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Readers’ Most Anticipated Books of 2025
A nice thing about the end of one year is that it’s traditionally followed by another year, which means 12 more months of new books to browse, check out, and eventually read. It’s a nice system, really.
This is the time when the Goodreads editorial team pivots to track all incoming books slated for publication in the new year (in the U.S.). We crunch the numbers on the books that are showing up most often on members’ Want to Read shelves. That data informs our curated list of the Most Anticipated new releases.
One thing’s for sure: It’s going to be a busy year. In fact, there are so many good books coming in 2025 that we set a new record for titles this time around. Below, you’ll find no fewer than 82 highly anticipated books, divided into the usual genre categories. As always, some books are slippery and hard to classify, but we did our best.
Among the highlights: Charmaine Wilkerson follows up 2022’s Black Cake with her new novel, Good Dirt, concerning a family heirloom with a hell of a story. Ocean Vuong returns with a tale of a remarkable friendship in The Emperor of Gladness. Swedish writer Fredrik Backman is back with the nostalgic adventure My Friends. And Taylor Jenkins Reid revisits the 1980s U.S. space program with Atmosphere: A Love Story.
Mystery aficionados will be happy to hear about new incoming titles from Lisa Jewell, Alex North, Alice Feeney, and Freida McFadden, plus a real-life mystery featuring past masters Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie—as characters.
Over in the speculative fiction aisles, look for new fantasy from V.E. Schwab and R.F. Kuang; new sci-fi from Nnedi Okorafor and John Scalzi; and some particularly weird horror from Grady Hendrix and Stephen Graham Jones. In romance and romantasy, you’ll find love stories set in Napa Valley, the great outdoors, and a fictional world based on ancient Persian mythology. Plus: new books from Emily Henry and Rebecca Yarros.
Young adult readers should have a good time this year, with new series installments from Tracy Deonn (Legendborn) and Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games). Also, we’ve got a special shout-out to author Trang Thanh Tran for the creepiest YA book concept we’ve seen in years: algae horror!
Finally, 2025 will bring another fantastic batch of nonfiction, with books on Mark Twain, Black (and blue) history, and the other JFK assassination plot, plus new memoirs from Geraldine Brooks and Neko Case.
Be sure to add anything that catches your eye to your Want to Read shelf, and let us know what you’re reading and recommending in the comments.
Wow, this one looks fun: The latest historical adventure from Fiona Davis (The Magnolia Palace) jumps from Egypt’s Valley of the Kings circa 1936 to NYC’s Met Gala in 1978. It seems an artifact is missing from the Met and an immortal female pharaoh may be, well, mad about that. An aging scholar and the new intern are about to discover the lethal side of Egyptology.
Release date: January 7
Release date: January 7
Much admired for her short fiction and essays, debut novelist Karissa Chen invites readers to 1940s Shanghai, where teenage soulmates Haiwen and Suchi are tragically separated by war. Sixty years later, Haiwen is bagging groceries in Los Angeles when Fate has some cosmic fun. Bonus: Check out author Chen’s “real bio” on her website.
Release date: January 7
Release date: January 7
Author Charmaine Wilkerson earned an admiring worldwide readership with her 2022 debut novel, Black Cake. She’s back on shelves in January with Good Dirt, a multigenerational epic concerning an affluent Black family in New England, a childhood tragedy, and a stoneware jar of remarkable provenance. Bonus trivia: Wilkerson is a formidable marathon runner.
Release date: January 28
Release date: January 28
Pulitzer Prize–winning writer Anne Tyler (The Accidental Tourist) specializes in finely detailed evocations of life on our complicated planet. Her latest novel, Three Days in June, is just that: a photorealistic literary snapshot of the life of Gail Baines, mother of the bride, in the days just before and after her daughter’s wedding. Things get weird.
Release date: February 11
Release date: February 11
British author Jojo Moyes introduces the rather desperate Lila Kennedy, who has various knotty problems with her daughters, her career, her crumbling house, and her elderly stepdad-apparently-now-roommate. That’s when her biological father shows up after 35 years. It’s safe to expect the usual brilliant character work from Moyes (Me Before You).
Release date: February 11
Release date: February 11
Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has earned a worldwide readership with her fiction (Americanah) and nonfiction (We Should All Be Feminists). Her new novel tracks four very different women as they navigate life in America, Nigeria, and various points between. Adichie is unafraid to tackle the really big themes of love, loss, and the fundamentally interconnected nature of all existence.
Release date: March 4
Release date: March 4
If you like a little depth in your mystery-romance stories, consider this intriguing specimen from Australian author Charlotte McConaghy (Once There Were Wolves). With sea levels rising, Dominic Salt and his family guard the world’s largest seed bank on a tiny Antarctic island. When a mysterious woman washes ashore, agendas and secrets are revealed.
