We are still firmly in the celebrity book club era, which is great, since it means more mainstream conversations about books (and I’m sure the authors don’t mind the huge bump in sales that comes with it). But one thing I’ve noticed is that, perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the books that get chosen are published by traditional publishing houses. Indie publishers can be much more daring and specialized in their book selections, all of which makes for excellent book club discussions.
Below are five independently published books to read this year with your book club that will offer you a little something outside of the mainstream. There’s a professor acting as an amateur sleuth, a contemporary adaptation of Frankenstein, a myth-filled West African odyssey, and more.
 History Lessons by Zoe B. Wallbrook, Soho CrimeFor fans of amateur professor sleuths and murder mysteries set on campus! Professor Daphne Ouverture is focused on her French colonialism lectures, her academic writing, and dating—though the latter isn’t going well. When a colleague is murdered, Daphne’s lack of love for the professor doesn’t stop her from having to investigate his murder—because whoever killed him thinks Daphne has whatever they are after. Maybe a bookseller who was a former detective can help her solve the case… —Jamie Canaves Note: This is the only book on this list released in 2025. |
 Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel A. Olivas, Forest Avenue PressMarch kicks off with an exciting contemporary adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic horror novel Frankenstein. Against the backdrop of a United States politicizing the reanimation process, an unnamed paralegal is brought back to life. All memories of his life pre-reanimation have been lost, and as he searches for answers for the life he left behind, he falls in love with a lawyer named Faustina Godínez and comes to terms with a world that would rather he didn’t exist. —Emily Martin |
 The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts by Kim Fu, Tin House/ZandoI fell hard for Fu’s writing through their short fiction in Lesser-Known Monsters of the 21st Century, so I was delighted to learn that we’re getting a new novel from this award-winning author. I love a novel perched in the uncanny valley, and this story about a woman unmoored by the death of her controlling mother, a woman who, ever-obedient, buys a house built on shadowy foundations with her inheritance, sounds right up my alley. Lesser-Known Monsters taught me that Fu is the writer to tell an immersive story grounded in earthly issues and haunted by ghosts. —S. Zainab Williams |
 Backstitch by Marian Mitchell Donahue, Galiot PressSisters Violet and Marigold—who is an artist like their mother—come together again to go through their mother’s art exhibition. Each piece sends them back in time to revisit the dysfunction that plagued their childhood. |
 A Siege of Owls by Uchenna Awoke, Catapult (May 12)This sweeping West African-set fabulistic tale follows Ekwe, who grows up in an Igbo village suffering from drought. From a young age, Ekwe is haunted by owls, which are seen as both mythological and prophetic, and a spirit that is too big to contain. Once he touches a forbidden leaf, he’s sent on a journey that stretches across Nigeria’s deserts, savannas, and areas of conflict. As he contends with the violence that seems to keep following him, even as he starts to live the life of a Fulani cowherd, his 12-year-old sister is being pushed to marry a wealthy man much older than her. If you want even more indie suggestions, make sure to read up on 10 of the best indie publishing companies to follow. |
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