Central Virginia’s book culture is thriving, powered by writers who live here, teach here, and create stories that are getting noticed across the country. And with support from WriterHouse and the Moms Lit Society, the act of writing or picking up a book can also be a way to connect with the community.
Here’s a selection of standout new books by local authors:
Culpability
by Bruce Holsinger
An Oprah’s Book Club pick in July 2025, Culpability is a gripping literary thriller about family, guilt, and the moral fallout of artificial intelligence in everyday life. After a deadly crash involving the Cassidy-Shaw family’s self-driving minivan, the investigation relies on the vehicle’s AI logs, forcing each family member to confront their own role in the tragedy. Set along the Chesapeake Bay, the novel explores responsibility in an age when human error and machine decision-making collide.
Holsinger, a UVA English professor and award-winning novelist, is originally from Leesburg and now lives in Charlottesville with his family.
The Summer We Ran
by Audrey Ingram
Audrey Ingram delivers a dual-timeline novel rooted in Charlottesville, where a teenage romance undone by betrayal resurfaces decades later during a fierce race for governor of Virginia. The novel blends first love, ambition, and long-buried secrets, earning early acclaim as a June 2025 Indie Next Pick, a LibraryReads selection, and a Book of the Month Pick.
Ingram, a former attorney and Alabama native, divides her time between Washington, D.C., and Charlottesville. She writes contemporary Southern fiction known for emotional depth, vivid settings, and characters shaped by fate and choice.
Only Son
by Kevin Moffett
Kevin Moffett’s debut novel, Only Son, longlisted for the 2025 National Book Award, is a tender, sharply observed portrait of fatherhood, grief, and the long arc of self-discovery. The story follows one man’s reckoning with his father’s death, weaving memories of a Florida childhood with a present-day road trip taken with his own son. The result is a thoughtful exploration of legacy and the ties that shape us.
An award-winning fiction writer and professor in UVA’s Creative Writing Program, Moffett was raised in Daytona Beach and now lives in Charlottesville.
The Listeners
by Maggie Stiefvater
In her first novel for adults, The Listeners, Maggie Stiefvater’s atmospheric tale is set in 1942 at a lavish West Virginia resort sustained by a mysteriously powerful spring. When the State Department places captured Axis diplomats at the hotel, general manager June Porter Hudson must uphold hospitality’s highest ideals, even as she confronts profound ethical tensions. The novel blends suspense, folklore, and questions of complicity, earning mention as an Oprah Daily Best Summer Read of 2025.
Stiefvater, a bestselling Virginia-born author known for The Raven Cycle and The Scorpio Races, lives on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley with her family and many animals.
Last Dance Before Dawn
by Katharine Schellman
Katharine Schellman’s Last Dance Before Dawn concludes her celebrated Nightingale mystery series, returning readers to Prohibition-era New York and the shadowy speakeasy world where Vivian Kelly has carved out a secret life. In this final installment, released in June 2025, Vivian faces mounting threats from all sides as old enemies resurface and the nightlife she loves begins to close in around her. The novel has been praised for its rich period detail, queer representation, and lively ensemble cast.
Schellman, an editor for CharlottesvilleFamily Magazine and an award-winning author of historical crime fiction, lives in Charlottesville with her family.
Without You Here
by Jody Hobbs Hesler
Without You Here, Jody Hobbs Hesler’s debut novel, is a quietly powerful story about family, grief, and the way unresolved trauma reverberates across generations. The book follows Noreen, whose beloved aunt died by suicide when she was young. As Noreen builds a life of her own, she must face the memories she carries and the possibility of healing. Set in Virginia, the novel has been praised for its emotional clarity and empathetic character work.
Hesler, winner of the 2025 Independent Press Award for Literary Fiction, lives and writes in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Charlottesville.
Johanna Porter Is Not Sorry
by Sara Read
In her debut novel, Johanna Porter Is Not Sorry, Sara Read introduces a suburban mom who once served as a muse to a celebrated but self-centered artist. Years after being pushed aside, Johanna reenters the art world with a bold move—stealing back the iconic portrait of herself—and sets off a cascade of funny, defiant, and deeply empowering consequences. The novel has been praised for its humor, heart, and smart exploration of identity and reinvention.
Read, an author and oncology nurse, lives in Charlottesville with her family and also writes under the name Sarah Henrik.
The Keeper of Lost Children
by Sadeqa Johnson
Sadeqa Johnson’s sweeping new novel, The Keeper of Lost Children, moves across decades and continents to trace the intertwined stories of a Black American soldier in postwar Germany, an officer’s wife who fights to protect the mixed-race children left behind, and a 1960s Maryland teen who uncovers a life-altering truth about her past. Spanning the 1940s through the 1960s, the novel explores race, identity, family, and belonging with Johnson’s signature emotional power.
Johnson, a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning storyteller, lives near Richmond with her family and teaches in the MFA program at Drexel University.
Mom’s Book Club
Moms Lit Society: Books After Bedtime is a quarterly book club created as a much-needed pause for busy mothers. Each gathering invites moms to unwind, share conversation, and enjoy books by Virginia women authors. The group meets at Starr Hill Brewery inside Dairy Market, a relaxed setting where participants can grab a drink and settle in for lively literary discussions. Created in partnership with Charlottesville Family Magazine, Bluebird & Co., Dairy Market, and Starr Hill Brewery, the Moms Lit Society offers space to slow down, recharge, and savor the pleasure of a good story.
charlottesvillefamily.com/moms-lit-society/
Write it Down
If you’re looking to improve your writing or finally get started on that novel you’ve been thinking about for years, you can find a home at WriterHouse. Founded in 2008, this Charlottesville nonprofit was founded by a group of seven local writers who wanted a permanent space where other writers of all levels could learn, experiment, and grow. Today, WriterHouse offers classes in fiction, memoir, poetry, and creative nonfiction, along with workshops, readings, and youth summer programs.
writerhouse.org