The 2026 MomAdvice Book Club Books (JOIN NOW)

Join the 2026 MomAdvice Book Club to explore 12 handpicked novels, enjoy lively author chats, and celebrate a year of stories that inspire and delight.

I couldn’t be more excited to share our 2026 MomAdvice Book Club lineup with you. This year, I have twelve riveting stories that invite fresh adventures in identity and explore the courage it takes to live fully as ourselves, even when life tests our hearts. The truth is, I don’t always recognize a theme for the year until I see the whole stack together, and this year it’s clear: every book feels like it’s in conversation with the others.

Each of these stories features characters facing enormous challenges — in history, in their own family, or within themselves — showing us what it truly means to find our voice, our hope, and even our joy, against all odds.

Amy Allen Clark with the 2026 MomAdvice Book Club Books (JOIN NOW)

Each year, I read over a hundred books, immersing myself in stories across genres, voices, and worlds, so that when I share our MomAdvice Book Club picks, you can trust that every single one has been chosen with care, heart, and our community in mind. I announce the lineup early so you can reserve your copies at the library, gift them for the holidays, or hunt for used editions to enjoy sustainably — whatever makes the experience easiest and most joyful for you.

Your membership in the book club helps fund the podcast, keeps the conversations going, and supports a space where readers like you can connect deeply over stories that matter.

This year, I’ve intentionally chosen stories that present new facets of history we haven’t explored before, moving beyond the familiar WWII terrain, while also revisiting familiar historical threads through fresh, compelling perspectives. Whether it’s women refusing to be silenced, the lone voice of reason in a community, or discovering belonging in unexpected places, these books will stretch your empathy and expand your understanding of the human experience through many walks of life.

I can’t wait to read these stories with you, to laugh, cry, and reflect together, and to celebrate the extraordinary power of storytelling that lingers long after the final page. If you haven’t joined us before, I hope you’ll come along this year. These stories are life-changing, life-affirming, and deserve to be unboxed with a warm, authentic community of readers just like ours.

Shortcut to Join Now!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN NOW

What’s New This Year?

Thanks to your feedback, our official 2026 Book Club night has been moved to the last Thursday of each month at 8 PM ET.

That’s not the only new thing!

For the first time, every month’s author will join the podcast, giving all listeners the full Book Gang podcast experience, no matter their financial situation. Each author in our 2026 lineup will share long-form interviews, deep craft conversations, and behind-the-scenes insights, while Patreon members also enjoy monthly Zoom discussions, dedicated spoiler chats, and the chance to connect deeply with each story beyond these interviews.

You can support the show through membership, drop in for $5 at a single event, or give via Buy Me a Coffee — every contribution ensures that no one is shut out, no matter their financial situation.

What is the Cost to Join The 2026 Book Club?

Hundreds of hours go into every book club year, along with hundreds of dollars spent on editing materials for our club. As a small business owner, I am doing everything I can to keep our website running through increasingly challenging times in the tech world.

These funds are collected to cover all hosting services related to running a club of this size.

We are offering two tier levels for this year on Patreon.

For full details on each month’s benefits, you can view each month’s “Book Club Experience” outlined with each of the books below.

Book Club Explorer- $5 PER MONTH

Full Access to the Book Club Benefits, including meeting many of the featured authors, a monthly Zoom to discuss the book with me, and book list printables with the book club’s themes.
Annual printable Book Club organizer for keeping track of meet-ups, reviews, and notes for our meetings
The FULLY BOOKED podcast book review show offering book reviews on the new buzzy books hosted with Larry Hoffer of @getbookedwithlarry
The FULLY BOOKED newsletter that includes book adaptation news and what is coming to store shelves each month (25-35 pages)
Spoiler-filled episodes where authors discuss the ending of their books with you after our shows and why they made the choices they did
Printable Summer Reading Guide

Literary Conversationalist- $7 PER MONTH

All Book Club Explorer benefits
TOP SECRET FILES- A two-page secret mission to take with each book club book. This file offers immersive experiences beyond the books, including book pairings, movies, and insider scoops to share at your next dinner party.

When Are The 2026 Book Club Chats?

