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Access our Top 20
Books of 2024!
It's never too early to start getting excited about next year's books. So why not plan your reading alongside our most anticipated books for 2025? Our selections range from work by famous and beloved authors to promising debuts, and can give you a sneak peek of titles we may cover at BookBrowse — including some appearing in our First Impressions program or book club. We hope you discover future favorites on this list and join us next year as we continue to bring you the best new books. If you haven’t already, be sure to also check out our Best Books for Book Clubs in 2025, and if you'd like to see all of our 2025 books we've shortlisted so far, you can do so here.
Apr 1, 2025. 496 pages
Published by Soho Press
A transformational, transformative story about video games, three queer friends, and the code(s) they learn to survive, from the winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Trans Fiction.
Why we're looking forward to it: A/S/L, with its enticing plot of three characters who create a video game together in their teens only to end up in close proximity to one another years later, promises to follow Thornton's previous award-winning work in exploring trans identity through the lens of contemporary culture.
Apr 8, 2025. 208 pages
Published by Riverhead Books
One woman, the performance of a lifetime. Or two. An exhilarating, destabilizing Möbius strip of a novel that asks whether we ever really know the people we love.
Why we're looking forward to it: Katie Kitamura's novels are unmatched in their ability to maintain quiet suspense, and this one seems poised to follow in the footsteps of her mesmerizing Intimacies and A Separation.
Feb 4, 2025. 272 pages
Published by Graywolf Press
A transgressive novel by an acclaimed writer that spans seventy years of Egyptian history.
Why we're looking forward to it: Rakha's upcoming novel takes on the ambitious premise of a character glimpsing his dead mother's life in a series of visions, which seems like a fascinating way to explore events in recent Egyptian history.
Mar 4, 2025. 416 pages
Published by Knopf
A publishing event ten years in the making—a searing, exquisite new novel by the bestselling and award-winning author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists—the story of four women and their loves, longings, and desires.
Why we're looking forward to it: The first novel by international sensation Adichie in ten years will likely be one of the most talked-about books of 2025.
Mar 18, 2025. 320 pages
Published by Random House
In this unforgettable novel from the award-winning author of Brass, twins growing up in the United States in 1999 unravel larger truths about identity and sibling bonds when one of them gets wrapped up in the war in Kosovo.
Why we're looking forward to it: Award-winning author Aliu returns with this exploration of family roots and ties that's sure to offer a unique view of contemporary world events.
Apr 8, 2025. 272 pages
Published by Mariner Books
From Lynn Steger Strong, critically acclaimed author of Flight, a sophisticated and layered novel about sisters, betrayal, love, and climate change, for readers of The Dutch House and The Most Fun We Ever Had.
Why we're looking forward to it: This intricate novel about a family's history and secrets sounds like gold for book clubs and readers looking for a cast of complex characters to discuss and reflect on.
Mar 11, 2025. 272 pages
Published by Flatiron Books
The USA Today bestselling, Lambda Award–winning author of Dirt Creek is back with a woman's story of the aftermath of the climbing incident that killed her girlfriend―and getting to the truth.
Why we're looking forward to it: Our First Impressions reviewers loved Scrivenor's Dirt Creek, and this suspenseful and personal investigation of relationships seems just as intriguing in its setup.
Apr 8, 2025. 368 pages
Published by Berkley Books
A woman learns the astonishing truth of her family's ties to a vanished American Kingdom in this riveting new novel from the New York Times bestselling, NAACP Image Award-winning author of Take My Hand.
Why we're looking forward to it: BookBrowse First Impressions readers thought Perkins-Valdez's Take My Hand was a powerful fictionalization of historical events, and we're interested to see where this imaginative new work takes us.
Mar 18, 2025. 112 pages
Published by Hogarth Books
A bombshell bestseller in Japan, a provocative, defiant debut novel about a young woman in a care home seeking autonomy and the full possibilities of her life—"a darkly funny portrait of disability" (Japan Times)
Why we're looking forward to it: Translations of books that have been popular elsewhere can often make for enlightening reading, and this one sounds both entertaining and socially relevant on a universal level.
Feb 11, 2025. 352 pages
Published by The Overlook Press
A bold, witty, magical new voice in fiction, Justin Haynes weaves a cross-generational Caribbean story of migration, superstition, and a search for family in the novel Ibis.
Why we're looking forward to it: With contemporary politics, supernatural elements, and generational history woven in, Haynes' debut seems set to appeal to a variety of audiences.
