Time to start making your 2025 TBR (to be read) list, because readers across the globe are calling 2025 the Year of Books! With highly anticipated releases from a multitude of big-name authors and exciting debuts from rising stars, it’s shaping up to be an unforgettable year in the literary world. From gripping thrillers and heartwarming romances to thought-provoking fantasy and historical fiction, there’s something for every reader. Whether you’re a lifelong bookworm or just looking for your next page-turner, 2025 promises to deliver stories that are sure to keep you captivated. Be sure to add these upcoming titles to your TBR list—these books are ones you won’t want to miss!
Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven
Categorized as a crossover between This is How You Lose the Time War and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Our Infinite Fates is high up on my most anticipated books for 2025. The novel follows Evelyn, a teenager who has been reincarnated for centuries. In every lifetime, she is murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, whose soul is, inexplicably, connected to hers. In Evelyn’s current life, her little sister is in desperate need for a bone marrow transplant and Evelyn intends to provide them for her. This means she must murder Arden before he murders her first. Though not revealed too much by the plot synopsis, the book’s tagline, “They’ve loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They’ve killed each other in every one,” suggests a snag in Evelyn’s plan. If you, like me, are intrigued by historical fiction books with an enemies-to-lovers plotline, be sure to pick up Our Infinite Fates on March 4, 2025.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
If you don’t know about the anticipated release of this book, you must have been living under a rock since June when it was announced. Suzanne Collins, author of the world-famous Hunger Games trilogy and prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is taking us back to the arena with her new novel, Sunrise on the Reaping. The story follows Haymitch Abernathy (Katniss and Peeta’s mentor) as he competes in the 50th annual Hunger Games, the Second Quarter Quell. This year’s twist? There are twice as many tributes in the arena—48, not 12. The other three tributes from District 12 are, as Collins describes, a compulsive oddsmaker, a stuck-up girl, and a dear friend of Haymitch’s. Ready to read about the highly awaited story of Haymitch’s games? Sunrise on the Reaping comes out March 18, 2025.
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
If you’ve been on BookTok in the past five years, you’ve heard of Taylor Jenkins Reid. Her hit novels, like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, are impossible to put down, and some of them, like Daisy Jones and the Six, have already been or are in the process of being developed for television and film. Set in the 1980s, Atmosphere, the author’s newest book, follows space-obsessed Joan Goodwin as she stumbles across an advertisement searching for the first female scientists to be a part of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. Upon selection, Joan begins training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, meeting other new astronauts and forming strong connections. That is, until December 1984, during mission STS-LR9, when something goes horribly wrong—and everything is forever altered. This vague ending has me on the edge of my seat. Perfect for fans of Space Race-era novels and TJR readers, Atmosphere hits shelves on June 10, 2025.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
2025 also graces readers with a new novel from The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue author V.E. Schwab. The premise of her newest book, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, is quite ambitious, taking place in three different countries and eras: Santo Domingo de la Calzada in 1532, London in 1837, and Boston in 2019. The synopsis for the story describes three young women “buried in the same soil, their stories tangling like roots.” Plus, as Schwab’s Instagram posts assure readers, the novel will feature lesbian vampires. While the summary might sound vague, readers, myself included, are eagerly awaiting this author’s next book, given the way she captivates audiences with lush imagery and unforgettable characters. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil will be available on June 10, 2025.
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
If you’ve read anything by R.F. Kuang, you know you’re in for a treat. Thankfully, 2025 presents readers with the opportunity to enjoy another story from the Babel author. The word “katabasis” means “descent to the underworld” and originates from Ancient Greek. The plot of the novel? Two Cambridge academic rivals must journey to the underworld to save the soul of their shared advisor. More importantly, they must survive the journey there and back (with their advisor in tow). This novel is perfect for anyone who, like me, loved Rick Riordan’s House of Hades. Katabasis will be available for readers to devour on August 28, 2025.