22 Most Exciting Book Releases in January 2025
A new month means a whole new list of my most exciting and anticipated releases! Like always, I picked this list based off of the hook of the synopsis, the cover design, the author, and the general vibes I’m getting from all of these things combined. What’s another 22 books (plus some honorable mentions at the very end) added to our eternal TBR?
Since I tend to read Fantasy, Young Adult, and Romance, that’s what a majority of this list will contain. But other genres tend to sneak in, especially Mystery/Thriller, Literary Fiction, Horror, and Nonfiction
Let’s get into these amazing books and see what the new year has in store!
*All dates below are expected publication, but they are all also subject to change
ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD
by Eiren Caffall
Why this pick?:
I’m not typically a fan of dystopian novels, but what drew my attention to this piece was the connection it has to past historical events and the work done by those curators. It also raises an interesting question: In the face of the collapse of humanity, what history, if any, is worth remembering?
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Science Fiction | Post-Apocalyptic | Adult
BLURB:
In the tradition of Station Eleven, a literary thriller set partly on the roof of New York’s Museum of Natural History in a flooded future.
All the Water in the World is told in the voice of a girl gifted with a deep feeling for water. In the years after the glaciers melt, Nonie, her older sister and her parents and their researcher friends have stayed behind in an almost deserted New York City, creating a settlement on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History. The rule: Take from the exhibits only in dire need. They hunt and grow their food in Central Park as they work to save the collections of human history and science. When a superstorm breaches the city’s flood walls, Nonie and her family must escape north on the Hudson. They carry with them a book that holds their records of the lost collections. Racing on the swollen river towards what may be safety, they encounter communities that have adapted in very different and sometimes frightening ways to the new reality. But they are determined to find a way to make a new world that honors all they've saved.
Inspired by the stories of the curators in Iraq and Leningrad who worked to protect their collections from war, All the Water in the World is both a meditation on what we save from collapse and an adventure story—with danger, storms, and a fight for survival. In the spirit of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and Parable of the Sower, this wild journey offers the hope that what matters most – love and work, community and knowledge – will survive.
BABYLONIA
by Costanza Casati
Why this pick?:
I read Casati’s work, Clytemnestra, a few weeks after it published and was absolutely gutted by the retelling. It was masterful and tragic and victorious novel, and it certainly should have been read when I was in a more stable headspace because WOW. I knew after reading it that I would always pick up a book by Casati. This retelling of Semirami’s story sounds riveting. I can’t wait to read it!
Publication Date: January14, 2025
Genre: Retelling | Mythology/Folklore | Adult
BLURB:
From the author of the bestselling Clytemnestra comes another intoxicating excursion into ancient history, as Casati reimagines the rise to power of the Assyrian empire's only female ruler, Semiramis.
When kings fall, queens rise.
Nothing about Semiramis's upbringing could have foretold her legacy or the power she would come to wield. A female ruler, once an orphan raised on the outskirts of an empire - certainly no one in Ancient Assyria would bend to her command willingly. Semiramis was a woman who knew if she wanted power, she would have to claim it.
There are whispers of her fame in Mesopotamian myth—Semiramis was a queen, an ambitious warrior, a commander whose reputation reaches the majestic proportions of Alexander the Great. Historical record, on the other hand, falls eerily quiet.
In her second novel, Costanza Casati brilliantly weaves myth and ancient history together to give Semiramis a voice, charting her captivating ascent to a throne no one promised her. The world Casati expertly builds is rich with dazzling detail and will transport her readers to the heat of the Assyrian Empire and a world long gone.
BEAUTIFUL UGLY
by Alice Feeney
Why this pick?:
Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney was a masterpiece, and, while not quite as incredible, I did enjoy, Daisy Darker. If there’s one thing I can count on in a Feeney novel, it’s prose filled to the brim with one-liners that deserve to go in a quote journal. Add to this the final two lines in this blurb? I’m pretty sure I’m going to love this book!
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Genre: Mystery/Thriller | Adult
BLURB:
Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.
Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.
A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible – a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.
Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.
