As we approach the second month of 2025, we find ourselves on the brink of yet another month filled with thrilling and diverse book releases that promise to captivate readers of all tastes and preferences. The literary landscape is ever-evolving, and this upcoming month is no exception. With a plethora of new titles set to hit the shelves, readers can look forward to an array of extraordinary works that span various genres and sub-genres, catering to both avid readers and casual book enthusiasts alike. In my quest to uncover these hidden gems, I have diligently scoured the depths of the internet to personally curate a selection that I believe will resonate with a multitude of different readers.
From gripping thrillers that will keep you on the edge of your seat to heartwarming romances that tug at your heartstrings, the upcoming releases promise to offer something for everyone. For fans of science fiction, there are innovative narratives that push the boundaries of imagination, exploring futuristic worlds and complex characters. Meanwhile, mystery lovers can anticipate intricate plots filled with twists and turns that will challenge even the most astute sleuths. Additionally, those who enjoy historical fiction will be treated to richly woven tales that transport them to different eras, providing insights into the human experience through the lens of the past. Last but certainly not least, the realm of non-fiction will also see an influx of thought-provoking titles that delve into various topics, from memoirs that share personal journeys of resilience and triumphs.
The diversity of these upcoming releases reflects the vibrant tapestry of voices and perspectives in contemporary literature, inviting readers to explore new ideas and experiences. As we prepare to dive into February, it's an exciting time for book lovers everywhere. Although February is the shortest month of the year, it still promises to deliver literary gems that will not disappoint. The anticipation of discovering new authors, revisiting beloved genres, and engaging with profound themes makes this month not just another chapter in the calendar, but a celebration of storytelling in all its forms. Whether you're seeking an escape into a fantastical realm or looking to engage with real-world narratives, the literary offerings of February 2025 are sure to provide an enriching reading experience.
Disclosure: There are affiliate links throughout this article, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them.
-Literary Women's Fiction-
Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
Expected Release: February 25, 2025
Description
"Tender as a ballad and pleasurable as a pop song, Deep Cuts is both a romp into the indie sleaze era of the early aughts and a timeless love story."--Coco Mellors, New York Times bestselling author of Blue Sisters
"Warm, nostalgic, totally engrossing. I loved this novel."--Liz Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The God of the Woods
Look, the song whispered to me, that day in my living room. Life can be so big.
It's a Friday night in a campus bar in Berkeley, fall of 2000, and Percy Marks is pontificating about music again. Hall and Oates is on the jukebox, and Percy--who has no talent for music, just lots of opinions about it--can't stop herself from overanalyzing the song, indulging what she knows to be her most annoying habit. But something is different tonight. The guy beside her at the bar, fellow student Joe Morrow, is a songwriter. And he could listen to Percy talk all night.
Joe asks Percy for feedback on one of his songs--and the results kick off a partnership that will span years, ignite new passions in them both, and crush their egos again and again. Is their collaboration worth its cost? Or is it holding Percy back from finding her own voice?
Moving from Brooklyn bars to San Francisco dance floors, Deep Cuts examines the nature of talent, obsession, belonging, and above all, our need to be heard.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, Deep Cuts, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/deep-cuts-holly-brickley/21526775?ean=9780593799086>.
-Paranormal Fantasy-
(S)kin by Ibi Zoboi
Expected Release: February 11, 2025
Description
From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Ibi Zoboi comes her groundbreaking contemporary fantasy debut--a novel in verse based on Caribbean folklore--about the power of inherited magic and the price we must pay to live the life we yearn for.
"Our new home with its
thick walls and locked doors
wants me to stay trapped in my skin--
but I am fury and flame."
Fifteen-year-old Marisol is the daughter of a soucouyant. Every new moon, she sheds her skin like the many women before her, shifting into a fireball witch who must fly into the night and slowly sip from the lives of others to sustain her own. But Brooklyn is no place for fireball witches with all its bright lights, shut windows, and bolt-locked doors.... While Marisol hoped they would leave their old traditions behind when they emigrated from the islands, she knows this will never happen while she remains ensnared by the one person who keeps her chained to her magical past--her mother.
Seventeen-year-old Genevieve is the daughter of a college professor and a newly minted older half sister of twins. Her worsening skin condition and the babies' constant wailing keep her up at night, when she stares at the dark sky with a deep longing to inhale it all. She hopes to quench the hunger that gnaws at her, one that seems to reach for some memory of her estranged mother. When a new nanny arrives to help with the twins, a family secret connecting her to Marisol is revealed, and Gen begins to find answers to questions she hasn't even thought to ask.
But the girls soon discover that the very skin keeping their flames locked beneath the surface may be more explosive to the relationships around them than any ancient magic.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, (S)kin, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/s-kin-ibi-zoboi/21481905?ean=9780062888877>.
-Mystery-
Big Name Fan by Ruthie Knox & Annie Mare
Expected Release: February 25, 2025
Description
When two A-list celebrities famous for their on-screen chemistry as TV detectives (think: sapphic Mulder and Scully, or queer Rizzoli and Isles) are reunited to investigate a real-life Hollywood murder, fans who have been 'shipping the leading ladies for years might just get the ending they've always wanted...
