Emma has selected some newly published novels that are guaranteed to get some animated conversation going at your next book group meeting.
The Names by Florence Knapp (£16.99, Orion, hardback published May 2025)
This is a book everyone seems to be talking about right now.
What’s in a name? Cora sets out with her nine-year-old daughter to register the birth of her son. Her husband intends for her to follow a long-standing family tradition and call the baby after him. But when faced with the decision, Cora hesitates. This novel then proceeds to divide in different directions – to look at the life of the family depending on which name is given to the child. It’s a clever premise, and makes the book – which covers themes of abuse – worthy of lengthy discussions late into the evening!
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon (£9.99, Penguin, paperback published January 2025)
If you said I would end up being addicted to a novel set during the Peloponnesian War, with a generous sprinkling of expletives, modern-day phrases, and where the characters seem to speak with an Irish accent, I‘m not sure I would have believed you. But that’s the wonderful thing about book groups: you read books you wouldn’t normally choose, and are often pleasantly surprised.
In a Syracuse quarry are the defeated, starving Athenian prisoners, nearly baking to death in the sun. Two friends – the hapless, lovesick Lampo, and Euripides fan, Gelon – decide to put on a play with the captives as cast. What could possibly go wrong? It will reveal the very worst, and the very best, of what humans are capable of. This bold fast-paced novel brings the ancient world vividly to life, and will leave a tear in your eye.
The Sleepwalkers by Scarlett Thomas (£9.99, Scribner, paperback published July 2025)
This new novel begins as a straightforward thriller, but as the story unfolds, both the perspective and style begin to evolve, making this dark and simmering tale an ideal selection for reading groups. Still reeling from the chaos of their wedding, Evelyn and Richard arrive on an idyllic Greek island for their honeymoon. It’s the end of the season and out at sea a storm is brewing. They check in to an exclusive hotel, the Villa Rosa, where the proprietor Isabella — a strangely intense woman of indeterminate accent — flirts with Richard while treating Evelyn dismissively.
Isabella tells them the story of ‘the sleepwalkers’: a couple who stayed at the hotel the year before and drowned in a tragic and unexplained accident. It starts to feel like the entire island is obsessed with ‘the sleepwalkers’, but what at first seems like a fun tale to tell before bed quickly evolves into a living nightmare. Unpredictable, and subversively funny, it’s the White Lotus meets Patricia Highsmith.
The Women by Kristin Hannah (£9.99, Pan Macmillan, paperback published Feb 2025)
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah has been a beloved choice among book groups for years. Her latest bestseller, The Women, is sure to captivate readers as well. It is a story of a memorable heroine, Frances, a student nurse, who having led a sheltered life on California’s idyllic Coronado Island decides to follow her brother when he ships out to serve in Vietnam. She is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America. She will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.
If you enjoy diving into a story that offers a glimpse into historical events and different cultures, while also tugging at your heartstrings, then this is exactly what you’re looking for.
James by Percival Everett (£9.99, Pan Macmillan, paperback published Feb 2025)
This multi award-winning novel is a re-imagining of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but told from the perspective of Huck’s friend on his travels, Jim, an escaped slave.
When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a new owner in New Orleans and separated from his wife and daughter forever, he flees to nearby Jackson’s Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father who recently returned to town. So begins a dangerous and transcendent journey along the Mississippi River. As they navigate the treacherous waters, each bend in the river holds the promise of both salvation and demise. Despite the themes of slavery, and race (rich discussion points) it is actually often very funny, and the fast-packed action means you’ll finish it well before you are due to meet your book group.
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (£16.99, John Murray, Hardback published March 2025)
I was addicted to this romance-meets-mystery, and hoovered it up over a couple of days.
Beth is a farmer’s wife, happily married to Frank, though both are grieving the loss of their son some years ago. One day, Beth’s first love Gabriel strides back into her life. Suddenly her certainty about who she is and what she wants crumbles. Even after ten years, their connection is instant. She knows it’s wrong – but how can she resist a second chance at first love?
A love story with the pulse of a thriller, Broken Country is a heart-pounding novel of impossible choices and devastating consequences, perfect for fans of The Paper Palace. Reese Witherspoon & Ferne Cotton both picked it for their Book Clubs, and we highly recommend it for yours!
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (£9.99, Sceptre, paperback published March 2025)
After a ten year break The Big Read is back, relaunching at Cheltenham Literary Festival this year. The book they have selected is 2024’s hit, the time-travelling love story, The Ministry of Time – a genre-defying, witty read that blends history, science fiction, and romance.
A civil servant is offered a lucrative job in a mysterious new government ministry gathering ‘expats’ from across history to test whether time-travel is feasible. Her role is to work as a ‘bridge’: living with, supporting and monitoring expat ‘1847’ Commander Graham Gore, a former Victorian polar explorer. Gore, an adventurer by trade, soon adjusts to this bizarre new world of washing machines, feminism and Spotify; and during a long, sultry summer the pair move from awkwardness to friendship to something more.
But as the true shape of the project that brought them together begins to emerge, Gore and the bridge are forced to confront their past choices and imagined futures. Can love triumph over the histories that have shaped them?
Smart, and a bit silly, this is a highly original novel perfect for book groups who love to have deep discussions.