Release date: March 4
Release date: March 4
This debut novel follows four generations of a Texas family, through love, loss, and—ultimately—the unveiling of long-held secrets. This big-hearted tale is told from three different characters' points of view. Early readers are simply raving about this novel. Get in on that early buzz!
Release date: April 22
Release date: April 22
What’s in a name? That’s the pivotal question in this ambitious debut novel, which begins with the moment a mother chooses the name of her child. London author Florence Knapp tells three parallel, alternating versions of one family’s story, chapter by chapter, over a span of 35 years. Can a name really change the trajectory of a lifetime? Let’s find out!
Release date: May 6
Release date: May 6
In another buzzy debut, author Jemimah Wei proposes a new riff on the tradition of the social novel. The Original Daughter follows two sisters growing up in working-class Singapore and pursuing academic perfection at all costs. No friends. No life. No fun. When a betrayal drives them apart, the sisters begin to question the modern obsession with efficiency and achievement.
Release date: May 6
Release date: May 6
Swedish writer Fredrik Backman has made a name for himself with globally popular novels like Anxious People, Beartown, and A Man Called Ove. His next book, slated for a June release, is the story of a famous painting, four teenage friends, and a journey that spans the breadth of a country and the passing of 25 long years.
Release date: May 20
Release date: May 20
A deep and unusual friendship is forged when an elderly widow saves a teenage boy from attempted suicide. Set in the despair-shrouded shadows of America’s marginalized edges, the new novel from author Ocean Vuong (On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous) celebrates two of life’s abiding grace notes: chosen families and second chances.
Release date: June 3
Release date: June 3
In the early days of World War II, detained Nazi diplomats are shipped off to an elegant West Virginia resort. Why this place? What’s up with the “sweetwater” natural springs? And who’s the FBI agent? Previously known for her YA fantasy books, author Maggie Stiefvater (Shiver) folds myth, class conflict, and slippery mountain magic into a new kind of spy story.
Release date: June 3
Release date: June 3
Set in the ambitious days of the 1980s space shuttle program, the latest novel from Taylor Jenkins Reid (Daisy Jones & The Six) promises adventure, romance, intrigue, and a physics professor determined to be one of the first female scientists in space. NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, circa 1984, should be a fantastic setting for the author’s patented technique of high drama in interesting places.
Release date: June 3
Release date: June 3
The ever-reliable British author Alice Feeney (Rock Paper Scissors) returns with the mystery of a missing wife, a baffled husband, a tiny Scottish island, and a mischievous promotional tagline: “Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t. Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.” It’s a notion so uncomfortable it has to be true.
Release date: January 14
Release date: January 14
Eight months pregnant and fleeing from a fast-collapsing life, Tegan’s day can’t get any worse. Until it does. Now she’s stranded in a savage Maine blizzard with a broken ankle and a menacing pair of strangers. Author and practicing physician Freida McFadden (The Housemaid series) furthers the noble tradition of the snowbound thriller.
Release date: January 28
Release date: January 28
White-knuckle suspense specialist Gillian McAllister (Wrong Place Wrong Time) has a particularly stressful story proposition this time around. Imagine you’ve just dropped off your daughter at the nursery when you discover that your husband is part of a hostage situation in the city. Then imagine your surprise when you discover your husband isn’t a hostage. He’s the gunman.
Release date: February 25
Release date: February 25
Inspired by an actual incident in the life of crime novelist Dorothy L. Sayers, this historical mystery features five renowned women authors who decide to tackle a real-life murder case in 1930s London. Agatha Christie is in the mix, too. Author Marie Benedict (The Personal Librarian) has carved out a successful genre niche by mining the true stories of famous women in history.
Release date: February 11
Release date: February 11
Another meta adventure in crime fiction, this debut from author Ande Pliego features a writers’ retreat gone terribly wrong. On a dark and stormy island, six thriller novelists assemble for a week of games and puzzles hosted by legendary author J. R. Alastor. The inevitable dead body appears—really and truly and quite messily dead. And the party is just getting started.
Release date: February 11
Release date: February 11
In the wake of the infamous “Delphine Massacres,” grieving college student Jane Sharp falls into the strange and dangerous subculture of online serial-killer hunters. Houston author and dedicated genre hopper Ashley Winstead (In My Dreams I Hold a Knife) presents a modern thriller set among the sinister intersections of murder, media, and true-crime fandom.
Release date: March 25
Release date: March 25
A decidedly 21st-century kind of thriller, this debut novel from Canadian author Liann Zhang tells the curious tale of Julie Chan, who has just assumed the identity of her recently deceased twin sister. Chloe, it seems, was a rich and glamorous influencer with powerful friends. But as Julie soon learns, Chloe’s life was so much darker than anyone could have known.
Release date: April 29
Release date: April 29
Criminal profiler Dan Garvie has extremely good reasons for doing what he does. As a child, he barely escaped a grisly fate after encountering a lunatic serial killer. When his father dies under mysterious circumstances, Dan must return to his hometown, deploy his professional skills, and confront a shattering possibility. Alex North (The Whisper Man) has the details.