Bexley Simon and Sam Farmer aren't detectives, but they play them on TV. Well, played, past tense. The iconic cult hit that was Craven's Daughter ended five years ago, and their friendship died along with it. Fans were disappointed that the pair's legendary chemistry went unfulfilled--and crushed that the actual spark between actresses Bex and Sam didn't pay off, either. The network never intended for two women to get romantic, in life or onscreen, despite the fans. But the bigger tragedy was the loss of their dear friend, makeup artist Jen Arnot, whose accidental death cast a pall over the series' last episodes.
Now the network has decided on a reunion special, and Bex and Sam are thrust together once more as hosts of a rewatch podcast that will feature favorite episodes. Their first guest--a megawatt star who played a murder victim early on--drops a bombshell. Among the millions of pixels of fanfic written about the show online, one truly prolific author, known in the fiction world as the show's Big Name Fan, was an insider, almost certainly someone from the cast or crew.
As the podcast moves along--and the spark between Bex and Sam threatens to burn down the studio--the pair realize they're faced with two actual mysteries: Who is their Big Name Fan? And was Jen's death an accident, or did someone want her dead? Sifting through clues as they question cast and crew, the duo will need to separate fact from fiction as they make their personal partnership into unmistakable
canon . . .
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, Big Name Fan, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/big-name-fan-ruthie-knox/21512774?ean=9781496751331>.
-Literary Historical Fiction-
Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine
Expected Release: February 4, 2025
Description
A young girl must face a life-altering decision after awakening her sister's ghost, navigating truths about love, friendship, and power as the Civil War looms.
"The richly textured prose quickly pulled me into [Junie's] treacherous yet magical world."--Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake
Sixteen years old and enslaved since she was born, Junie has spent her life on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama, cooking and cleaning alongside her family, and tending to the white master's daughter, Violet. Her daydreams are filled with poetry and faraway worlds, while she spends her nights secretly roaming through the forest, consumed with grief over the sudden death of her older sister, Minnie.
When wealthy guests arrive from New Orleans, hinting at marriage for Violet and upending Junie's life, she commits a desperate act--one that rouses Minnie's spirit from the grave, tethered to this world unless Junie can free her. She enlists the aid of Caleb, the guests' coachman, and their friendship soon becomes something more. Yet as long-held truths begin to crumble, she realizes Bellereine is harboring dark and horrifying secrets that can no longer be ignored.
With time ticking down, Junie begins to push against the harsh current that has controlled her entire life. As she grapples with an increasingly unfamiliar world in which she has little control, she is forced to ask herself: When we choose love and liberation, what must we leave behind?
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, Junie, Bookshop.org Website, Accessed 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/junie-erin-crosby-eckstine/21454049?ean=9780593725115>.
-Horror-
The Poorly Made and Other Things: A Story Collection by Sam Rebelein
Expected Release: February 11, 2025
Description
For fans of Frankly in Love and Tokyo An unsettling and creepy story collection of literary horror set in the Renfield universe from "major new talent" (R.L. Stine) Sam Rebelein, author of Edenville.
"I hope I get to go back to Renfield County again, before too long." --LitHub on Edenville
There's something wrong in Renfield County.
It's in the water, the soil, the wood. But worst of all, it's in the minds of the residents, slowly driving them mad. When Lawrence Renfield massacred his family and drew The Giant in his farmhouse with their blood, no one imagined the repercussions. At the very least, the bloodstained wood should have been set aflame, not chopped down and repurposed as furniture, décor, and heirlooms across the county. But that's exactly what happened. Now regular people--like you and me--are sitting on... eating with... admiring... the cursed wood and reaping the consequences.
These are their stories.
In "My Name Is Ellie" a young girl uncovers disturbing secrets hiding in the walls of her beloved grandmother's home. An unassuming box, built with reclaimed wood, connects a grieving widower with his late wife's lingering spirit in "Hector Brim." In "Detour" a father, desperate to return home, finds himself trapped in a dizzying maze, haunted by stories of lurking monsters that live off the remains of weary travelers.
Playing with the uncanny to explore themes of loneliness and grief, Sam Rebelein returns upstate to unravel the mysteries of Renfield. But regardless of what started the trouble, there's one thing of which we can be certain: for those living here, the nightmare is far from over.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, The Poorly Made and Other Things: A Story Collection, Bookshop.org website, Accessed on 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-poorly-made-and-other-things-a-story-collection-sam-rebelein/21696005?ean=9780063252295>.
-Nonfiction Memoir-
Mainline Mama by Keeonna Harris
Expected Release: February 11, 2025
Description
A powerful and wrenchingly intimate memoir about the formidable challenge of raising a family separated by prison walls and how we can fight back against a broken byzantine system.
Keeonna and Jason met as young teens. Only fourteen, Keeonna had never had a boyfriend before, dreamed of attending Spelman to become an obstetrician, and thought she was "grown." Within a year she was pregnant, and Jason was in prison, convicted of a carjacking and sentenced to twenty-two years. Overnight Keeonna had become a "mainline mama," a parent facing the impossible task of raising a child--while still growing up herself--with an incarcerated partner.
In this devastating and triumphant memoir, Keeonna recalls her harrowing journey as a Mainline Mama, from learning to overcome the exhausting difficulties of navigating the carceral system in the United States, to transforming herself into an advocate for other women like her--the predominantly Black and brown women left behind to pick up the pieces of their families and fractured lives.