Mar 11, 2025. 368 pages
Published by Berkley Books
Date night goes off the rails in this hilariously insightful take on midlife and marriage when one unhappy couple find themselves at the heart of a crime in progress, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise.
Why we're looking forward to it: No matter how much of a literary fiction fan you are, sometimes you just need a break from anything too serious, and this upcoming offering from Oakley sounds like the best kind of break.
Mar 11, 2025. 320 pages
Published by Algonquin Books
The Marriage Plot meets The Idiot in this brilliant debut, which tells the story of a young Muslim scholar stuck in the mire of adjunct professorship in Los Angeles who decides to give up her career in academia and marry rich, committing herself to 100 dates in the course of a single summer. By midsummer reality hits, taking her—and her project—to Tehran.
Why we're looking forward to it: The premise of this debut not only suggests it will be extremely amusing, but also bold and inventive.
Jan 21, 2025. 336 pages
Published by Berkley Books
To find a missing young woman, the new tribal marshal must also find herself.
Why we're looking forward to it: Dove's debut promises to address the urgent topic of Indigenous women going missing while also crafting a character and world that could be the start of a richly drawn crime series.
Jan 7, 2025. 336 pages
Published by Little Brown & Company
A mother and son, estranged for years, must grapple with the shared secret that drove their lives apart in this enthralling story about family, forgiveness, and how a fleeting act of violence can change a life forever, by "one of the country's most talented writers" (Wall Street Journal).
Why we're looking forward to it: Kirkus calls it "a remarkably acute and effective character study," and it sounds like a thoroughly engrossing and fully fleshed-out family story.
Mar 18, 2025. 464 pages
Published by One World
A young journalist, reeling from loss, investigates a mysterious cult in the California redwoods, only to be drawn in by its charismatic leader in this addictive novel that asks why people give up control and what it takes, ultimately, to find one's place in the world.
Why we're looking forward to it: Cuffy's debut, Dances, was a deep and intricate dive into ballet and racial politics that worked with narrative in innovative ways. We're on board to see what she does with this very different premise.
Apr 15, 2025. 224 pages
Published by Knopf
A stunning debut novel from the acclaimed young Irish poet Seán Hewitt, reminiscent of Garth Greenwell and Justin Torres in the intensity of its evocation of sexual awakening.
Why we're looking forward to it: Coming-of-age novels can often benefit from a poetic sensibility, so we look forward to seeing how Hewitt portrays the intensity of adolescence.
Mar 4, 2025. 256 pages
Published by Graywolf Press
An elegantly inventive debut novel that offers a sharp new take on the immigrant story in post-9/11 America.
Why we're looking forward to it: Written as a series of conversations and following a young Indian woman trying to make the most of the time and opportunities granted by a US student visa, this debut is intriguing in both form and content.
May 6, 2025. 368 pages
Published by Doubleday
In this dazzling debut, Stegner Fellow Jemimah Wei explores the formation and dissolution of family bonds in a story of ambition and sisterhood in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore.
Why we're looking forward to it: The Original Daughter is one of several books on this list that promises a high dose of insightful sibling drama.
Feb 4, 2025. 256 pages
Published by Algonquin Books
For fans of Behold the Dreamers, immigrant stories, and family sagas, a compelling novel about a tightly bound Nigerian family living in Florida and the wounds that get passed down from generation to generation, by the significant new literary voice who wrote the acclaimed Mr. and Mrs. Doctor.
Why we're looking forward to it: This domestic novel by the author of Mr. and Mrs. Doctor, praised by Kirkus as "a fascinating and often hilarious drama of marriage," looks to be another captivating family tale.
Apr 15, 2025. 368 pages
Published by Berkley Books
Four strangers are brought together to participate in an experimental treatment designed to heal broken hearts in this surprising and heartfelt debut novel from author Amelia Ireland.
Why we're looking forward to it: This unpredictable novel about grief has been a hit with our First Impressions readers so far.
Mar 25, 2025. 208 pages
Published by Knopf
An irresistible and poignant novel about the upper echelons of Berlin society, a grand literary celebration, and the after-party that upends the night and carries a group of guests deeper into the city.
Why we're looking forward to it: Nell Zink's latest novel sounds like both an amusing romp and a pin-sharp analysis of social habits.
Apr 1, 2025. 320 pages
Published by Random House
A Punjabi American lawyer at a mysterious new federal intelligence agency fights to keep his career, marriage, and morality intact in this gripping post-9/11 drama from a thrilling new voice.