BOUDICCA
by P.C. Cast
Why this pick?:
I’m a sucker for a retelling built on historical moments and mythology that features a fierce female lead. Between the allusion to fantastical elements, as well as my own interest in Celtic lore, this book was sure to catch my eye. I’ve never read a P.C. Cast before, but I’ll cross my fingers that the storytelling matches up with powerhouses such as Constanza Casati and Madeline Miller!
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
Genre: Retelling | Mythology/Folklore | Adult
BLURB:
From P. C. Cast, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the landmark House of Night urban fantasy series, comes an epic, lusty, magic-filled romantasy about British warrior queen Boudicca. Perfect for fans of Sue Lynn Tan and Madeline Miller!
In Roman-occupied Britain, the Iceni tribe crowns an extraordinary new queen. Tall and flame-haired, Boudicca is devoted to Andraste, the Iceni’s patron goddess, known for her raven familiar, her fierceness and her swirling blue tattoos. Boudicca and her two young daughters will carry the tribe forward in dangerous times.
Roman tax collector Catus Decianus, expecting weakness in a female ruler, launches a devastating attack on the tribe’s stronghold. Boudicca and her family barely survive—but they refuse to bend the knee. She calls a war council, bringing together her most trustworthy allies, including her childhood friend Rhan, now a powerful Druid seer, and the horse master Maldwyn, whose devotion to Boudicca runs deeper than a warrior to a queen.
Surprising the Romans, Boudicca’s armies sack the wealthy cities of Camulodunum, Londinium and Veralamium. As the snow falls, the Celts retreat to a hidden valley to plot their assault on the remaining Roman legions, determined to force the invaders from Britan.
But in the jagged ice of winter the Druid Rhan foresees a tragic end to Boudicca’s rebellion. Although the defeat of the Iceni is spelled out in signs sent by the gods, Rhan swears she will alter the future and save her queen. Now the battle-hardened Boudicca must put her trust in the powers of the otherworld to save her from both the traitors in her midst and from Rome’s mighty legions.
Inspired by the rich history of Boudicca’s attack on Roman Britain, bestselling author P. C. Cast crafts an epic, mythic retelling of one of time’s most legendary female warriors.
BREWED WITH LOVE
by Shelly Page
Why this pick?:
Though this sounds tropey and predictable, I’m 100% down for a witchy, sapphic second-chance-romance. How this will play out as a young adult, I’m not sure, but I’m willing to give it a shot! My reading mood has been set on HEA for a few weeks now, and this will certainly tick that box!
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Genre: Supernatural | Romance | Young Adult
BLURB:
A cozy, contemporary romantasy about a teen witch who wants to keep her family’s apothecary from falling to the competition but can only do so with assistance from her first crush.
Plant witch, Sage Bishop, is determined to run her family’s old apothecary one day. She spends her time trying to invent the perfect tonic to put Bishop Brews on the map. And she’s going to need one quickly, too, because their biggest competitor is drawing away customers.
Short-staffed, her nana hires Ximena Reyes, Sage’s ex-best friend and first crush, who’s more of an unwelcome distraction than anything. Ximena has always dreamed of leaving their small town behind while Sage wants to tend to her roots. And during one of their first shifts together, someone breaks into Bishop Brews, stealing several tonics, including the one Sage has been working tirelessly on, the same one that wipes a councilmember’s kid’s memory.
To avoid being shut down by the sheriff, Sage decides to investigate. If so much wasn’t at stake, she’d do it alone. But with her grandmother’s legacy and her future on the line, she must partner with her ever smug and unfairly pretty new coworker. As Sage begins to fall for Ximena (again), she’ll have to decide if the comfort of the familiar is worth missing out on a chance at real happiness.
DEATH OF THE AUTHOR
by Nnedi Okorafor
Why this pick?:
I’m not sure why, exactly, but this feel very Atwood-esque. Maybe it’s the insinuation that we’ll get an interesting genre blend, or the fact that I think we’ll have an unreliable narrator here. Regardless, everything about this blurb has me itching to sit down and immerse myself in this story. I have high expectations for this one.
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Genre: Magical Realism | Contemporary | Adult
BLURB:
The future of storytelling is here.
Life has thrown Zelu some curveballs over the years, but when she's suddenly dropped from her university job and her latest novel is rejected, all in the middle of her sister's wedding, her life is upended. Disabled, unemployed and from a nosy, high-achieving, judgmental family, she's not sure what comes next.