Release date: May 13
Release date: May 13
The reigning king of Southern noir (Razorblade Tears, All the Sinners Bleed) will be back this summer with another heart-pounding thriller. We predict you'll be hearing a lot about this Godfather-inspired crime epic and family drama. Not only is a new Cosby novel always an event, the movie rights for this next book have already been snapped up by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground in a development deal for Netflix. Stay tuned!
Release date: June 10
Release date: June 10
Remote Scandinavian islands! Classy yoga retreats! Sophisticated bachelorette parties! The new novel from Swedish author Camilla Sten (The Lost Village) invites readers to a secluded isle that may or may not be the location of one of the country’s most gruesome historical murders. Protagonist and podcast host Tessa Nilsson is about to find out, the hard way.
Release date: June 10
Release date: June 10
British author Lisa Jewell (None of This Is True) has been cheerfully blowing readers’ minds with her plot twists for more than 25 years now. She’s awfully good at it. Her latest mystery-thriller features three women who find they are connected by a man who is not who he says he is. Bonus trivia: Author Jewell wrote her first novel, 1999’s Ralph’s Party, on a dare from a friend.
Release date: June 24
Release date: June 24
Fantasy Novels
Inspired by Chinese mythology (and set in the same world as her Celestial Kingdom books) this standalone fantasy from author Sue Lynn Tan features a compelling new heroine—the resourceful leader Liyen. Pledged to serve the immortals who protect her kingdom of Tianxia, Liyen runs into trouble when she catches feels for the legendary God of War.
Release date: January 7
Release date: January 7
In one of the new year’s most creative fantasy visions, author Samantha Sotto Yambao tells the story of a mystical Tokyo pawnshop where visitors can sell their regrets and bad choices. Wouldn’t that be nice? When a mysterious visitor passes through, new owner Hana Ishikawa undertakes a dreamlike journey through the cosmos. Think of it as cozy fantasy with a mystery center.
Release date: January 14
Release date: January 14
Another mix of mystery and fantasy, this debut novel from U.K. author Ed Crocker introduces the vampire city of First Light, where the rich get richer and the poor have to drink whatever blood they can find. When palace housemaid Sam stumbles into the wrong room, she must team up with a failed sorcerer and a werewolf assassin to unravel a vast conspiracy.
Release date: January 14
Release date: January 14
Author Eowyn Ivey, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her debut novel, The Snow Child, returns to the shelves with a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast set in the wilds of Alaska. A desperate single mother befriends a famous local recluse. But why are the locals trying to warn her away? For Birdie and her young daughter, Emaleen, the weirdness is just getting started…
Release date: February 11
Release date: February 11
With last year’s novel The Tainted Cup, author Robert Jackson Bennett introduced detective Ana Dolabra, a genius-level sleuth in the vein of Sherlock Holmes. This new sequel expands Bennett’s biopunk fantasy setting as Dolabra encounters a unique locked-room mystery. Bennett likes to sneak in subversive sociological critiques, too. So heads up on that.
Release date: April 1
Release date: April 1
Holy man Brother Diaz has been issued a curious assignment from the Sacred City. To pull it off, he’s going to need help from his new congregation of criminals, vampires, necromancers, and werewolves. Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series has earned him a rabid following among hardcore fantasy types, and early readers are digging this new blend of action, horror, and gritty comedy.
Release date: May 6
Release date: May 6
Among the most anticipated books in fantasy for 2025, this new novel from veteran author V.E. Schwab is shrouded in mystery. But advance word suggests we can expect a multigenerational sapphic vampire story set in 16th-century Spain. And Victorian-era London. And present-day Boston. Pro tip: The author herself has dropped a note in the Community Reviews section of the Goodreads book page.
Release date: June 10
Release date: June 10
The latest from impossibly prolific author R.F. Kuang (Babel) looks like good chthonic fun. Details are scarce, but the gist is: Two rival Ph.D. students at Cambridge descend into hell to rescue the soul of their academic adviser. They really need those recommendation letters, apparently. Oh, and it’s a love story, too. Bonus trivia: Katabasis is the Greek term for the classic descent-into-the-underworld narrative.
Release date: August 28
Release date: August 28
The glaciers have melted, the coastlines have shifted, and New York City is now mostly underwater. Atop the Museum of Natural History, a community of survivors hunker down as yet another monster storm rolls in. This depressingly relevant debut from Chicago author Eiren Caffall is being compared to literary sci-fi like Station Eleven and Parable of the Sower.
Release date: January 7
Release date: January 7
Nigerian American sci-fi author Nnedi Okorafor has won multiple industry awards for her novels (the Binti series) and the innovative cultural aesthetic known as Africanfuturism (a term she coined). Her new book promises a pleasant blurring of the lines between fact and fiction. The premise: A struggling author writes a new sci-fi novel—concerning androids and AI and human extinction—that changes reality itself. Uh-oh.
