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Must-Read Books November 2025 |
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| The French Kitchen by Kristy CambronBoston's Kat Fontaine, who as a child spent summers in France, follows her brother into the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. Working undercover as a kitchen maid in a chateau occupied by the Nazis, Kat faces danger helping the resistance and hears nothing from her sibling. After the war, she returns to uncover what happened to him, getting help from friends, including Julia Child. Try this next: Amy Lynn Green's The Codebreaker's Daughter.
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| The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran DesaiWhile 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. |
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Exiles
by Mason Coile
A terrifying locked-room mystery from the author of William--this time set on a remote outpost on Mars. The human crew sent to prepare the first colony on Mars arrives to find the new base half-destroyed and the three robots sent to set it up in disarray--the machines have formed alliances, chosen their own names, and picked up some disturbing beliefs. Each must be interrogated. But one of them is missing. In this barren, hostile landscape where even machines have nightmares, the astronauts will need to examine all the stories--especially their own--to get to the truth. Try these next: The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling; The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown.
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| Gelato at the Villa by Robin Jones GunnNeeding a vacation due to work problems and recent losses, 30-something friends Grace and Claire take a trip to Italy, visiting Venice, Florence, and Bellagio. As they embrace the culture, meet warm locals, and view stunning art, they also grow in their faith, especially Claire, who had left the church years earlier. Though this is the 2nd Suitcase Sisters novel, it can be read on its own. Read-alike: Lauraine Snelling’s Florence Legacy. |
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Shadow Ticket
by Thomas Pynchon
Milwaukee 1932, the Great Depression going full blast, repeal of Prohibition just around the corner, Al Capone in the federal pen, the private investigation business shifting from labor-management relations to the more domestic kind. Hicks McTaggart, a one-time strikebreaker turned private eye, thinks he's found job security until he gets sent out on what should be a routine case, locating and bringing back the heiress of a Wisconsin cheese fortune who's taken a mind to go wandering. By the time Hicks catches up with her he will find himself entangled with Nazis, Soviet agents, British counterspies, swing musicians, practitioners of the paranormal, outlaw motorcyclists, and the troubles that come with each of them. Try these next: The Case of the Missing Maid by Rob Osler; Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem.
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| Bad Bad Girl by Gish JenBased 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: The Liberators by EJ Koh. |
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| The Wayfinder by Adam JohnsonThis 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.
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| The Bone Thief by Vanessa LillieRhode 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.
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| The Vanishing Place by Zoë RankinAfter 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.
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Wreck
by Catherine Newman
The acclaimed bestselling author of Sandwich is back with a wonderful novel, full of laughter and heart, about marriage, family, and what happens when life doesn't go as planned. If you loved Rocky and her family on vacation on Cape Cod, wait until you join them at home two years later. (And if this is your first meeting with this crew, get ready to laugh and cry-and relate.) Rocky, still anxious, nostalgic, and funny, is living in Western Massachusetts with her husband Nick and their daughter Willa, who's back home after college. Their son, Jamie, has taken a new job in New York, and Mort, Rocky's widowed father, has moved in. It all couldn't be more ridiculously normal . . . until Rocky finds herself obsessed with a local accident that only tangentially affects them-and with a medical condition that, she hopes, won't affect them at all. With her signature wit and wisdom, Catherine Newman explores the hidden rules of family, the heavy weight of uncertainty, and the gnarly fact that people-no matter how much you love them-are not always exactly who you want them to be. Try these next: I'll Come to You by Rebecca Kauffman; Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo.
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| Ladies in Hating by Alexandra VastiRival 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: Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday.
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Good Spirits
by B. K. Borison
He's the Ghost of Christmas Past. She's not exactly Scrooge. Ghost of Christmas Past Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday haunting like every other-get in, get out, return to his otherwise aimless existence as a ghost awaiting the afterlife. But when he's faced with Harriet York, the sweetest assignment he's ever had, he suddenly finds himself wishing for a future. Harriet York has no idea why she's being haunted. She's a good person-or, at least, she tries to be. A people pleaser to her core, she always does what's expected of her. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover there are threads that bind them together- and realize there might be more to moving on than expected. With the deadline of Christmas Eve fast approaching, will they find the key to their futures in each other's pasts? Or will they stay firmly in the present, indulging in their unexpected, spirited connection? Try these next: The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts; The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy.
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To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes
by Rosie Grant
For so many, food is a touching, nostalgic thing that brings us together. So much so that some families choose to remember their loved ones through the dishes they made and the food that brought comfort to those around them by immortalizing their recipes on their gravestones.
Rosie Grant, the creator behind @GhostlyArchive, has been searching out and documenting this interesting phenomenon. In To Die For, Rosie collects 40 recipes she’s found across the globe, carved into headstones or associated with a grave that has a story to share. Each recipe is accompanied by an interview with the remaining family, plus photography of the food, the gravestone, and any memorabilia the family wanted to share.
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| 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. |
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| War Games by Alan GratzDesperate 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. |
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| The Scammer by Tiffany D. JacksonJordyn’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.
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| Fake Skating by Lynn PainterA 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.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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