It is a truth universally acknowledged that a reader in possession of a well-stocked bookshelf must be in want of new books. Despite the ever growing amount of published books in my TBR, I still find myself looking forward to new releases every year. And let me tell you, this year’s lineup is a good one! So, dear reader, in this article you’ll find a list of five upcoming book releases that I, personally, cannot wait to read.
Sunrise on the Reaping – March 18, 2025
Retrieved from Goodreads.
First off, dear reader, allow me to give you a little insider info: here at Her Campus, we writers have to submit our article pitches well before they’re actually published. So, when I pitched this piece, Sunrise on the Reaping had yet to be released. As I write this now, however, it’s long been released and I’ve already read it, but I didn’t want to exclude it from this article, so… humor me!
Sunrise on the Reaping is Suzanne Collins’s latest addition to The Hunger Games franchise. It follows the 50th Hunger Games— aka, the second Quarter Quell. As we learned in the original trilogy, Haymitch Abernathy was District 12’s only living victor and went on to mentor Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark on their Games. Now, it should be noted that every 25 years, the Capitol “celebrates” the Quarter Quells, which are special games in which there’s a new rule or condition.
For example, in the first Quarter Quell, the districts had to vote for their tributes, and in the third Quarter Quell, the tributes were reaped from the existing pool of victors. In the second Quarter Quell, this book’s games, the twist was that there would be double the usual amount of tributes — 48, instead of the usual 24. As a lifelong fan of this franchise, I went into this book thinking I knew what was coming, since in Catching Fire we’re shown glimpses of these games. But boy, was I wrong…
Even knowing Haymitch survives and how he wins, nothing could’ve prepared me for this book. There’s something deeply human about reading a story that you already know the outcome of, yet still hoping it might turn out differently. Suzanne Collins blew me away with this one (I never doubted her for a second!). If you’re familiar with the series, you need to read this. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.
Great Big Beautiful Life – April 22, 2025
Retrieved from Goodreads.
Returning to the purpose of this article: Great Big Beautiful Life is Emily Henry’s newest novel and it’ll be released on April 22, 2025. If you know anything about me, you’ll know I love anything she writes, but I’m particularly excited for this book. Mostly because of what she said in her Newsletter when the novel was announced, “This book consumed me, tore me up, and challenged me like nothing has in years. It felt like the right book for me at the moment, and I hope that means that some of you reading this will feel the same way when the time comes.”
Great Big Beautiful Life will follow two writers (Alice and Hayden) who are competing for the chance to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years, Margaret Ives. Margaret invites them on a one-month trial, after which she’ll choose who’ll write her story. When I first read this book’s synopsis, I was hooked. It sounds like something totally up Henry’s alley, but it also feels quite different. There are some elements that fit perfectly within the EHCU (Emily Henry Cinematic Universe), such as the (implied) forced proximity, sunshine/stormcloud trope, and bookish main characters— it’s all very on-brand. However, there’s also an underlying darkness, some mystery, and a feeling that it’s something a bit more refined. It feels like her vibe, but elevated, and I cannot wait to find out what happens!
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil – June 10, 2025
Retrieved from Goodreads.
I first read one of V.E. Schwab’s books around 2022, and I instantly fell in love with her writing style. It was beautiful and raw, and it really got to me. Her books have a certain air that’s quite difficult to explain. There’s some darkness, yes, as well as some intrigue, but there’s also this strong ancient feeling, like their stories came from long, long ago. In any case, I rediscovered her books again in early 2025, and now I’m frothing at the mouth for something new. So, when I heard Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil was coming out soon, I immediately knew I had to read it when it did.
Now, I don’t know much about this book, since its synopsis on Goodreads is very short. It reads:
Santo Domingo de la Calzada, 1532.
London, 1837.
Boston, 2019.
Three young women, their bodies planted in the same soil, their stories tangling like roots.
One grows high, and one grows deep, and one grows wild.
And all of them grow teeth.
It’s clearly not a lot to go off of, but it’s certainly intriguing. Fantasy, vampires, horror, and queer representation, what else could one ask for? From what I’ve read on V.E. Schwab’s instagram stories and the reviews from those who’ve read the ARC (advanced reading copy), there’s definitely a lot to look forward to in this book!
The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk – August 5, 2025
Retrieved from Goodreads.
Okay, dear reader, this one’s a lot. The Fallen & the Kiss of Duskby Carissa Broadbent will be the fourth novel in a 6 book series called Crowns of Nyaxia. But, this series’ peculiarity is that the 6 books are made up of three duologies, all in the same universe, but following different characters and storylines. There are three vampire kingdoms: the House of Night, House of Shadow, and House of Blood. Each kingdom has its own duology—The Nightborn Duet, The Shadowborn Duet, and The Bloodborn Duet (still to be announced). If that’s not complicated enough, there are also two standalone books that are (technically) part of this series: Six Scorched Roses and Slaying the Vampire Conqueror. They’re set in the same universe, and their characters appear in the actual duologies, but their plots aren’t essential to the series. That is, you don’t really need to read them, but you get a little extra background story if you do. (For the record, I’ve read them and really liked them, so I recommend that you give them a shot!)
It’s difficult to explain Fallen’s plot without spoiling all three previous books, so I’ll keep it short and sweet: there’s necromancy, yearning, betrayal, and vengeance. Enticing, isn’t it? So far, I’ve enjoyed this second duology much more than the first because it’s so different, and the characters are so lovable (there’s a ghost dog and she’s the cutest!) and more well-developed, in my opinion. So! I know it’s overwhelming, but these books are so worth it, I promise!
Mate – October 7, 2025
Retrieved from Goodreads.
When I mentioned this article to one of my friends and I told her which books I’d include, I think she thought I was crazy (particularly because of this one). She asked me if I was really putting this out there for the whole world to see, and well… yes, yes I am. I have no shame! If you were on BookTok as of February-March of 2024, you might know why she reacted this way. If not, allow me to explain!
Ali Hazelwood caused an uproar on BookTok (mostly among romance readers) after Bride’s release on February 6, 2025. Everyone and their mothers were talking about this book and a certain aspect of it… I’ll spare you the details, but Bride is basically an arranged marriage between a vampire and an Alpha werewolf (or a vampyre and a Were, as they’re referred to in the book). Maybe that gives you a little hint as to what scandalized the romance community (I’ve since found out that Bride is very tame compared to other works). I, however, had never read paranormal romance, and I was very intrigued by all the talk, so I decided to give it a shot. I went into it completely expecting to hate it, but much to my dismay, I loved it. The main character was pathetic and painfully oblivious, but she was funny and the love interest’s yearning was delicious. This book isn’t a work of art, but it is a good time, and I honestly really enjoyed reading it.
Bride’s ending pretty much announces that there’ll be a sequel, but I was truly surprised to hear it’d come out so soon! Mate will follow the previous protagonist’s best friend as she navigates her life in a new pack. I know I’m basically giving you nothing, but I’m really trying to avoid spoilers, so bare with me! All I can tell you is that this book will likely go more in depth into Weres and the dynamic within their packs, which I think could be very interesting. And if Bride is any indication, it’ll certainly be romance-packed (see what I did there?). I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait!
Retrieved from Pinterest.
Now that I’ve so thoroughly exposed myself and my interests, I’ll leave you with this. I think we can all agree that 2025 has been a horrible year so far, and there’s probably more to come. So, in the face of that, having little things to look forward to helps me a lot, even if it seems silly. Everything else might suck, but at least I have my books to keep me sane. And I hope, dear reader, that you have something similar, or that you’ll find it soon if you don’t. I think we all need it, don’t you?