For avid readers like me, 2025 is already shaping up to be a great year for new releases. Some New York Times bestselling authors are reassessing new books this year, The Hunger Games is back, TikTok chef Meredith Hayden is dropping her first cookbook, and more! Here are the top seven books to look out for in 2025.
- Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
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From my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, Emily Henry has quickly become one of my favorite authors. From Happy Place to Book Lovers, Henry always hits the mark on her romance books. Great Big Beautiful Life is expected to be released on April 22nd, just in time for a good post-finals read. The book takes place on Little Cresent Island, where Margaret Ives invites two award-winning authors to write her biography. Both authors have a one-month trial period to win the job. If you are a fan of romances, and especially romances about people in the writing/editing/book world, this one’s for you.
- Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Written by the decorated author of We Should All Be Feminists, Dream Count is expected to arrive at bookstores in March this year. Adichie writes the story of four intertwined women in America. The women lean on each other and reflect on past loves, actions, and regrets in their lives. These women are successful travel writers, lawyers, financial workers, and housekeepers. The book reflects on what love really is and how honest one needs to be to achieve it. If you like a good feminist fiction novel, this book is perfect for you.
- The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes for Everyday Luxuries and Elevated Entertaining by Meredith Hayden
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While this book is not traditional, it’s been on my radar for quite some time. I first discovered Wishbone Kitchen’s (Hayden’s) TikTok account in the summer of 2023. I followed her through her “Day in the Life of a Private Chef in the Hamptons,” her party planning videos, and her personal spam account. Launching on May 6th, 2025, Hayden’s cookbook will be released right in time for fresh summer recipes like Pink Lemon Pasta and Heirloom Tomato Gallates. This highly anticipated cookbook will be a great place to start for anyone who loves cooking or is looking to get into cooking.
- My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabella Allende
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Anyone who is a fan of historical fiction should look no further than the Allende’s May release. Taking place in San Francisco in the late 1860’s, Emilia del Valle is raised to be a free-thinking, independent woman. Emilia defies all social norms and works to pressure her dreams of becoming not only a writer but also an investigative journalist. Emilia jumps on the opportunity to cover the Civil War and discovers not only love but secrets about her past in the process. Emilia is forced to question everything she thinks she knows. If you have ever read a Kristen Hannah book or think you might enjoy historical fiction, Allende is here for you.
- The Missing Half by Alex Kiester
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This thrilling mystery follows two women trying to solve the mystery behind their sister’s strange disappearance. Nicole Monroe is stuck going nowhere, collecting nothing but pity since the day her sister disappeared 7 years ago. When another woman tracks down Monroe because her sister had an eerily similar disappearance, the two break out of their ruts and find their sisters. For anyone who’s a fan of a page-turning mystery novel, be sure to check out a bookstore on May 6th and pick up Kiester long-awaited new release.
- Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
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If you are anything like me, the Hunger Games series was a large part of your personality in middle school. While Harry Potter and other dystopian series are no longer my life, my love for The Hunger Games remains the same. The book is the second prequel to the original trilogy, following the story of the first District 12 winner, Haymitch Abernathy. If you love any of the Hunger Games books or movies, March 18th couldn’t come soon enough. Expect to see me lined up in front of a bookstore that morning.
- Atmosphere: A Love Story, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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New York Times Bestselling author of the beloved Daisy Jones and The Six, The Seven Husbands of Eveyln Hugo, Malibu Rising, and more is set to release her next book on June 3rd. Taking place in the 1980’s, Professor Joan Goodwin has always loved space. Goodwin is selected out of thousands of candidates to become an astronaut. At the training program, Goodwin meets lifelong friends and finds love, but everything changes in mere seconds. The novel will highlight one of Reid’s best skills, writing immersive historical fiction. This book can be enjoyed by all those who love to read and those who are just dipping their toes in.