In her hotel room that night, she takes the risk that will define her life - she decides to write a book VERY unlike her others. A science fiction drama about androids and AI after the extinction of humanity. And everything changes.
What follows is a tale of love and loss, fame and infamy, of extraordinary events in one world, and another. And as Zelu's life evolves, the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur.
Because sometimes a story really does have the power to reshape the world.
THE HAPPY WRITER
by Marissa Meyer
Why this pick?:
I’m always on the lookout for a good nonfiction about the craft of writing! My last read was You: The Story by Ruta Sepetys, and I (surprisingly) enjoyed the personal approach she took to her book. It was part craft, part memoir, and I finished it with a smile on my face. So, when I saw that Marissa Meyer’s was publishing a novel on craft, it was a no-brainer to put it on my list!
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
Genre: Nonfiction | Writing
BLURB:
Part craft guide, part writing coach, and part cheerleader, this book offers useful advice on a slew of common writing and publishing ailments, such as how to end procrastination, how to build a social media platform that reflects your personality, how to get your imagination to overflow with new ideas, how to listen to your intuition when receiving a critique on your work, how to overcome impostor syndrome, what to do when you’re stuck in the query trenches, and so much more.
Writing can and should be joyful, fulfilling ... even fun! Applicable to writers in all genres and disciplines—from screenwriters to novelists, journalists to picture book authors, aspiring to many-times published—The Happy Writer is a heartfelt and optimistic guide that will show you the way to a happier writing journey.
No matter where a writer might be on their creative journey, Meyer encourages them to tap into their own personal sources of joy and to celebrate every milestone, all while confronting challenges (writer’s block! rejection! burnout!) with a reservoir of resources for every temperament, budget, and career.
Known in writers’ circles as a generous mentor, Meyer shares stories from her own writing path to help every writer discover the ultimate joys of living their best writing life.
If you aren’t suffering, you aren’t creating. Right?
Wrong!
I AM NOT JESSICA CHEN
by Ann Liang
Why this pick?:
One of the reasons I will always come back to Young Adult as a genre is because of it’s focus on characters and identity. This one-sided body swap story caught my attention because it forces the FMC to reconcile with losing who she was to, quite literally, become the person she thought she wanted to be. I’m fascinated to this creative approach to such a prevalent topic.
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
Genre: Magical Realism | Young Adult
BLURB:
After getting rejected by every single Ivy League she applied to and falling short of all her Asian immigrant parents’ expectations, seventeen-year-old Jenna Chen makes a wish to become her smarter, infinitely more successful Harvard-bound cousin, Jessica Chen—only for her wish to come true. Literally.
Now trapped inside Jessica’s body, with access to Jessica’s most private journals and secrets, Jenna soon discovers that being the top student at the elite, highly competitive Havenwood Private Academy isn’t quite what she imagined. Worse, as everyone—including her own parents—start having trouble remembering who Jenna Chen is, or if she ever even existed, Jenna must decide if playing the role of the perfect daughter and student is worth losing her true self forever.
IMMORTAL
by Sue Lynn Tan
Why this pick?:
As a fan of Tan’s Celestial Kingdom duology, I was thrilled to see this novel! Not only is the cover stunning, but we get to reenter the world from the previous novels by this author. Tan writes captivating characters with romances that feel authentic, and I’m excited by the parallels already being drawn between the FMC and MMC in the blurb alone. Who doesn’t love a little unrequited love while a kingdom balances on a thread?
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Fantasy | Romance | Young Adult
BLURB:
A stunning, standalone romantic fantasy filled with dangerous secrets, forbidden magic, and passion, of a young ruler who fights to protect her kingdom, from bestselling author Sue Lynn Tan and set in the breathtaking world of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.
“What the gods did not give us, I would take.”
As the heir to Tianxia, Liyen knows she must ascend the throne and renew her kingdom’s pledge to serve the immortals who once protected them from a vicious enemy. But when she is poisoned, Liyen’s grandfather steals an enchanted lotus to save her life. Enraged at his betrayal, the immortal queen commands the powerful God of War to attack Tianxia.