Release date: January 14
Release date: January 14
Finishing up an eight-year stint on an icy prison planet, Edie is determined to leave her criminal career behind. That’s when former girlfriend Angel shows up again with One Last Job. This particularly buzzy debut from Hawaiian author Makana Yamamoto promises heist-movie action with queer romance and throwback cyberpunk style. Recommended for fans of Tamsyn Muir and Leigh Bardugo.
Release date: January 14
Release date: January 14
Acclaimed Moroccan American author Laila Lalami (The Other Americans) specializes in a lucid and frequently urgent brand of literary fiction that drills right to the core of our most difficult societal dilemmas. Her latest book fast-forwards into speculative fiction territory—a near-future surveillance state where tech corporations have even annexed our dream lives. It seems the algorithms have detected a problem…
Release date: March 4
Release date: March 4
What if the moon really were made of cheese? No, really. The latest sci-fi excursion from elder statesman John Scalzi follows the fate of several characters—politicians, scientists, kids, religious leaders—when the moon is suddenly replaced by an identical sphere of good-quality cheese. This is why the sci-fi aisle is always the most fun.
Release date: March 25
Release date: March 25
Another compelling what-if scenario, this one from U.K. techno-thriller specialist Nicholas Binge (Ascension): While caring for her elderly husband, Stanley, Maggie Webb meets a stranger with a question: What if your husband isn’t losing his memories? What if they’re being stolen? With the mysterious stranger, Hassan, and his high-tech devices, Maggie takes a journey into her husband’s mind.
Release date: March 25
Release date: March 25
Fans of time-travel tales and genre hybrids might want to check out the latest from author Dete Meserve (Kate Bradley Mystery series). A miraculous new tech company, Aeon Expeditions, enables people to revisit their past—but just for an hour, and just as an observer. That’s the plan, anyway. Meserve’s novel blends mystery plotting with sci-fi conjecture and some interesting thoughts about causality.
Release date: May 20
Release date: May 20
Horror Novels
Contemporary horror superstar Grady Hendrix (The Final Girl Support Group) turns his eye for evil to witchcraft with this new novel, which follows a group of pregnant teenagers in a Florida group home for unwed delinquents. When a friendly(?) librarian gives the girls a book on the occult, the teens tap into their own innate powers and turn the tables on their oppressors.
Release date: January 14
Release date: January 14
Check out the fabulous book cover art for a sense of the tone in this one. Pacific Northwest author Neena Viel’s debut tells the story of three desperate siblings and an extremely unfortunate cabin rental experience. (Always check those online reviews!) Early readers are drawing comparisons to Tananarive Due, Mona Awad, Stephen King, and Jordan Peele.
Release date: February 4
Release date: February 4
Child psychologist Mina has just agreed to help a 13-year-old girl who insists she’s being menaced by an ancient witch. As it happens, the girl’s family lives in a remote village with superstitious locals. These seem like red flags, frankly. U.K. author Daisy Pearce delivers atmospheric folk horror in the vein of Midsommar or the old-school weird fiction of Arthur Machen.
Release date: February 25
Release date: February 25
The formidable Argentine author Agustina Bazterrica (Tender Is the Flesh) may have 2025’s most disturbing horror novel. Set in a near-future dystopia, the book follows a desperate woman trapped in a violent religious order. Bazterrica is looking at the really scary stuff: climate collapse, ideological zealotry, and humankind’s own tenacious demons, who seem to come back again and again.
Release date: March 4
Release date: March 4
Stephen Graham Jones has written some of the scariest books of the new millennium. (Don’t read The Only Good Indians in any kind of low-light situation.) His new historical horror novel is set in 1912 and features a Lutheran priest, a series of confessions, and a vampire who enforces a very specific code of justice. Seriously—keep the lights on.
Release date: March 18
Release date: March 18
Set during the start of the COVID-19 epidemic in New York City, Kylie Lee Baker’s grim and subversive novel follows crime scene cleaner Cora Zeng as she makes a series of terrible discoveries. Ignorance and misinformation have triggered a wave of real-world violence against Asians in the city. But Cora suspects that something even more deadly is out hunting, in the season of the hungry ghosts.
Release date: April 29
Release date: April 29
Spanning three generations (and two narrative timelines), the adult fiction debut from Christina Li combines classic gothic tropes with the dark side of Hollywood glamour. There’s a crumbling old Southern California mansion, a reading of the will, and two Chinese American families caught up in what may be supernatural developments. Movie star Vivian Yin, it seems, was keeping some secrets…
Release date: May 6
Release date: May 6
Mark your calendars for new Stephen King! A killer out for revenge and a vigilante stalking a feminist celebrity speaker see their tales mingle in the latest novel from the world’s most popular horror novelist. Readers will also find familiar King characters here, including Holly Gibney and gospel singer Sista Bessie.