Why we're looking forward to it: This looks like a perfect read for anyone who enjoys a socially conscious literary thriller.
Mar 18, 2025. 272 pages
Published by Riverhead Books
From the New York Times bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things, a sparkling and funny new novel of entertainment, ambition, art, and love.
Why we're looking forward to it: Everyone who knows anything about Kristen Arnett knows she's hilarious, and this novel about a professional clown struggling with her love life appears to be up to her usual standard.
Feb 11, 2025. 176 pages
Published by Knopf
A new Anne Tyler novel destined to be an instant classic: a socially awkward mother of the bride navigates the days before and after her daughter's wedding.
Why we're looking forward to it: Anne Tyler has long since established her place in the literary world, and Kirkus calls this latest book of hers "[s]weet, sharp, and satisfying."
Jan 7, 2025. 304 pages
Published by Atria Books
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.
Why we're looking forward to it: It's hard to get tired of suspenseful plots about writers and their secret pasts. This one looks superb.
Mar 4, 2025. 176 pages
Published by Random House
Remember—words are your weapons, they're your tools, your currency: a twisty, slippery descent into the rhetoric of truth and power from a "powerful new voice in British Literature" (The Sunday Times).
Why we're looking forward to it: Brown impressed with her immersive and powerful debut Assembly, and we can't wait to see what her next effort holds.
Apr 15, 2025. 304 pages
Published by Random House
In this heart-wrenching debut novel, a young Black gay man reckoning with the death of his father must confront his painful past—and his deepest desires around gender, love, and sex.
Why we're looking forward to it: This debut novel has been praised by Deesha Philyaw, author of the excellent The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, as "Epic, intimate, brutal, and tender."
Jan 14, 2025. 448 pages
Published by Sourcebooks Landmark
From the author of the bestselling Clytemnestra comes another intoxicating excursion into ancient history, painting the brutal and captivating empire of gods and men, and the one queen destined to rule them all.
A common woman. The governor she married. The king who loved them both.
Why we're looking forward to it: Casati's Clytemnestra wowed both our First Impressions readers and our book club, and we're excited to see her rendering of the world of the Assyrian queen Semiramis.
Apr 29, 2025. 336 pages
Published by Knopf
Set on the coast of Ireland in the 1970s, a captivating debut novel about a baby boy who is discovered on the beach beside a small fishing town, as told by the locals who fall under the boy's transfixing spell.
Why we're looking forward to it: This debut looks to be a creative and inventive take on a fairy tale-inspired plot with humor to boot.
Mar 11, 2025. 384 pages
Published by Mariner Books
For fans of Trust and North Woods, a daring novel that spans 100 years of American history, from the early days of cinema to the rise of NFTs, about parents and children, the drive to create even in times of crisis, and the inheritance of grand western dreams.
Why we're looking forward to it: For those who like their novels to cover huge swathes of time, this promises to be a sprawling, infectious read.
Jan 28, 2025. 480 pages
Published by Crown
In this stunning debut novel, a young Indian man comes to England in 1931, determined to overthrow British rule back home—but the insidiousness of colonialism as well as a sexual awakening get in his way.
Why we're looking forward to it: Told from the perspective of a young Indian man navigating British society in the 1930s and including figures ranging from Virginia Woolf to Gandhi, this book sounds appealing for anyone who enjoys stories set in a detailed historical atmosphere.
Feb 25, 2025. 336 pages
Published by Doubleday
A thrilling reimagining of the world of Charles Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, London's most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue.
Why we're looking forward to it: Who doesn't love a rewrite of a classic? This reimagining of Oliver Twist has been called "magnificent" by Publishers Weekly.
Jan 7, 2025. 512 pages
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons
An epic and intimate tale of one couple across sixty years as world events pull them together and apart, illuminating the Chinese diaspora and exploring what it means to find home far from your homeland.
Why we're looking forward to it: One of the best features of historical fiction is its ability to frame large-scale events from a personal perspective. According to Kirkus, Homeseeking "[Intertwines] the macro and micro," as Chen "makes readers care deeply about the impact of history on her characters’ very private lives."
Jan 21, 2025. 432 pages
Published by Berkley Books
She was only eleven-and-a-half inches tall, but she would change the world. Barbie is born in this bold new novel by USA Today bestselling author Renée Rosen.
Why we're looking forward to it: 2023's Barbie expanded our collective consciousness of the history of the iconic doll, and Rosen's novel endeavors to continue that process.
