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Must-Read Books December 2025 |
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| A Bitter Wind by James R. BennA Boston cop prior to World War II, United States Army Captain Billy Boyle is on leave just before Christmas 1944. Walking with his English girlfriend along the white cliffs of Dover, he discovers a murdered U.S. Air Force major in a case that leads him to Axis-controlled Yugoslavia. Though this is the 20th in the series, newcomers can start here. For fans of: well-researched war mysteries with well-realized characters, including some based on real people. |
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| Good Spirits by B.K. BorisonIn this cozy contemporary spin on A Christmas Carol, antique store owner Harriet York receives a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past in the form of handsome Irish fisherman Nolan Callahan, who died 100 years ago. As the two revisit Christmases past, Harriet discovers she might not be the only one who needs help, and that her store may hold the key to freeing Nolan's spirit. For fans of: Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle; The Ghost and Mrs. Muir; Hot Frosty. |
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| If the Dead Belong Here by Carson FaustWhen her little sister goes missing in 1996 Wisconsin, Indigenous teenager Nadine discovers she'll have to commune with the ghosts of her ancestors to help find her. For another haunting horror novel that draws on Indigenous folklore, check out Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan.
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| King Sorrow by Joe HillBlackmailed into stealing rare books, college student Arthur Oakes and his friends summon King Sorrow, a powerful dragon from a supernatural realm. The creature saves them -- but their bargain binds them to provide an annual human sacrifice, unleashing dark, magical consequences that shadow their lives for decades. Try this next: The Dissonance by Shaun Hamill.
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| The Gun Man Jackson Swagger by Stephen HunterIn 1897 Arizona Territory, sharpshooter and Civil War vet Jack Swagger takes a job guarding deliveries to and from Mexico for prosperous rancher Colonel Callahan. But not everything is as it seems in this western by Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Hunter, which is “reminiscent of Larry McMurtry” (Booklist). For fans of: Hunter’s Bob Lee Swagger novels; William W. Johnstone’s novels. |
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The Sunshine Man
by Emma Stonex
Birdie Keller wakes one freezing January morning to the news she's been waiting eighteen years to hear: Jimmy Maguire, the man who killed her sister, has been freed from jail. She leaves for London with a pistol and a plan: to find this man and make him pay. But every story has two sides. Jimmy can sense he's being hunted. He knew Birdie a long time ago, in a life she'd sooner forget, and he isn't the only one with something to hide. As the two circle each other in a heart-stopping game of cat and mouse, they plunge into a murky world of family secrets, betrayals, and unsolved mysteries--
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| With Friends Like These by Alissa LeeA deadly game from their Harvard days resurfaces when five alumni gather for the annual “Circus,” a playful elimination contest turned high-stakes gamble. With a fortune on the line, old rivalries and hidden betrayals come to light, forcing the friends to confront decades of secrets, ambition, and the shadow of a lost sixth roommate. |
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| The Intruder by Freida McFaddenWhen a bloodied girl appears on Casey’s doorstep during a violent storm, her quiet cabin in the New Hampshire woods becomes a trap. The girl’s mysterious past and deadly secrets soon put Casey in mortal danger. Alternating perspectives heighten the suspense as survival, trust, and hidden truths collide in this tense, pulse-pounding thriller. |
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| Evensong by Stewart O'NanIn Pittsburgh, a group of aging church women who call themselves the Humpty Dumpty Club help others in myriad ways, like by baking cookies, taking care of pets, running errands, and sitting with the sick. Then one of their own has a bad fall. This quietly moving character-driven story portrays the importance of community and chosen family. For fans of: Elizabeth Strout.
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The Perfect Hosts
by Heather Gudenkauf
Madeline and Wes Drake have invited two hundred of their closest friends and family to their sprawling horse ranch for the most anticipated event of the year: a 'pistols and pearls' gender reveal party so sensational it is sure to make headlines. But the party descends into chaos when the celebratory explosive misfires, leaving one woman dead and a trail of secrets. As the aftershocks of the bloody party ripple across the small town, Agent Jamie Saldano is brought on the scene to investigate. Battling his own demons from the past, Saldano unearths a web of deceit spun around the Drakes. The appearance of some unexpected houseguests only deepens the mystery--]cProvided by publisher.
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Sharp Force
by Patricia Cornwell
During/the early hours of Christmas/morning, chief medical examiner/Dr./Kay/Scarpetta receives/a chilling call. The Phantom Slasher/has struck again. The/serial killer has/terrorized/Northern Virginia for months. His pattern is/to stalk with a sophisticated technology that enables him to invade his victims' homes and watch their every move./They wake up to/a ghost-like hologram before being murdered/ in their beds. Scarpetta/is summoned to/Mercy Island, the site of/a notorious/psychiatric hospital where two people have been brutalized, one of them from/Scarpetta's/past. It soon becomes apparent that she/ could be next...--Provided by publisher.
