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CATEGORY #1: A BOOK PUBLISHED IN 2024
Without further ado, the first category of 2025 is to read a book published in 2024! Only two weeks into the new year, there aren’t a lot of books published in 2025 to choose from. Let’s jump back and revisit some top releases from the last calendar year!
Sally Rooney is best known for her beautifully lyrical novels stuffed with complex relationships, and her 2024 novel certainly delivers as promised. Peter and Ivan are grieving, but shared grief does not mean they will be getting along. Roughly ten years apart, the brothers feel that they could not have less in common, but perhaps they share a lot more than they first understand.
CATEGORY #2: A DOORSTOPPER
Have you ever looked at a book and thought “Woah! That book is so big it has got to weigh a million pounds!” That, dear reader, is a doorstopper. For category #2 I challenge you to read a book so big it could hold a door open! And it’s only January, so you’ve got twelve months left to tackle that big read. Let’s get started!
Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s 2024 novel, Long Island Compromise, weighs in at a whopping 464 pages, but each exhilarating chapter will keep readers engaged from cover to cover. When Carl Fletcher is kidnapped from his own driveway and returned a short while later, no one expects the family will return to normal quickly. Except- that’s exactly what they must do. Picking up decades after the incident, the Fletchers must finally reckon with the events that left them changed forever.
CATEGORY #3: A CIRCADIAN NOVEL
Have you ever spent an entire day reading a book from start to finish? A circadian novel is just perfect for days like that. By definition, a circadian novel is a novel that takes place over the course of a single day. These unique reads allow you to follow along with your protagonist all day long!
Fredrik Backman’s 2019 locked-room-novel, Anxious People, joins a group of would-be strangers as they journey through a truly unique open house experience. What would you do if a routine apartment viewing suddenly transformed into a hostage situation- and you’re one of the hostages? Are you scared, angry, or just plain annoyed? Our group of hostages come together feeling every human emotion imaginable. Fredrik Backman’s books always leave me feeling warm and fuzzy, and Anxious People is no exception, even in the most anxious of circumstances.
CATEGORY #4 A CELEBRITY BOOK CLUB PICK
Read like the stars with category #4 and pick up a book hand-selected by famous readers like Reese Witherspoon, Oprah, and others who know how to spot a great story. These books have earned their place on the shelves of some of Hollywood’s most well-read celebs. Want to see what everyone’s talking about? Grab one of these picks and join the conversation!
From international bestselling author Juhea Kim comes her beautiful 2024 novel City of Night Birds. Natalia Leonova used to be a prima ballerina, but a devastating accident took her dreams away from her two years ago. With evocative prose and a deeply emotional core, City of Night Birds is the kind of book that stays with you long after you turn the final page. A perfect pick for those who crave both beauty and depth in their reading.
Six More Weeks of Winter just means six more weeks of cozy reading! If you need a little push to keep that reading fire burning, I’ve got Categories 5-8 lined up to help you stay on track!
CATEGORY #5 A GRAPHIC NOVEL WITH A BIPOC AUTHOR
Graphic novels have long been dismissed as comics and books for children, but don’t be fooled! There are so many compelling and beautifully written stories waiting for you in these colorful pages. Take this opportunity to dive back into your favorite graphic novel or discover a new series authored by a person of color!
Growing up and fitting in is hard enough for any teenager. For Chelsea Grant, this task might just be impossible thanks to her dad’s business as a professional ghosthunter! In the 2024 graphic novel Ghost Roast by Shawnee and Shawnelle Gibbs and illustrated by Emily Cannon, Chelsea is forced to spend her summer working with her dad at Paranormal Removal Services. Anticipating a less-than-exciting summer of embarrassing tasks, Chelsea quickly finds out there might be some truth to this ghost hunting after all.
CATEGORY #6 A BOOK ABOUT MUSIC OR MUSICIANS
Calling all music lovers! Category #6 is just for you! I love music. I always have a song stuck in my head, most weekends I can be found at a concert, and if you ever pass me on the road I will no doubt be headbanging along to something loud (just look away). Lacking any and all musical talent myself, reading books about musicians is the closest to stardom I will ever get, and that’s just the way I like it. From memoirs to fiction to history books, there’s a book about music for all kinds of readers!
Fans of Daisy Jones & The Six will love Dawnie Walton’s debut novel, The Vinal Revival of Opal & Nev! Coming together from nearly opposite backgrounds, the interracial rock duo of Opal & Nev are just getting their start when their careers come crashing to a halt. Now, many years later in 2016, Opal is considering a reunion with Nev. Written in a narrative format compiling interviews as a music journalist curates the oral history of her idols, new information is unlocked that may just change everything.