Keeonna speaks frankly about the depression and suicidal thoughts that threatened to defeat her, how she learned to rebuild her broken relationship with a mother that lost trust in her, and how time eased the shame, guilt, and stigma of being a young Black teen mom with a partner behind bars. She offers inspiration and solace, showing how to create moments of beauty, humanity, and love in a place designed to break spirits, such as picking the perfect wedding dress for a ceremony in a state prison visiting room.
Mainline Mama is about creating self-love and community--crucial acts of radical resistance against a prison industrial complex that is designed to dehumanize and to separate and shut away incarcerated individuals and their loved ones from the world.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, Mainline Mama: A Memoir, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/mainline-mama-keeonna-harris/21495566?ean=9780063205697>.
-Romance-
First Time Caller by B. K. Borison
Expected Release: February 11, 2025
Description
A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.
Aiden Valentine has a secret: he's fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, that's a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.
Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life--or lack thereof--she begins to question if she's as happy as she believed. Maybe a little more romance wouldn't be such a bad thing.
Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending...even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final decision between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, First-Time Caller, Bookshop.org website Accessed 09 December 2024, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/first-time-caller-b-k-borison/21477814?ean=9780593641194>.
-Mystery Thriller-
You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego
Expected Release: February 11, 2025
Description
An exclusive thriller writer's retreat hosted on a private island turns lethal when one of the authors is found murdered.
"Twisty and fabulously fun . . . This debut is not to be missed!"--Amy Tintera, New York Times bestselling author of Listen for the Lie
"Deliciously twisted . . . perfect for thriller fans hungry for a fresh spin on a locked-room murder mystery."--Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child
When renowned anonymous author J. R. Alastor hires former aspiring writer Mila del Angél to host a writing retreat at his private manor off the coast of Maine, she jumps at the chance--particularly since she has an axe to grind with one of the invitees. The guest list? Six thriller authors, all masters of deceit, misdirection, and mayhem.
Confess the crimes, survive the tropes.
Alastor and Mila have masterminded a week of games, trope-fueled riddles, and maybe a jump scare or two--the perfect cover for Mila to plot a murder of her own. But when a guest turns up dead--and it's not the murder she planned--Mila finds herself trapped in a different narrative altogether.
One by one, you'll lose your turn.
With a storm isolating the island, and the body count rising, Mila must outwit a killer who knows literally every trick in the book.
Until only one of us remains . . .
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, You Are Fatally Invited, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/you-are-fatally-invited-ande-pliego/21488398?ean=9780593871577>.
-Literary Fiction Thriller-
Casualties of Truth by Lauren Francis-Sharma
Expected Release: February 11, 2025
Description
From the author of Book of the Little Axe, nominated for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and the critically acclaimed 'Til the Well Runs Dry, a riveting literary novel with the sharp edges of a thriller about the abuses of history and the costs of revenge, set between Washington, D.C., and Johannesburg, South Africa
Prudence Wright seems to have it all: a loving husband, Davis; a spacious home in Washington, D.C.; and the former glories of a successful career at McKinsey, which now enables her to dedicate her days to her autistic son, Roland. When she and Davis head out for dinner with one of Davis's new colleagues on a stormy summer evening filled with startling and unwelcome interruptions, Prudence has little reason to think that certain details of her history might arise sometime between cocktails and the appetizer course.
Yet when Davis's colleague turns out to be Matshediso, a man from Prudence's past, she is transported back to the formative months she spent as a law student in South Africa in 1996. As an intern at a Johannesburg law firm, Prudence attended sessions of the Truth and Reconciliation hearings that uncovered the many horrors and human rights abuses of the Apartheid state, and which fundamentally shaped her sense of righteousness and justice. Prudence experienced personal horrors in South Africa as well, long hidden and now at risk of coming to light. When Matshediso finally reveals the real reason behind his sudden reappearance, he will force Prudence to examine her most deeply held beliefs and to excavate inner reserves of resilience and strength.
Lauren Francis-Sharma's previous two novels have established her as a deft chronicler of history and its intersections with flawed humans struggling to find peace in unjust circumstances. With keen insight and gripping tension, Casualties of Truth explosively mines questions of whether we are ever truly able to remove the stains of our past and how we may attempt to reconcile with unquestionable wrongs.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, Casualties of Truth, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/casualties-of-truth/21527935?ean=9780802163783>.
-Science Fiction Horror-
The Black Orb by Ewhan Kim
Expected Release: February 4, 2025
Description
The object was a black orb, roughly two meters in diameter. Despite its large size, it made no sound as it moved. Although it wasn't chasing Jeong-su fast enough to catch him, it was unrelenting and persistent in its pursuit...
One evening in downtown Seoul, Jeong-su is smoking a cigarette outside when he sees something impossible: a huge black orb appears out of nowhere and sucks his neighbor inside. Jeong-su manages to get away, but the terrifying sphere can move through walls, so he's sure he won't be able to hide for long.