Release date: May 27
Release date: May 27
Sarah Linwood is what you call an indoorsy type. So when she and Caleb, her husband of 17 years, set out on a couples-therapy wilderness hike, there’s no guarantee of success on any level. Author Hannah Bonam-Young (Out on a Limb) delivers a romantic comedy featuring outdoor high jinks, high school sweethearts, and rough patches, both figurative and otherwise.
Release date: January 28
Release date: January 28
Genre ace Ali Hazelwood (The Love Hypothesis) switches gears yet again with her latest book, a sports-themed romance about a college fling that drifts into dangerous waters. Stanford platform diver Scarlett Vandermeer knows all about jumping into the deep end, but when she meets the new swim team captain, she may be in over her head. Recommended for readers who like extended swimming metaphors.
Release date: February 4
Release date: February 4
Book three in Brynne Weaver’s popular Ruinous Love Trilogy continues the series’ tradition of standalone but interconnected dark comedy-romance adventures. Weaver’s unique story cycle features indie rock musicians, contract killers, circus motorcycle performers, small-town doctors, multiple POVs, indiscriminate murders, and improbably happy endings. Please note: These are truly dark rom-coms.
Release date: February 11
Release date: February 11
If there’s one thing better than a handsome veterinarian, it’s a handsome veterinarian with a cute kitten. That’s what Samantha always says. So when her date goes pretty much flawlessly, she’s tempted to just leave it at that—a perfect memory of the ultimate pleasant evening. But Fate, as is its wont, marches forward. Fan favorite Abby Jimenez (Just for the Summer) has the details.
Release date: April 1
Release date: April 1
Look, flirting is tricky. Everyone knows this. So when recently single Avery Jensen is given the opportunity to learn from the best, she agrees to weekly lessons from Taylor Cameron, Napa Valley’s hottest hottie. Avery dedicates herself. She is duly rewarded. Flirting Lessons is the first queer romance from veteran author Jasmine Guillory (The Wedding Date series).
Release date: April 8
Release date: April 8
From the author of the immortal Beach Read, this pleasantly twisty romance features two writers in competition, and maybe in love. Rookie author Alice Scott hopes to write the book of the year, but she’ll have to deal with industry legend Hayden Anderson. Since they’ve both been invited to stay in a gorgeous mansion for a month, negotiations should be hot.
Release date: April 22
Release date: April 22
Elsie Hoffman comes to the unfortunate realization that she doesn't want to marry her college boyfriend seven days before her wedding. Since the honeymoon's nonrefundable, Elsie skips town to the Caribbean with best friend Ginny to get away from all talk of romance. There's just one catch. Ginny's secretly been in love with Elsie for years.
Release date: April 29
Release date: April 29
For a cool twist on the typical romantasy recipe, consider this novel from genre-hopping author Amalie Howard, who typically works in historical romance and YA. The Starlight Heir draws from Indian and Persian mythology and introduces a new epic heroine—Suraya Saab—who happens to be the realm’s greatest bladesmith. When Suraya is invited to court, romance and intrigue ensue.
Release date: January 7
Release date: January 7
Following on Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, this hugely anticipated third book in The Empyrean series promises more sexy fantasy in, around, and above Basgiath War College. Author Yarros has enjoyed unprecedented success with her flagship franchise, which rides a kind of military-academia vibe crossed with twisty-spicy romance and the enduring mystique of dragons.
Release date: January 21
Release date: January 21
A sequel to 2024’s surprise sensation A Fate Inked in Blood, the new novel from Danielle L. Jensen (The Bridge Kingdom series) returns readers to a vivid fantasy world drenched in the blood and lust of Norse mythology. In book two of the duology, Jensen reveals the fate of shield maiden Freya, who must overcome an ancient prophecy and a recent betrayal to save her people.
Release date: May 13
Release date: May 13
Sybil Delling is a Diviner, cloistered since childhood to receive visions from the otherworldly entities known as Omens. When her fellow seers start to vanish mysteriously, Sybil teams up with the knight Rodrick—a heretic, but an uncommonly handsome one. Author Rachel Gillig (The Shepherd King) takes a gothic approach to the romantasy tale, full of moonlight and cathedrals and the occasional smoldering gaze.
Release date: May 20
Release date: May 20
Promising choices with deadly consequences, a world on the brink of destruction, and ancient powers rising from their slumber, The Primal of Blood and Bone is the penultimate tale in Jennifer L. Armentrout's Blood and Ash series. Longtime fans can't wait to see what's in store for leads Poppy and Casteel.
Release date: June 10
Release date: June 10
Author Sarah A. Parker earned a 2024 Goodreads Choice nomination for the first book in her Moonfall series, When the Moon Hatched. This sequel story, due in October, continues the adventures of rebel assassin Raeve and bounty hunter Kaan. Readers of the first book recommend Parker’s lively dialogue and world-building details, including an innovative magic system and a lunar spin on dragon lore.
