The most exciting thing about the new year approaching is new books. I’m a simple person: I like to read — a lot.
2024 was a great year for books, and 2025’s new releases hold even more promise. To wind down 2024 and get you ready for 2025, here’s my list of my favorite books from this past year and the releases I’m most looking forward to in the next.
Favorites of 2024
- Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake
-
Starting off, Make the Season Bright is a 2024 release by Ashley Herring Blake, a popular sapphic romance author. Blake’s novel creates the perfect cozy Christmas vibe for the holiday season. Blake’s repertoire of novels has no bad picks, and Make the Season Bright is no exception. Blake weaves a romance tale between two ex-childhood friends and ex-fiancée that’ll leave you feeling warm and fuzzy — no matter how cold it may be outside.
- The Poppy War trilogy by R.F. Kuang
-
I’m a little late to the party, but I finally finished R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy War trilogy, and now I’m mad at myself for not reading it sooner. My favorite part about this series is the main character, Rin, and her development through all three novels.
Kuang expertly crafts Rin’s character, weaving a tale of the beauty, ugliness, strength, and weakness that Rin’s power holds, as well as how she thrives in the face of adversity. Rin’s character is raw and real, and you’ll need some tissues by the end of the series.
- The Burning Kingdoms trilogy by Tasha Suri
-
The Burning Kingdoms trilogy came to an end in 2024, with the release of the third and final novel in November. Tasha Suri’s excellent storytelling shines throughout the series, weaving an intricate, epic, and romantic tale between maidservant Priya and Princess Malini. The novel is set in a world inspired by the tales and history of India.
Suri navigates fantasy politics, a heart-wrenching and romantic tale of war and loss, with powerful female characters leading the way to revolution and freedom, standing against tradition and oppression.
- The Shades of Magic trilogy by V.E. Schwab
-
V.E. Schwab has a unique voice, bringing life into a variety of worlds throughout her works. In the Shades of Magic series, Schwab creates a story of three different Londons, weaving them together to create a conflict stretching across three of the same, but still undeniably unique, cities. Schwab’s Shades of Magic is another series I read in 2024, and I’m excited to see where she takes it. Schwab is currently writing a spin-off featuring old characters from the original series and new introductions to the citizens of the three Londons.
- Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
-
Bookshops & Bonedust, the prequel to Travis Baldree’s novel Legends & Lattes, weaves a tale of fantasy, love, and books. Viv, a mercenary orc, is forced to recuperate in the small town and reckon with her new-found free time in the city of Murk after an injury facing a powerful necromancer.
This novel was a pleasant surprise to me, and I found myself enthralled in the world that Viv builds for herself as she spends her time remodeling a run-down bookshop and among the friends she makes while in Murk.
Most Exciting Releases of 2025
- Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake
-
Dream On, Ramona Riley is Ashley Herring Blake’s newest book, set to release on May 13, 2025. The book is set in small-town Clover Lake, and Blake is going back to her sapphic roots with a romance between small-town waitress Ramona Riley and Hollywood Star Dylan Monroe.
However, under the surface, the two have a complicated past that might undermine their relationship — one that I’m very excited to read about when the book releases next year.
- Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
-
R.F. Kuang’s resume of novels is incredibly diverse in genre, style, and voice, and she has another book releasing in August 2025. I’m already hooked just because Kuang wrote it, but the premise of the novel has me even more intrigued. Katabasis is a story about two academic rivals from Cambridge who must journey to Hell to save their advisor — getting there was easy, but surviving the journey back might be a little bit more challenging.
- Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab.
-
I’m a little biased here, but I love V.E. Schwab, and her next novel is already set up to be killer — and I mean that literally. Schwab describes the novel as a story about “toxic lesbian vampires,” set to release on June 10, 2025. Schwab’s Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is my most anticipated release of the year, promising revenge, female rage, and, best of all, toxic lesbian vampires.
- Carving Shadows Into Gold by Brigid Kemmerer
-
Carving Shadows Into Gold by Brigid Kemmerer is the anticipated sequel to Forging Silver Into Stars, a spin-off series of the Beauty and the Beast-inspired trilogy Cursebreakers. Forging Silver Into Stars built a new story and a new revolution in Kemmerer’s world, taking place in the small, off-the-beaten-path town of Briarlock, where hidden tensions are brewing among the people. Carving Shadows Into Gold, releasing on Jan. 28, picks up on the edge of a cliffhanger, drawing out excitement for its release in early 2025.
- Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
-
Perhaps the book announcement that drew the most excitement in 2024, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, tells the anticipated tale of Haymitch during the 50th Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is one of the biggest series of all time, and fans, myself included, are eagerly anticipating Collins’ next tale. The book has already had a movie announced, as well, with the novel set to release on March 18, 2025, and the movie on Nov. 20, 2026.
This list is just a small peek at my favorite books I read during 2024 and even a smaller peek at some of the great releases that are coming out in 2025. A few other notable authors include Emily Henry, Rebecca Yarros, and Lauren Roberts.
Hopefully, this list helped you to find a good book, maybe one to help you finish your 2024 reading goal, a book you may add to your TBR, or a release you might pick up in 2025. It’s never too early to make your reading goal or TBR for 2025! Happy reading!
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!