LWL Book Club Picks of 2025

January

‍Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

In the fading town of Eden, Kentucky, Opal accepts a mysterious job at Starling House—the eerie mansion tied to the vanished author E. Starling and her dark legacy. Despite her instincts, the house and its brooding heir, Arthur, begin to feel like home. But as sinister forces close in, Opal and Arthur must unearth buried secrets and face their deepest fears. To save Eden—and herself—Opal will have to fight for the home she’s always longed for.

February

‍Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

In the orderly suburb of Shaker Heights, everything follows the rules—until Mia Warren, a free-spirited artist, and her daughter Pearl arrive. Renting from the Richardson family, they quickly become entwined in the community’s lives, challenging its rigid norms. As a custody battle over a Chinese-American baby divides the town, tensions escalate between Mia and rule-bound matriarch Elena Richardson. Elena’s obsession with uncovering Mia’s secrets sparks a chain of events that culminates in betrayal, upheaval, and ultimately, fire.

March

‍One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall

Seeking escape from his failed marriage, Cole retreats from London to a remote coastal town, where he meets Leonora, an artist seeking her own fresh start. Their tentative bond forms against a harsh landscape—but when two young women disappear nearby, they’re thrust into a police investigation and media frenzy about gendered violence. As suspicion spreads and tensions rise, Cole and Leonora are forced to confront uncomfortable truths about their pasts, their community, and how little they truly know each other.

April

‍Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

Eva Mercy, a single mom and bestselling erotica author, is juggling pressures when reclusive literary star Shane Hall suddenly reappears in New York. Their unexpected reunion at a literary event ignites old chemistry and resurfaces shared teenage traumas from a passionate week twenty years earlier. As Brooklyn swelters over seven intense days, Eva and Shane navigate unresolved feelings, public scrutiny, and their intertwined creative lives. Eva must decide whether to guard her heart—or confront the past to rewrite their future.

May

‍Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley

In a Berkeley campus bar in 2000, music-obsessed Percy Marks meets Joe Morrow, a songwriter who’s unexpectedly captivated by her relentless commentary. When Joe asks for her feedback, their creative partnership begins—sparking inspiration, desire, and years of intense collaboration. As their bond deepens and their egos clash, Percy must confront whether their connection is propelling her forward or keeping her from discovering her true artistic voice. Deep Cuts explores ambition, identity, and the messy beauty of creative partnership.

June

‍The Coast Road by Alan Murrin

Set in 1994 Ireland, The Coast Road follows Colette Crowley, a poet returning home to Donegal after leaving her family for an affair. Her estranged husband blocks her from seeing their children, forcing her to rely on Izzy Keaveney, a neighbor trapped in her own unhappy marriage, to act as a go-between. As their unlikely friendship deepens, both women confront societal constraints and personal desires—leading to tragedy for one and liberation for the other in a poignant story of freedom’s cost.

July

‍Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Joan Goodwin, a quiet physics professor with a lifelong love of the stars, leaps at the chance to join NASA’s new space shuttle program in 1980. Selected from thousands, she trains alongside a diverse group of astronauts, forging deep friendships and unexpected love as they prepare for flight. As Joan pushes past her limits and reimagines her place in the universe, their shared dream culminates in a 1984 mission that changes everything in an instant—testing courage, connection, and destiny.

August

‍The Names by Florence Knapp

After a devastating storm, Cora takes her daughter to register her newborn son’s name, knowing her abusive husband expects the child to be named after him. In a single moment of hesitation, her life diverges. The Names follows three alternate paths over thirty-five years, each shaped by Cora’s choice. Through these intertwined narratives, the novel explores the lasting impact of domestic abuse, the complexities of family bonds, and the transformative power of naming, autonomy, and healing.

September

‍Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer

In a kingdom scorched by his own fire magic, King Ky seeks a political marriage to Princess Jory of Astranza, hoping her family’s weather powers can save his land. But Jory hides a dangerous truth: their magic is fading. As unexpected sparks ignite between them, her childhood friend Asher—now a skilled assassin—receives a contract to kill them both. Torn between loyalty, love, and survival, the three are drawn into a storm of secrets, power, and betrayal.

October

‍Soul Searching by Lyla Sage

Collins Cartwright reluctantly returns to Sweetwater Peak, Wyoming, to save her family’s antique shop—while secretly nursing her own losses and a troubling silence from the ghosts who’ve always accompanied her. Renting a room above Brady Cooper’s upholstery store, she discovers it’s haunted by spirits determined to ignore her. Brady, newly arrived and hiding his own secrets, doesn’t expect Collins—or her quirks. As their lives intertwine and the ghosts meddle, the line between temporary arrangement and lasting connection begins to blur.

November

‍Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake

After a disastrous freshman year, Nina Kaur is desperate to join The House, an elite sorority promising power, protection, and success. At the same university, exhausted new mother and adjunct professor Sloane Hartley accepts a role as the group’s academic liaison, drawn to its flawless, ambitious members. But as both women are lured into The House’s secretive rituals, they uncover the sinister price of belonging. Girl Dinner exposes the hunger for perfection—and the bloody sacrifices it demands.

December

‍The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

At an airport on her way home, Sara is abruptly detained by the Risk Assessment Administration, who claim their algorithm shows she’s a danger to her husband—based entirely on her dreams. Sent to a strict retention center for 21 days, she discovers every tiny rule violation extends her stay. As fear, control, and paranoia close in, Sara must decide whether to comply to get home or defy the system and risk everything for her freedom.