Once you sign up, you will receive a printable book club planner with a place to document your thoughts on each book, along with a one-page fridge sheet to keep track of all upcoming chats.

2026 MomAdvice Book Club – Monthly Dates (Last Thursday, Adjusted for Holidays)

January: Thursday, January 29
February: Thursday, February 26
March: Thursday, March 26
April: Thursday, April 30
May: Thursday, May 28
June: Thursday, June 25
July: Thursday, July 30
August: Thursday, August 27
September: Thursday, September 24
October: Thursday, October 29
November: Thursday, November 19 (moved earlier due to Thanksgiving)
December: Thursday, December 17 (moved earlier due to Christmas/New Year’s Eve)

All discussions will take place at 8 PM ET, with Zoom invitations sent out during the week prior to our discussions. Most chats fall on the last Thursday of the month, with a few exceptions around the holidays. I hope you can be part of this incredible book club year!

Listen to Today’s Announcement on the Book Gang Podcast

You can listen to today’s Book Gang episode below to get the behind-the-scenes scoop on what I’m offering for your stack this year.

2026 Book Club Books

Meet the 2026 MomAdvice Book Club selections! Twelve carefully chosen novels, spanning a variety of genres, are ready to inspire, challenge, and expand your reading life this year. I can’t wait to share these stories with you this year.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

JANUARY — Eleanore of Avignon by Elizabeth DeLozier

Seventeen-year-old Eleanore Blanchet is a fiercely capable young healer, thanks to her mother's work as a midwife, in 14th-century France, whose intelligence and independence draw her into an unexpected apprenticeship inside Pope Clement VI's palace.

As a mysterious plague spreads, she and her mentor push the boundaries of their limited medical knowledge — first experimenting on pigs, then gaining rare permission to study human cadavers, leading to some of the book's most riveting, true-events-inspired moments.

Just as Eleanore becomes indispensable, Queen Joanna of Naples summons her for midwifery care, pulling her into a dizzying new world of royal duty, juggling exhaustion between her alternating roles, and a budding romance.

Her growing visibility places her in dangerous proximity to scandal and the same accusations of witchcraft that once haunted her mother, culminating in gasp-worthy twists that kept me turning pages late into the night.

Richly researched and powerfully told, Eleanore of Avignon is my perfect pick for readers who love immersive settings, bold heroines, and historical fiction with real emotional stakes that pull familial duty and sacrifice into surprising places.

BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: Bonus spoiler chat with Elizabeth DeLozier + live Zoom discussion (author invitation extended).
RECOMMENDED FORMAT: Print or Audiobook
MOOD: Emotional, Tense, Adventurous
PACE: Medium

Related- Elizabeth DeLozier Interview (COMING SOON)

Related- Books About Midwifes (COMING SOON)

Related- Books About Nurses

Related- Books About Doctors

FEBRUARY — People of Means by Nancy Johnson

People of Means is a beautifully layered, intergenerational story told across two timelines — 1959 Nashville and 1992 Chicago — following a mother and daughter as they confront the social justice movements that shaped modern America.

In the earlier timeline, Freda grows up sheltered within her affluent Black family until her arrival at Fisk University exposes her to the harsh realities of segregation and the rising tide of activism that challenges everything she's been taught.

Her daughter Tulip's 1990s storyline echoes those same questions of privilege and responsibility as she witnesses the Rodney King trial and steps into the work of justice through her PR expertise, even when it costs her personally.

Johnson's storytelling is rich with history, sly humor, and immersive details — including a love triangle, campus life, and glimpses of future civic leaders — all brought vividly to life by Bahni Turpin's exceptional audiobook narration.

As a white reader of means, I found this novel to be a powerful reminder of the responsibility we bear to use our voices, especially when the risks we face are far smaller than those borne by the people most affected. I can assure you, this book is the moment.

BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: Bonus spoiler chat with Nancy Johnson + live Zoom discussion (author invitation extended)
RECOMMENDED FORMAT: Audiobook
MOOD: Emotional, Reflective, Informative, Inspiring
PACE: Medium

Related- Nancy Johnson Interview (COMING SOON)

Related- Dual Timeline Books (COMING SOON)

MARCH — The Mad Wife by Meagan Church (Reader's Choice)

The Mad Wife begins as a quietly domestic story set in 1950s suburbia, following Lulu Mayfield, a precise and inventive housewife navigating the pressures of motherhood, marriage, and societal expectations.