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After That, the Dark
by Andrew Klavan
In this newest entry in Andrew Klavan's USA Today bestselling Cameron Winter series, the ex-spy turned English professor finds love--and murder.
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Fowl Play
by Tamar Myers
Murder is on the menu at Magdalena Yoder's dinner party when a guest dies after devouring a chicken samosa.Octogenarian Mennonite widow Magdalena Yoder Rosen has sold the PennDutch Inn and moved into a luxury cottage in Heaven's Gate, a genteel retirement community close to Hernia, with her old friend, Agnes. Mags is keen to settle into her new surroundings, but when she beats undefeated Scrabble champion Marion Simpson, she quickly creates enemies--and chaos! Surely hosting a scrumptious dinner party will help Mags curry favor with her neighbors? Unfortunately Mags' plan backfires when Marion is poisoned by the chicken samosa starter with its delicious dipping sauce, drawing Mags into another murder investigation. Can the newly crowned Scrabble queen outwit a fowl killer? This wickedly amusing culinary mystery series featuring an array of outrageously eccentric characters is perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Dianne Mott Davidson.
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| Palaver by Bryan WashingtonIn the weeks before Christmas, a mother arrives unannounced in Japan to visit her estranged son, who isn’t happy to see her. They speak infrequently and haven’t seen each other in years, but can they come to an understanding with each other before it’s too late? Readers who appreciate sparse yet evocative tales or stories that center gay men and family in all its forms will enjoy Bryan Washington’s novels.
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| Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy by Julia IoffeIn this "pensive account of a revolution betrayed" (Kirkus Reviews), Moscow-born journalist Julia Ioffe's National Book Award finalist (as of publication time) explores a century of feminist history in Russia, revealing how women's freedoms after the Russian Revolution have devolved under the regime of Vladimir Putin. Try this next: Red Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from Five Revolutionary Women by Kristen Ghodsee.
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| We Survived the Night by Julian Brave NoiseCatBlending elements of memoir and reportage with oral storytelling traditions, Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation filmmaker and activist Julian Brave NoiseCat spotlights contemporary Indigenous life in North America, highlighting the triumphs and travails of misrepresented communities. Try this next: Sugarcane, NoiseCat's documentary for which he became the first Indigenous American filmmaker nominated for an Academy Award; Rez Rules: My Indictment of Canada's and America's Systemic Racism Against Indigenous Peoples by Chief Clarence Louie.
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| Lena the Chicken (But Really a Dinosaur!) by Linda Bailey; illustrated by K-Fai SteeleUnlike her feeble, feathered family, spirited Lena knows that she's not really a chicken in name or nature -- she's a mighty dinosaur! And when the coop is threatened, she has the chance to prove it. Get ready to roar: with dramatic dialogue and "gloriously goofy" (Publishers Weekly) artwork, Lena's story is an ideal read-aloud. |
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| Winging It by Megan Wagner Lloyd; illustrated by Michelle Mee NutterTwelve-year-old Luna doesn't want to move across the country with her dad, especially not to move in with the strict grandma she hardly knows. But after discovering old nature journals from the mom she never knew, Luna finds unexpected connections to her new home. Cartoony art and honest emotions make this graphic novel a strong choice for realistic fiction fans. |
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Secrets of the Snakestone
by Piu Dasgupta
A remarkable middle-grade debut that takes readers on a thrillingly fast-paced race through the murky and magical underbelly of 19th-century Paris. Z lie is often accused of being a witch, but she doesn't believe in magic. That is until Jules climbs up from the reeking Parisian sewer and hands her the gold locket he found there. Z lie recognizes it immediately--it belongs to her missing father, who is supposed to be back in India, and it once held the magical Snakestone. If Z lie can find the stone, she might also find her father. But a sinister secret society is equally desperate to get their hands on the Snakestone and its terrible powers. Z lie and Jules must beat them to it, risking their lives in the dark tunnels twisting beneath the city streets. . .
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A Curious Kind of Magic
by Mara Rutherford
Seventeen-year-old Willow Stokes gets by selling fraudulent charms and magical items at her father's shoppe, but when outlander Brianna unintentionally turns her fake wares real, the girls' paths intertwine as they search for a missing grimoire and try to break Brianna's curse.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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New Carlisle-Olive Township Public Library
408 S. Bray St.
New Carlisle, Indiana 46552
(574) 654-3046ncpl.lib.in.us |
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