The orb soon begins consuming every person caught in its path, and no one knows how to stop it. Impervious to bullets and tanks, the orb splits and multiplies, chasing the hapless residents of Seoul out into the country and sparking a global crisis with widespread violence and looting. Jeong-su must rely on his wits as he makes the arduous journey in search of his elderly parents. But the strangest phases of this ever-expanding disaster are yet to come and Jeong-su will be forced to question everything he has taken for granted.
Dryly funny, propulsive and absurd, The Black Orb is terrifyingly prescient about the fragility of human civilization.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, The Black Orb, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-black-orb-original-ewhan-kim/21435446?ean=9780778387343>.
-Romantasy Adventure -
Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi
Expected Release: February 18, 2025
Description
They're no longer prisoners to the fae court, but now two elven sisters are each bound by shackles of the heart--the sequel to the national bestseller Faebound, hailed as "a devastatingly romantic and breathtaking fantasy" (Tasha Suri).
United by war.
Betrayed by destiny.
Cursed by love.
Yeeran was born for war but is unprepared for love. She has left her new lover, the Queen of the fae, to return to her homeland, only to find that her former lover now threatens war against the fae.
Left behind, her sister Lettle is determined to break the curse that binds the fae to their realm. When a stranger appears in the city, Lettle is convinced he's the key. But the Fates that once spoke to her have fallen silent.
Can Lettle and Yeeran discover the secret behind the curse--and unite these two worlds before they destroy each other?
Don't miss any of Saara El-Arifi's magical Faebound Trilogy: FAEBOUND - CURSEBOUND
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, Cursebound, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/cursebound-saara-el-arifi/21494571?ean=9780593723036>.
-Historical Fiction-
Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray
Expected Release: February 4, 2025
Description
"A page turner and history lesson at once, Harlem Rhapsody reminds us that our stories are our generational wealth-- this book and the real lives that inspired it."--Tayari Jones, New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage (Oprah's Book Club Pick)
She found the literary voices that would inspire the world.... The extraordinary story of the woman who ignited the Harlem Renaissance, written by Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Personal Librarian.
In 1919, a high school teacher from Washington, D.C arrives in Harlem excited to realize her lifelong dream. Jessie Redmon Fauset has been named the literary editor of The Crisis. The first Black woman to hold this position at a preeminent Negro magazine, Jessie is poised to achieve literary greatness. But she holds a secret that jeopardizes it all.
W. E. B. Du Bois, the founder of The Crisis, is not only Jessie's boss, he's her lover. And neither his wife, nor their fourteen-year-age difference can keep the two apart. Amidst rumors of their tumultuous affair, Jessie is determined to prove herself. She attacks the challenge of discovering young writers with fervor, finding sixteen-year-old Countee Cullen, seventeen-year-old Langston Hughes, and Nella Larsen, who becomes one of her best friends. Under Jessie's leadership, The Crisis thrives...every African American writer in the country wants their work published there.
When her first novel is released to great acclaim, it's clear that Jessie is at the heart of a renaissance in Black music, theater, and the arts. She has shaped a generation of literary legends, but as she strives to preserve her legacy, she'll discover the high cost of her unparalleled success.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, Harlem Rhapsody, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025,<https://bookshop.org/p/books/harlem-rhapsody-victoria-christopher-murray/21453683?ean=9780593638484>.
-Literary Fiction-
Gliff by Ali Smith
Expected Release: February 4, 2025
Description
From a literary master, a moving and genre-bending story about our era-spanning search for meaning and knowing
An uncertain near-future. A story of new boundaries drawn between people daily. A not-very brave new world.
Add two children. And a horse.
From a Scottish word meaning a transient moment, a shock, a faint glimpse, Gliff explores how and why we endeavor to make a mark on the world. In a time when western industry wants to reduce us to algorithms and data--something easily categorizable and predictable--Smith shows us why our humanity, our individual complexities, matter more than ever.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, Gliff, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/gliff-ali-smith/20952727?ean=9780593701560>.
-Mystery Thriller-
Blood Ties by Jo Nesbø
Expected Release: February 11, 2025
Description
From the modern master of Nordic suspense comes an explosive novel about a community in crisis and two brothers on the verge of losing everything they've worked so hard to achieve.
By all accounts, Carl and Roy Opgard are doing quite well for themselves. Or at least they're doing as well as can be expected in a small town like Os. Carl manages the area's swanky and successful spa and hotel, while Roy runs a nearby gas station and harbors grand plans to build it out into an entire amusement park, complete with a roller coaster. But when news breaks about a new highway to be built nearby, bypassing Os and leaving the town cutoff and isolated, it's clear that something has to be done . . . even if the methods are bound to be dirty. Fortunately, Carl and Roy have experience with just that kind of work.
Meanwhile, the town sheriff has gotten his hands on new technology that will enable him to take a deeper look at a slate of unsolved murders from years past--including that of his own father. And just as the sheriff reopens his investigation, the death toll begins to climb. It's like Roy says about his roller coaster: "Once it's rolling, it's too late to get off."
Blood Ties is a tense, compulsively readable tour de force about loyalty, family ties, and love that is as destructive as it is powerful.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, Blood Ties, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/blood-ties-jo-nesbo/21488190?ean=9780593803615>.
-Historical Romance-
A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera
Expected Release: February 4, 2025
Description
He's not like other dukes...
