One Book, One Community 2025: Cast Your Vote!

Every year, Schaumburg Library invites our community to celebrate reading together by choosing one inspiring book to be our One Book, One Community read. That book becomes the focus of a series of discussions, programs, and events that connect readers throughout our community.

Voting is open now until Sunday, Aug 24, and we want your input to help choose the winner.

How to Vote

Two easy ways to participate:

This Year's Finalists

Our staff carefully chose three powerful books that spark conversation, explore identity and community, and showcase brilliant storytelling. Which one will be our next great community read?

  • The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict
    From the New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie comes a thrilling tale of five legendary women crime writers who band together to solve a real-life murder.
    London, 1930. Dorothy L. Sayers leads a secret society of Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Orczy—determined to prove their worth in a male-dominated field. When a young nurse is found murdered in France under mysterious circumstances, the “Queens of Crime” launch their own investigation. But as they close in on the truth, the killer sets their sights on Sayers, threatening to expose her darkest secret.
    Inspired by real events, The Queens of Crime is a gripping story of mystery, sisterhood, and defiance in the golden age of detective fiction.

  • Swift River by Essie Chambers
    In the summer of 1987, Diamond Newberry is learning to drive—and uncovering long-buried family secrets.
    Seven years after her father disappeared, Diamond and her mother still hitchhike through Swift River, where Diamond is the only Black resident and often mocked for her weight. As her mother moves to declare Pop legally dead, a letter from a long-lost relative reveals a powerful legacy of African American Newberry women. Spanning generations, their stories of love, loss, and resilience help Diamond understand her identity—and may change the course of her future.

  • The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
    From the bestselling author of The Diamond Eye and The Rose Code comes a gripping novel of secrets, friendship, and loyalty set in a Washington, DC, boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.
    In 1950, the women of Briarwood House live quietly—until mysterious widow Grace March moves in and draws them into an unexpected bond. But Grace and her new friends—an elegant Brit, a gangster’s girl, a former baseball star, and a zealous Red Scare devotee—all harbor secrets. As tensions rise and a shocking act of violence strikes, the women must confront who they can truly trust.
    The Briar Club is a haunting, powerful tale of female resilience in times of fear and change.

One Book, One Community is more than just a reading initiative; it's a shared experience that invites neighbors to connect, reflect, and engage through storytelling. Past selections have sparked meaningful conversations and built new friendships, and we can't wait to see which book will guide us this year.