Kirkus Reviews’ 20 Best New Reads for Book Clubs

Looking for a new book club read? Kirkus Reviews has some recommendations for your next pick! Click here to view the full list.

THE WAYFINDER by Adam Johnson

“Johnson, the Pulitzer-winning author of THE ORPHAN MASTER’S SON, unfolds a majestic saga of political unrest in the South Pacific and a girl’s quest to save her people… The sweeping plot is packed with harrowing depictions of war’s moral abyss and heart-wrenching lovers’ tales, most touchingly in a twisty Shakespearean development involving the princes’ oldest brother and his beloved. Through it all, Johnson poignantly captures how the characters’ culture is forged by their oral history tradition… This is remarkable.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Johnson’s (THE ORPHAN MASTER’S SON, 2012) long-awaited new novel is expansive in scope, historically detailed, and totally enthralling… Johnson’s monumental research into the history, legacy, and imprint of the Polynesian culture is evident in the meticulous detail of his narrative—which is about much more than his characters, whose vibrancy demands acknowledgement, and his gorgeous landscape descriptions… Part bildungsroman, part historical exploration, this novel is a study of the many islands in the South Pacific, their power struggles, abuses of power, and the perseverance to survive.”—Booklist, starred review

THE SEA CAPTAIN’S WIFE: A True Story of Mutiny, Love, and Adventure at the Bottom of the World by Tilar J. Mazzeo

“Mazzeo offers plenty of juicy details about sea life… She also follows the Pattens’ story, a somewhat unrelentingly tragic one, beyond the famed voyage itself (when they disembarked, Mary Ann, disallowed as a woman from conducting business transactions, couldn’t even raise funds for her husband’s medical care). The result is a bracing high-seas adventure and a forgotten slice of women’s history.”—Publishers Weekly