Paris, 1889
Physician Aurora Montalban Wright takes risks in her career, but never with her heart. Running an underground women's clinic exposes her to certain dangers, but help arrives in the unexpected form of the infuriating Duke of Annan. Begrudgingly, Aurora accepts his protection, then promptly finds herself in his bed.
New to his role as a duke, Apollo César Sinclair Robles struggles to embrace his position. With half of society waiting for him to misstep and the other half looking to discredit him, Apollo never imagined that his enthralling bedmate would become his most trusted adviser. Soon, he realizes the rebellious doctor could be the perfect duchess for him. But Aurora won't give up her independence, and her secrets make her unsuitable for the aristocracy.
When dangerous figures from their pasts return to threaten them, Apollo whisks Aurora away to the French Riviera. Far from the reproachful eye of Parisian society, can Apollo convince Aurora that their bond is stronger than the forces keeping them apart?
Can't get enough of the Las Leonas?
Book 1: A Caribbean Heiress in Paris
Book 2: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal
Book 3: A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-tropical-rebel-gets-the-duke-original-adriana-herrera/21026517?ean=9781335476968>.
-LGBTQ+ Horror-
Hungerstone by Kat Dunn
Expected Release: February 18, 2025
Description
A compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the queer novella that inspired Dracula.
"A dark, sensuous, gothic story of female appetite, ravenous desire and insatiable rage. A blood-drenched, glittering jewel of a novel that I absolutely devoured." --Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne and Atalanta
It's the height of the industrial revolution and ten years into Lenore's marriage to steel magnate Henry, their relationship has soured. When Henry's ambitions take them from London to the remote British moorlands to host a hunting party, a shocking carriage accident brings the mysterious Carmilla into their lives. Carmilla, who is weak and pale during the day but vibrant at night. Carmilla, who stirs up something deep within Lenore. And before long, girls from the local villages fall sick, consumed by a terrible hunger . . .
As the day of the hunt draws closer, Lenore begins to unravel, questioning the role she has been playing all these years. Torn between regaining her husband's affection and the cravings Carmilla has awakened, soon Lenore will uncover a darkness in her household that will place her at terrible risk.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, Hungerstone, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/hungerstone-kat-dunn/21434652?ean=9781638932161>.
-Romantasy-
The Fox and the Falcon by Piper Cj
Expected Release: February 18, 2025
Description
The next book in a spellbinding new urban fantasy from USA Today bestselling author and TikTok sensation Piper CJ.
The apocalypse begins with love and a lie...
Marlow has spent most of her life believing the shadowy demon she loves isn't real. Not only is he the living, breathing Prince of Hell, but he is now in serious danger. Their reunion is cut short as Caliban remains in a vicious battle with a Phoenician goddess after Marlow's escape. To save him, Marlow must venture into her ancestors' domain for help--the Norse Pantheon--where shared blood is no guarantee of an alliance and the line between gods and beasts blurs.
Major players from even more realms team up in the ever-growing war between Heaven and Hell, and it will be up to Marlow to determine friend from foe to get Caliban back and save her world as she knows it. No one said the games of gods would be easy, but Marlow is prepared to sacrifice everything to save the one she loves.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, The Fox and the Falcon, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-fox-and-the-falcon-deluxe-edition-special-piper-cj/21467034?ean=9781728280202>.
-Nonfiction Memoir-
Fearless and Free by Josephine Baker, Anam Zafar (Translator), Sophie R Lewis (Translator), Ijeoma Oluo (Foreword by)
Expected Release: February 4, 2025
Description
"A gorgeous, captivating gem of a memoir...Josephine Baker's as enthralling on the page as she was on the stage." --Abbott Kahler, New York Times bestselling author of Eden Undone and Sin in the Second City
Published in the US for the first time, Fearless and Free is the memoir of the fabulous, rule-breaking, one-of-a-kind Josephine Baker, the iconic dancer, singer, spy, and Civil Rights activist.
After stealing the spotlight as a teenaged Broadway performer during the height of the Harlem Renaissance, Josephine then took Paris by storm, dazzling audiences across the Roaring Twenties. In her famous banana skirt, she enraptured royalty and countless fans--Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso among them. She strolled the streets of Paris with her pet cheetah wearing a diamond collar. With her signature flapper bob and enthralling dance moves, she was one of the most recognizable women in the world.
When World War II broke out, Josephine became a decorated spy for the French Résistance. Her celebrity worked as her cover, as she hid spies in her entourage and secret messages in her costumes as she traveled. She later joined the Civil Rights movement in the US, boycotting segregated concert venues, and speaking at the March on Washington alongside Martin Luther King Jr.
First published in France in 1949, her memoir will now finally be published in English. At last we can hear Josephine in her own voice: charming, passionate, and brave. Her words are thrilling and intimate, like she's talking with her friends over after-show drinks in her dressing room. Through her own telling, we come to know a woman who danced to the top of the world and left her unforgettable mark on it.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, Fearless and Free, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/fearless-and-free-a-memoir-josephine-baker/21607327?ean=9780593853696>.
-Historical Fiction-
Let Us March On by Shara Moon
Expected Release: February 4, 2025
Description
Devoted wife, White House maid, reluctant activist...
