 Supporting COMMUNITY. Inspiring DISCOVERY. Promoting LITERACY. |
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Must-Read Books October 2025 |
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| One of Us by Dan ChaonIn 1915, 13-year-old orphaned twins Bolt and Eleanor, who share a psychic connection, run away from a murderous man claiming to be their uncle. They end up with Mr. Jengling’s Emporium of Wonders, which includes a death-foretelling woman and a dog-faced boy. While Bolt settles in, Eleanor doesn’t, and they still have their “uncle” on their trail in this “mesmerizing and macabre historical adventure” (Booklist). For fans of: Amiee Gibbs’ The Carnivale of Curiosities. |
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| Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la RosaIn this steamy 3rd and final Luna Sisters Victorian romance, Mexican heiress Gabriela Luna sparks an unexpected attraction with the arrogant Sebastian, Duke of Whitfield, with whom she is forced to share a ship cabin after fleeing from her would-be suitors. Try this next: A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera. |
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| Guilty by Definition by Susie DentA cryptic letter with references to Shakespeare arrives at the Clarendon English Dictionary offices in Oxford, England. Editor Martha Thornhill thinks the odd missive might be related to her sister’s disappearance a decade earlier, so when more notes appear, Martha and her team work to solve the clues and possibly a crime. This clever debut by English lexicographer and TV presenter Susie Dent will please both mystery fans and language lovers. Try this next: Murder by the Book by Amie Schaumberg. |
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| Too Old for This by Samantha DowningIn Samantha Downing’s wry, twist-filled new novel, 75-year-old Lottie Jones -- once a notorious serial killer -- lives quietly under a new identity. But when a journalist starts digging into her past, Lottie must confront old crimes and consider new ones to stay hidden. Murder, however, isn’t so easy at her age. |
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| The Wasp Trap by Mark EdwardsAt a glamorous London dinner party, six old friends are forced into a deadly game: confess their darkest secrets or face elimination. Tied to a long-buried psychological experiment from 1999, their past resurfaces with chilling consequences. The Wasp Trap is a fast-paced, suspenseful thriller about truth, betrayal, and hidden psychopaths. |
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| House of Monstrous Women by Daphne FamaIn 1986 Philippines, Josephine receives a letter from her childhood friend (and rumored witch) Hiraya, inviting her to Hiraya's labyrinthine family estate for a game in which the sole winner will be granted their heart's desire -- and the losers will die. For fans of: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. |
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| What We Can Know by Ian McEwanRising seas have changed the landscape of the United Kingdom, where in 2119 Professor Thomas Metcalfe studies every detail he can find about “A Corona for Vivien,” a lost masterpiece read by an esteemed poet at his wife’s 2014 birthday party. In the second half of this eloquent novel, Vivien herself narrates. Try these next: C. Pam Zhang’s Land of Milk and Honey; Eiren Caffall’s All the Water in the World. |
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| Automatic Noodle by Annalee NewitzIn this cozy near-future novella, a group of decommissioned robots suddenly come back online in an abandoned ghost kitchen in San Francisco and decide to make it their own, serving delicious hand-pulled noodles to the humans recovering from the aftermath of war. For fans of: science fiction with hope and heart such as Becky Chambers' Monk & Robot series. |
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To the Moon and Back
by Eliana Ramage
After fleeing domestic violence for the Cherokee Nation, Steph Harper dedicates her life to escaping Oklahoma and reaching NASA, but her relentless pursuit of independence strains her ties with her sister Kayla, her girlfriend Della and her mother Hannah.
