10 New Books Your Fall Book Club Won't Stop Talking About

American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee

Out: September 29

It's been almost a decade since her stunning release Pachinko, and Min Jin Lee's long-awaited follow-up was worth the wait. The novel follows the Koh family, a comfortably middle-class Korean household knocked sideways by a betrayal and the 1997 Asian financial crisis, as they move between Seoul, Sydney, and Orange County. At the center of it all are hagwons, the private after-school academies that power Korea's intense focus on academic success. It's a doorstopper (650+ pages), so give your group two meetings. Anyone who's ever felt the pressure of a parent's sacrifice will have thoughts.

Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus

Out: October 13

The author of Lessons in Chemistry is back, and this time she's making poetry fun. It's 1982 in New York City, and twenty-something Batter Gray lands a dream job at the world's most prestigious (and most dysfunctional) poetry quarterly, where twin brothers who can't stand each other run the show and parolees staff the mailroom. It's charming, quirky, and packed with an ensemble cast your group will instantly start ranking. Expect plenty of "is it as good as Lessons?" debate.

Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason

Out: September 29

The Sorrow and Bliss author returns with a tender, funny story about Sophie, a lonely sound technician who works behind the scenes at literary festivals. When she rediscovers a famous author she first loved in her twenties, Sophie becomes a little (okay, a lot) obsessed and dreams of meeting her. Then, of course, she does. It's Reese's Book Club's October pick, and it's basically a love letter to readers. Every book lover has had a parasocial crush on an author, so your group will see themselves in Sophie.

Partita by Barbara Kingsolver

Out: October 6

In her first novel since the Pulitzer-winning Demon Copperhead, Kingsolver follows Livia Cable, a woman who's settled into a quiet marriage on the Tennessee farm where she grew up. Then an old lover calls after decades of silence and asks to see her, forcing Livia to revisit her past as a gifted conservatory pianist and the passionate affair that derailed her life. The chapters are structured like movements in a musical suite. Second chances, class barriers, and "what if" regrets are prime discussion fuel, especially for groups that loved Tom Lake.

The Unknown by Riley Sager

Out: August 4

The perfect pick for spooky season. In 1926, five women vanished from New Avalon, a remote island commune of spiritual mediums in Vermont, leaving behind only five dresses hanging from an oak tree. A century later, struggling actress Marin Keane is cast in a film about the mystery and sent to the island for an immersive weeklong rehearsal. Then people start disappearing again. Sager's twists are made for gasping out loud together. Critics are split on the ending, which means your group will be, too. Pair it with Pumpkin spice anything and the lights turned low. Séance optional.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Out: April 2026 (yet still the book everyone's talking about)

If your group somehow hasn't read it yet, fall is the moment. Natalie Heller Mills is a tradwife influencer with millions of followers and a picture-perfect Idaho farm, until she wakes up in 1855 and has to actually live the lifestyle she's been selling online. The debut topped bestseller lists, became a GMA Book Club pick, and is headed to the screen with Anne Hathaway set to star. It's satire, suspense, and a cultural conversation all in one. Readers are genuinely divided on Natalie, which makes for the best kind of meeting.

Hollywood, Ending by John Green

Out: September 22

John Green's first novel in nine years is also his first for adults. It follows two young actors, Kai and Juniper, whose lives change when they're cast in an Andy Warhol biopic. Behind the red carpets is a love story about trust, fame, and what it costs to live your life in front of the internet. Perfect for anyone who grew up crying over The Fault in Our Stars and wants to see where Green goes next. The celebrity-culture angle sparks great conversations about our own relationships with social media. Something to talk about: Would you trade your privacy for fame?

The Housekeeper by Rose Tremain

Out: October 6 (U.S.)

Calling all Rebecca fans! Tremain imagines the story behind Daphne du Maurier's gothic classic through Danni, a lonely housekeeper at a grand house on the Cornish coast who begins a secret affair with the young writer. When the novel becomes a smash, Danni discovers she's been turned into the jealous, sinister Mrs. Danvers, so she decides to tell her side. It's moody, romantic, and literary, with built-in homework: read it alongside Rebecca for a double-feature meeting. A film adaptation starring Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter is already in the works.

Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel

Out: September 15

The Station Eleven author is back with a mind-bending epic. It's 2031, America is at war with itself, and Los Angeles is celebrating the newly declared Republic of California. At one glittering party, the host vanishes into thin air and something uncanny happens that haunts Ari Waker for the rest of her many lives, from Paris to a colony on the moon. It's a puzzle-box novel with parallel worlds and doppelgängers, so everyone will walk in with a different theory. Bonus: Mandel is working on a TV adaptation.

Fair Ones by Lydia Millet

Out: October 6

This "double novel" follows Mara and Jen, two Brooklyn women in their forties reeling from the sudden, senseless death of their best friend, Claire. The first half is told by Mara; the second picks up a year later from Jen's blunter point of view, as both navigate grief, new relationships, and old secrets. It's mostly dialogue, so it reads fast. It's a funny-sad ode to midlife friendship, chosen family, and the choice to stay childfree. Bring your own best friends and tissues.