CATEGORY #7 A ROMANCE BOOK
Happy Valentine’s Day, dear reader! Romance might not be my go-to genre, but even I can’t resist a story to warm the heart during the cold winter months. Love is certainly in the air this time of year, and what better way to celebrate than to pick up a book about a sweet love story or steamy romance. Cuddle up with a romance book for category #7!
Emma Grey‘s 2024 release, Pictures of You, is so much more than a romance novel. After experiencing an earth-shattering tragedy, Evie Hudson is left to patch together pieces of a life she can hardly remember. Her friends won’t take her calls, her parents seem absent, and she doesn’t remember turning 17, 18, or getting married! Centralizing themes of self-discovery and reinvention, Evie must come to terms with the life she’s been living and decide if that’s really who she is.
CATEGORY #8 A NEW RELEASE YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR
It’s my role as your friendly neighborhood librarian to keep up on new releases, and boy am I always waiting for a number of releases. It has taken everything in me to stop at one recommendation for this category, so be sure to take a look at my booklist for even more fantastic upcoming stories.
Agustina Bazerrica stunned readers with her 2017 release, Tender Is the Flesh, and she is finally back with her long-awaited next full-length novel, The Unworthy. Set for release in March, 2025, fans can expect another venture into dystopian feminist horror. Our protagonist lives in a cell as a lower member of the Sacred Sisterhood with dreams of one day ascending the ranks. But how did she get to the Sacred Sisterhood and why can’t she remember her life before? With promises of tackling climate crisis, ideological extremism, and so much more, I can’t wait to get my hands on The Unworthy.
It’s time for fresh air & fresh reading adventures! Let’s turn the page to a new month together & read along with categories 9-12!
CATEGORY #9 A BOOK SET IN THE UK
Pip pip, cheerio! Let’s pack our bags and embark on a delightful journey across the pond for category #9. This time, let’s immerse ourselves in a story set beyond the borders of the United States, venturing into the rich and vibrant world of the United Kingdom. Goab your teacup and get ready to dive into a book that transports you to the heart of the UK!
Nicole Galland’s Boy is a captivating historical tale set in the vibrant theatre world of Elizabethan London. With his androgynous beauty and ability to portray female roles, Sander is adored by London’s elite. Yet, as he stands on the cusp of adulthood, he wishes he could freeze time and remain a boy forever. Rich in historical detail, Boy explores themes of identity, ambition, and the roles we play, all against the backdrop of an era teeming with artistic and moral complexity.
CATEGORY #10 A BOOK WITH AN ORANGE COVER
To be very honest with you, dear reader, I think orange may just be my least favorite color. And because of my personal dislike of the bold highlighter color, I have certainly developed an unconscious bias towards books with bright covers. Maybe this category will be more challenging for me than for you, but I’m going to try my very best to recommend a good book with a (subjectively) bad cover.
In The Martian, Andy Weir delivers a gripping, high-stakes survival story that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. After a catastrophic dust storm leaves astronaut Mark Watney stranded on Mars, presumed dead by his crew, he faces an unforgiving planet with limited supplies and no way to communicate with Earth. This is a tale of human perseverance, brilliant problem-solving, and the will to survive against all odds.
CATEGORY #11 A BOOK THAT’S BEEN TURNED INTO A MOVIE
There is no better feeling than sitting back to watch a new movie and being the only one in the room who can say they read the book first. You can’t say “the book was better” if you haven’t read it, so, allow me to introduce you to the next book that will give you that coveted sense of literary superiority.
Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch definitely took me by surprise when I first read it, and it’s now been turned into a movie starring Amy Adams as our unnamed protagonist. One night, when her toddler refuses to sleep, she finds herself inexplicably possessing sharper canines, growing patches of hair, and fighting wild new hunger. Bold, unapologetic, and sharp, Yoder’s debut is a hilarious and subversive ride that is equal parts unnerving and empowering.
CATEGORY #12 A NONFICTION BOOK PUBLISHED IN THE LAST 5 YEARS
A lot can change in five years. A short time, five years ago, nobody would have batted an eye at a word like pandemic, which has now become so common in our everyday vernacular. While there is always cause to revisit a favorite work of fiction from decades before, it’s important to stay current with nonfic reads. Learn something new with a new nonfiction story published between 2020 and now.
There is no icon at the crossroads of pop culture and suburbia quite like the shopping mall. At the crux of community and consumerism, all that is good and bad about American culture exists within the walls of the malls. In Meet Me by the Fountain by Alexandra Lange, readers dive into the cultural history of the shopping mall, stretching from their introduction in the 1950s to the financial crises brought by online shopping.
I Ran Out of Books to Recommend.
April Fools!! You didn’t think I’d leave you hanging like that, did you? Check out these prank-free recommendations for categories 13-16!
