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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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Atmosphere: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Love Story
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece Frances--that is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA's space shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space. Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston's Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates. ... As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe--
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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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One Golden Summer
by Carley Fortune
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! A radiant escape to the lake from #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and This Summer Will Be Different As featured in The New York Times People Good Morning America The Washington Post Cosmopolitan TODAY USA Today Harper's Bazaar Glamour E! News Buzzfeed ELLE Us Weekly The New York Post FIRST for Women Woman's World Katie Couric Media SheReads and more!I never anticipated Charlie Florek.Good things happen at the lake. That's what Alice's grandmother says, and it's true. Alice spent just one summer there at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen--it's where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life. Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she's most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she's been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry's Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it. Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he's all grown up--a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice's soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart. Because Alice sees people--that's why she is so good at what she does--but she's never met someone who looks and sees her right back.
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| A Case of Life and Limb by Sally SmithThe Christmas Eve peace of the Inner Temple, the picture-postcard home of London’s elite lawyers, is disturbed when Sir William Waring receives a beautifully wrapped package containing a severed human hand. Brilliant Gabriel Ward, a fellow Temple resident, investigates while also working on a sensationalistic defamation case in this entertaining follow-up to A Case of Mice and Murder. Try this next: Claudia Gray’s The Murder of Mr. Wickham. |
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| Conform by Ariel SullivanIn a future ravaged by war, Emmeline, a woman at the lower end of a caste system based on genetics, is unexpectedly chosen to mate with Collin, an Elite who can give her the life she's always dreamed of. Conforming to the rigid expectations of the ruling Illum proves to be a challenge when Emmeline finds herself drawn to Hal, a resistance leader determined to bring down the system. This cinematic 1st in a planned trilogy will appeal to fans of dystopian science fiction romances like Dani Francis' Silver Elite.
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| The Dentist by Tim SullivanDS George Cross, who’s autistic and detail-oriented, investigates an unhoused man’s murder in South West England. Noticing clues that others miss and with help from his partner DS Josie Ottey, George unearths links to an old killing in this acclaimed series starter and bestselling police procedural from the United Kingdom. For other books with neurodivergent detectives, try Brandy Schillace’s Netherleigh mysteries or Daniel Aubrey’s Orkney mysteries.
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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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| The House Saphir by Marissa MeyerArmand hires Mallory, who can talk to ghosts, to exorcise his ancestral estate. Mallory plans to swindle him out of his money, but instead she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, and Armand is a suspect. This creepy novel is a witty retelling of the Bluebeard myth. |
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| Never Ever After by Sue Lynn TanWhen Yining, adopted as a child, discovers her magical heritage, she leaves her impoverished mountain village to change her fate. Tempted into a lavish world by a ruthless prince, Yining must unlock her full powers to fight for a better future for everyone. Read-alikes: June CL Tan’s Jade Fire Gold; Intisar Khanani’s The Theft of Sunlight.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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