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Must-Read Books November 2026 |
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A Date with Santa
by Debbie Macomber
For single career woman Sage Madison, Christmas means premade cookies and artificial trees. But when her sister needs her help, Sage volunteers to care for her five-year-old nephew, Ricky. Determined to give Ricky a memorable Christmas, Sage enlists help from her assistant and close friend, Erica, who loves kids, and her colleague Ethan, who agrees to dress up as Santa--if Sage and Ricky join him in holiday fun to get in the spirit.
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| Midnight in the House of Commons by Charles FinchIn 1881 England, likeable aristocratic sleuth Charles Lenox investigates two cases. First, a young woman wants help finding her betrothed, who's mysteriously gone missing. Then Charles' brother, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, finds a member of Parliament dead and is arrested for the murder. This atmospheric, intricately plotted 16th Charles Lenox mystery will please fans and newcomers. Try this next: Alys Clare's World's End Bureau series. |
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Revenge Plot
by Stephanie Wrobel
All Arnie Tenderton wants this Christmas—all he’s ever wanted—is to be a published author. For decades he has toiled over one novel after another. Each was missing something. Until now. He’s finally written his perfect book. What he needs next is a literary agent, someone who can get his book into publishers’ hands. Not just any agent will do, of course. Arnie wants the best. Arnie wants Claudia Conley.
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| Take a Chance, Sasha Sinclair by Ashley Herring BlakeArriving in small-town Clare Mountain, North Carolina, to make a film about Alice Bishop, the “Rose Witch,” documentarian Sasha Sinclair has a meet-cute with Margot Bishop, Alice’s descendant, at a local bar. Sparks fly, but Margot is resistant to outsiders delving into her family’s legacy, and the pair’s fraught work collaboration could get in the way of their burgeoning romance. Equal parts spooky and steamy, this 3rd Clover Lake novel includes cameos from characters in the other series entries. Try this next: The Sun and the Moon by Rebekah Faubion. |
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| Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa KleypasReina Martin, the daughter of a married banker and his Spanish mistress, becomes a writer and economist in Victorian London. Unable to open a bank account as a single woman, she teams up with a male mentor to create a women's bank. But the police think her mentor is committing fraud and place a detective as Reina's butler, where he grows close to Reina while overseeing her household staff. For fans of: romantic historical novels; Ayelet Waldman's A Perfect Hand. |
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| Trad Wife by Sarah LanganBehind the picture-perfect world of trad-wife influencer Mia Wright lies something far more sinister. When journalist Jenny Kaplan spends a week on the Wright family’s isolated farm, staged perfection gives way to strange behavior, lost time, and threats to her autonomy. Feminist commentary, psychological unease, and Gothic atmosphere shape this unsettling tale. |
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| The Killing of a Chestnut Tree by Oliver K. LangmeadIn this magical historical mystery, a nightwatchman visits celebrated detective Havelock Harper and his stenographer Major Sebastian Wright (think Holmes and Watson) to ask about the white flowers that keep appearing on his rounds. In response, he's sent a manuscript which details Harper and Wright's investigation into the felling of a special tree in England's Lake District as well as the love Harper and Wright share. For fans of: story-within-a-story frames; Kat Hillis's Dead & Breakfast. |
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| American Hagwon by Min Jin LeeAfter a friend's betrayal, Korean couple John and Helen Koh's lives are upended. To survive financially and to ensure their three kids get a good education, they make several moves, including to Sydney, Australia, back to Korea, and to Southern California. Interrogating ambition, sacrifice, identity, and educational institutions and set between 1992 and 2007, this sweeping 3rd book in Min Jin Lee's Diaspora Quartet follows Free Food for Millionaires and the internationally bestselling Pachinko. Read-alike: E.J. Koh's The Liberators. |
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| Music Against the Night by Yiyun LiIn 1782 Ireland, sensitive and musically gifted John Field is born to a family who soon view him as the next Mozart. He visits England, France, and Russia, becoming known for his dreamy nocturnes. In 1780 French India, biracial Adelaide Percheron is born, but is orphaned and raised by her grandmother. Dreaming of a better life and in love with music, she ends up in Paris and Moscow, eventually marrying Field. This 1st in the buzzy Nocturne Trilogy is "a virtuoso performance" (Kirkus Reviews). Read-alike: Harriet Constable's The Instrumentalist. |
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| Writer in Residence by Rhonda McKnightIn South Carolina's Lowcountry, romance author Alex Chambers struggles with writer's block. Taking an artist-in-residence job offered by handsome author Gabe, she's encouraged by the teens she works with to open up more in her writing. As she does, she discovers more about herself and uncovers family secrets in this richly detailed Christian romance about forgiveness and identity. Try this next: Vanessa Miller's What We Found in Hallelujah; Denise Hunter's Lake Season. |
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| Palaces of the Crow by Ray NaylerIn this speculative alternate history of World War II, the blitzkrieg of 1941 brings together a Polish deserter, a Roma horse trader, a nonspeaking boy of unknown history, and a Jewish village girl with a strong connection to a murder of crows. Together, they work to survive the winter wilderness while evading enemy forces, guided by the crows who are more intelligent than they seem. This "impassioned paean to togetherness" (Publishers Weekly) and resilience will please fans of Kira Jane Buxton's similarly corvid-centric Hollow Kingdom. |
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| Luna, Phoenix, Queen by Julie OrringerMidwestern professor Dava has early-onset Alzheimer's and ends up in a care home. When Barr, Dava's novelist husband, finds her work-in-progress about her affair with her friend, Svetlana, he publishes the novel as his own to great success. Guilt-ridden, he ponders adopting an injured dog, Luna. Using different viewpoints (including Dava and Barr's two adult sons, Svetlana, Svetlana's daughter, and Barr's research assistant), this moving, compelling novel explores loneliness, love, creativity, and more. Try this next: Stephanie Booth's Libby Lost and Found. |
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Defy the Dusk: Book One of the Sundering Duet
by Danielle L. Jensen
In the Sundered world, there are two options: Ride the dawn, or face what rises in the night. Twenty years ago, Lirien's magic fractured the world and unleashed nocturnal creatures that brought civilization to its knees. Amidst the carnage came salvation: The most powerful survivors were invited to board Dawnrider , a high-speed rig that would deliver those aboard into a new era. The rest of humanity was left to die. Instead, a king rose from the darkness to lead them.