CATEGORY #13 A BOOK WITH A NUMBER IN THE TITLE
This just in: numbers aren’t just for math class! You can always count on books with a number in the title to get it right. Big numbers, small numbers, lucky numbers—they all add up to a good read. Choose a book with a number in the title and get ready for a journey where every page counts.
Two-Step Devil is a work of contemporary horror, unique around every turn. Our protagonists are an unlikely pairing of an aging prophet, and a young woman named Michael that the prophet believes to be a sign from God. Michael finds herself in the Prophet’s remote, art-filled cabin, and as their uncertain dynamic evolves into tender friendship, she is offered a surprising opportunity to escape her past—and perhaps change her future.
CATEGORY #14 A HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK
Historical fiction, though the definition is hotly debated, is any book set at a particular period of time in the past. And yes, frightening as it may be to admit, a book set in the 1990s can be considered historical fiction. I don’t know why, but Spring always feels like the perfect time to read historical fiction. During the months of rebirth and beginnings, when better to look back on how far we’ve come.
William Boyle’s brand-new crime fiction novel, Saint of the Narrows Street, opens in 1986 Brooklyn and travels through the years that follow. As an Italian American family’s decades-old secret begins to unravel, they will have to bear the consequences and face each other in this thrilling south Brooklyn-set tragic opera of the highest caliber. Split into three parts, Boyle stuns readers at every turn- I didn’t see a single twist coming!
CATEGORY #15 A BOOK WITH AN INSECT ON THE COVER
Bugs! I am uniquely partial to this category. In fact, it may be my personal favorite this year. I know not everyone is a fan of our creepy crawly friends, but don’t fret, there are many books that feature bugs on the cover that don’t necessarily have anything crawling around in the plot.
Erin Morgenstern does a beautiful job of inventing a world of magic in her 2019 fantasy project, The Starless Sea, and she gives us an appropriately skeptical protagonist who discovers this world along with the reader. Hidden in the library, Zachary discovers a book detailing an experience from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of it, he uncovers a series of clues. The Starless Sea is a timeless love story set in a secret underground world—a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea.
CATEGORY #16 A MEMOIR
You can’t go wrong with a good memoir! I’ve never met a memoir I didn’t like (or at least learn from). There’s something uniquely powerful about reading the story of someone’s real life. Memoirs remind us that everyone has a voice worth hearing. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, catharsis, or just a peek into someone else’s wildly different (or eerily familiar) life, memoirs deliver.
Chef and journalist Bonny Reichert reckons with her role as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor in her 2025 memoir, How to Share an Egg. Focused on unearthing her culinary lineage, Reichert explores her own life and the impact of her father’s experiences on her own life. Do the tiny dramas of her own life matter in comparison to everything her father has seen and done? This moving exploration of heritage, inheritance, and self-discovery sets out to find the answer.
May is the month of expectation, the month of wishes, the month of hope. Check out these inspiring recommendations for categories 17-20!
CATEGORY #17 A SCI-FI BOOK WITHOUT ALIENS
When you think of sci-fi, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Is it aliens? I bet it’s aliens. What if I told you there’s a whole world of Sci-Fi books that don’t involve extraterrestrials? Science fiction might be one of my favorite genres, so here’s a bunch of sci-fi books you might like, even if you’re not so into UFOs and little green men.
In Jason Pargin’s 2024 novel aptly named I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom, Abbott is expecting another ordinary shift working as a Lyft driver, but his next ride is anything but ordinary. He is offered $200,000 in cash to drive across the country transporting a suspicious black box. He doesn’t know what’s in it and he’s not allowed to ask. A deeply unlikeable main character and an unreliable cast of misfits make for a unique misadventure and surprisingly heavy page-turner.
CATEGORY #18 A BOOK WITH A PROTAGONIST OVER THE AGE OF 50
Why aren’t there more books written with characters older than 30? For category #18, read a book about someone with a little more life experience! These characters remind us that powerful stories don’t have an age limit. For Category #18, pick up a novel where the main character is over 50 and see what lessons the second (or third!) act of life holds.
In her devastating new novel, Counting Backwards, Binnie Kirshenbaum portrays the journey of a married couple grappling with the husband’s sudden decline from Lewy Body Dementia. Peppered with moments of absurdity, and tenderness, Kirshenbaum reveals the complexity of love, loss, and the slow erosion of self. With its powerful exploration of memory, identity, and care, the novel offers a powerful meditation on the fragility of life.
CATEGORY #19 A BOOK BY AN ASIAN AMERICAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER AUTHOR
It’s time to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! It’s always nearly impossible to select a title for this type of category because the suggestions that spring to mind are innumerable. If I had it my way, there would be time to read every book on this list!
