the Public Library Albuquerque Bernalillo County: Must-Read Books: November 2025

Adult Fiction

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny
by Kiran Desai

While her relatives in India worry about her, Vermont college student Sonia fights loneliness by dating a famous artist, though his affection is costly. Meanwhile, ambitious Manhattan journalist Sunny hasn't told his widowed mother in India that he has a white girlfriend. Then Sonia and Sunny meet in this sweeping saga, a “masterpiece” (Kirkus Reviews) that examines identity, art, love, and belonging. For fans of: Real Americans by Rachel Khong; Dry Spells by Archana Maniar.

Photograph
by Brian Freeman

Private investigator Shannon Wells must unravel a decades-old mystery when her former client, Faith Selby, is found dead. With only a vintage photograph of a girl in a motel parking lot as a clue, Shannon traces the case from Florida to Michigan, confronting dangerous secrets that intertwine with her own troubled past.

The Last Death of the Year
by Sophie Hannah

On New Year’s Eve 1932, Hercule Poirot and Inspector Catchpool holiday on a small Greek island while Poirot investigates a threat against a guest in the rundown house where they are staying. Then a note appears, promising “the last and first death of the year,” which is followed by a murder. This clever latest from Sophie Hannah (Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night) is authorized by Agatha Christie’s estate and will appeal to fans of Colleen Cambridge's Murder at Mallowan Hall.

Bad Bad Girl
by Gish Jen

Based on the life of the author’s mother, this “heartbreaking and stunning” (Library Journal) story follows Loo Shu-hsin, from her privileged but unhappy childhood in Shanghai to 1947 Chicago, where she studies for an advanced degree. Marrying a fellow immigrant, she settles in New York, but she isn’t happy and mistreats her eldest daughter. Try this next: Wendy Chen’s Their Divine Fires.

The Wayfinder
by Adam Johnson

This well-researched, richly layered historical saga from the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Orphan Master’s Son takes place in an evocative South Pacific setting and depicts what happens when teenage Kōrero, who wants to be her small island’s storyteller, meets two brothers, a navigator and a poet, who are part of the Tongan empire. Try this next: Minsoo Kang’s The Melancholy of Untold History.

The Bone Thief
by Vanessa Lillie

Rhode Island Bureau of Indian Affairs archeologist Syd Walker, who’s Cherokee, returns in this compelling 2nd outing. Having received a promotion, she’s ready when the 300-year-old bones of a child are found at a summer camp run by the powerful Founders Society. But when the remains disappear and a young Indigenous woman goes missing, Syd has to work fast to find answers. Try this next: Marcie R. Rendon’s Cash Blackbear novels.

The Vanishing Place
by Zoë Rankin

After witnessing a shocking murder in the New Zealand bush, Effie is forced to return to the wilderness she once escaped, drawn by a bloodied girl who mirrors her younger self. In her debut thriller, Zoë Rankin delivers vivid, immersive prose that brings the wild bush to life while unraveling dark family secrets and past traumas. Recommended for fans of Jane Harper.

Ladies in Hating
by Alexandra Vasti

Rival authors and former acquaintances Lady Georgiana Cleeve and Catriona Lacey find themselves staying at the same haunted manor while researching their next books. When they discover a dead body in the garden, they must work together to solve the mystery -- and decide if it's time to act on their growing attraction to each other. This 3rd steamy Belvoir's Library Regency pairs sweet sapphic romance with supernatural elements. Try this next: A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell.

Adult Nonfiction

We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution
by Jill Lepore

Harvard University historian Jill Lepore's sweeping and accessible history surveys the creation and evolution of the United States Constitution, spotlighting key amendments that continue to shape the country. It's "urgent" (Kirkus Reviews) and "essential" (Library Journal) reading. Try this next: The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America's Story by Kermit Roosevelt III.

Youth Fiction

Moon Song
by Michaela Goade

"Come! Haagú! Follow the light." So begins a bedtime story, spun by a Tlingit child for her anxious cousin. Together, they take an imaginary journey through nighttime wonders, from the snow-covered woods to the dark ocean waves to the glowing aurora borealis overhead. Illustrated in jewel-bright colors, this companion book to Berry Song is equal parts enchanting and soothing.

War Games
by Alan Gratz

Desperate to help her poor family, American gymnast Evie competes in the 1936 Berlin Olympics with a secret goal: to join with other Olympians in a high-stakes attempt to steal Nazi gold. Fans of author Alan Gratz will know to expect fascinating details and gripping twists in this historical heist thriller.

The Scammer
by Tiffany D. Jackson

Jordyn’s fresh start at Frazier University was going great until her roommate’s brother moved in. Fresh from prison, Devonte wields conspiracy theories and charisma to develop a cultlike campus following that Jordyn isn’t falling for. Fans of author Tiffany D. Jackson’s brand of thought-provoking thrillers will enjoy this propulsive tale.

Fake Skating
by Lynn Painter

A lot has changed since Dani and Alec fell out of touch in middle school. Finally reunited in hockey-obsessed Southview, Minnesota, they hatch a fake dating scheme that forces them to confront their complicated past. Read-alikes: Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick’s Make My Wish Come True; Ellen O'Clover’s Seven Percent of Ro Devereux.

Contact your librarian for more great books!