Upon her grandfather’s death, Liyen ascends a precarious throne, vowing to end her kingdom’s obligation to the immortals. When she is summoned to the Immortal Realm, she seizes the opportunity to learn their secrets and to form a tenuous alliance to safeguard her people, all with the one she should fear and mistrust the most: the ruthless God of War. As they are drawn together, a treacherous attraction ignites between them—one she has to resist, to not endanger all she is fighting for.
But with darker forces closing in around them, and her kingdom plunged into peril, Liyen must risk everything to save her people from an unspeakable fate, even if it means forging a dangerous bond with the immortal… even if it means losing her heart.
A LANGUAGE OF DRAGONS
by S.F. Williamson
Why this pick?:
So much about this blurbs hits on concepts I love. Dragons? Check. Dark Academia? Check. Alternate history? Check. And, of course, I love this beautiful cover. I’m genuinely ecstatic for this release, and based on the buzz I’ve heard about it, I don’t think I’ll be disappointed!
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Fantasy | Alternate History | Young Adult
BLURB:
EVERY ACT OF TRANSLATION REQUIRES SACRIFICE
Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons.
London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivian Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.
With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious ‘job’, she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort – if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.
At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realizes that the bubble she’s grown up in isn’t as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must ask herself: What war is she really fighting?
An epic, sweeping fantasy with an incredible Dark Academia setting, a clandestine, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and an unputdownable story, filled with twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities, A Language of Dragons is the unmissable debut of 2025, from an extraordinary new voice.
MYSTERY ROYALE
by Kaitlyn Cavalancia
Why this pick?:
I will forever be a fan of a locked-door mystery. And as someone with a nostalgic disposition toward anything remotely murder-mystery-whimsy, I knew this was a book I wanted to read. It honestly brought me all the way back to my first read of The Westing Game. As a YA mystery, I’m a little hesitant about how predictable the plot may turn out to be, but I’m intrigued nonetheless!
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Mystery/Thriller | Young Adult
BLURB:
THE INHERITANCE GAMES meets HOTEL MAGNIFIQUE in this genre splicing YA fantastical mystery.
The only thing sixteen-year-old Mullory Prudence has left of her mom is a warning: "Run if the strange finds you." But mysterious warnings don’t pay the bills or help take care of her sick Gran. And they certainly don’t make her miserable after-school job any more bearable. When unexpected letters start appearing in peculiar places––sealed in bags of dog food and hidden in the refrigerator––Mullory knows she should avoid them to heed her mother’s warning, but her curiosity thinks otherwise. She uncovers an invitation from Stoutmire Estate to compete in a game of Mystery Royale for the chance at a sizable inheritance.
Dizzy with the prospect of billions, Mullory enters the game only to unearth the true prize––the illusionary magical properties of Xavier Stoutmire, a recluse without an heir. A recluse who was expected to keep his magic in the family, especially when there isn’t enough for each member. With a prize worth killing for, the game is simple: be the first to solve the mystery––who killed Xavier Stoutmire? One week full of lavish parties dripping with enchantments, in a mansion brimming with clues of the past, and everyone’s a suspect. To win, Mullory will need to untangle a twisted family web and decide who she can trust…
Whitaker Stoutmire, the golden boy who’s harboring deadly secrets?
Ellison Stoutmire, his closed off twin, who saw something she shouldn’t have?
Lyric Stoutmire the youngest sibling, exiled by the family and burning with resentment?
Or Mateo Cruz, the only other outsider whose reserved manner allows him to hide in the shadows... At least at first.
But most of all, Mullory must ask herself, why? Why her? A question most strange, indeed.
NO PLACE LEFT TO HIDE
by Megan Lally
Why this pick?:
I know, I know—another YA mystery. But the blurb immediately took my mind to I Know What You Did Last Summer and I got a swooping sense of nostalgia. There’s white a bit of that happening with my January picks, actually! Combine that with the fact that the ARC reviews look promising. I imagine we’re … in for a ride … with this one.
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Mystery/Thriller | Young Adult
BLURB:
Some secrets just won't stay hidden in this twisty new thriller from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Megan Lally!