Beneath Lulu's orderly life, anxieties bubble into subtle acts of rebellion — sneaking microwave dinners past her husband, befriending a lost neighborhood cat, and obsessing over her neighbor's life in ways that blur concern with paranoia.

Then a twist flips the narrative, revealing Lulu's world to be far more complex and darker than it first appeared, transforming a domestic life into a tense, thrilling exploration of mental strain, societal limits, and the hidden struggles of women whose voices were often silenced.

Church's meticulous research and layered storytelling invite rich book club discussions about women's health and the pressures placed on women across generations. This novel is perfect for readers who love suspense lurking beneath the ordinary.

The Mad Wife is a haunting, unforgettable novel that will stay with you long after the last page. I am so excited to celebrate my dear friend this year.

BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: Bonus spoiler chat with Meagan Church + live Zoom discussion (author invitation extended)
RECOMMENDED FORMAT: Audiobook or Print
MOOD: Emotional, Dark, Tense, Mysterious
PACE: Medium

Related- Medical Drama Books (COMING SOON)

APRIL — The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman

The Sunflower Boys is a heartbreaking, coming-of-age story placed against the backdrop of Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion, following twelve-year-old Artem and his younger brother, Yuri, as they navigate unimaginable loss and danger.

Artem's voice is clear-eyed and hauntingly authentic, capturing the joys of childhood, the pangs of first heartbreak, and the profound bonds of friendship before the war abruptly shatters his world.

As the boys undertake a harrowing journey across a war-torn landscape, Artem's love of art becomes both guide and witness, leading them toward hope and a desperate reunion with their father.

Sam Wachman's debut novel is not only a war chronicle but also an intimate, profoundly human portrayal of resilience, courage, and the enduring spirit of family.

This story will expand your empathy for the people of Ukraine, leave a lasting impression on your heart, and spark noteworthy discussion for our book club. It transformed me.

BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: Bonus spoiler chat with Sam Wachman + live Zoom discussion (author invitation extended)
RECOMMENDED FORMAT: Print
MOOD: Emotional, Sad, Tense, Informative, Adventurous
PACE: Medium

Related- Sam Wachman Interview (COMING SOON)

Related- Books About Brothers (COMING SOON)

MAY — What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown

What Kind of Paradise is a gripping, hypnotic story of teenage Jane, raised off the grid in Montana by her father who wants her to live free from the world's modern corruption.

As Jane grows perceptive and courageous, she begins to suspect that her father is not who he claims to be. Still, her world shifts entirely with the arrival of a laptop, a modem, and the internet, which gradually unravels everything she thought she knew about her life.

Her journey toward freedom takes her to San Francisco amid the early dot-com boom, forcing her to confront family secrets, challenge ingrained ideology, and imagine a life beyond the borders of her father's controlled world.

Brown's novel is both a psychological thriller and a meditation on family, morality, and the uneasy marriage between people and tech, anchored by Jane's compelling voice.

With suspense, rich character work, and an immersive narrative brought vividly to life by Helen Laser's audiobook narration, this story is perfect for readers who love thrillers with meat on the bones. I am thrilled to share Janelle's writing story with you this year, as I have read all six of her novels and found this to be among her most compelling as a storyteller.

BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: Bonus spoiler chat with Janelle Brown + live Zoom discussion (author invitation extended)
RECOMMENDED FORMAT: Audio
MOOD: Emotional, Tense, Mysterious, Adventurous
PACE: Medium

Related- Janelle Brown Interview (COMING SOON)

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JUNE — Woodworking by Emily St. James

Woodworking is a smart, moving, and unforgettable debut about identity and the courage required to step into yourself fully.

Erica, a closeted trans high school teacher in a small South Dakota town, has spent her life quietly carrying the weight of her truth — until Abigail, a spiky, outspoken trans teen, arrives and sparks a connection that challenges everything she has hidden.

