Wednesday, October 22, 2025

This month’s best new literary fiction

 
Readworthy by BookBub
This Month's Best New Literary Fiction
 
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Book cover for A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar
Oprah's newest book club pick is one of 2025's top literary releases
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • In a ravaged near-future, two families desperate to secure their children's futures clash
  • A National Book Award finalist from the acclaimed author of A Burning
  • "A true literary achievement" and "joy to read" (The New York Times) with thought-provoking, propulsive storytelling
  • "Gives Cormac McCarthy's The Road a run for its money… Equal parts dazzling and devastating" (Pulitzer Prize–winning author Stacy Schiff)
Learn more...
Media mentions for A Guardian and a Thief by Megha MajumdarMEDIA MENTIONS:Oprah's Book Club, NPR, CBS Mornings, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, New Scientist, People, The Washington Post, Associated Press, USA Today, Town & Country, Elle, Parade, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, BookPage, Electric Literature, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson
To save her people from starvation, Kōrero leaves her remote island on an incredible voyage
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Orphan Master's Son returns with his first novel in 13 years
  • Set in the South Pacific, this sprawling historical novel is "wild, epic, and utterly captivating" (Jennifer Egan, author of A Visit from the Goon Squad)
  • "Predicting posterity is impossible, but The Wayfinder is… good enough, wondrous enough, to endure" (The Wall Street Journal)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Wayfinder by Adam JohnsonMEDIA MENTIONS:NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, People, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, BookPage, Literary Hub
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AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee
The late, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of To Kill a Mockingbird has one last gift for readers
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • A posthumous collection of short fiction and essays — some only just recently discovered
  • Offers a new perspective on the author who came of age in the schoolyards of Alabama and found a new education in art, politics, and love in Manhattan
  • Readers will be guided through the book by Harper Lee's biographer
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper LeeMEDIA MENTIONS:The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, People, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly
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AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
In a mountaintop library, a professor uncovers a clue leading to a legendary, lost-lost poem
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • This literary puzzle set across two timelines is "a sophisticated entertainment of a high order" (The New York Times)
  • From "one of the best living novelists" (Kirkus Reviews), the author of the modern classic Atonement, comes a New York Times bestseller that "ranks high among his oeuvre" (The Boston Globe)
  • Guaranteed to inspire deep thought, emotion, and wonder
Learn more...
Media mentions for What We Can Know by Ian McEwanMEDIA MENTIONS:The New Yorker, NPR, TODAY Show, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, New Scientist, People, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Financial Times, Bustle, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian, The Times, The Boston Globe, The Times Literary Supplement, Reactor, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist, BookPage, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for Bog Queen by Anna North
The past and present collide when an ancient corpse is found in a peat bog
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • A forensic scientist's unexpected discovery dates back to Celtic Europe in this lyrical, dual-timeline page-turner
  • The author of Reese's Book Club pick Outlawed "reaches new heights with this brilliant novel" (Publishers Weekly starred review)
  • A transportive read that "sparkles like unearthed treasure" (Kaliane Bradley, author of The Ministry of Time)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Bog Queen by Anna NorthMEDIA MENTIONS:NPR, The Boston Globe, Indie Next List, Library Reads, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, BookPage
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AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
After meeting on a train, Sonia and Sunny find their lives intersecting across decades and countries
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • This "sweeping page-turner" (Publishers Weekly) and instant New York Times bestseller has been shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize!
  • Ann Patchett says, "I wanted to pack a little suitcase and stay inside this book forever"
  • The highly anticipated third novel from the acclaimed author of The Inheritance of Loss
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran DesaiMEDIA MENTIONS:Time Magazine, NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, Oprah Daily, The Economist, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Financial Times, Harper's Bazaar, Bustle, Elle, Vulture, The Guardian, The Times, The Boston Globe, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, BookPage, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor
Art restorer Wyeth sets out to investigate a Black artist forgotten by history
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • Inspired by a random encounter with a former priest, will Wyeth find the answers he's looking for?
  • The "most accomplished novel" (The New York Times) from a "literary superstar" (The Boston Globe) who has the publishing world abuzz
  • Called "dazzling" (USA Today), "illuminating" (People), and "mesmerizing" (Booklist starred review)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Minor Black Figures by Brandon TaylorMEDIA MENTIONS:The New Yorker, NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, People, USA Today, Town & Country, Vulture, Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, BookPage, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for Twice by Mitch Albom
This instant New York Times bestseller already has a Netflix adaptation in the works
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • What if you got a do-over for every moment in your life? That's Alfie's unique reality — but there's a catch…
  • The latest from the author of Tuesdays with Morrie, who's "the Babe Ruth of popular literature, hitting the ball out of the park every time he's at bat" (Time)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Twice by Mitch AlbomMEDIA MENTIONS:Good Morning America Book Club, NPR, Oprah Daily, People, The Washington Post, Parade, Variety, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for The Phoebe Variations by Jane Hamilton
At a house with 14 children, runaway Phoebe seeks refuge — and finds her world forever changed
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • Calling all book clubs: "This literary jewel will spark numerous discussions" (Library Journal)
  • From a beloved New York Times bestselling author often compared to Alice Hoffman and Anne Tyler
  • "I absolutely loved this exploration of family, friendship, and personal transformation" (Meg Wolitzer)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Phoebe Variations by Jane HamiltonMEDIA MENTIONS:Oprah Daily, The Washington Post, Indie Next List, Library Reads, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for Heart the Lover by Lily King
The author of Writers & Lovers is back with a must-read for Sally Rooney fans
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • A surprise visit pulls Jordan back to her college days — when she made a life-altering decision decades ago…
  • Emma Straub, Ruth Ozeki, David Nicholls, and many other beloved writers are raving about this instant New York Times bestseller
  • "It stands as one of the most emotionally devastating and soulfully wise novels I have ever read" (The Boston Globe)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Heart the Lover by Lily KingMEDIA MENTIONS:The New Yorker, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, Oprah Daily, People, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Parade, Chicago Tribune, The Guardian, The Times, The Boston Globe, Indie Next List, Library Reads, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, BookPage, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonOther formats and retailers
 
