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For many, autumn and winter are the most enjoyable seasons in which to hunker down at home with a good book. Whether you’re planning your cosy weekend reading material or have set yourself a 2025 reading challenge on Goodreads, you’re spoiled for choice with the best new book releases.
From romance books and historical fiction to cosy crime capers and fantasy novels, the test for a good book is simple: you won’t want to put it down. This year has seen plenty of acclaimed novels from esteemed authors, including Dream Count, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s first novel in a decade, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s tear-jerker romance Atmosphere, Ian McEwan’s unsettling dystopian fiction What We Can Know, and David Szalay’s Booker-shortlisted novel Flesh.
As for debuts, Florence Knapp’s The Names is a searing family drama, Alison Espach's novel The Wedding People is a funny spin on the romcom genre, and Allison King’s novelThe Phoenix Pencil Company is a century-spanning, magical realism story. Bold and thought-provoking in different ways, Natasha Brown’s Universality and Saou Ichikawa’s Hunchback are both short reads that can occupy a rainy afternoon.
New paperback releases are equally worth diving into (and not just to save on shelf or hand luggage space) – think Kaliane Bradley’s charming time-travelling romance, The Ministry of Time, Percival Everett’s reimagining of Huckleberry Finn, James, and Miranda July’s cult novel All Fours. That’s all on top of the past year’s anticipated titles from acclaimed authors such as Sally Rooney, Taffy Brodesser-Akner and Coco Mellors.
The bookworms on the IndyBest team and I have read dozens of new releases over the past year, to bring you the best books for 2025.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Daisy Lester is a senior IndyBest writer at The Independent. She specialises in reviewing books, and has her finger on the pulse when it comes to new releases from both debut authors and acclaimed writers. Daisy knows what makes a gripping, moving or important story, whether it’s a romantic comedy or historical drama. She loves books of every genre, from satire to mystery and crime, so there will be a book for every taste in her roundups.
The best new books to read in 2025 are:
- Best overall – The Names by Florence Knapp, published by Phoenix: £8.49, Amazon.co.uk
- Best romance – Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, published by Hutchinson Heinemann: £10, Amazon.co.uk
- Best crime novel – All The Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman, published by Fourth Estate: £11, Amazon.co.uk
- Best time-travel romance – The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, published by Sceptre: £6, Amazon.co.uk
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