To Brooke, image is everything. She works hard to maintain perfect grades, perfect looks, a perfect life—especially after "the incident" that threatened it all. Getting into her dream university puts her that much closer to a fresh start. How can she say no to celebrating with all her classmates?
Hanging out with her crush by the bonfire is the perfect end to the night. Except it isn't the end. An old truck starts aggressively tailing Brooke and her best friend on the isolated road toward home. Someone thinks they know the truth about "the incident," and they won't stop until it's all out in the open. This terrifying drive is about to bring out Brooke's worst fears…if she survives it.
A SEA OF UNSPOKEN THINGS
by Adrienne Young
Why this pick?:
Adrienne Young fast became one of my favorite author’s in Adult speculative fiction. While I did have some notes for Spells for Forgetting, I truly enjoyed it. And I absolutely ADORED The Unmaking of June Farrow. As soon as I saw she had another release, it went on the list. I didn’t even need to read the blurb. Although, the blurb does have me even more excited for this newest novel by Young!
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Magical Realism | Mystery/Thriller | Adult
BLURB:
A woman investigates her brother's mysterious death while coming to terms with her own haunting past in this atmospheric novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unmaking of June Farrow.
The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. For as long as she can remember, James’s deep connection with her twin brother, Johnny, has gone beyond intuition—she can feel what he feels. So, when Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, James knows before her phone even rings that her brother is gone and that she’s alone—truly alone—for the first time in her life.
When James arrives in the rural town of Hawthorne, California to settle her brother’s affairs, she’s forced to rehash the ominous past she and Johnny shared and finally face Micah, the only person who knows about it. He’s also the only man she’s ever loved.
But James soon discovers that the strange connection she had with Johnny isn’t quite gone, and the more she immerses herself into his world, the more questions she has about the brother she thought she knew. Johnny was keeping secrets, and he’s not the only one. What she uncovers will push her to unravel what happened in the days before Johnny’s death, but in the end, she’ll have to decide which truths should come to light, and which should stay buried forever.
THE STOLEN QUEEN
by Fiona Davis
Why this pick?:
Like any person who had a concerning obsession with The Mummy, I’m always going to do a double take at a storyline that involves ancient Egyptian pharaoh’s. What put this on my list, though, is that unlike most of those storyline’s, this one will be led by, not one, but two FMCs. Sold!
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Historical Fiction | Mystery | Adult
BLURB:
From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.
Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.
New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.” Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.
Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.
That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.
As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.
TELL ME WHAT YOU DID
by Carter Wilson
Why this pick?:
I love a morally gray cast with an unreliable narrator, and I have a hunch that we’ll get both of those things in this story. Especially with a concept as intriguing as this one. Inviting criminals who got away with their crimes to confess in a moment of anonymous fame brings me back to my Forensic Science class in high school and the unit we did on criminology. I’m curious to see how things play out in this one …
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
Genre: Mystery/Thriller | Adult
BLURB:
She gets people to confess their crimes for a living. He knows she's hiding a terrible secret. It's time for the truth to come out…
Poe Webb, host of a popular true crime podcast, invites people to anonymously confess crimes they've committed to her audience. She can't guarantee the police won't come after her "guests," but her show grants simultaneous anonymity and instant fame—a potent combination that's proven difficult to resist. After an episode recording, Poe usually erases both criminal and crime from her mind.
But when a strange and oddly familiar man appears on her show, Poe is forced to take a second look. Not only because he claims to be her mother's murderer from years ago, but because Poe knows something no one else does. Her mother's murderer is dead.
Poe killed him.
From the USA Today bestselling author of The Dead Girl in 2A and The New Neighbor comes a chilling new thriller that forces the question: are murderers always the bad guys?
THE THREE LIVES OF CATE KAY
by Kate Fagan
Why this pick?:
Okay, the blurb sounds great, yes, and it’s a cool concept. But I’m honestly fascinated in how this novel will play out in the age of social media. Is it really possible that the protagonist has gotten away with no public face time, but still made it big? I’m curious to see if the author can pull this concept off and make it believable.
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Contemporary | Adult
BLURB:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets First Lie Wins in this electric, voice-driven debut novel about an elusive bestselling author who decides to finally confess her true identity after years of hiding from her past.
