Must-Read Book Club Books for 2027

I spend a ton of time researching and selecting which books to feature on this list. Book club reads don’t have to be genre-specific, and there are so many different storylines to explore.

This list features buzzy and engaging new releases in 2027 that are all ideal reads for book clubs. After all, the biggest component of a book club read is one that will generate discussion and even debate. And these all sound so promising.

In 2027, we have the return of beloved authors such as Kristin Hannah, Brit Bennett, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Percival Everett, and many more. There are so many exciting new reads by debut authors that are worth noting as well.

Keep in mind that as new books get announced or if pub dates change, I will update this list throughout the year. So be sure to bookmark it and check often. If you’re seeking new releases from 2026, head over to my huge must-read book club picks for 2026 list.

Let’s get to the must-read book club picks for 2027!

But Harmon isn’t aware his wife has a history with this cop.

This is both a crime novel and a family drama that sounds like it will initiate plenty of discussion.

Author CJ Green is the first in his family to go to college and a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. To tell the story of the Pond family, he drew on his mother’s stories of growing up around Buffalo.

But I’m curious about her latest novel, The Things You’ll Never Know (pub date: January 12). Again, it features pretty tough subject matter surrounding mothers and parenthood. In the story, a mother dies, but she follows her family (as a ghost?) as they try to find out what happened, while also concealing their own secrets.

Whew, even reading the synopsis makes my heart feel a little heavy, but at the same time, I’m quite interested in where the story will go. I’m already thinking of a ton of questions, and that is always the hallmark of a great book club read.

I was able to attend Fiona’s author signing for Samantha: The Next Chapter, and she gave those in attendance a preview of The Jewel of Sugar Hill, and it sounds so intriguing.

The oldest house in Manhattan is the Morris-Jumel Mansion. It was built in 1765 and was the home of Aaron Burr and his wife, Eliza Brown. In the novel, the reader follows Eliza in 1800s New York City as she’s determined to break free from her humble background. We then go to 2010, as disgraced architect Abby Dorrance gets drawn to the mansion as well.

I know this will be a great read full of mystery, history, and more.

The story takes place in 1949. Benedito da Silva (Bene) kills a man when defending his new bride, Cilia. When the dead man’s powerful family promises revenge, Bene is forced to flee Portugal, and it’s unknown if he can ever return.

Without Bene, Cilia feels like an outsider within his family but is still tasked with keeping the household afloat.

Maria, a widow in her early thirties, runs a shop in Newfoundland and Bene is a customer. The two find refuge in each other. Unable to read or write, Bene asks his new mistress to write a love letter to the wife he left behind. When Bene is in danger, eventually, the two women have to speak to each other directly.

This novel has high praise, including Ann Patchett calling it “breathtaking.”

Beyond the beautiful cover, Three Sisters covers an extremely complicated family. The father, Florian, is a world-famous artist who lives in Capri, but his daughters are far away, and they all tried to escape their chaotic childhood.

But he asks all of them to return to his villa, where he will make a shocking announcement that will pit sister against sister.

It sounds heavy, and I’m sure it will be, but the book also promises that this sisters’ reunion will also feature plenty of comedic and heartfelt emotions as they work through their fractured relationships.

Messy family dynamics always make for a great book club selection!

In 1918, Arthur Champion is one of a handful of Black students at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. But after a run-in with a vindictive professor, he finds himself unceremoniously enlisted in the United States Army.

What follows is a journey that will take Arthur to the trenches of the Somme, to the jazz clubs of Harlem, to even Woodrow Wilson’s White House.

Serious Music will be a read that everyone will talk about, and will have lasting power for years to come.

In a similar vein to Thelma and Louise, the story follows two best friends who are running a highly successful con over men. Vic and Coco are the closest thing to family either one has ever had, although the two don’t even know each other’s real names.

However, everything shifts in 1974 when the economy takes a huge dive. So they make a plan to get their biggest payday yet, or they will lose everything.

TJR has covered many fictional famous people in the past (astronauts, a tennis player, etc.), so I’m curious about this focus on these women running an elaborate con.

But with Emerald Lake (pub date: March 30), Nita takes the reader on a different kind of mystery, more similar to literary thrillers such as The God of the Woods and All the Colors of the Dark.

Emerald Lake follows Jane Weber, at age 84 and in poor health, as she wishes to never remember the one tragic summer that changed everything forever.

But then her young granddaughter discovers human remains by the lake, and it reopens a mystery that has long been forgotten. And Jane knows more than she is willing to say.

I really enjoy the atmospheric literary thrillers, so I’m quite curious how this one will unfold.

Beckett loves romantic films, and dreams her screenplays will one day have an impact like the ones she adores. But her mentor believes she has to experience life more boldly in order to be able to write that kind of story.

Everything changes for Beckett when she inherits a house in Santa Barbara, and it all feels perfect so far, even the sweet rescue dog that comes to her backyard. The only issue is the dog’s ornery enigma of a foster dad. But could he be the right person to help Beckett live boldly?

I’m excited for this one, especially with the Santa Barbara setting!

But she’ll soon be faced with a big decision: save her sister or country?

It also jumps back to London in 1915, when their mother is treating wounded soldiers at a hospital. But now she is receiving strange visions that seem to impact her oldest daughter, Beatrice.

Her ex-girlfriend is in Paris, whose attention Zuzu craves. Her husband is back home as their relationship is put to the test with shared longing for a child.

As she spends these days in Paris, Zuzu makes several decisions that could change her life forever.

But it’s not an easy road as she manages living in a foreign city with her husband and other roadblocks. However, she also discovers so much more as she shares her failures and victories with readers.

The story is set in our divided time and follows Merritt, a woman who is a faithful wife, devoted mother, etc. But when she is betrayed by those she trusts and thrust into the public spotlight, it changes everything for her.

She’ll embark on a cross-country trip to reconnect with her estranged daughter and join forces with other women, too.

The synopsis doesn’t give us much, so I’m quite interested in where this story will go, especially as it’s a departure from her historical fiction tales as of late.

In The Last Diva (pub date: June 8), Roz and Cleo are friends who are also part of a singing group. As they experience success, the two eventually become bitter rivals.

When Cleo dies, the world wants to know her story. And Roz could tell it and help to reshape their decades-long friendship and feud. The story will span from the 1960s to the present as it takes a closer look at the price of fame.

Brit Bennett is a fantastic writer, and you’ll want to get those pre-orders or library holds in as soon as you can.

Happy reading! Remember to bookmark this list, as I will update it often with the best books for 2027!

Let’s read a book together! Join my book club. We’re starting in January with Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth. The book club is free to join, and you can sign up here. If you already get my newsletter, you’re in!