Release date: October 7
Release date: October 7
Young Adult Novels
Jenna Chen has a very weird problem. After wishing she could be like her more successful cousin Jessica, Jenna finds she’s trapped inside her cousin’s body. Now she must try to survive at the elite and highly competitive Havenwood Private Academy. Author Ann Liang (I Hope This Doesn’t Find You) takes a speculative crack at the classic body-switch story.
Release date: January 28
Release date: January 28
This exceedingly cool-looking YA mystery from debut author Channelle Desamours introduces teenage sleuth Sariyah Lee Bryant, who has the extrasensory ability to see what people need. When Sariyah’s friend Deja goes missing, she leans into her gifts to make sure Deja doesn’t become just another missing Black girl. If you like your mystery-thrillers with some spec-fic flair, here’s your book.
Release date: February 4
Release date: February 4
In 2024, Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter won an enthusiastic readership (and a Goodreads Choice Award nomination) with the love story of vigilante witch Rune Winters and dedicated witch hunter Gideon Sharpe. Yes, it’s awkward. In Rebel Witch, the much-anticipated conclusion to the duology, Rune must ally with a zealous and dangerous rhymes-with-witch who wants to assume the ultimate power.
Release date: February 18
Release date: February 18
North Carolina author Tracy Deonn returns with the third installment of her wildly popular Legendborn Cycle, featuring teenage sorcerers, underworld demons, and some very curious goings-on at UNC-Chapel Hill. Oathbound finds our heroine Bree Matthews investigating a series of brutal kidnappings. Meanwhile, author Deonn continues her inventive expansion of fantasy tradition and Arthurian legend.
Release date: March 4
Release date: March 4
Teen Evelyn’s got a very big, very unusual conundrum, namely that she’s been reincarnated through a thousand lifetimes, always fated to kill or be killed by a specific supernatural being named Arden in each one. Usually by her 18th birthday. With that deadline fast approaching in her current life, which she happens to like very much, Evelyn’s running out of time to figure out why she and Arden are bound together in this very big, very unusual way.
Release date: March 4
Release date: March 4
Winner of this collection’s unofficial Spookiest Book Cover Art award, the latest from author Trang Thanh Tran has a rather intriguing setup: Following yet another hurricane, a Louisiana bayou town is overtaken by an eldritch algae bloom that’s turning residents into undead sea monsters. It’s a great backdrop for Tran’s story of climate anxiety, queer romance, Vietnamese folklore, and Lovecraftian dread.
Release date: March 4
Release date: March 4
Technically the second prequel novel to the original trilogy (after 2020’s The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), Sunrise on the Reaping rewinds to the morning of the 50th annual Hunger Games. It seems a familiar fellow by the name of Haymitch Abernathy has been selected to compete in a diabolical new arena where everything is venomous, poisonous, contagious, or otherwise unpleasant.
Release date: March 18
Release date: March 18
This dark fantasy debut from author Patrice Caldwell follows a devastating war among humans, vampires, and gods. Crown princess Leyla must journey to the Island of the Dead, which is about as lethal as it sounds. The upside: Her alliance with the beautiful seer Najja is turning out better than expected. If you’re in the market for a queer-normative Black vampire story, Caldwell has one for you.
Release date: April 1
Release date: April 1
Fans of the dystopian Shatter Me series will be stoked to hear that author Tahereh Mafi is back in the game. Set around 10 years after the fall of the Reestablishment, the book follows younger brother James Anderson as he infiltrates the prison on Ark Island. Also on hand: Rosabelle Wolff, a pitiless assassin linked with a powerful synthetic intelligence.
Release date: April 15
Release date: April 15
The subtitle of this one says it all: A Life of Lies, Second Tries, and Things I Should Only Tell My Therapist. Known as the “Hipster Grifter,” Kari Ferrell blazed a trail of theft, scams, lies, forgeries, and bad checks from Utah to the New York City indie scene. Think Anna Delvey, but with tattoos. Her tell-all memoir pledges to, yes, tell it all.
Release date: January 7
Release date: January 7
You may think you know about the JFK assassination plot, but it turns out there was more than one. According to this historical investigation, the first attempt on John F. Kennedy’s life took place in 1960, about a month before he was sworn in as the 35th U.S. president. It seems a retired postal worker with an old Buick and some dynamite had a worrisome plan. Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch (The Lincoln Conspiracy) have the details.
Release date: January 14
Release date: January 14
Versatile singer-songwriter Neko Case is known for her powerful voice, brilliant lyrics, and gleeful disregard for genre designations. In her thorough and candid memoir, Case details the dire circumstance of her childhood in the Pacific Northwest and her slow but steady rise in the music world. Fans have been hoping for this book for a long time.
Release date: January 28
Release date: January 28
If you’re in the market for a good argument, ask a historian which mode of transport actually made it to the North Pole first—dog sled or airship? Researcher Buddy Levy (Conquistador) argues his position in this deeply researched book on polar exploration via dirigible, including Umberto Nobile’s ill-fated 1928 expedition—and the incredible rescue operation that followed.
