25 Books to Check Out for 2025
Time for the stack of books on your bedside table to get even taller. The new year is here, and so many exciting releases are on the horizon. 2025 has it all, from biting analyses of life online to tell-all memoirs to thrillers already tapped for A24 adaptations. Open up a tab for Goodreads—you will want to add these to your TBR list.
Wave of Blood, Ariana Reines
Hybrid, January 3, 2025
Ask your favourite contemporary poets who they admire, and chances are Ariana Reines' name will come up. Her latest book, Wave of Blood, breaks down genre barriers, combining poems with journal entries written during her European tour (beginning in October 2023 and concluding in April 2024). Pain and grief are recurring themes as Reines reckons with international news and her mother's suicide.
Good Girl, Aria Aber
Fiction, January 14, 2025
Aria Aber's poetry has been featured in The New Yorker, The New Republic, and The Yale Review. With Good Girl, she forays into fiction. The novel's protagonist, Nila, is a young German woman born to Afghan refugees—much like Aber herself. Nila rebels against her parents' expectations by exploring Berlin's famous rave culture, floating in and out of warehouses in a haze of techno and drugs. As she gets deeper into the scene, she begins a toxic entanglement with an American writer and finds herself grappling with Germany's growing racial tensions. It's sure to be equal parts entertaining and edifying.
American Thighs, Elizabeth Ellen
Fiction, January 28, 2025
Elizabeth Ellen has built up a cult following as the founding editor of Short Flight/Long Drive Press (and author of several novels and collections spanning poetry and prose). Her latest fiction release, American Thighs, follows a former child star whose Hollywood dream dissipated when she was impregnated by a veteran actor. Fifteen years after his death, she abandons her family and pretends to be a sixteen-year-old in a frantic attempt to regain the youth she lost.
Victorian Psycho, Virginia Feito
Fiction, February 4, 2025
Virginia Feito's first novel, Mrs. March, was a Sunday Times bestseller; Victorian Psycho is sure to sell even more copies. The title should give you a good idea of the plot and tone, but if you're dying to know more, the book follows a governess at a gloomy estate who finds herself tempted to murder her young charges. A24 has already bought the film rights and attached Margaret Qualley and Thomasin McKenzie to the project, so you should get a head start before it hits theatres.
Fearless and Free, Josephine Baker
Nonfiction, February 4, 2025
A new release by Josephine Baker, the famed dancer-turned-WWII spy? You read that correctly: Baker's memoir, initially composed in French in 1949, is being published in English for the first time, courtesy of translators Anam Zafar and Sophie R. Lewis. Baker shares revelations about navigating stardom in the Roaring 20s, carrying out secret missions despite her celebrity, and eventually becoming a Civil Rights activist in the States.
Theory and Practice, Michelle De Kretser
Fiction, February 18, 2025
From Down Under comes a thought-provoking novel by award-winning author Michelle de Kretser. In 1986, a young woman travels from Sri Lanka to Melbourne to study Virginia Woolf as a graduate student. Soon, she's caught up in an affair with the artsy Kit, whose "deconstructed relationship" is a source of both fascination and jealousy. As the title suggests, the narrator realizes that she doesn't know her favourite writer or her own psyche as well as she thought she did.
All Our Tomorrows, Amy DeBellis
Fiction, February 25, 2025
Forthcoming from buzzy indie press Clash, All Our Tomorrows has been billed as The Hours meets My Year of Rest and Relaxation—quite the enticing comparison. The novel, Amy DeBellis' debut, follows three young women navigating life in New York City: an underpaid gig therapist, a model-turned-sugar-baby, and a wannabe influencer who can't bring herself to film a single video. Given the state of the job market, plenty of readers will find something to relate to here.
