mystery

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If your book club loves multi-genre novels that pack an emotional punch, make sure this one is on your TBR list!

This story follows a woman, Beth, as she’s pulled between her husband and the man she loved years ago, when he moves back to their sleepy English village. Their lives become entangled, brimming with dangerous secrets just waiting to be exposed.

Publication date: March 4th, 2025

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Atmosphere book cover

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

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Yep, we’re getting a new Taylor Jenkins-Reid book this year! Her books always make great book club picks. They’re ripe for discussion, with engaging characters and wonderful writing that explores complex issues.

This time, she sets her story during the 1980s space race, focusing on a professor who trains to become one of the first female scientists in space.

She spends her summer training with a group of potential astronauts, preparing for a mission that will one day change everything.

Publication date: June 3rd, 2025

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping book cover

Genre: Cozy Fantasy/Romance

From the bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches comes a new cozy fantasy novel about a previously-powerful witch who lost most of her magic and was exiled.

Now, she helps her great aunt run a cozy inn. But when she finds out about a spell book that could restore her power, she begrudgingly enlists the help of a man from her past in order to hopefully reclaim her future.

Publication date: July 15th, 2025

Happy reading! Which books has your book club read so far in 2025?

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