As 2025 begins, the first quarter of the 21st century comes to an end and quite the quarter-centennial it has been. But with New Years, comes new books, and seeing as I just picked, prodded, and praised 10 books I read last year, I think it is only fair to share 10 more books that will be released in the coming months of 2025.
![Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People [Book]](https://www.harpercollins.com/cdn/shop/files/9780062977427_1589x.jpg?v=1733924775)
Back in Blues by Imani Perry – Releasing on January 28
Coming at just the end of this month is Imani Perry’s “Back in Blues.” In this book, Perry offers a lyrical meditation on the color blue and its profound significance in Black history and culture. She traces the connections between blue and Blackness from their earliest roots to contemporary culture, drawing deeply from her own life as well as art and history. The book explores various facets of this relationship, including the indigo trade, blues music, and literary references, providing a rich and insightful narrative that positions the past as an active, living force in the present.
Alligator Tears by Edgar Gomez – Releasing on February 11
In this darkly comic collection, Gomez reflects on his experiences as a queer Latine person navigating the challenges of poverty and the pursuit of the American Dream in Florida. The essays delve into various aspects of his life, including working low-wage jobs, supporting his family, and seeking community and identity in spaces like Orlando’s Pulse nightclub. Through candid storytelling, Gomez critiques societal expectations placed on marginalized communities and highlights the resilience required to carve out one’s own path.
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami – Releasing on March 8
Set in a near-future Los Angeles, the story follows Sara Hussein, a museum archivist and mother of twins, who is detained by the Risk Assessment Administration (RAA) upon returning from a conference. The RAA, utilizing data from her dreams, alleges that she poses an imminent threat to her husband and mandates her confinement in a detention center for twenty-one days. Within the facility, Sara encounters other women similarly accused based on their dream data. As time passes, Sara becomes increasingly desperate to prove her innocence and regain her freedom.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Susan Collins – Releasing on March 22
Now this is where you are going to have to bear with me because I am itching to get my hands on a copy of this book. I won’t lie, I did not love (also didn’t hate) the previous prequel to the Hunger Games series, but I’ve convinced myself that this will be different because it takes place during the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the games of young Haymitch Abernathy, the mentor of Katniss and Peeta in the original book series (and my favorite character in the series). I don’t care if this book is good or bad, I will be in line at the nearest bookstore to obtain a copy.
Tilt by Emma Pattee – Releasing on March 25
The narrative unfolds over a single day, following Annie, a nine-month pregnant woman in Portland, Oregon. While shopping for a crib at IKEA, a massive earthquake strikes, leaving the city in chaos. With no means to contact her husband and lacking her phone and money, Annie embarks on a journey across the devastated city to reach home. Throughout her trek, Annie reflects on her struggling marriage, unfulfilling career, and anxieties about impending motherhood, resolving to change her life if she can make it home.
Bibliotherapy in the Bronx by Emele Rumble – Releasing on April 22
Emele Rumble has been a psychotherapist for the past 14 years in the Bronx, working alongside members of marginalized communities. She illustrates how reading can serve as a tool for self-discovery, emotional transformation, and social change, sharing vivid anecdotes and real-world case studies to demonstrate how literature bridges personal pain and collective healing. The book also offers practical tips, reflective exercises, and book recommendations, making it a valuable resource for therapists and anyone interested in the transformative potential of storytelling.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by Victoria Schwab – Releasing on June 10
The story spans nearly 500 years and follows three young women from different eras and locations: Santo Domingo de la Calzada in 1532, London in 1837, and Boston in 2019. Their lives are metaphorically planted in the same soil, with their stories intertwining like roots, one grows high, one deep, and one wild, and all develop metaphorical teeth. The novel delves into themes of hunger, rage, and the societal expectations placed on women, particularly focusing on sapphic vampires.
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang – Releasing sometime in August
The term “katabasis” originates from Ancient Greek, meaning a hero’s descent to the underworld. In the book “Katabasis,” the central protagonists, two academic rivals from Cambridge, are faced with a compelling challenge that sends them into the underworld to rescue their mentor’s soul. Their journey takes them through a treacherous, magic-filled landscape, filled with eerie and supernatural threats that test their intellect, strength, and resolve.
King Sorrow by Joe Hill – Releasing on Oct 21
The story follows Arthur Oakes, an outsider whose mother is imprisoned and whose father is absent. Arthur immerses himself in English mythology until a courageous act to defend another underdog endangers his mother and compels him to steal rare books from a college library. This leads Arthur and his group of six close friends, also outsiders, to use a tome bound in human skin to summon the dragon-demon King Sorrow, seeking vengeance against their tormentors. However, they soon discover that their pact requires annual rituals and sacrifices, entangling them in a decades-long, globe-spanning cycle of death and dark magic
The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers – Releasing on November 18
Finally, and probably my favorite from the bunch, is Georgia Summers’s “The Bookshop Below.” The story follows Cassandra Fairfax, a disgraced bookseller who once thrived in the enchanting world of Chiron’s bookshop, a place where patrons could encounter life-changing stories and powerful, magical books. After being ousted by Chiron and witnessing the shop’s decline, Cassandra resorts to less ethical means, trading stolen books and offering magical readings to the wealthy. However, Chiron’s mysterious death presents her with an opportunity to restore the bookshop to its former glory. As Cassandra delves deeper into the mysteries left behind by her mentor, she uncovers a sinister force threatening the very existence of magical bookshops.
I hope that you found a book on this list to get you excited for literature coming out in 2025, and if not, there are hundreds more out there and even more that haven’t been officially announced. Happy 2025, and may the odds be ever in your favor!
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