Cate Kay knows how to craft a story. As the creator of a bestselling book trilogy that struck box office gold as a film series, she’s one of the most successful authors of her generation. The thing is, Cate Kay doesn’t really exist. She’s never attended author events or granted any interviews. Her real identity had been a closely guarded secret, until now.
As a young adult, she and her best friend Amanda dreamed of escaping their difficult homes and moving to California to become movie stars. But the day before their grand adventure, a tragedy shattered their dreams and Cate has been on the run ever since, taking on different names and charting a new future. But after a shocking revelation, Cate understands that returning home is the only way she’ll be a whole person again.
THE VANISHING BOOKSTORE
by Helen Phifer
Why this pick?:
I’ll admit, this blurb has me hesitant. There’s a lot going on here, and either the payoff will be brilliant because the multitude of subplots will seamlessly weave together into a magical tale, or we’ll only get a surface-level dive into each, leading to a lackluster mystery and disappointing conclusion. I’ve been let down by many a “whimsical and mysterious” bookstore/library story. But, I still pick them up because when done right, they are incredible.
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Fantasy | Historical Fiction | Adult
BLURB:
‘Every story needs a happy ending. And you can’t have yours until you find the bookstore.’
1692. On the outskirts of Salem, a bookstore stands covered in overgrown vines. Inside, a young woman hides a linen-wrapped journal under a loose floorboard and runs away, panicked by the sound of hounds barking in the distance. The bookstore vanishes into thin air…
Present day. Stepping inside a pale-pink house on one of the oldest streets in Salem, Dora can’t believe she’s about to finally meet the mother she thought died tragically when she was just a child. But the excitement is short-lived. Dora’s mother has fear in her eyes, and with a trembling voice she ‘my life is in danger, and now so is yours…’
Desperate not to lose her mother all over again, Dora digs into her family’s mysterious past, and stumbles upon a seemingly impossible the key to their survival is hidden in a bookstore that no one has seen for generations.
Losing herself amongst thorny brackens and twisted ferns, Dora eventually finds the path that leads to the bookstore. But someone is watching her. They’ve been waiting for her.
As she pushes open the beautiful blue door hidden amongst the sharp brambles, and stands in front of rows of crumbling leatherbound books with faded pages, she has no idea of the secrets she is about to uncover. Or that her life is in more danger than ever before…
Readers will lose themselves in the mesmerising magic of this absorbing and utterly unputdownable page-turner. Perfect for fans of Weyward, The Lost Apothecary and Practical Magic.
THE VANISHING OF JOSEPHINE REYNOLDS
by Jennifer Moorman
Why this pick?:
As a fan of Young’s The Unmaking of June Farrow, I was taken by this blurb because the concepts hint at some similar themes. Namely, if you got to choose between two lives, which one would mean enough that you would stay? The composition of the synopsis has me a little wary of the craft in this one, but color me intrigued enough to add it to the list.
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Genre: Science Fiction | Historical | Adult
BLURB:
Can an entire life be erased by one thoughtless wish that changes a single moment?
Josephine Reynolds never imagined she'd be a widow in her midthirties. Grieving and barely able to contemplate one more night alone, she carelessly wishes she'd never been born. At that exact moment, her inbox dings with a link from her sister that lists local foreclosures. To her immense surprise, she sees her great-grandmother's house listed and immediately conspires to reclaim it.
But as Josephine restores her great-grandmother's home to its original glory, she comes to realize not everything is as it seems. Replacing the modern front door with the original hand-carved and solid wood one, she notices minuscule words carved into the edging. As she speaks the words aloud and opens the front door with its original key, Josephine finds herself transported back almost one hundred years ago to a 1920s party thrown by her great-grandmother Alma.
A shocked Josephine fears she is losing her mind. Has her grief caused her to lose touch with reality? But it quickly becomes clear that her life and future--thanks to her throwaway wish--hinge on one single moment that happened almost one hundred years ago. The two parallel timelines start blending together, and Josephine witnesses her present life disappearing right before her eyes.
She can only hope it's not too late to save her own future.