Release date: January 28
Release date: January 28
In what may be the new year’s most flat-out fascinating book idea, National Book Award winner Imani Perry traces the significance of the color blue in the history of Black culture. Perry (South to America) is a specialist in interdisciplinary connections, and her thinking here circles from art to nature to 16th-century West African clothing dyes to the very concept of “the blues” in music and mood.
Release date: January 28
Release date: January 28
When novelist Geraldine Brooks experienced the sudden death of her husband, journalist and author Tony Horwitz, in 2019, she felt unable to grieve properly. Our culture simply moves too fast. So she booked a flight to a remote Australian island and spent some time thinking and writing about the topic of loss. Brooks, a Pulitzer Prize winner for her 2005 novel, March, takes a global approach by including details on Balinese, Shiite, and Aboriginal grieving traditions.
Release date: February 4
Release date: February 4
With her 2003 memoir, She’s Not There, writer and professor Jennifer Finney Boylan was among the first American transgender authors to break through into the national and international conversation. Boylan’s new book expands on her personal experience and branches out to consider the role of gender in our modern lives—and the enduring power of love in the world at large.
Release date: February 4
Release date: February 4
Historians have found Mark Twain to be an endlessly fascinating subject, and with good reason. As America’s pioneering celebrity, Samuel Langhorne Clemens cultivated his public persona with care. But the really interesting stuff takes some digging. Veteran biographer Ron Chernow (Alexander Hamilton) provides the bigger picture by parsing thousands of letters, journals, and unpublished manuscripts.
Release date: May 13
Release date: May 13
Drilling down through centuries of scientific, medical, and social history, author and activist John Green tracks the wreckage of tuberculosis, the world’s deadliest curable disease. It’s that “curable” part that lingers, and Green asks some uncomfortable questions about injustice and inequity in global healthcare. And yes, this is the same John Green who wrote The Fault in Our Stars. The guy’s got range.
Release date: March 18
Release date: March 18
Presented in a results-oriented format—An Operating Manual for the Human Body—Stanford neuroscientist Andrew D. Huberman provides a regimen of exercises and techniques for improving mind, mood, and body. It’s all about protocols, and Huberman’s program is designed to rewire the nervous system using evidence-based strategies.
Release date: April 22
Release date: April 22
As thesis questions go, it’s a pretty good one: Are rivers living entities? Acclaimed nature writer Robert Macfarlane (Underland) makes a persuasive case by detailing three separate river journeys—in India, Ecuador, and Canada—and providing a different perspective rooted in older and deeper modes of perception. Macfarlane also discusses the ecological perils in play, as well as some potential remedies.
Release date: May 20
Release date: May 20
More hard-won wisdom from the realm of rivers: This unique memoir from world-renowned whitewater rafting guide Bridget Crocker explores the notion that nature’s wild things can nurture, too. Crocker’s vivid adventure writing is rooted in her chaotic childhood, where the Snake River was the only reliable environment she had. The River’s Daughter should appeal to fans of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild or Tara Westover’s Educated.
Release date: June 3
Release date: June 3
Which books are you most excited to read in 2025? Let us know in the comments!
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steph
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Dec 16, 2024 12:46AM
My TBR just got so much fatter! An anticipated novel I haven’t seen mentioned is One of You by Erin E. Adams. If you haven’t read her debut novel Jackal, this is your sign to go read it right now!
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nah no way they didn't put these 2 soon to be masterpieces
I have nothing against fiction, but perhaps consider that maybe 8 categories for fiction and just 1 for non-fiction is a bit unbalanced? Thanks.
I'm soooo excited for Atmosphere 🥹 I love everything miss Reid publishes
Sevda wrote: "nah no way they didn't put these 2 soon to be masterpieces"I know right! im looking forward to fearless coming out sm.
Uh yeah they definitely should have put Fearless on this list.
I'm looking forward to:Wild Side by Elsie Silver
Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Matriarch: A Memoir by Tina Knowles
the ones im looking forward to i have not seen are Faithbreaker by Hanna Kaner, The deadly Grimm by katheryn Purdie, Once a villain by Vanessa Len, The Curse of Gods by Kate Dramis, Daughter of Chaos by A.S. Webb, Crule is the Light by Sophie Clark, A sea of unspoke things by Adrienne Young and the Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin
Agree on... Wild Side - Elsie SilverBut also.... The Next Round - Eva Frances
And yes.... Fearless Lauren Roberts
Sevda wrote: "nah no way they didn't put these 2 soon to be masterpieces"They need to make a bigger list lol
I've added several from this list to my Kindle Wish List. I'm a fan of cozy mysteries, so I'm looking forward to new books in favorite series by favorite authors. There will be two new books by Krista Davis: The Wagtail Murder Club and The Diva Poaches an Egg. Donna Andrews will add another Meg Langslow mystery titled For Duck's Sake, and Bailey Cates finally returns with a new Magical Bakery novel, Rituals and Rolling Pins.
