41 MORE Books Coming Out in 2025 That You Need to Know About - Part 1

Gird your TBRs

Hello!

Earlier this year, I rounded up 52 books to look forward to in 2025 (part 1 here | part 2 here). Now that we’re almost halfway through the year, it’s time to take a peek at 41 MORE books coming in the second half of the year.

It’ll be a two-parter again because it’s a meaty list! So, pour a beverage, stretch your “add to cart” finger, and get ready to place some preorders. Let’s go!

* = I’ve already read and enthusiastically endorse!

A new bombshell—ahem, exciting literary voice—has entered the villa.

1. The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King | Jun 3: Set between present day Cambridge, Mass and WWII China, a college student discovers a long buried family spycraft secret. Ideal for readers who want a little magic, but not full blown faeries and dragons.

2. Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor | Jun 3: Do you love startup novels? (*raises hand*) Here, two Harvard students discover a cure for aging and are catapulted into the high-stakes business world. This is giving major Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow vibes.

3. Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin | Jun 10: A young Black man from a prominent family is arrested for drug possession and must reckon with his privilege (class) and lack thereof (racial) in this character-driven novel set between New York City’s nightlife scene and Atlanta.

4. The Art of Vanishing* by Morgan Pager | Jul 1: Magical realism meets the art world in this gorgeous novel about a museum janitor who learns she can step inside the paintings. There, she falls in love with a painting’s subject. This made me want to go to a museum and really, really pay attention.

5. Bitter Sweet by Hattie Williams | Jul 8: A young book publicist embarks on an affair with one of her authors—a much older, married literary icon. Despite the sexy and scandalous subject matter, I’ve been told this is heavier in tone: HEA fans be warned!

6. Slanting Toward the Sea by Lidija Hilje | Jul 8: A literary love triangle between a woman stalled by loss, her ex-husband, and an attractive hotelier set against the backdrop of a Croatian summer. This feels like Broken Country at the beach, and I’m not mad about it.

7. My Train Leaves at Three by Natalie Guerrero | Jul 15: A down on her luck Afro-Latina singer and actress gets the opportunity to audition for the Broadway director du jour. Theater lovers, New York City novel lovers, this one is for us!

8. Maggie: Or, a Man and a Woman Walk into a Bar* by Katie Yee | Jul 22: A woman grapples with the one-two punch of her husband leaving her and a cancer diagnosis in this unexpectedly funny and voicey novel. Fans of Catherine Newman’s hilarious-in-the-face-of-awfulness writing will gobble this up, too.

9. This Kind of Trouble by Tochi Eze | Aug 5: God, I love books about older people getting another shot at love. So, this one set between 1960’s Lagos where a Nigerian woman falls in love with a British-born man and 2005 when the couple is reunited by the health struggles of their grandson sounds extremely up my alley.

We’ve been waiting! These 3 books are part of pre-existing series.

10. Caught Up by Navessa Allen | Jun 10: The follow up to best-selling dark romance sensation Lights Out (currently in its 30th week on the NYT list). This one follows Aly’s cousin Nico in a mafia/stalker romance hybrid. Not sure WTF I’m talking about? I have a dark romance primer here (paywalled).

11. Mate by Ali Hazelwood | Oct 7: A new book set in the same paranormal universe of Hazelwood’s Bride. I will knot be missing this. (IYKYK and I’m sorry.)

12. Brimstone by Callie Hart | Nov 18: OMG that cliffhanger ending on Quicksilver, the BookTok-viral romantasy hit. If you’ve read it, you are just as seated as I am for this sequel, which is supposed to close out this duology.

Lots to discuss in these books, and I have a feeling people are going to be talking about them (maybe that includes your book club!).

13. Park Avenue by Renée Ahdieh | Jun 3: Pitched as Succession set in the Korean beauty world, this is the adult debut of a beloved YA author. The use of words like “pulse-racing” and “fun” in blurbs skyrocketed this to the top of my TBR.

14. Hazel Says No* by Jessica Berger Gross | Jun 17: A family moves from Brooklyn to Maine and experiences a disastrous first year. With POVs from each family member, there’s a lot of discussion fodder here from mid-life career ennui and parenting teens to a #MeToo allegation that turns the town against the high-school-aged daughter

15. The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick | Jun 17: The highly-anticipated follow up to book club darling The Measure. In this speculative novel, a technology is invented that allows the heartbroken to sleep through their grief. But should they?

16. These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean | July 8: A reader here turned me onto this genre-crossover from a favorite historical romance author. Billed as Succession meets Elin Hilderbrand¹, the death of a billionaire patriarch brings together his four adult children to compete for their inheritance.

17. L.A. Women by Ella Berman | Aug 5: A story about a complicated friendship between rival writers in LA’s 1960’s social scene. I’m sorry… is this a fictionalized version of Didion & Babitz? Because I am so here for it. These books could be very fun to read these alongside each other if you have a particularly ambitious book club!

18. The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy | Sept 16: You know I’m feral for any book about a friend group, so I’m beyond excited for this one following a group of 5 Black female friends from their early-20’s into their 40’s as their relationships grow and change.

19. Culpability by Bruce Holsinger | Oct 17: I was surprised by how much I loved The Gifted School despite not being a parent, so I’m really looking forward to Holsinger’s latest about a self-driving car that gets in a collision while carrying a family of 5, each of whom has a secret implicating them in the accident.

As I mentioned up top, 22 more coming next week, including all the romances, thrillers, and wild cards. Get ready!

Happy reading,

Becca

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1. A big publishing season for Succession meets X, huh? Not mad!