Mar 18, 2025. 352 pages
Published by Berkley Books
1956, Malibu, California: Something is not right on Paradise Circle.
Why we're looking forward to it: Our reviewers and members have been big fans of Meissner's previous work, and we suspect this story of a blacklisted Hollywood starlet will appeal widely.
Feb 18, 2025. 400 pages
Published by Algonquin Books
From an unforgettable new voice in Irish fiction, a heart-pounding, life-affirming story about one woman trying to leave her marriage and start over.
Why we're looking forward to it: Nesting is Roisín O'Donnell's debut novel, but her short fiction has already been given numerous awards, making this story of a woman on the run a likely winner.
Apr 22, 2025. 496 pages
Published by Knopf
A sweeping historical novel in the vein of Hilary Mantel and Maggie O'Farrell set during the time of the Tudors' ascent. The Pretender tells the story of Lambert Simnel, who was raised in obscurity as a peasant boy to protect his safety, believed to be the heir to the throne occupied by Richard III, and briefly crowned, at the age of ten, as King Edward VI, one of the last of the Plantagenets.
Why we're looking forward to it: Sometimes you just need to kick back with a long novel about the British monarchy, and this may be just the rags-to-riches historical tale to get the job done.
Jan 21, 2025. 272 pages
Published by Hogarth Books
Han Kang's most revelatory book since The Vegetarian, We Do Not Part tells the story of a friendship between two women while powerfully reckoning with a hidden chapter of Korean history.
Why we're looking forward to it: Han Kang recently won the Nobel for her "intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life," and has been praised for giving voice to the unrecognized people behind historical events. This latest novel covers the Jeju Massacre, in which tens of thousands of Jeju Island residents were killed while South Korea was under American military rule.
Apr 22, 2025. 416 pages
Published by Harper
The New York Times bestselling author of This Will Be My Undoing and Caul Baby returns with an epic, multi-generational novel that illuminates the legacy of slavery and the power of romantic love.
Why we're looking forward to it: As Jerkins is known for her captivating nonfiction, we're excited to see how her sensibilities translate to an ambitious fiction debut.
Jan 21, 2025. 224 pages
Published by Flatiron Books
From Edgar Award-winning author Erika Krouse, a visceral, dazzling collection of stories set across the globe about characters desperate for salvation.
Why we're looking forward to it: These strange and varied stories sound both fascinating and a little scary, and we can't wait to see exactly what they're all about.
Mar 11, 2025. 304 pages
Published by Random House
The kaleidoscopic follow-up to the bestselling Detransition, Baby.
Why we're looking forward to it: After Torrey Peters' Detransition, Baby, a vividly rendered, singular, and realistic story of identity and desire, we look forward to seeing what this (by the looks of it) weirder and varied new offering holds.
Jan 14, 2025. 320 pages
Published by Flatiron Books
The million-copy bestselling Queen of Twists Alice Feeney returns with a gripping and deliciously dark thriller about marriage...and revenge.
Why we're looking forward to it: The description of this book gives away just enough to intrigue. A man sees a woman who looks exactly like his wife a year after she disappeared. Sounds like a top-notch psychological thriller in the making.
Apr 2023. 352 pages
Published by William Morrow
After posting a negative book review, a woman living in a remote location begins to wonder if the author is a little touchy—or very, very dangerous—in this pulse-pounding novel of psychological suspense and terror from the critically acclaimed author of No Exit and Hairpin Bridge.
Why we're looking forward to it: The amusing but genuinely terrifying premise already has us hooked.
Jan 7, 2025. 304 pages
Published by Knopf
A vacation in the Hamptons goes terribly wrong for three friends with a complicated history.
Why we're looking forward to it: This doesn't necessarily seem like a book for those who aren't into flawed protagonists, but may have plenty of draw for those who are. Kirkus writes, "Burke builds an intricate structure of secrets layered within secrets, revealed for maximum suspense."
May 13, 2025. 304 pages
Published by Doubleday
Award-winning novelist Mary Morris weaves together an unsolved family mystery, a poignant coming-of-age story, and a little-known corner of World War II history in this lyrical novel of family, loss and, ultimately, love.
Why we're looking forward to it: This novel appears to be a grab bag of elements many seek out in a story, and it seems likely to be a favorite with individual readers and book clubs alike.
Mar 11, 2025. 432 pages
Published by Knopf
From Pulitzer finalist, MacArthur Fellowship recipient, and bestselling author of Swamplandia! and Vampires in the Lemon Grove Karen Russell: a gripping dust bowl epic about five characters whose fates become entangled after a storm ravages their small Nebraskan town.