A stirring novel inspired by the life of an unsung heroine, and real-life crusader, Lizzie McDuffie, who as a maid in FDR's White House spearheaded the Civil Rights movement of her time.
I'm just a college-educated Southerner with a passion for books. My husband says I'm too bold, too sharp, too unrelenting. Others say I helped spearhead the Civil Rights movement of our time. President Roosevelt says I'm too spunky and spirited for my own good.
Who am I?
I am Elizabeth "Lizzie" McDuffie.
And this is my story...
When Lizzie McDuffie, maid to Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt, boldly proclaimed herself FDR's "Secretary-On-Colored-People's-Affairs," she became more than just a maid--she became the President's eyes and ears into the Black community. After joining the White House to work alongside her husband, FDR's personal valet, Lizzie managed to become completely indispensable to the Roosevelt family. Never shy about pointing out injustices, she advocated for the needs and rights of her fellow African Americans when those in the White House blocked access to the President.
Following the life of Lizzie McDuffie throughout her time in the White House as she championed the rights of everyday Americans and provided access to the most powerful man in the country, Let Us March On looks at the unsung and courageous crusader who is finally getting the recognition she so richly deserves.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, Let Us March On, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/let-us-march-on-shara-moon/20987735?ean=9780063213425>.
-Nonfiction Memoir-
Talk to Me: Lessons from a Family Forged by History by Rich Benjamin
Expected Release: February 11, 2025
Description
A piercingly powerful memoir, a grandson's account of the coup that ended his grandfather's presidency of Haiti, the secrecy that shrouded that wound within his family, and his urgent efforts to know his mother despite the past.
"A brilliant, absorbing book...I couldn't stop reading." --Salman Rushdie, author of Knife
Rich Benjamin's mother, Danielle Fignolé, grew up the eldest in a large family living a comfortable life in Port-au-Prince. Her mother was a schoolteacher, her father a populist hero--a labor leader and politician. The first true champion of the black masses, he eventually became the country's president in 1957. But two weeks after his inauguration, that life was shattered. Soldiers took Danielle's parents at gunpoint and put them on a plane to New York, a coup hatched by the Eisenhower administration. Danielle and her siblings were kidnapped, and ultimately smuggled out of the country.
Growing up, Rich knew little of this. No one in his family spoke of it. He didn't know why his mother struggled with emotional connection, why she was so erratic, so quick to anger. And she, in turn, knew so little about him, about the emotional pain he moved through as a child, the physical agony from his blood disease, while coming to terms with his sexuality at the dawn of the AIDS crisis. For all that they could talk about--books, learning, world events--the deepest parts of themselves remained a mystery to one another, a silence that, the older Rich got, the less he could bear.
It would take Rich years to piece together the turmoil that carried forward from his grandfather, to his mother, to him, and then to bring that story to light. In Talk to Me, he doesn't just paint the portrait of his family, but a bold, pugnacious portrait of America--of the human cost of the country's hostilities abroad, the experience of migrants on these shores, and how the indelible ties of family endure through triumph and loss, from generation to generation.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, Talk to Me: Lessons from a Family Forged by History, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/talk-to-me-lessons-from-a-family-forged-by-history-rich-benjamin/21489219?ean=9780593317396>.
-Literary Psychological Fiction-
The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker
Expected Release: February 25, 2025
Description
In this spellbinding and provocative novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Miracles, a young mother is struck by sudden and puzzling psychological symptoms that illuminate the mysterious dimensions of the human mind--and of love.
A year after her child is born, Jane suffers a series of strange episodes: amnesia, premonitions, hallucinations, and an inexplicable sense of dread. Three days after her first visit to a psychiatrist, Jane suddenly goes missing. A day later she is found unconscious in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, in the midst of what seems to be an episode of dissociative fugue; when she comes to, she has no memory of what has happened to her.
Are Jane's strange experiences the result of being overwhelmed by motherhood, or are they manifestations of a long-buried trauma from her past? Why is she having visions of a young man who died twenty years ago and who warns her of a disaster ahead? Jane's symptoms lead her psychiatrist ever deeper into the farthest reaches of her mind and cause him to question everything he thinks he knows about so-called reality--including events in his own life.
Karen Thompson Walker's profound and beautifully written novel is both a speculative mystery about memory, identity, and fate and a mesmerizing literary puzzle about the bonds of love--between mother and child, between a man and a woman, and among those we've lost but who may still be among us.
Source Citation:
Bookshop.org 2025, The Strange Case of Jane O., Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-strange-case-of-jane-o-karen-thompson-walker/21510328?ean=9781984853943>.
-Romantic Comedy-
The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest
Expected Release: February 4, 2025
Description
An R&B singer and a corporate executive find love that hits the right notes in this romance by Kristina Forest,USA Today bestselling author ofThe Partner Plot.
Iris Greene used to be a woman with a plan. But all of that changed after she met the love of her life at twenty-five, got pregnant and married...and then became a widow and a single mother all in a little over two years. Now, after years of hustling, Iris is the director of partnerships at a beauty company and raising sweet six-year-old Calla by herself. Despite her busy life, she still can't help but feel lonely. She just needs to catch her breath--and one night, at her sister's wedding, when she steps outside to do just that, she sees a certain singer who takes her breath away. . . .
