The Best Books for Book Clubs in 2025

You’ve probably heard about Sarah Wynn-Williams’s Careless People, or the book that Facebook, a.k.a. Meta, has tried to block. Long story short, Wynn-Williams, a former government-affairs employee at the tech giant in the 2010s, surprise-dropped her memoir about working there, and it immediately rocketed up bestseller charts for its searing insight into the company’s “careless” culture.

But while business and tech aficionados will pore over her insights about the inner workings of one of the world’s biggest firms, the beating heart of the book is Wynn-Williams’s story of being a woman of childbearing age in a workplace that, in her telling, did not want her to succeed. Her descriptions of feeling pressured to work while literally in labor (and return to the job soon after almost dying in childbirth) are just some of the jaw-dropping anecdotes that prove how far we have to go for true equality in the US workplace. It’s a story that will fire you up and make you want to fight back.

—Stephanie McNeal, senior editor

Nnedi Okorafor writes my kind of science fiction! This creative and inventive novel follows a disabled Black female writer named Zelu and how the trajectory of her life changes when a book she writes becomes super popular and catapults her to fame.

I loved Zelu as a character; through her we see how disabled people are treated in America and in Nigerian culture. This story also explores AI and humanity in a way that feels more timely than ever. It’s brilliantly told, and trust me—when you finish this book, you’ll need discuss it with someone.

—Nnenna Odeluga, book influencer @notesbynnenna

Sometime at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, we watched ourselves enter a postfeminist era on reality TV, gossip blogs, and in the tabloids. That is the subject of Girl on Girl by Sophie Gilbert.

The book takes a hard look at the pop culture of the late ’90s and early ’00s—the explosion of tabloid photography, increasingly cruel and ceaseless commentary on celebrity blogs, sexualization of young women by the media, etc.—and the lasting damage it has done to modern women and, possibly, the feminist movement itself. It’s a book that will make you think, and want to discuss.

—Kathleen Walsh, contributor

I really enjoyed Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel, Black Cake, so I was eagerly anticipating the release of her second, Good Dirt. This is a generational story that looks at the Freeman family as they deal with the weight of a traumatic incident.

Wilkerson is a brilliant storyteller. The short chapters make you want to keep turning the pages as she hints at the mystery of family secrets that will be uncovered. She explores several weighty topics in this novel, including race, parental expectations, and grief, which provide plenty of discussion fodder for your book club.

—N.O.

You can’t engage in any BookTok dialogue without Emily Henry coming up. The best-selling romance author has become one of the biggest in the genre—so massively popular that even those who haven’t read one of her novels is likely planning to soon. Case in point: I brought Henry’s latest, Great Big Beautiful Life, with me to read during quiet moments on a beach trip with friends. As soon as I pulled it out of my bag, the conversation turned into an impromptu book club because everyone there had either already consumed it or planned to as soon as possible.

Our discussion of the book highlighted what makes this one a particularly good book-club read. It’s a bit of a departure for the author—as much as a mystery about the secrets of a seemingly cursed heiress as it is a romance between the two writers vying to tell her story—so you and your friends will have fun debating where this one falls in the ranking of Henry’s books.

—Anna Moeslein, deputy editor

This satire of influencer culture is so zany, with a plot that gets so bonkers, that I actually laughed out loud multiple times while reading it. Author Liann Zhang clearly has her pulse on the absurdity of modern social media (she even made her book go viral on TikTok with just one post) and is able to make her points while delivering a story that is truly one of a kind.

Julie Chan is struggling through a hard life, which is only made worse by the fact that her twin sister, Chloe, has an awesome one. After the twins’ parents died in a car accident when they were toddlers, Chloe was adopted by a rich white family and became an influencer, while Julie was sent to live with her aunt and struggles as an adult. The sisters have barely been in contact since then, but when Chloe suddenly reaches out, Julie can’t help but come to visit her in New York. When she instead finds her sister dead in her apartment, she makes a choice that sets her on a collision course of truly insane proportions. You won’t be able to stop talking about that ending.

—S.M.

The latest book from the author of A Man Called Ove and Anxious People is heartachingly beautiful story about a group of teens whose summer friendship changes everything—then and now.

It’s nostalgic and soul-stirring, and will leave you full-on sobbing (in the best way).

—Stef and Ash, book influencers @youhavetoreadthisnow

Lindsay Hameroff is known for her witty and fun romantic romps, and her latest book, Never Planned on You, is a pure delight. Though the novel is most definitely a rom-com, she also explores such themes as family and ambition, with a lot of high jinks thrown in.

Ali Rubin never expected to see Graham again. The two met in London and, wildly, got matching tattoos together one drunken night, but that was the end of it…until he turns out to be the groom in a high-profile wedding she’s planning, and she must confront that her one night of craziness with him maybe, should be, something more. It’s giving ’90s chick flick, in the best way.

—S.M.

Scaachi Koul is known for her acerbic and sharp cultural observations, and her latest book, Sucker Punch, is no exception. In this essay-driven memoir, Koul grapples with an upending event in her life: her divorce during the COVID-19 pandemic. After her marriage falls apart, she is forced to examine her own history of love, relationships, family, and body image, with luminous results.

Koul has a unique ability to make you laugh out loud, gasp at her audacity, then get punched in the gut with her writing, usually all on the same page. Because the end of a relationship isn’t just about the relationship; it’s finding your way back to yourself.

—S.M.

If your book club has embraced the big romantasy trend that’s sweeping the publishing world at the moment—and I’m going to guess that it has—then you’ve likely already covered Rebecca Yarros’s wildly popular Empyrean series, also known as the Fourth Wing books.