  

The Short List: Deals on books everyone's talking about

 
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The Short List
Welcome to the Short List, a curated selection of rare discounts on today's biggest, buzziest books. Happy reading!
The View from Lake Como
The View from Lake Como
By Adriana Trigiani
Discover why this instant New York Times bestseller from “a gifted, natural storyteller” (Kristin Hannah) became one of the most acclaimed reads of the summer! After a tragedy reveals shocking family secrets, recent divorcée Jess flees to her ancestral home in Italy — where a transformative journey awaits. “The book Trigiani’s fans have been waiting for… Captivating and memorable” (Library Journal).
  NYT Bestseller
$7.99  $14.99
Limited time only!
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She Didn't See It Coming
She Didn’t See It Coming
By Shari Lapena
Instantly hitting the New York Times bestseller list, garnering over 12,000 five-star Goodreads ratings, and impressing everyone from Lucy Foley (“Lapena is at the very top of her game”) to Karin Slaughter (“I absolutely raced through”), this new thriller will be your next obsession! Bryden and Sam’s life seems perfect — until Sam brings their daughter home to find his wife has vanished, her laptop and phone abandoned mid-use… “You’ll finish it in a day” (The Boston Globe).
  NYT Bestseller
$6.99  $14.99
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Amity
Amity
By Nathan Harris
The author of Oprah’s Book Club hit The Sweetness of Water “proves once again he is one of the greatest literary minds of our generation” (Robert Jones Jr.) with a brand-new historical epic that’s “impeccably written” (Kirkus Reviews) and “indelible” (Publishers Weekly). A formerly enslaved man sets out across the desert on a quest to find his sister. “To call [this] a standout novel doesn’t do it enough justice” (Jason Mott).
  Hot New Release
$7.99  $14.99
Limited time only!
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A Resistance of Witches
A Resistance of Witches
By Morgan Ryan
Fun fact: The Kate Quinn “raced through” this enchanting gem that’s “nothing short of wildly entertaining” (Kirkus Reviews)! As Hitler invades Europe, the secret covens of Britain join the war effort — and outcast witch Lydia ventures into occupied France to recover an ancient tome that could turn the tide of the war. “An expertly woven story… that will both thrill you and tug at your heartstrings” (Kristin Harmel).
  Hot New Release
$6.99  $14.99
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Love Forms
Love Forms
By Claire Adam
This “unforgettable” (Vogue) and “quietly devastating masterpiece” (Marian Keyes) longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize “reads like a Claire Keegan story expanded by Elizabeth Strout” (The Times)! Middle-aged Dawn revisits the secret she’s kept for decades — pregnant at 16, she was sent away by her parents and forced to give her baby up for adoption — as she searches for her lost daughter. “As gripping as any thriller” (The Guardian).
  Hot New Release
$6.99  $13.99
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The Rabbit Club
The Rabbit Club
By Christopher J. Yates
The ultimate fall read has arrived — a wicked literary puzzle that comes recommended by People and is “riveting from page one to the twisty and twisted ending” (New York Times bestselling author Susannah Cahalan). When an American student at Oxford is pulled into an old and selective secret society, it “sets off a chain of events you’ll never see coming” (People).
  Hot New Release
$5.99  $14.99
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That Last Carolina Summer
That Last Carolina Summer
By Karen White
A beloved, New York Times bestselling writer “brings all her magnificent storytelling gifts to this stunner of a novel,” says Beatriz Williams, adding, “If That Last Carolina Summer has a flaw, it is this: You won’t ever want to wake up from its spell.” When Phoebe returns to the South Carolina Lowcountry to care for her ailing mother, strange dreams and childhood memories lead her to a life-altering truth.
  Hot New Release
$5.99  $14.99
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Smuggler's Cove
Smuggler’s Cove
By Fern Michaels
Strap in for a brand-new, action-packed small-town mystery from a #1 New York Times bestselling publishing powerhouse whose work remains “tirelessly inventive and entertaining” (Booklist). After siblings Madison and Lincoln inherit a ramshackle marina, their plans to sell it off are derailed by a dead body found floating under their dock…
  Hot New Release
$5.99  $9.52
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Bear Witness
Bear Witness
By Ross Halperin
Killers of the Flower Moon author David Grann isn’t subtle in his praise of this remarkable true story: “This book is a triumph. You should all get it.” When an ordinary American father moved to a highly dangerous neighborhood in Honduras — a mountain community plagued by violence — he joined forces with a local teacher to protect the poor. “Halperin’s reporting is prodigious” (The Washington Post).
  Critics' Choice
$5.99  $14.99
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Detective Aunty
Detective Aunty
By Uzma Jalaluddin
An author who has Emily Henry gushing, “I am such a fan,” kicks off a charming series perfect for readers of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency — and it’s “a triumph” (Booklist)! When her daughter is accused of murder, widow Kausar Khan flies across the country to help — and begins to meddle as only she can! “Beyond satisfying” (Kirkus Reviews).
  Critics' Choice
$5.99  $11.99
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