There exists in every reading group a peculiar sort of magic—the kind that transforms an ordinary gathering of friends into something rather extraordinary. One brings the wine, another the opinions, and somehow the evening becomes an adventure unto itself. Yet the success of such enchantment depends entirely upon the book at its center.
Whether you seek recommendations rivaling those of Reese’s Book Club or Oprah’s Book Club, or simply desire a tale that will have your members talking long past the final page, this collection of the most popular book club books for 2025 and 2026 shall serve you well. These are stories built for spirited debate, heartfelt connection, and the delightful discovery that someone else underlined the very same passage you did.
1. The Wendy by Erin Michelle Sky & Steven Brown
Before we journey further, we must speak of a book that belongs at the top of every book club’s list—a Peter Pan retelling so clever, so thoroughly charming, that readers describe it as “a classic in its own right.”
The Wendy reimagines the beloved tale through the eyes of Wendy Darling herself, not as a girl whisked away to Neverland, but as an orphan in 1780s England who dreams of captaining her own ship. In a world that insists women cannot be sailors, Wendy trains in secret, masters swordplay and navigation, and eventually finds herself employed by England’s Home Office in a covert war against magical threats—including a winged man called Peter Pan.
What makes this an ideal book club selection? Reviewers call the writing “witty” and “delightful,” praising how the narrator feels like a character in their own right—complete with dry humor and clever asides that echo the whimsy of Barrie’s original. One reader proclaimed it “the best YA fiction I’ve read in years,” while another declared Wendy “close to the pinnacle of perfectly-created strong female heroines.”
The story sparks rich discussion: What does it mean to chase an impossible dream? How do we navigate a world that underestimates us? And why do pickles taste like magic? (You shall have to read it to understand.) The complete trilogy—The Wendy, The Navigator, and The Captain—is now available, so your club can follow Wendy’s entire journey.
Perfect for: Groups who love strong heroines, historical settings with a twist of fantasy, and prose that makes you laugh out loud.
2. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
There is a peculiar orphanage on an island where the children are rather unusual—one is the literal Antichrist, another can move objects with her mind, and a third transforms into a terrifying creature when embarrassed. Enter Linus Baker, a caseworker sent to evaluate whether these dangerous children should be allowed to exist.
What follows is a tale that reviewers compare to “1984 meets The Umbrella Academy with a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in.” At its heart lies a profound meditation on found family—the idea that belonging is not something we are born into but something we create.
Perfect for: Book clubs seeking heartwarming reads that explore acceptance, bureaucracy, and what it means to truly see another person.
3. Circe by Madeline Miller
The witch of Aiaia has long been reduced to a footnote—the sorceress who turned men to pigs and delayed Odysseus on his journey home. But what if we heard her story from the beginning?
Madeline Miller spins an epic spanning centuries, following the immortal Circe from her birth as an awkward nymph to her exile on a lonely island where she masters the art of witchcraft. The PBS Now Read This Book Club selected this novel for good reason—it transforms mythology into something achingly human.
Perfect for: Groups who love Greek mythology, feminist retellings, and prose so beautiful you’ll want to read passages aloud.
4. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Sam and Sadie meet in a hospital games room when they are eleven years old. Decades later, they create video games together—works of art that make them famous and test the very limits of their complicated friendship.
This Goodreads Choice Award winner spans thirty years of creative partnership, exploring whether love can exist in forms we have no words for. Bill Gates noted that “even if you’re skeptical about reading a book about video games, the subject is a terrific metaphor for human connection.”
Perfect for: Book clubs who appreciate stories about creativity, ambition, and the friendships that define us.
5. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant chemist in 1960s California, but her male colleagues refuse to take her seriously. When circumstances lead her to host a cooking show, she approaches recipes like scientific experiments—and accidentally sparks a revolution.
This GMA Book Club Pick has sold over eight million copies and become an Apple TV+ series starring Brie Larson. The novel asks: What happens when a woman refuses to diminish herself?
Perfect for: Groups who love sharp wit, unconventional heroines, and stories that examine gender expectations.
6. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Between life and death exists a library containing infinite books—each one a life Nora Seed might have lived had she made different choices. A glaciologist in one book, a rock star in another, Nora must search through endless possibilities to discover what makes life worth living.
This GMA Book Club Pick has sold over ten million copies worldwide, resonating deeply with readers who have ever wondered “what if?”
Perfect for: Book clubs exploring themes of regret, second chances, and the philosophy of happiness.
7. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
In the marshlands of North Carolina, a girl called Kya survives alone from age ten, finding family among the gulls and lessons in the sand. When a young man is found dead, the town suspects the “Marsh Girl.”
Reese Witherspoon selected this novel for her book club, and it became the bestselling book of both 2019 and 2020. The prose sings with the rhythms of nature itself.
Perfect for: Groups who love mysteries wrapped in literary fiction and settings that become characters themselves.
8. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Ove is a curmudgeon—the sort of man who checks that the same rules apply to him as to everyone else, then finds loopholes for himself anyway. When new neighbors accidentally flatten his mailbox, it begins a most unlikely friendship.
This international bestseller proves that even the grumpiest souls contain depths of love and loyalty. Two film adaptations (including one starring Tom Hanks) have introduced Ove to millions.
Perfect for: Book clubs seeking heartwarming reads with eccentric characters and gentle humor.
9. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
An aging Hollywood icon finally agrees to tell the truth about her glamorous, scandalous life—but only to an unknown magazine reporter named Monique. What follows spans decades of Old Hollywood, secret love, and the compromises we make to survive.
Buzzfeed called it “one of the most captivating reads of 2017,” and its popularity has only grown since.
Perfect for: Groups fascinated by celebrity, identity, LGBTQ+ stories, and the masks we wear.
10. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Two sisters in occupied France during World War II choose very different paths—one joins the Resistance, the other focuses on protecting her children. Both discover what they’re capable of when everything is at stake.
This Reese’s Book Club Pick has sold over 4.5 million copies and reveals “the women’s war” in all its heartbreak and heroism.
Perfect for: Book clubs who love historical fiction, stories of sisterhood, and discussions of moral complexity.
11. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor follows the same routine each week—work, supermarket pizza, two bottles of vodka, solitude. She is perfectly fine, thank you very much. Until an act of kindness cracks open her carefully controlled world.
Reese Witherspoon’s inaugural book club pick remains a favorite for its unforgettable protagonist and the slow revelation of what lies beneath her peculiar surface.
Perfect for: Groups who appreciate character studies, explorations of loneliness, and books with transformative twists.
12. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
A family moves to the Alaskan wilderness in 1974, fleeing the ghosts of Vietnam. But the brutal winters reveal that some dangers cannot be escaped—they live inside the people we love.
Kristin Hannah’s fans adore this novel for its breathtaking setting and its unflinching portrayal of survival, both in nature and in impossible home situations.
Perfect for: Book clubs ready to discuss difficult themes like domestic violence alongside the transformative power of landscape.
13. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
A failed bank robber accidentally takes hostages during an apartment open house. What follows is an ingenious puzzle of a novel, revealing how the strangest circumstances connect us all.
From the author of A Man Called Ove comes another meditation on forgiveness, friendship, and the glorious mess of being human.
Perfect for: Groups who enjoy unconventional narratives and finding humor in unexpected places.
14. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
In 1714, a young French woman makes a desperate bargain—freedom in exchange for her soul, but with a curse: no one she meets will ever remember her. Three hundred years later, she walks into a bookshop, and for the first time, someone knows her name.
This fantasy has enchanted book clubs with its exploration of memory, legacy, and whether a life witnessed by no one still matters.
Perfect for: Groups who love magical realism, immortal heroines, and stories that span centuries.
15. The Astral Library by Kate Quinn
Coming in 2026 from the bestselling author of The Rose Code, this novel follows a book-obsessed young woman who discovers a secret door in the Boston Public Library—and steps into a magical refuge where readers can enter the novels they love.
Racing through Austen salons and Holmesian alleys, this promises to be the ultimate book lover’s fantasy.
Perfect for: Book clubs already planning their 2026 reading lists and anyone who has ever wished to step inside a story.
How to Choose the Perfect Book Club Pick
When selecting your next read, consider what sparks conversation in your particular group. Do you gravitate toward historical fiction like The Nightingale or fantasy like The House in the Cerulean Sea? Do you prefer books that made Reese’s Book Club or Oprah’s Book Club lists, or do you delight in discovering hidden gems like The Wendy?
The best book club picks share certain qualities: protagonists whose choices can be debated, themes that resonate with our own lives, and writing so engaging that members actually finish the book before meeting.
Whatever you choose, may your discussions be spirited, your wine glasses full, and your reading lists ever growing. For that is the peculiar magic of book clubs—they remind us that stories are meant to be shared.
Looking for your next great read? Start with The Wendy and discover why readers call it “a Peter Pan retelling better than the original.”