Through their messy, complicated, and budding friendship, Erica confronts long-denied desires, small but revolutionary acts of self-expression, and the question of who she might become if she dared to live openly.

The novel balances the high stakes of conservative small-town life with hope and humor, enhanced by the subtle and brilliant storytelling choice of redacting every deadname, letting readers feel the weight of Erica's experience firsthand as she comes fully into her own.

Narrator L. Morgan Lee's audiobook performance brings every joyful, tense, and heartbreaking moment vividly to life, making Woodworking an achingly hopeful Pride Month pick that helps humanize an experience that often feels reduced to sensationalized headline news.

BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: Live Zoom Discussion (Author interview TBD)
RECOMMENDED FORMAT: Print or Audio (Both offer unique redacted experiences)
MOOD: Hopeful, Funny, Emotional, Inspiring
PACE: Medium

Related- Small Town Books (COMING SOON)

Related- Books About Theater

Related- LGBTQ History Month Books

JULY — Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung

Daughters of Shandong is a sweeping, heart-wrenching historical novel with a breakneck thriller pace that follows a mother and her daughters as they fight for survival during China's 1948 Communist Revolution.

Abandoned by their family for being "useless" daughters, they endure brutal violence and social ostracism, forcing them to undertake a thousand-mile odyssey across a dangerous and unforgiving landscape to reunite with the very people who left them behind.

Narrated by thirteen-year-old Hai, the story captures the courage, ingenuity, and resilience of these young women determined to carve out a future against impossible odds.

Chung's precise, luminous prose balances stark brutality with tender sister moments, making this both a gripping refugee narrative and a profound exploration of what it means to be a woman in a society who doesn't value you. Inspired by the author's grandmother, she gently introduces readers to a pocket of history that captivates and infuriates you.

Readers who were moved by The Girl With the Louding Voice will find Hai's girlhood journey unforgettable as the author lands this story with so much hope for future generations.

BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: Bonus spoiler chat with Eve Chung + live Zoom discussion (author invitation extended)
RECOMMENDED FORMAT: Audio
MOOD: Emotional, Tense, Inspiring, Hopeful, Adventurous
PACE: Medium

Related- Eve Chung Interview (COMING SOON)

Related- Books About Sisters (COMING SOON)

Related- AAPI Authors to Read

AUGUST — The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (Reader's Choice)

The Correspondent is a quietly powerful epistolary debut that reveals the life of seventy-three-year-old Sybil Van Antwerp through letters, emails, and fragments of correspondence — some sent, some never meant to leave her desk.

Each note draws us into Sybil's interior world, capturing the humor, grit, and dignity of a life shaped by routine, grief, and small, stubborn joys. Beneath the surface of her orderly days, subtle unraveling emerges, revealing the humanity of a woman whose quiet life holds profound truths.

Evans' precise and intimate storytelling transforms everyday moments into an unforgettable portrait of aging, forgiveness, and the courage to revisit the past. This novel is both reflective and deeply human.

I can't think of a single reader who wouldn't fall in love with this story, and I'd recommend buying multiple copies to share with friends and family upon completion. It's an unforgettable story with a new all-time favorite literary protagonist.

BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: Live Zoom discussion (author feature TBD)
RECOMMENDED FORMAT: Audio and Print (You must do both!)
MOOD: Reflective, Hopeful, Funny, Emotional
PACE: Medium

Related- Epistolary Novels (COMING SOON)

SEPTEMBER — Those We Thought We Knew by David Joy

Those We Thought We Knew is a gripping, morally complex novel set in the North Carolina mountains that explores the persistent, urgent realities of racism in the modern South.

When two deputies discover evidence of a clandestine Klan network, a young Black artist named Toya returns to her family's home and begins questioning local traditions, power structures, and the uneasy silences that protect systemic injustice.

Through Toya's perspective, the novel asks haunting questions about courage, responsibility, and the cost of speaking out against injustice.

Joy's taut, immersive storytelling blends suspense, mystery, and social critique, revealing how history and prejudice shape a community's present that will deeply resonate with fans of S.A. Cosby.