Readers travel through time and across the globe with Roya as she details her experiences with love and loss. In a time of political unrest in Tehran, though she was only a teenager at the time, Roya fell in love with an equally intelligent Bahman. Two broken hearts and sixty years later, the two reunite in America one last time for closure, but things are not what they seem. Marjan Kamali’s The Stationary Shop defrosted my cold heart and then broke it into a million little pieces.
CATEGORY #20 A BOOK ABOUT BOOKS
Whether it’s set in a library, a bookstore, or inside the mind of a fellow booklover, this category is a reader’s dream. Pick a book where books take center stage! It’s easy for a booklover to see themselves in another booklover, making this category one of the most fun to check off.
Epistolary novels are an easy win, and when you layer in recipes and a book about books, there’s absolutely no way to lose! Kim Fay brings together Kate and Frida in this aptly titled novel, Kate & Frida, to showcase exactly how important friends (and books) are. When Frida writes a letter to a bookstore in Seattle, she hears back from Kate, and a whirlwind friendship begins. The two young women grow together through their correspondence, sharing and bonding.
Looking for a little extra challenge this summer? Sign up for our Color Your World Summer Reading Challenge!
#21 A POSTHUMOUS PUBLICATION
Believe it or not, writing a book can take a long time to finish and sometimes it even takes a lifetime! More books are published posthumously than you might expect. From newly released biographies to classics that you’re sure to recognize, celebrate accomplishments of authors even after they’ve passed with these great reads.
ASA Harrison was primarily the author of nonfiction books. Her debut novel, The Silent Wife, was released posthumously in 2013 and nominated for a Goodreads Award that same year. Todd and Jodie have been together for twenty-eight years, but their picture-perfect relationship may not be all that it seems. Infidelity and control have long played major roles in the games they play, but the pair might finally be starting to see the cracks they have caused. What are they willing to sacrifice to maintain the status quo?
#22 A BOOK PUBLISHED BEFORE YOU WERE BORN
I try to keep myself up to date with the newest releases and New York Times best sellers, but it’s always a treat to take a trip back in time and enjoy a work created before I was. Humans have been engaging with the written word for centuries, so whether you were born yesterday or are nearing your one-hundredth birthday, I’m sure our list has something for you!
Though not a guarantee, I tried my best to pick a book published before most of us were born. Irene Redfield is a Black woman living an affluent, comfortable life with her husband and children in the thriving neighborhood of Harlem in the 1920s. Clare Kendry, who is similarly light-skinned, has been passing for a white woman after severing ties to her past–even hiding the truth from her racist husband. Nella Larsen’s Passing was first released in 1929 and is still as timely and important as ever.
#23 A BOOK THAT PASSES THE BECHDEL TEST
Cartoonist and author Alison Bechdel has been a staple to the feminist movement since the birth of her weekly comic strip, DTWOF, in 1983. The test is most often applied to film, but the rules are simple: The work of fiction must have at least two named female characters in it, and these characters must talk to each other about something other than a man. Despite the test’s shortcomings, there is still a shockingly low percentage of media that pass the test.
The twelfth expedition into Area X is made up of four women; an anthropologist, a surveyor, a psychologist, and a biologist. All of the previous expedition teams have been unsuccessful, returning (or not returning) with strange habits and behaviors, and much of the same is expected of expedition twelve. The team’s mission is to gather data and draw conclusions regarding the strange environment. This haunting series of feminist surrealism will keep you craving more.
#24 A PLAY OR A BOOK ADAPTED FOR A STAGE PRODUCTION
Don’t tell me the last interaction you had with a play was reading Romeo & Juliet in your 10th grade English class! You must have picked up a play at some point between then and now. No? Well, here’s your excuse to get into character starting on the page and preparing for the stage!
The Great Gatsby is on Broadway! First published 100 years ago, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s essential and classic novel is ready for its close-up. A snapshot of elegant and vapid 1920’s Long Island party culture is frozen in time in The Great Gatsby. Stuffed to the brim with metaphor symbolism, and depictions of the American Dream, this is a title to be revisited over and over again by classics lovers, history buffs, and anyone looking to get lost in a different time.
#25 A BOOK ABOUT LGBTQ+ HISTORY
Happy Pride Month! It’s finally summertime and I can’t wait to celebrate love all month long. There’s lots to learn about in LGBTQ+ history, so let’s dive in!
At the crossroads of my love for novelists and beaches, exists Fire Island by Jack Parlett. You’ve heard the names Walt Whitman, James Baldwin, and Frank O’Hara, but do you know their relationship with our very own local paradise, Fire Island? Fire Island has a long history as a haven for the queer community, and Parlett discusses how cultural history interacts with his own personal experiences on the island in this beautiful 2022 release.