Hot off the press: 2025 book releases on my radar
- Emma Urbanová
- Jan 2
- 4 min read
One thing about me: I always like to keep myself on my toes for new book releases. As a contemporary fiction enthusiast, I consider it my duty to regularly peruse bookstore shelves in anticipation of grabbing my new "hot off the press" read. For some reason, the fresher and newer the book, the more attractive - sometimes I find myself awaiting a release for months or even years, if it's my favourite author.
This list shows the titles I'm most excited about in 2025, both novels and short story collections. There is such an abundance of new releases with great cover design and interesting premises that it was hard to choose merely ten. Your own selection might, of course, be different than mine, or that of the editor of The Guardian or Times Literary Supplement. The important thing is to keep reading, and 2025 seems like a great year for that!
So, without further ado, here is the list of books to be on the lookout for:
Natasha Brown - Universality
Published by Faber, Brown's second novel focuses on a journalist who sets out to investigate a crime, stumbling upon the concepts of truth, language and power. I am a huge fan of Assembly and you can't convince me Brown isn't the sharpest and most ruthless literary observer of modern Britain since Zadie Smith. And the gold brick on the cover? Consider me first in line to devour this one.
Release Date: 13.03.2025
Saba Sams - Gunk
Like Brown, Sams was also on the list of Granta's 2023 Best Young British Novelists. Gunk, which was featured in the anthology as a short story, is now developed into a full-length novel with a cover to be revealed (how hyped are we?) An "electrifying debut novel exploring love and desire, safety and destruction, chaos and control - and family in all its forms"? Sign me up.
Release Date: 08.05.2025
Ocean Vuong - The Emperor of Gladness
Vuong's second novel, following the meteoric success of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, promises to be the literary sensation of the year. The reasons to anticipate it are pretty self-evident - yet allow me to mention just a few: Vuong's innovatory craft, the imaginative quality of his prose lent by his poetry and his acute rendering of all-American topics: labor, immigration and collective memory. Prepare yourselves - this one is bound to wreck us all.
Release Date: 15.05.2025
Aria Aber - Good Girl
Intrigued by the underworld of artists and writers in a modern urban city? Enter Good Girl, a portrait of the artist as a young woman. Set in Berlin, this coming-of-age debut novel focuses on the daughter of Afghan refugees, Nila, and her quest to find herself in the turmoil of youth, love and racial tensions that plague modern-day Germany. Sounds promising!
Release Date: 14.01.2025
Shon Faye - Love in Exile
I've seen this cover all around Bookstagram - and I have to admit I am prone to reading anything with the word "exile" in it. However, this is not a romance but a memoir where Faye dissects her own experiences with love and attachment as a transgender person. Exploring the collective definition of love and arguing certain people are purposely kept outside of it in today's society makes this nonfiction release innovative - and exciting.
Release Date: 06.02.2025
Gráinne O'Hare - Thirst Trap
Is the reign of the female Irish novelist over... or just getting started? With its cheekily Gen Z-coded title and cover, Thirst Trap promises a punchy, effervescent read. Set against the backdrop of Belfast, it explores the compelling themes of girlhood, friendship, and sharing a home. The premise is undeniably enticing—now let’s hope the writing lives up to the buzz!
Release Date: 12.06.2025
Eimear McBride - The City Changes Its Face
A story of a passionate, all-consuming love affair set in the 90s London? You had me at "passionate". Not having read anything by McBride yet, I think 2025 is the year to discover her linguistic dexterity and striking originality. There is never a shortage of novels that are "intimate, experiential and immersive". Plus, I really like the name!
Release Date: 13.02.2025
Torrey Peters - Stag Dance
After the bestselling Detransition, Baby, Peters is back with Stag Dance, "a novel & stories". Trans experience continues to be a central topic, accompanied by glamorous, ironic and/or apocalyptic elements. I am particularly intrigued about how Peters will tackle the short story format and call me what you will, but if a book cover has a blurb by Miranda July - I'm buying it.
Release Date: 13.03.2025
David Szalay - Flesh
Trawling through the Goodreads reviews of this novel, I am convinced this is either going to be a hit or a complete miss. David Szalay is a Booker Prize finalist from Canada but this novel is set in Hungary, which intrigues me. Throw in an immigration narrative concerning identity and belonging and you have my full attention. Let's hope this novel is as "fast-paced and immersive" as the blurb promises!
Release Date: 01.04.2025
Guadalupe Nettel - The Accidentals
I first discovered Nettel when she was a close contender for the International Booker Prize, and after thoroughly enjoying Still Born, my expectations for this story collection are sky-high. Nettel’s strengths lie in her sharp, penetrating prose and profound emotional intelligence—qualities I’m confident she’s brought to The Accidentals. With Rosalind Harvey’s translation, I have no doubt they will be maintained in English too!
Release Date: 29.04.2025
What are your most anticipated book releases in 2025? Let me know in the comments!
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