By all accounts, pop R&B singer Angel Hughes has it made. He's a successful musician and has just scored a brand ambassador deal with an emerging beauty company. But he's still not fulfilled; he's not producing songs he's passionate about, and there's a gaping hole in his love life. When he visits the Save Face Beauty office to kickstart his campaign, he's delighted to see Iris, his stylist's sister--the beautiful woman he's secretly had a crush on for years.
Despite their obvious attraction to each other, they must stay professional throughout the campaign tour--a goal that doesn't quite pan out. But when it becomes clear their lives aren't in sync, can they fall back in step to the same rhythm and beat?
"Kristina Forest's Green Sisters series blends swoon worthy romantic moments with a healthy dose of sisterly bonding and a dash of glitz and glamor. Each book is a well-rounded treat."--Alexis Daria, bestselling author ofYou Had Me at Hola
Bookshop.org 2025, The Love Lyric, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-love-lyric-kristina-forest/21457452?ean=9780593817100>.
-Historical Thriller-
The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens
Expected Release: February 18, 2025
Description
After the murder of her best friend, a librarian's search for answers leads back to her own dark secrets in this sweeping novel about a woman transformed by war, family, vengeance, and love, from award-winning writer Allen Eskens.
Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota who wants nothing more than to be left alone. But when a detective arrives with the news that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows that something evil has come for her, a dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared.
Thirty years before, Hana was someone else: Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia--until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. The events of that day thrust Nura into the war, leading her to join a band of militia fighters, where she became not only a fierce warrior but a legend--the deadly Night Mora. But a shattering final act forced Nura to flee to the United States with a bounty on her head.
Now, someone is hunting Hana, and her friend has paid the price, leaving her eight-year-old grandson in Hana's care. To protect the child without revealing her secret, Hana must again become the Night Mora--and hope she can find the killer before the past comes for them, too.
Bookshop.org 2025, The Quiet Librarian, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-quiet-librarian-allen-eskens/21533858?ean=9780316566315>.
-Cozy Fantasy-
Greenteeth by Molly O'Neill
Expected Release: February 25, 2025
Description
From an outstanding new voice in cozy fantasy comes Greenteeth, "a joyful, warm-hearted" (H. G. Parry) tale of fae, folklore, and found family, narrated by a charismatic lake-dwelling monster with a voice unlike any other, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher.
Beneath the still surface of a lake lurks a monster with needle sharp teeth. Hungry and ready to pounce.
Jenny Greenteeth has never spoken to a human before, but when a witch is thrown into her lake, something makes Jenny decide she's worth saving. Temperance doesn't know why her village has suddenly turned against her, only that it has something to do with the malevolent new pastor.
Though they have nothing in common, these two must band together on a magical quest to defeat the evil that threatens Jenny's lake and Temperance's family, as well as the very soul of Britain.
★"[Greenteeth] is full of magic that is rich, mysterious, and exciting, and Jenny Greenteeth is a morally grey, delightfully monstrous protagonist that fantasy readers are bound to fall in love with." - Booklist (Starred Review)
Bookshop.org 2025, Greenteeth, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/greenteeth-molly-o-neill/21533924?ean=9780316584241>.
-LGBTQ+ Memoir-
Alligator Tears by Edgar Gomez
Expected Release: February 11, 2025
Description
A darkly comic memoir-in-essays about the scam of the American Dream and doing whatever it takes to survive in the Sunshine State--from the award-winning author of High-Risk Homosexual
"Edgar Gomez is a young writer of deep talent and enormous grace. Alligator Tears speaks for the lost tribes of "other," those who serve our food, do our taxes, and mind our children. They walk the earth among us, invisible, without a voice. I am so glad that Gomez has given them one." --James McBride, New York Times bestselling author of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
In Florida, one of the first things you're taught as a child is that if you're ever chased by a wild alligator, the only way to save yourself is to run away in zigzags. It's a lesson on survival that has guided much of Edgar Gomez's life.
Like the night his mother had a stroke while he and his brother stood frozen at the foot of her bed, afraid she'd be angry if they called for an ambulance they couldn't afford. Gomez escaped into his mind, where he could tell himself nothing was wrong with his family. Zig. Or years later, as a broke college student, he got on his knees to put sandals on tourists' smelly, swollen feet for minimum wage at the Flip Flop Shop. After clocking out, his crew of working-class, queer, Latinx friends changed out of their uniforms in the passenger seats of each other's cars, speeding toward the relief they found at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Zag. From committing a little bankruptcy fraud for the money for veneers to those days he paid his phone bill by giving massages to closeted men on vacation, back when he and his friends would Venmo each other the same emergency twenty dollars over and over. Zig. Zag. Gomez survived this way as long as his legs would carry him.
Alligator Tears is a fiercely defiant memoir-in-essays charting Gomez's quest to claw his family out of poverty by any means necessary and exposing the archetype of the humble poor person for what it is: a scam that insists we remain quiet and servile while we wait for a prize that will always be out of reach. For those chasing the American Dream and those jaded by it, Gomez's unforgettable story is a testament to finding love, purpose, and community on your own terms, smiling with all your fake teeth.
Bookshop.org 2025, Alligator Tears, Bookshop.org, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/alligator-tears-a-memoir-in-essays-edgar-gomez/21487998?ean=9780593728543>.