Add her latest, Onyx Storm, to the rotation as early as possible, or you’ll risk getting spoilers via BookTok.

—A.M.

When a book starts with the relentless pursuit of a Birkin bag, you know it’s going to lead to a great discussion on wealth, privilege, and striving. But Park Avenue is also relentlessly fun while examining all these thought-provoking themes.

Jia Song has finally made it as a junior partner at a big Manhattan law firm after years of striving, and has her dream life in her grasp. But when she gets assigned to the case of the billionaire Park family, she becomes enthralled in their drama and secrets, and may learn some important truths about herself. You’ll find yourself cheering Jia on even when she makes some WTF decisions, and you won’t be able to get enough of the Parks.

—S.M.

Tilt is truly a Russian nesting doll of a book. It takes place during the 24 hours after the long-feared “Big One” earthquake hits the Pacific Northwest, but it’s actually an insightful story of motherhood, relationships, and self.

In the novel, author Emma Pattee follows the story of Annie, who is nine months pregnant and at Ikea buying a crib when the catastrophic earthquake hits. As she walks through her devastated city and tries to make her way home, she reflects on the decisions that led her to the life she is in, for better or for worse. It’s a beautiful story that anyone who’s ever given birth, had a mother, or had a partner will immediately resonate with.

—S.M.

As a fan of both reality television and speculative fiction, I absolutely raced through The Compound, a novel that brilliantly combines the two (and it really works!). Our protagonist Lily wakes up one day on the set of The Compound, a sort-of Love Island meets Survivor show where contestants are watched constantly and forced to couple up and complete challenges to stay on. But the world they are currently sheltering from isn’t the same as ours, and they have big motivations to stay.

I especially liked the character of Lily in the book, a beautiful yet self-admitted airhead who is forced to tap into new parts of herself to survive. She was a unique character who is fascinating to get to know through the page, and provides a thrilling insight into this twisty and strange world.

—S.M.

Out June 24

Women’s rights have not felt as precarious in decades as they do right now, and the prescient and thoughtful Dream Hotel explores these fears. In the same vein as Jessamine Chan’s The School for Good Mothers, author Laila Lalami explores the prejudices we face as women and the ways technology could potentially be weaponized against us.

Sara is an ordinary wife, a mother-to-twins, and a career woman who is plunged into a nightmare when she is stopped by security officials on her way back from a trip abroad. In her world, future crime is tracked by gathering data from, among other things, dreams; this is used to assign people “risk scores” that determine whether they may become an offender. Sara is told her dreams have shown she fantasizes of killing her husband, so she is sent off to a retention center, essentially a prison, where she must prove herself capable of returning to her family. It’s chilling, remarkable, and poignant, and will also make you want to delete your data from, like, literally every app.

—S.M.

The Favorites has to be one of the most entertaining books I’ve read in recent memory; it’s the kind of book you won’t want to put down once you pick it up. It’s about a pair of ice-dancing figure skaters and the rise and fall of their career together.

Layne Fargo does an excellent job of foreshadowing and building up the tension, which leaves you desperate to know what exactly happened between the main characters, Kat and Heath. This book was a wild ride, and you’re going to want to read it with your book club or some friends so you can discuss all of the drama that happens.

—N.O.

The Names debuted with a ton of buzz earlier this spring, and it was well-deserved. It’s truly one of the most innovative and interesting novels I have read recently, and though it tackles a heavy subject like domestic violence, it also manages to be thought-provoking and inspiring.

The book follows the path of one baby through the three different lives he could have had, under the presumption that his life would have followed a different path based on what he was named. In essence, we are watching three different boys turned men—Bear, Julian, and Gordon—go down very different paths that have been shaped by the choices made by those in their lives and, eventually, themselves. I don’t want to share more because it’s better for you to read it for yourself, trust me.

—S.M.

A glittering bracelet, a hidden identity, and a World War II mystery collide in this sweeping, dual-timeline story. It’s perfect for fans of secrets, stolen lives, and high-stakes history with heart.

—Stef and Ash

Daniel D’Addario’s delightful novel The Talent is ostensibly about famous actresses, but it is really about women. Through his description of his main characters, he paints a delightful, insightful tale of how we are pitted against each other and the different ways in which ambition can manifest.

The book centers around women who are all in the running for the Oscar for best actress. Each of them is at a different stage of her life, career, and emotional journey, and all feel achingly relatable despite their dealing with Hollywood problems. It’s a fun and poignant read that everyone can take something away from.

—S.M.

This family drama is, at its core, steeped in love, loss, and explorations of grief and trauma. The Women on Platform Two is based on a true story of the brave women who were tenacious enough to stand up for change.

The novel is set in 1970s Dublin, when all forms of contraception were outlawed. We get a present-day timeline and a 1970s timeline, although the bulk of the story takes place in the past. Reading about these resilient women who banded together to make change was just what we needed right now. There are characters who are absolutely good men and husbands, too, which we very much appreciated. You’ll have so many great discussion topics for your book club and will leave feeling fired up.

—Stef and Ash

Anne Tyler is an incredibly acclaimed, Pulitzer Prize–winning fiction author, but her latest book was the first I have ever read. I was immediately delighted by her prose, especially her incisive writing on the different ways to be a woman.

Gail Baines is a buttoned-up, repressed school administrator who struggles to connect to people, including her coworkers; her daughter, Debbie; and her ex-husband, Max. However, Debbie is now getting married, and her wedding weekend may just be the catalyst for Gail to change her life and open herself up to all the possibilities it had to offer. I couldn’t help but love Gail and was genuinely sad when the book ended and I could no longer live in her brain.

—S.M.