"a physics professor determined to be the first woman in space. NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, circa 1984..."What in the American myopia is this?
There's to many books already written about JFK so I'll pass on that one but I look some of the upcoming fiction books.
Richard wrote: ""a physics professor determined to be the first woman in space. NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, circa 1984..."What in the American myopia is this?"
Right, 21 years late girl. The book's synopsis says nothing about "first". Goodreads editors please fact check yourselves
Thank you for including Black authors and Black books! As a new Black author with a book coming out 2025, I’m so excited! 🥳❤️
Avi wrote: "I have nothing against fiction, but perhaps consider that maybe 8 categories for fiction and just 1 for non-fiction is a bit unbalanced? Thanks."Would love to see non fiction divided into Non Fiction and Memoir/Biography
Sevda wrote: "nah no way they didn't put these 2 soon to be masterpieces"IKRRR I WAS WAITING FOR THEM TO POP UP BUT THEY NEVER DID
Love this list! Agree with some of the other mentions above.. but still missing The Vengeful Dead by Darcy Coates
ANOTHER FREDRICK BACKMAN!!!!!! I am so excited for it
David wrote: "Judging by all the books in these lists, I have to wonder whether there are any men that use GoodReads?"Because men don't read books by women?
I added several books to my tbr list. I am also looking forward to:Kills Well With Others, Deanna Raybourn March 2025
The Maid’s Secret, Nita Prose April 2025
Food Person, Adam Roberts May 2025
Hidden Nature, Nora Roberts May 2025
The Potting Shed Murder, Paula Sutton (US release) May 2025
The Seven Rings, Nora Roberts November 2025
A shatter me reboot? Are you for real? Please tahereh I am so tired give me something else 😭
now you know what books you will get in your next book of the month box xD
I am disappointed that the Goodreads team keeps trying to put literary fiction in science fiction.
Avi wrote: "I have nothing against fiction, but perhaps consider that maybe 8 categories for fiction and just 1 for non-fiction is a bit unbalanced? Thanks."Agreed!
Fearless by Lauren Roberts and Glorious Rivals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes also for YA Novels
Sevda wrote: "nah no way they didn't put these 2 soon to be masterpieces"i was searching for them the entire time
As a romance reader, I look forward to none of these! Maybe let's not let TT run the genre
Avi wrote: "I have nothing against fiction, but perhaps consider that maybe 8 categories for fiction and just 1 for non-fiction is a bit unbalanced? Thanks."this ⬆️⬆️
David wrote: "Judging by all the books in these lists, I have to wonder whether there are any men that use GoodReads?"omg that's a good question lol
Yay! Just added some books to my TBR from this list.
Sevda wrote: "nah no way they didn't put these 2 soon to be masterpieces"fr fr
I was looking for them the entire time
Goodreads should know our people by now :)
I want to read The Crash, Don't let Him In and Katabasis. Also, I've already read The Unworthy in Spanish last summen and I loved it!
These are the same books from 2024. And 2023. And 2022, and so on for the past 5 to 7 years. The only difference is this year we're clocking in at around 20 percent male authors instead of the usual barely 30 percent. What an absolute bland, stupid joke the mainstream publishing industry apparently is. My goal is to read at least 80 percent male authors next year.
Cybil .... I'm crying"Recommended for readers who like extended swimming metaphors."
Sevda wrote: "nah no way they didn't put these 2 soon to be masterpieces"REAL!!! I'M SO UPSET!!!! AT LEAST OXYN STORM MADE IT
Can't wait to get my hands on the new S. A. Cosby!
Sophie wrote: "Sevda wrote: "nah no way they didn't put these 2 soon to be masterpieces"I know right! im looking forward to fearless coming o..."
Need fearless !!!!
Sevda wrote: "nah no way they didn't put these 2 soon to be masterpieces"no literally, I have money ready to buy them right away
I AGREE!!!!!!! There are so many books that need to be on there!!!!!!
Maybe I'm a nerd. I admit it totally. But I'm really up for Ron Chernow's bio on Mark Twain. Can't wait!
Ken wrote: "Maybe I'm a nerd. I admit it totally. But I'm really up for Ron Chernow's bio on Mark Twain. Can't wait!"Real!!! Neard for life!!!
some other great books coming out in the first half of 2025Fable for the End of the World
Cruel is the Light
The Tomb of Dragons
Faithbreaker
The Floating World
Maggie wrote: "Avi wrote: "I have nothing against fiction, but perhaps consider that maybe 8 categories for fiction and just 1 for non-fiction is a bit unbalanced? Thanks."Would love to see non fiction divided ..."
100% agree with you on this!
My most anticipated book this year is A Fix of Light by Kel Menton. It's a debut YA queer fantasy set in West Cork by a nonbinary Irish writer! A Fix of Light
Did AI write these descriptions? I'm genuinely curious. There are so many misused words (ie "the immortal Beach Read").