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| Buckeye by Patrick RyanOn Victory in Europe Day, 1945, while her husband is away in the Pacific, beautiful Margaret shares a celebratory kiss with married hardware store clerk Cal Jenkins, whose physical disability kept him from enlisting. This leads to a connection between their small-town Ohio families for decades, where their sons grow up together but take different paths in the Vietnam era. For fans of: Read with Jenna books; vivid, heartfelt novels about families and war. |
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| The Dead Come to Stay by Brandy SchillaceAutistic American Jo Jones has relocated to rural England after inheriting a rundown family estate. In her 2nd outing, she once again teams up with handsome detective James MacAdams when her new tenant is killed in a case with links to missing teens. Meanwhile, she unearths more secrets about her ancestors. For fans of: Nita Prose’s Maid novels. |
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| The Gilded Heiress by Joanna ShupeIn Gilded Age Boston, cash-strapped con artist Leo Hardy meets street performer Josie Smith, who bears a striking resemblance to a New York socialite whose daughter was kidnapped as a child. Leo concocts a scheme to pass Josie off as the daughter so he can collect a sizeable reward, but the pair's growing chemistry makes the deception difficult. For fans of: Anastasia-inspired romances like Kate Bateman's The Princess and the Rogue. |
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| The Incredible Kindness of Paper by Evelyn SkyeAs a lonely child, Chloe makes a yellow origami rose for her new pen pal, whispering details about herself to the paper. When Oliver receives it, he somehow understands. The correspondents grow close as they grow up, until they lose touch. Years later, Chloe leaves paper flowers across Manhattan, where Oliver finds one in this heartwarming, magical tale exploring love and belonging. For fans of: Lynda Cohen Loigman’s The Matchmaker’s Gift. |
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A botanist's guide to rituals and revenge
by Kate Khavari
Returning to Ellington Manor, Saffron Everleigh faces tense family relationships made worse by enigmatic Bill Wyatt, hired as doctor to the ailing Lord Easting, but who in reality is involved in trafficking dangerous government secrets-and whose presence can only mean trouble.
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| Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara TrueloveDemeter, an intelligent interstellar ship that ferries humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri, would rather do anything than ally herself with monsters. However, when an infamous ancient evil begins killing her beloved passengers, she'll have no choice but to assemble a paranormal crew of her own to take him down. For fans of: chilling science fiction horror with authentic and entertaining characters such as Peter Watts' Echopraxia and Mason Coile's William. |
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Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History : Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History
by Moudhy Al-rashid
Thousands of years ago, in a part of the world we now call ancient Mesopotamia, people began writing things down for the very first time.What they left behind, in a vast region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, preserves leaps in human ingenuity,like the earliest depiction of a wheel and the first approximation of pi.... the world's first cities, the first writing system, early seeds of agriculture, and groundbreaking developments in medicine and astronomy.
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| Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City by Bench AnsfieldHistorian Bench Ansfield's thought-provoking exposé details the ongoing legacy of the 1970s arson epidemic, exacerbated by corrupt landlords and predatory insurance companies, that plagued urban neighborhoods throughout the United States, particularly in the South Bronx. Try this next: The Killing Fields of East New York: The First Subprime Mortgage Scandal, a White-Collar Crime Spree, and the Collapse of an American Neighborhood by Stacy Horn.
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| Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State by Caleb GayleJournalist Caleb Gayle's compelling and well-researched history offers a nuanced portrait of Black separatist politician and entrepreneur Edward McCabe, whose attempts to establish Black-run communities in the post-Reconstruction Oklahoma Territory spurred the displacement of the Cherokee already living there. Try this next: The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance by Rebecca Clarren.
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Murder between friends
by Liz Lawson
Told in three voices, Grace questions her eyewitness testimony that convicted Henry's brother in a murder trial, leaving former childhood friends Henry and Ally no choice but to join forces with her to prove Jake's innocence.
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| The Poisoned King by Katherine RundellEver since his first excursion, Christopher has been longing to return to the Archipelago, a hidden realm of mythological animals. So when he’s summoned by a dragon, Christopher is thrilled to follow it into a mystery involving a sphinx, a spreading poison, and a small girl bent on revenge. This exciting, illustrated sequel will be most fun if you’ve already read Impossible Creatures. |
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Liar's Kingdom
by Christine Calella
Ell has spent years slaving away for her cruel stepfamily. So when Prince Bayard—who seems to have difficulty recognizing faces—shows up at her door with a glass slipper, Ell allows him to believe she danced with him at the ball. There’s just one problem: Ell didn’t attend the ball and she’s never met the prince before in her life. But if it’s a choice between moving to the royal palace or staying home, Ell is willing to say anything to escape. However, Ell finds that being royalty comes with its own problems. Bayard’s sister, the princess, has gone missing. The king is preparing for war against the fae. And Maxim, Bayard’s treacherous (and handsome) best friend, appears to know Ell is lying. If Ell wants to keep this life she’s stolen, she’s going to have to roll up her sleeves and rescue herself.
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| Scarlet Morning by N.D. StevensonAbandoned in the boring town of Caveat, orphans Wilmur and Viola trade their only valuable possession -- the mysterious Book -- to pirate captain Cadence Chase in exchange for a voyage on the high seas. But the secrets they uncover on the journey might have deadly consequences. Packed with complex characters and swashbuckling adventure, this illustrated fantasy from the creator of Nimona kicks off a new series. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Mary Riley Styles Public Library
120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, Virginia 22046 703-248-5030 (TTY 711) www.mrspl.org
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