The Best Book Club Books for Fall 2025

During the 1580s in Warwickshire, England, there lived a woman named Agnes with extraordinary gifts—or so the story goes. With cozy, atmospheric descriptions, Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell is not only an award-winning pick but also brings to life the transitional feelings of autumn. 

Inspired by the little-known story behind Shakespeare’s beloved play, Hamlet, O'Farrell offers a stunning portrayal of love, tragedy, and life, and considers how the loss of a child impacts a family. Largely absent from history, Agnes—not her infamous playwright husband—takes center stage alongside her three children, including the young Hamnet.

With the movie adaptation by Chloé Zhao set to release this month on November 26th, there is no better time to read this focused, emotional work, heavy in its “lushness in descriptions of the natural world” (New York Times). 

Based on real events, When the World Fell Silent has ample material for contemplation and discussion. Set in 1917 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Nora Crowell decides she wants to move beyond the narrow expectations of women—marriage and motherhood—that her sister embodies. 

Thus, with WWI happening across the Atlantic, she decides to enroll as a lieutenant in the Canadian Army Nursing Corps. With the loss of her husband, Charlotte Campbell is forced to move in with her distant family, who treat her unkindly. But, fuelled by the possibility of a better life for her daughter, Aileen seeks more. 

When the Halifax Explosion strikes, though, the lives of these two women will be flipped upside down and intersected in the most surprising and devastating way. 

Recommended by NPR as a “gender-swapped When Harry Met Sally retelling [...] for anyone who craves romance novels with realistic and flawed characters,” what could be more of the season than falling in love amidst the foliage of Central Park? 

When Ari and Josh first meet, it is hatred at first sight. Ari’s go-with-the-flow, comedian ways stand in stark opposition to Josh’s ambitious plans of becoming the world’s leading chef, with the One by his side. The only thing they share in common is the woman they’re both dating.

Years later, in the midst of painful breaks, Ari and Josh meet again, and the unexpected happens: they become friends. While enjoying one another’s company, watching Netflix, and judging matches on dating apps, the pair begin to question just how platonic their connection is…

Thrilled with the world around her, particularly the dazzling maple branches she has in tow, Anne Shirley cries out, “I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers”—and we can’t help but agree. 

Primarily set in the pleasant farm of Green Gables on Prince Edward Island during the fall, this heartwarming story follows the newly arrived eleven-year-old Anne.

But Anne quickly learns that the Cuthberts —the elderly Matthew and his rigid sister Marilla—had hoped to adopt a boy, not an unspoken redhead. Soon, though, she manages to win them over. 

For many, Anne of Green Gables was a childhood classic that, as we grew up, reflected many of our own fears, vulnerabilities, and dreams. Within the cozy, nostalgic atmosphere that L.M. Montgomery weaves, there is, above all, a portrait of love and family.

So, in honor of all the fall season has to offer, find a newfound appreciation for this familiar tale, or maybe, for you, first-time readers (that we’re so envious of!), discover a new favorite. 

You thought you’d make it through a fall reading list without encountering witches? Think again! Weaving together three powerful stories of women across five centuries, Weyward is a stunning portrayal of female power and resilience, connected to witchcraft. 

While in 1619, Altha is on trial for murder and magic, in 1942 Viola, amidst World War II, is trapped in her family’s estate with dreams of an education, and finally in 2019 Kate escapes an abusive marriage by fleeing to her great-aunt’s Weyward Cottage.

Here, in the present, the secrets of the home are unveiled, dating back to the witch hunts of the 17th century. 

What could be more iconic than Mary Shelley’s 200-year-old horror story Frankenstein? Retold again and again, with some versions more lasting than others, we are firm believers that nothing is better than the source material.

If you haven’t had the chance to sink your teeth into this quintessential text of gothic and science fiction literature, we think this would make a great book club pick.

Raising questions about responsibility, ethics, and the definition of humanity, Frankenstein makes for excellent discussion material that will keep your group chatting long past the allotted hour.

Following the scientist Victor Frankenstein and his unholy creation, fleeing and pursuing each other from Switzerland to the North Pole, find out why people keep returning to this epic.

Although not inherently fall, Girl, Woman, Other is a beautiful exploration of complex themes—particularly what it means to be a Black woman in modern Britain—that make it a thought-provoking read among friends, or, more simply, a cooler day spent indoors. 

Following the lives of twelve different characters—most of them women, Black, and British—these Booker Prize-winning stories are about families, friends, and lovers across place and through the years.

Described by the New Yorker as a “symphony of black womanhood,” Evaristo’s lyrical prose and vision are not to be missed. 

From “a first-rate storyteller” comes a masterful work of detection fiction, perfect for curling up with next to a fire (The Daily Telegraph). Miss Silver learns of the cruel anonymous letters from her friend, Frank Abbott of Scotland Yard.

A widowed cousin of Abbott’s is being targeted by an unknown pen, who is intent on convincing the young woman that her husband did not die of natural causes.

The kind detective is happy to lend a shoulder and listen—that is, until the first death happens. Another target of the author has drowned themselves when threatened with the exposure of their secrets.

Now, Abbott and Miss Silver must team up to put an end to the killer’s quill, once and for all. 

From the multi-Bram Stoker award-winning author, this novel “masterfully plays with the serial killer genre, walking a line between convention and invention and delving into the psychology of both killer and detective” (Publishers Weekly).

If you’re a fan of all things scary and suspenseful—this one’s for you!

Over eight years, an unknown serial killer has been visiting towns with biblical names, always disposing of two bodies—one man and one woman—in gruesome positions.

One day, in Nazareth, Texas, a Native American man suspected of shoplifting shoots down a sheriff. And when the police searched his car, they found two decaying bodies that matched the killer’s motives. 

What ensues is a daring and enthralling manhunt, with Deputy Sheriff Jim Doe and the FBI on the man’s tail, in a “crime drama [that does what it] is supposed to do: scare the bejesus out of the reader” (San Antonio Express-News).

In a complicated tale of mothers and daughters, “Ferrante’s polished language belies the rawness of her imagery,” lending itself to a quick-paced, vivid psychological mystery well-suited to the season (New Yorker). 

After her mother’s mysterious drowning, Delia returns home to Naples. Determined to learn the truth, Delia begins to sift through her mother’s past, including the men in her life—and what she discovers is more unsettling than she could have ever imagined.