Why we're looking forward to it: The phrase "dust bowl epic" may not immediately sound so tempting, but with Karen Russell's imaginative brand of strangeness attached to it, it's easy to be curious about what's inside.
Jan 14, 2025. 448 pages
Published by William Morrow
In this exhilarating tale by New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor, a disabled Nigerian American woman pens a wildly successful Sci-Fi novel, but as her fame rises, she loses control of the narrative—a surprisingly cutting, yet heartfelt drama about art and love, identity and connection, and, ultimately, what makes us human. This is a story unlike anything you've read before.
Why we're looking forward to it: Acclaimed writer Nnedi Okorafor is known for her works of science fiction and fantasy for both children and adults, but this story seems like it might have the potential to draw an even broader audience.
Feb 4, 2025. 288 pages
Published by Pantheon Books
From a literary master, a moving and genre-bending story about our era-spanning search for meaning and knowing.
Why we're looking forward to it: Ali Smith's Seasonal Quartet is over, but she appears to still be going strong with this near-future story of siblings in an unstable present.
Mar 11, 2025. 400 pages
Published by Simon & Schuster
A highly anticipated, sweeping debut set in a unified Korea that tells the story of three estranged siblings—two human, one robot—as they collide against the backdrop of a murder investigation to settle old scores and make sense of their shattered childhood, perfect for fans of Klara and the Sun and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.
Why we're looking forward to it: This plot setup — a murder investigation in a future world where humans and robots can be related — is practically dripping with story potential.
Mar 4, 2025. 320 pages
Published by Flatiron Books
An enthralling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Migrations and Once There Were Wolves.
Why we're looking forward to it: Our First Impressions readers adored Migrations, and we hope this latest work from McConaghy also proves to be something special.
Apr 15, 2025. 300 pages
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers
From the National Book Award finalist and author of Pet comes a novel set in a magical West African world, about a teen girl who must save her missing twin while learning to navigate her own terrifying new powers.
Why we're looking forward to it: Akwaeke Emezi has written books for both teens and adults, and their original, ever-evolving work has plenty of crossover value — in any case, we think both young and older adults will want to check out their latest.
Apr 15, 2025. 352 pages
Published by Sourcebooks
One murder, four guilty convictions, and a community determined to find justice.
Why we're looking forward to it: The Fairbanks Four does necessary work in telling the important story of the unfair conviction of four Native men and also of a problematic justice system.
Apr 2024. 432 pages
Published by Mariner Books
From the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of Chesapeake Requiem comes a gripping new work of narrative nonfiction telling the forgotten story of the mass killing of eleven Black farmhands on a Georgia plantation in the spring of 1921—a crime that exposed for the nation the existence of "peonage," a form of slavery that gained prominence across the American South after the Civil War.
Why we're looking forward to it: This sure-to-be significant book sheds light on the details of a horrific event in American history as well as the conditions that surrounded and led to it.
Mar 4, 2025. 320 pages
Published by W.W. Norton & Company
A beautiful reclamation of a pioneering South Asian actress captures her glittering, complicated life and lasting impact on Hollywood.
Why we're looking forward to it: This exploration of the life of Hollywood star Merle Oberon is the first biography written of her in 40 years. The application of a modern lens to her experiences promises to be illuminating.
Jun 17, 2025. 320 pages
Published by Ecco
Award-winning journalist Julia Ioffe tells the story of modern Russia through the history of its women, from revolution to utopia to autocracy.
Why we're looking forward to it: The story of Russia, as portrayed to the rest of the world, is often one that does not center women, so this angle to the nation's history feels fresh and necessary.
Feb 25, 2025. 208 pages
Published by Knopf
From award-winning novelist and journalist Omar El Akkad comes a powerful reckoning with what it means to live in a West that betrays its fundamental values.
Why we're looking forward to it: El Akkad's work, built on a tweet he put out weeks after the bombardment of Gaza began in October 2023, points to a specific time of devastation but also presupposes belief in a different future. Author Tommy Orange has written of it, "I found hope here, and help, to face what the world is now, all that it isn’t anymore."
Jan 21, 2025. 624 pages
Published by Knopf
The first major account of the American Civil War to give full weight to the central role played by religion, reframing the conflict through Abraham Lincoln's contentious appeals to faith-based nationalism.
Why we're looking forward to it: Religion has often been central to American life, and this ambitious examination of its influence on one of the most pivotal eras in United States history promises to be substantial and educational.
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