Paradise Logic, Sophie Kemp
Fiction, March 25, 2025
Paradise Logic veers into absurdism, but it's grounded in a very real and pressing issue: the patriarchal expectations young women are subjected to in their quest for love. 23-year-old Reality Kahn has one mission: become the most incredible girlfriend ever. She's willing to do anything to accomplish this goal, including participating in an experimental clinical trial designed by Dr. Zweig Altmann. Unfortunately, the men in her life, boyfriend and doctor included, aren't as great as she initially thought.
Thrilled to Death, Lynne Tillman
Fiction, March 25, 2025
2025 is the year of esteemed author and cultural critic Lynne Tillman. Not only is Archway Editions releasing a book-length interview with the New York City legend (below), conducted by Taylor Lewandowski—a collection of her short fiction is forthcoming from Soft Skull Press. Curated by Tillman herself, Thrilled to Death is a comprehensive introduction to her work. Be sure to read it before diving into her conversation with Lewandowski, which is guaranteed to be just as intriguing.
The Mystery of Perception, Taylor Lewandowski and Lynne Tillman
Nonfiction, April 2025
No One Famous Has It Yet, Viola Odette Harlow
Hybrid, March 31, 2025
Viola Odette Harlow wears many hats. Over the years, she's been a Broadway actress, a Playboy Bunny, and a disability advocate, often posing for photoshoots in her wheelchair. In "No One Famous Has It Yet," a collection that combines poetry, prose, and image, she opens up about trying to find a sense of harmony with her body in moments of sickness as well as health.
Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life, Maggie Smith
Nonfiction, April 1, 2025
If you're trying to write your own book in 2025, this is one to look out for. Maggie Smith's poem "Good Bones," about the struggle of raising hopeful children in an often bleak world, went viral in 2016. Since then, she's become a popular writer on Substack, offering literary wisdom she's amassed throughout her career. Dear Writer features reflections on what it means to be creative and craft-focused prompts for those itching to put pen to paper.
Audition, Katie Kitamura
Fiction, April 8, 2025
Katie Kitamura's A Separation made a big splash—it's been translated into a whopping sixteen languages, and a film adaptation is currently underway. Audition is her long-awaited follow-up. Set in bustling Manhattan, it tells the story of an accomplished, older theatre actress who becomes entangled with a younger man. Even as they grow closer, much of their relationship to each other remains a performance.
Howling Women, Shelby Hinte
Fiction, April 29, 2025
Shelby Hinte serves as the Senior Editor of Write or Die Magazine, one of the best resources for burgeoning authors on the World Wide Web. Howling Women is her debut novel. The book follows the heartbroken and lost Sabine Haegan, who's searching for a new life in the New Mexico desert while trying to overcome her traumatic past. With advance praise from Allie Rowbottom (Jell-O Girls, Aesthetica), this is one to look out for.
Pure Evil, Pure Innocence, Maggie Dunlap and Philip Best
Art, Spring 2025
Maggie Dunlap is a visual artist for the Internet era. Through sculpture and photography, she reckons with themes such as true crime, social media rumour mills, and online fame (and infamy). Her photo book Pure Evil, Pure Innocence, forthcoming from daring indie publisher Amphetamine Sulphate, will undoubtedly stun and provoke. The images are accompanied by a 100,000-word commentary by artist Philip Best.
Hybrid, Spring 2025 (pre-order available Jan 21)
Rose Books, helmed by brilliant essayist Chelsea Hodson (Tonight I'm Someone Else), has emerged as one of the coolest indie presses in the business. The publishing powerhouse has a reputation for platforming first-time authors best known for their work in other disciplines, from Thursday singer Geoff Rickly to Kendall Jenner's agent, Ashleah Gonzales. This year, they're releasing their first anthology, The Rose Books Reader, with the loose theme "Primal Scream." The list of contributors will surely be stacked.
Culture Creep, Alice Bolin
Nonfiction, June 3, 2025
Across seven analytical essays, Alice Bolin's Culture Creep explores the technological and mythological sources of comfort women have sought out in order to cope with the stressors of the modern era. Examples include everything from diet tracking apps to Animal Crossing to the musical Hamilton. Throughout it all, Bolin investigates how cult-like mentalities may be creeping into our daily routines (hence the title).