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| Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul TremblayJulia Flang may be estranged from her CFO mother, but she has an offer Julia can't refuse: assume control of a comatose man with an AI implant to transport him across the country. Split between Julia's perspective and the disoriented surreal dreamscape of the remains of "Bernie's" consciousness, Paul Tremblay's latest "is injected with a squirming worm of fear that forces readers to take a critical look at AI's encroachment" (Library Journal). |
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The Nuremberg Women: The Untold Story of the Eight Women Who Brought the Nazis to Justice
by Natalie Livingstone
In November 1945, the eyes of the world turned to Nuremberg. Humanity was seeking not only the truth about Nazi crimes but also a vision of what justice might look like in their aftermath. The trials are traditionally associated with a roll call of famous men, but they were only part of the story. Not only were there women involved in the trial in every role--as journalists, researchers, lawyers, interpreters, court reporters, witnesses, artists, and even defendants--but they were pivotal in the trial's outcome.
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| Man in the Mirror: Hope, Struggle, and Belonging in an American City by Anand GiridharadasOn May 1, 2023, Jordan Neely, a Black unhoused man experiencing a psychotic episode on the New York City subway, was placed in a chokehold by a fellow passenger, white former Marine Daniel Penny, until he died. Investigative journalist Anand Giridharadas’ nuanced account looks beyond the headlines to reveal the complexity of the tragedy, exploring themes of race and privilege, homelessness, mental health care, and America’s criminal justice system. Further reading: In the Shadow of Freedom: The Enduring Call for Racial Justice by Alessandra Harris. |
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| The Perilous Fight by Colin KaepernickPro quarterback turned social justice activist Colin Kaepernick is unapologetic in his recounting of the events that allegedly led to his ousting from the NFL. Growing up a biracial adoptee who spent much of his life feeling othered in “white spaces,” Kaepernick was sensitized to police shootings of Black men publicized in the media. He never hesitated in his impulse to take a knee for the national anthem during the 2016 season, regardless of the outcry that followed. |
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| End Times Fascism and the Fight for the Living World by Naomi Klein and Astra TaylorAuthors and activists Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor’s incisive collaboration examines how ethno-nationalists, technocrats, and religious fundamentalists sow societal chaos by espousing apocalyptic worldviews. Try this next: The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change by Rebecca Solnit. |
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| An Unexpected Life by Gloria SteinemActivist and second-wave feminist Gloria Steinem’s final memoir, published weeks after her death, is not a comprehensive tell-all. Rather, Steinem delivers essays that reflect on certain formative events -- growing up in rural poverty, attending Smith College with married classmates, meeting writer and activist bell hooks -- that gave her life purpose and direction. The result is a “spare but powerful” (Booklist) book that gets to the heart of the author’s outlook on the world. Further reading: The Movement: How Women's Liberation Transformed America, 1963-1973 by Clara Bingham. |
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| The Siren by Tomi AdeyemiEmery arrives at Dartmouth College hoping to keep her recent mental health crisis a secret. There she meets Roux and her mysterious, alluring friends, a group called the Sirens. What is Emery willing to risk to become a Siren herself? Read-alikes: Jennifer Niven’s When We Were Monsters; Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s Ace of Spades. |
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| Licorice by Kara Lareau; illustrated by Kelly MurphyAt first, shelter cat Kitty is overjoyed to be adopted by kindhearted young Max. But as Kitty tries to settle in, she's overwhelmed by the eerie, lingering shadow of Licorice, Max's previous -- and apparently perfect -- cat. Delicately shaded artwork adds depth to this animal fantasy that's equal parts haunting and cozy. |
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| The Pools by E. LockhartLexie needs a fresh start. New to a New England town -- the home of hot springs with legendary transformational powers -- she meets Chester, and the two quickly fall for each other. Then the legend comes true, turning humans into birds, and Lexie’s world is upended yet again. This cinematic, folkloric novel blends poetry and prose. |
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| This Is a Door by Daniel NayeriMeet Ing (short for Nothing the Younger), a not-so-bright orphan whose determination to find his purpose spurs him into a funny yet profound quest. The shapes of the words on the page are part of the storytelling in this unique, fairy tale-inspired take on a classic "hero's journey." |
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| Help! I'm Being Eaten by a Bear! by Neil Sharpson; illustrated by Dan SantatA human tourist's encounter with a wild bear goes uproariously wrong in this latest by the duo who brought you Don't Trust Fish. Told in a dry tone that only heightens the ample wordplay, slapstick visuals, and "readily ratcheting mayhem" (Publishers Weekly) of the plot, Help! I'm Being Eaten by a Bear! is a must-read for silly story connoisseurs. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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