Sure Bets - 2025Like this list

30 items

• Anxious People

  a Novel

  Backman, Fredrik, 1981-

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  Backman's novels have been making Sure Bet lists since he debuted with A Man Called Ove in 2012. His humorous and compassionate writing has something for everyone. This book - about a failed bank robber taking a group of strangers hostage - is…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Personal Librarian

  Benedict, Marie,

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  A fictional account of real life figure Belle de Costa Greene, who was chosen by J. P. Morgan to curate the Pierpoint Morgan Library. An inspirational piece of provocative historical fiction, with plenty of topics for a book club to discuss!

• The Vanishing Half

  Bennett, Brit,

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  A book about identity in many forms - race, class, orientation, and more - this multinarrative piece of historical fiction flew off the shelves on its release and has remained a popular title in our collections since.

• Horse

  Brooks, Geraldine,

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  Pulitzer-prize winning Geraldine Brooks weaves discrete stories together about art, science, and love, in this whirlwind historical fiction that was a favorite of our book discussion groups.

• A Forty Year Kiss

  a Novel

  Butler, Nickolas,

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  Nickolas Butler brings his Midwestern charm to this story about a separated couple reuniting after forty years apart. Not just a romance, but an exploration of redemption and how people change over the course of decades.

• Leviathan Wakes

  Corey, James S. A.

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  The first entry in the beloved Expanse series (a trilogy of trilogies) plays out like Game of Thrones in space. Three factions - Earth, independent Mars, and the downtrodden asteroid Belt - vie for resources and power after a monumental discovery is…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Wedding People

  a Novel

  Espach, Alison, 1984-

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  A farce with a tender heart, about a woman at rock bottom getting swept up into a wedding party as the only non-guest at a luxury inn. Loveable characters along with the writing's heart and humor make this a hit with all sorts of readers.

• The Pillars of the Earth

  Follett, Ken,

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  Ken Follett's staggering first entry in what would become his Kingsbridge series has wide appeal. This story of the construction of a massive cathedral is a true epic. Readers with a more literary bent will latch onto Follett's themes and cycles,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• In Gad We Trust

  a Tell-some

  Gad, Josh, 1981-

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  Not quite a tell-all, Gad (best known as the voice of Olaf in Disney's Frozen) writes with a quick wit in this memoir full of backstage gossip and a tumultuous childhood. For fans of I'm Glad My Mom Died or Sure, I'll Join Your Cult...here's your…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Lessons in Chemistry

  Garmus, Bonnie,

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  Bonnie Garmus' debut novel has everything - it's funny, it's sad, it's uplifting, it has a terrific dog. Her effortless writing will draw in readers of all genres and keep them entertained until the very last page.

• The Wager

  a Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder

  Grann, David,

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  Grann's Killers of the Flower Moon lived on many of our Sure Bets list for many years, but his latest chronicle of the shipwreck The Wager is an astonishing story that deserves the spotlight. Fans of historical fiction from the works of Patrick…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Everything Is Tuberculosis

  the History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection

  Green, John, 1977-

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  John Green, beloved author of many YA fiction titles, turns his sentimental and very human writing to the story of tuberculosis and the people it still affects today.

• The Midnight Library

  Haig, Matt, 1975-

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  Who among us hasn't wondered what their life would look like if they'd made different choices? When Nora is given the opportunity to live out these alternative lives, she finds they aren't all she might have imagined. A beautiful novel about finding…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Women

  Hannah, Kristin,

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  Hannah's Nightingale was a huge success and still is popular today. This newer novel of hers shifts focus from World War II over to Vietnam as it follows a woman serving in the Army Nurse Corps. The exploration of what it means to sacrifice, what…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• People We Meet on Vacation

  Henry, Emily,

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  A crowd-pleasing romcom about two best friends who couldn't be more different. Even readers who typically avoid romance novels like this for its slow burn, good characters, and clever structure.

• None of This Is True

  a Novel

  Jewell, Lisa,

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  Jewell has been a mainstay of our thriller lists, and this one has been one of her most popular since its release in 2023. A twisty thriller about a popular podcast with unreliable characters and bone-chilling surprises.

• Rocket Men

  the Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon

  Kurson, Robert,

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  A tremendously written piece of history that reads more like fiction. It has everything - drama, romance, action, politics, toilet humor...and is even a Christmas story on top of all that. Something for everyone.

• The Demon of Unrest

  a Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War

  Larson, Erik, 1954-

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  A political thriller made all the more riveting because it's all true. The account of the months between Lincoln's election and the Confederacy's attack on Fort Sumter is phenomenally researched, bringing history to life. Larson's knack for…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Lies of Locke Lamora

  Lynch, Scott, 1978-

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  Sometimes billed as "Epic fantasy by way of Tarantino", Scott Lynch's debut novel reveals a lush urban fantasy setting reminiscent of Venice. Perfect for readers looking for a rollicking and violent adventure or some absolutely stellar characters…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Circe

  a Novel

  Miller, Madeline,

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  Miller takes Greek mythology - not known for its intimate human portraits - and gives it new life, not just by slightly twisting the story you already know, but by making these characters feel real and ready to leap off the page. Even the immortal…Read moreRead more of this annotation