The Dry Season, Melissa Febos
Nonfiction, June 3, 2025
After a particularly rough relationship, Melissa Febos (author of the award-winning Girlhood) decided to swear off sex and romance for three months. She extended that period to a year when she realized she was having a better time than initially anticipated. In The Dry Season, she shares what she learned. Febos doesn't just recount her own experiences—she dives into various historical narratives of celibacy, citing everyone from Sappho to Virginia Woolf.
Nice Girls Don't Win, Parvati Shallow
Nonfiction, July 8, 2025
Parvati Shallow is best known as a Survivor winner; I personally discovered her on Alan Cumming's equally compelling game show, The Traitors. She's known for using her cunning to pull ahead of the competition on the small screen—but her memoir Nice Girls Don't Win is just as much about the challenges she's faced in her personal life. Surviving trauma is the main theme of her story, which concludes happily: in addition to being a TV personality, Shallow has found healing through yoga and meditation.
You Have A New Memory, Aiden Arata
Nonfiction , July 22, 2025
Aiden Arata, once dubbed the "meme queen of depression," is known for her Instagram page, where she pairs beautiful images with affirmations and absurdist humour reflecting on everything from workplace woes to the fleeting nature of existence. In her forthcoming essay collection, You Have A New Memory, she delves into what it means to be a young woman online—something she certainly knows a lot about. Expect insights on fanfiction, "stay-at-home-girlfriend" TikToks, influencer grifts, and more.
Sloppy, Rax King
Nonfiction, July 29, 2025
I've been following food writer and cultural analyst Rax King for years. In past ventures, such as the podcast Low Culture Boil and debut essay collection Tacky, she's explored the appeal of lowbrow culture from the Cheesecake Factory to Guy Fieri. In Sloppy, Or: Doing It All Wrong, she gets more personal as she reflects on various types of "bad behaviour." Just a few of the topics covered are battling with alcoholism, shoplifting from Brandy Melville, and getting a little too obsessed with Neopets forums.
Katabasis, R.F. Kuang
Fiction, August 28, 2025
Bestselling author R.F. Kuang has penned both high fantasy and contemporary fiction. Her novels The Poppy War and Babel use fantastical worlds to explore themes of war and imperialism, while Yellowface cleverly examines the publishing industry's attitudes toward race. Relatable yet steeped in whimsy, Katabasis will please fans of both genres. The premise? Two academic rivals journey to Hell to rescue their advisor—not because they particularly like him, but because they absolutely need his letter of recommendation.
Other Women, Nicola Maye Goldberg
Fiction, Fall 2025
Caretakers for the wealthy and powerful are so in this year. Unlike Feito's novel, Nicola Maye Goldberg's Other Women takes place in the present day, following a young woman whose life is changed when she crosses paths with the wife of a successful businessman. Soon, she's employed as a live-in nanny for their children. She learns some surprising secrets when she's whisked away on their family trip to Berlin.
Flat Earth, Anika Jade Levy
Fiction, Fall 2025
Anika Jade Levy is one of Forever Magazine's co-founders, known for publishing talented newbie writers and legends like Eileen Myles. Flat Earth is her first novel—a Kunstleroman about a young woman trying to find her way as an artist while struggling with comparisons to her attractive and talented best friend. I've caught bits and pieces of this at literary readings—judging by what I've heard, it'll be one of my favourite releases of the year.
Nymph, Stephanie LaCava
Fiction, October 14, 2025
Stephanie LaCava's I Fear My Pain Interests You, about a young woman with a rare condition that renders her incapable of feeling physical pain, quickly became a cult favourite. Judging by the concept, her forthcoming novel Nymph looks just as promising—the protagonist is a female assassin from a long line of killers and spies. As she navigates various criminal plots, she has her own high-stakes mission to grapple with: avoid falling in love at all costs.