WATER MOON
by Samantha Sotto Yambao
Why this pick?:
This sounds, cozy, whimsical, and full of life. I can’t even begin to describe how excited I am for this novel! I’m not sure what else to say, because the blurb alone gave me this buoyant sensation. It’s going to be all about the feels for this one, and I’m more than happy to be swept along in this tale.
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Genre: Fantasy | Adult
BLURB:
A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel.
On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones—those who are lost—will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.
Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.
Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.
But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.
WE COULD BE RATS
by Emily R. Austin
Why this pick?:
This will be my first Emily R. Austin novel, but it sounds both gut-wrenching and full of hope. I love a neurodivergent-focused plotline that delves into hard truths about worldly perceptions. Of all the books on my list, this one may be my most anticipated. I expect to have the breath knokced out of me. And to cry.
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
Genre: Contemporary | Adult
BLURB:
A moving story about two very different sisters, and a love letter to childhood, growing up, and the power of imagination—from the bestselling author of Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead and Interesting Facts About Space.
Sigrid hates working at the Dollar Pal, but having always resisted the idea of growing up into the trappings of adulthood, she did not graduate high school, preferring to roam the streets of her small town with her best friend Greta, the only person in the world who ever understood her. Her older sister, Margit, is baffled and frustrated by Sigrid’s inability to conform to the expectations of polite society.
But Sigrid’s detachment veils a deeper turmoil and sensitivity. She’s haunted by the pains of her past—from pretending her parents were swamp monsters when they shook the floorboards with their violent arguments to grappling with losing Greta’s friendship to the opioid epidemic ravaging their town. As Margit sets out to understand Sigrid and the secrets she has hidden, both sisters, in their own time and way, discover that reigniting their shared childhood imagination is the only way forward.
What unfolds is an unforgettable story of two sisters finding their way back to each other, and a celebration of that transcendent, unshakable bond.
WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS
by Grady Hendrix
Why this pick?:
Though I’ve never read a Grady Hendrix book, this author gets referred to me over and over again. With that being said, his newest release had to make the list! I’m personally not a huge fan of pregnancy plots (it’s a me thing) but still can see the potential of this concept!
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Genre: Fantasy | Horror | Adult
BLURB:
There’s power in a book…
They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.
Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.
Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.
In Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, the author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group delivers another searing, completely original novel and further cements his status as a “horror master” (NPR).
WORK IN PROGRESS
by Kat Mackenzie
Why this pick?:
This sounds absolutely adorable! I can see myself smiling and cackling all the way through this story. As book-lover (obviously) with a belly-deep desire to go to the UK, I took one look at this blurb and knew I was going to get my hands on this novel ASAP. There’s also something so endearing about a bus tour with a group of uproarious old ladies. I’m in!
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Genre: Romance | Adult
BLURB:
A warm, sexy, laugh-out-loud rom-com about a woman who, desperate for a fresh start, books a literary bus tour across the UK that consists of a lively group of elderly ladies plus one infuriatingly handsome Scottish driver.
UK Bus Trip Goals:
1. Crawl out of pajamas.
2. Get over cheating bastard and his stupid ironed jeans.
3. Have my first real adventure!
4. Achieve stability, strength, and growth.
5. Definitely do NOT kiss any British men.
Alice loves a good list. But careful planning didn’t stop her from losing her job and her fiance in one fell swoop. With her dreaded 30th birthday looming on the horizon, Alice makes the first impulsive decision of her life - booking a flight to the UK for a three-week, all-female, literary bus tour. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out - everything.
Alice arrives to discover that this tour isn’t what she expected. At all. Instead of cool, globe-trotting thirtysomethings with meaningful tattoos, she finds a rickety, antique bus full of fluffy-haired octogenarians. And to make matters infinitely worse, the tour guide makes her blood boil! And that devilish grin of his tells her he’s dead set on making her trip a misery.
But as they travel from castle ruins to cozy pubs, Alice may just find that she’s got it all wrong. The ladies are vivacious. The book club chat is on fire. And damn if that mischievous smile doesn't threaten to turn her world upside down - and her beloved list right along with it!
Books by Publication Date
January 7, 2025
January 14, 2025
January 21, 2025
January 28, 2025
Time to brew some coffee and add even more novels to your infinite TBR! Which one are you most excited to read?
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