A long admirer of David Joy's career, he dedicated over a decade to this project, and his earnestness shows on every one of these pages. This book is a provocative, page-turning read perfect for inviting reflection and meaningful conversation on reckoning with our history.

Related- Grit Lit Books (COMING SOON)

Related- David Joy Interview (Sundays With Writers Blog Series)

OCTOBER — One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford

One Yellow Eye is a haunting horror novel that offers a profoundly human meditation on grief, devotion, and the lengths we go to hold on to the people we love, resonating most with our Shark Heart fans.

Kesta Shelly moves through the rituals of loss with heartbreaking precision, tending to her husband — who is no longer fully alive — in a life carved out of memory, love, and quiet obsession.

Radford's writing blends the uncanny and the intimate, capturing both the horror of the pandemic's aftermath and the tender, suffocating devotion that drives Kesta to navigate this new, unsettling reality as a scientist seeking the cure that could change everything for the couple.

Through precise, poetic storytelling, the novel explores how love persists even when life is irrevocably changed, and how grief can sometimes play with our moral compass.

Perfect for Spooky Season, this unforgettable story, which embeds Radford's grief over the loss of her own father, is fantastical while being grounded in a profoundly human experience. Even if horror is not your lane, I hope you will be intrigued to join me in this year's Halloween selection.

BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: Bonus spoiler chat with Leigh Radford + live Zoom discussion (author invitation extended)
RECOMMENDED FORMAT: Print
MOOD: Emotional, Dark, Sad, Mysterious
PACE: Medium

Related- Leigh Radford Interview (COMING SOON)

Related- Books About Zombies (COMING SOON)

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NOVEMBER — The Sideways Life of Denny Vos by Holly Kennedy (Reader's Choice)

The Sideways Life of Denny Vos is a sharply funny, heartwarming, and deeply humane novel that follows neurodivergent Denny Vos, whose earnest charm and good intentions often land him in somewhat chaotic situations.

This time, Denny finds himself the prime suspect in a murder investigation, navigating both the absurdities of his missteps and the complexities of human relationships.

Kennedy's storytelling brings Denny vividly to life, with a rich interior world that balances humor, vulnerability, and wry observations, while Andrew Eiden's audiobook narration enhances every nuanced story moment.

The novel's supporting cast is equally textured, portraying messy, flawed people striving to do their best and creating a story that celebrates imperfect goodness. With its clever plotting, emotional resonance, and irresistible voice, this book will spark laughter, reflection, and lively conversation this year.

Holly Kennedy is as endearing as her characters, and it brings me so much joy to share this small-town, bighearted story with you.

BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: Bonus spoiler chat with Holly Kennedy + live Zoom discussion (author invitation extended)
RECOMMENDED FORMAT: Audio
MOOD: Funny, Emotional, Hopeful, Inspiring
PACE: Medium

Related- Holly Kennedy Interview

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Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (Bonus Classics Club Selection)

'I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will.'

Jane Eyre is a timeless classic that feels astonishingly modern, following a fiercely intelligent and morally steadfast young woman who refuses to shrink to fit a world that undervalues her.

Orphaned and underestimated, Jane grows into a governess at Thornfield Hall, a house thick with secrets and subtle menace, where she encounters the enigmatic and unpredictable Mr. Rochester.

Brontë masterfully blends gothic tension, romance, and social critique, creating a story that is suspenseful, emotionally resonant, and occasionally wryly funny. Jane's journey is one of true resilience, self-discovery, and learning to trust her own voice in a world determined to quiet it.

Whether revisiting this classic or reading it for the first time, this novel is a sweeping, transportive story that will change your reading life. It delivers jaw-dropping twists that will send you on a winding adventure to discover more about the author's story, movie adaptations, and a literary hinge to modern thrillers and retellings.

I can't wait to read one of my new favorite classics again with you this year.

BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: Dates for discussion to be determined in the new year (this will be split into two!)
RECOMMENDED FORMAT: Print with Audio
MOOD: Tense, Mysterious, Emotional, Dark
PACE: Medium

Tell me: Which book are you most excited to read together this year? Are there any surprises on this year’s list?

Published November 30, 2025 by:

Amy Allen Clark is the founder of MomAdvice.com. You can read all about her here.