This year’s new releases kept us booked and busy!
From romances to graphic novels to mythology retellings, there was no shortage of memorable and captivating stories to immerse ourselves in. 2025 gave us everything from entertaining vampires to heart-pounding murder mysteries to the most unlikely of love stories.
In no particular order, here are our favorite reads of 2025:
1. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
We can’t promise reading Taylor Jenkins Reid’s latest book will physically take you to outer space, but it will make you feel like you touched the stars.
Atmosphere’s galactic love story burns hot and bright as it soars towards a greatness we once reserved for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Joan and Vanessa’s courageous tale of the everyday heroics women face, with a splash of high-stakes space travel to get that heart pumping.
There is something particularly gut-wrenching about this All-American forays into sapphic storytelling and how it manages to graze the core of the human soul with its crew of misfit star-gazers.
2. The Power Fantasy Vol. 1 by Kieron Gillen
Set in the late 1990s, with an often mysterious and flashback-heavy semi-nonlinear narrative, a small, international group of individuals each possesses destructive capability equivalent to the entire U.S. nuclear arsenal.
Kieron Gillen’s The Power Fantasy Vol. 1 crafts a tense thriller with Cold War-style psychological themes. One that examines what happens when godlike power meets human fallibility and geopolitical tensions.
It could very well be the most innovative take on superpowered beings and comics-based genre storytelling in years.
3. Does This Make Me Funny? by Zosia Mamet
Girls star Zosia Mamet delivers a witty and vulnerable essay collection about growing up in show business as the daughter of playwright David Mamet and actress Lindsay Crouse.
From childhood theater visits to landing the role of Shoshanna, Mamet chronicles her struggles with body image, eating disorders, and finding her place in Hollywood with humor and heart. The detailed dives into her acting process are particularly revealing.
4. Boudicca’s Daughter by Elodie Harper
A masterpiece of historical fiction, Boudicca’s Daughter by Elodie Harper deftly tells the heartbreaking yet inspiring story of Solina, daughter of the defeated rebel queen Boudicca in Roman-era ancient Britain.
Solina is forced from her beloved homeland, where she grew up with immense freedom and the promise of a fruitful future, to Rome — the home of her mother’s enemies.
Even though much is missing from the historical record surrounding Boudicca and the fate of her family, Harper crafts an unflinching yet convincing story full of intrigue, survival, and hope that feels incredibly real. Each character is a standout, and the settings, from the heart of the Roman Empire to the dense forests of Britain, are brought wonderfully to life.
5. Empire of the Dawn by Jay Kristoff
The finale to Jay Kristoff’s dark fantasy trilogy, Empire of the Vampire, sees half-vampire/half-human Gabriel de Leon conclude his quest to seek vengeance and put an end to the endless night.
Empire of the Dawn is epic, heartbreaking, lascivious, and jaw-dropping to the very end, and includes fill-in illustrations from Gonzalo Mendiverry that complement the juicy prose. The book’s an enormous tome, running over 700 pages, but this read is as easy to tear through as a vampire tearing open an innocent’s neck.
6. Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
Tis the season for B.K. Borison‘s cozy holiday romance, Good Spirits. The spirited tale follows the Ghost of Christmas Past as he struggles to understand how someone as pure as Harriet would need to reckon with her past. Little does he know, she is the key to discovering his future.
This tinsel-draped tale serves up a hot platter of melancholy heartbreak, steamy forlornness, and a healing balm of compassion. If you choose to believe in anything this year, let it be Noah and Harriet’s love story.
7. Never Flinch by Stephen King
Stephen King returns to fan-favorite detective Holly Gibney in this dual-narrative thriller that interweaves a serial killer threatening 14 murders with a feminist activist stalked by an anti-abortion extremist. Holly is increasingly becoming a significant lead in his world of storytelling, as this is her second solo outing and sixth overall appearance in the extended universe.
The novel showcases King’s ability to blend horror, suspense, and social commentary while delivering character-driven storytelling.
8. Once Was Willem by M.R. Carey
A riff on Frankenstein set in the Dark Ages of England, a young dead man named Willem is revived by a dark pact but rejected by his family and village.
M.R. Carey’s blend of historical fiction, dark fantasy, and gothic horror goes together perfectly as the revenant decides he is not Willem, but a being who once was Willem. Yet, as Willem relearns the world, the book doesn’t forget whimsy either, and by the end, tragedy evolves into grand adventure.
9. Winging It with You by Chip Pons
If you love fake dating and competition shows, then this book is for you!
When Asher gets dumped at the airport on his way to a couples competition show, he has to think fast to salvage the mess that his life has become. Enter Theo, a pilot forced to take some time off.
The two men embark on a worldly adventure in Winging It with You that tests the boundaries of their comfort levels and their bond to one another.
10. A Sky So Hollow by Craig Montgomery
The second in a queer duology that mixes magic and astrology, this novel completes Casper and Helix’s quest to save Novilem.
A Sky So Hollow works in themes of depression, oppression, bigotry, and identity, all while keeping us on the edge of our seats with its epic sci-fi/fantasy elements. A fantastic sequel to Craig Montgomery’s debut novel, this installment proves that we are all looking for acceptance and a place to belong, even if we’re from an otherworldly civilization.
11. The Build-A-Boyfriend Project by Mason Deaver
Build-A-Boyfriend Project’s Queer love story is perfect for fans of romance, but more specifically, fans of the classic rom-com film How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
What if you are a journalist who wants to be taken seriously, so you hatch a plan to help a hapless soul be a better romantic partner? And what if you fall in love with him along the way? This book has all that plus a multitude of cultural references that serve to enhance our understanding of the characters.
12. King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby
S.A. Cosby has proven himself one of the best new crime writers, and he is back in his element with another Virginia-set thriller about a broken family.
Hedge fund manager Roman Carruthers returns to his hometown after his crematorium-owning father (suspected of murdering Roman’s long missing mother) falls into a coma. Roman soon learns his brother Dante is indebted to local gangsters. The read is breezy and haunting with a devastating final twist.
The novel is marketed with comparisons to The Godfather, and it earns each of them.
13. My Roommate From Hell by Cale Dietrich
Cale Dietrich does a fantastic job creating a fantastical world in which it seems entirely plausible to have an Earth/Hell exchange program.
The characters of My Roommate From Hell feel like people we would meet in college, making the experience even more enjoyable and relatable. With every piece of the story, the reader dives into a world where their personal problems disappear, and all that matters is what happens between Owen and Zar.
14. Mother of Rome by Lauren J.A. Bear
Part historical fiction, part historical fantasy, Mother of Rome by Lauren J.A. Bear nearly flips the Roman myth of Romulus and Remus on its head by featuring the story of their powerful and inspirational mother, Rhea Silvia.
Without her journey and sacrifices, the mighty city of Rome would never have come to be. Featuring gods, goddesses, family drama, and strong female characters, as well as a unique twist on the traditional werewolf story, this is a remarkable addition to the increasingly popular myth retelling genre.
15. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab
V. E. Schwab‘s toxic lesbian vampires won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. However, if you are someone who enjoys Anne Rice’s description-heavy forays into the dark gift, then you will love watching these deeply flawed women give Louis and Lestat a run for their money.
The time-hopping, multi-perspective tale of instable hunger and forbidden love savers every bite it takes out of the vampire genre. With an antagonist born untethered from humanity’s appetite for normalcy, to the protagonists corrupted by their own selfish agendas, this problematic hero’s journey is also a fascinating study of immortal temperaments.
—
Contributions by: Alicia Gilstorf, Amanda Larch Hinchman, Devin Meenan, Lara Rosales, Mads Misasi, Quinn Que