-Historical Romantasy-
Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods
Expected Release: February 18, 2025
Description
Upon a Starlit Tide is a dark and enchanting historical fantasy combining elements of "The Little Mermaid" and "Cinderella" into a wholly original tale of love, power, and betrayal.
The hardcover edition features beautiful custom endpapers.
Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758.To Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of a wealthy French shipowner, the high walls of Saint-Malo are more hindrance than haven.
While her sisters are busy trying to secure advantageous marriages, Luce spends her days secretly being taught to sail by Samuel, her best friend--and an English smuggler. Only he understands how the waves call to her. Then one stormy morning, Luce rescues a drowning man from the sea.
Immediately drawn in by the stranger's charm, Luce is plunged into a world of glittering balls and faerie magic, seduction and brutality. Secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface, but as Luce wrestles with warring desires, she finds that her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper.
Or the scales of a sea-maid's tail.
"Magnificent. This is a must-read!"--Juliet Marillier, award-winning author of the Sevenwaters and Blackthorn & Grim series
Bookshop.org 2025, Upon a Starlit Tide, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/upon-a-starlit-tide-kell-woods/21413523?ean=9781250852519>.
-Nonfiction LGBTQ+ Gender Studies-
Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us by Jennifer Finney Boylan
Expected Release: February 4, 2025
Description
What is the difference between men and women? Jennifer Finney Boylan, bestselling author of She's Not There and co-author of Mad Honey with Jodi Picoult, examines the divisions--as well as the common ground--between the genders, and reflects on her own experiences, both difficult and joyful, as a transgender American.
Jennifer Finney Boylan's She's Not There was the first bestselling work written by a transgender American. Since its publication twenty years ago, she has become the go-to person for insight into the impact of gender on our lives, from the food we eat to the dreams we dream, both for ourselves and for our children. But Cleavage is more than a deep dive into gender identity; it's also a look at the difference between coming out as trans in 2000--when many people reacted to Boylan's transition with love--and the present era of blowback and fear.
How does gender affect our sense of self? Our body image? The passage of time? The friends we lose--and keep? Boylan considers her womanhood, reflects on the boys and men who shaped her, and reconceives of herself as a writer, activist, parent, and spouse. With heart-wrenching honesty, she illustrates the feeling of liminality that followed her to adulthood, but demonstrates the redemptive power of love through it all.
With Boylan's trademark humor and poignancy,Cleavage is a sharp, witty, and captivating look at the triumphs and losses of a life lived in two genders.Cleavage provides hope for a future in which we all have the freedom to live joyfully as men, as women, and in the space between us.
Source Citation
Bookshop.org 2025, Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/cleavage-men-women-and-the-space-between-us-jennifer-finney-boylan/21421447?ean=9781250261885>.
-Literary Historical Fiction-
Red Clay by Charles B. Fancher
Expected Release: February 4, 2025
Description
An astounding multigenerational saga, Red Clay chronicles the interwoven lives of an enslaved Black family and their white owners as the Civil War ends and Reconstruction begins.
In 1943, when a frail old white woman shows up in Red Clay, Alabama, at the home of a Black former slave--on the morning following his funeral--his family hardly knows what to expect after she utters the words "... a lifetime ago, my family owned yours." Adelaide Parker has a story to tell--one of ambition, betrayal, violence, and redemption--that shaped both the fate of her family and that of the late Felix H. Parker.
But there are gaps in her knowledge, and she's come to Red Clay seeking answers from a family with whom she shares a name and a history that neither knows in full. In an epic saga that takes us from Red Clay to Paris, to the Côte d'Azur and New Orleans, human frailties are pushed to their limits as secrets are exposed and the line between good and evil becomes ever more difficult to discern. Red Clay is a tale that deftly lays bare the ugliness of slavery, the uncertainty of the final months of the Civil War, the optimism of Reconstruction, and the pain and frustration of Jim Crow.
With a vivid sense of place and a cast of memorable characters, Charles B. Fancher draws upon his own family history to weave a riveting tale of triumph over adversity, set against a backdrop of societal change and racial animus that reverberates in contemporary America. Through seasons of joy and unspeakable pain, Fancher delivers rich moments as allies become enemies, and enemies--to their great surprise--find new respect for each other.
Source Citation
Bookshop.org 2025, Red Clay, Booksop.org websites, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/red-clay-charles-b-fancher/21587765?ean=9798212408691>.
-Horror Thriller-
Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce
Expected Release: February 25, 2025
Description
Unbearably tense, utterly propulsive, and studded with folklore and horror, Something in the Walls is perfect for anyone who loves Midsommar and The Haunting of Hill House.
Newly-minted child psychologist Mina has little experience. In a field where the first people called are experts, she's been unable to get her feet wet. Instead she aimlessly spends her days stuck in the stifling heat wave sweeping across Britain, and anxiously contemplating her upcoming marriage to careful, precise researcher Oscar. The only reprieve from her small, close world is attending the local bereavement group to mourn her brother's death from years ago. That is, until she meets journalist Sam Hunter at the grief group one day. And he has a proposition for her.
Alice Webber is a thirteen year old girl who claims she's being haunted by a witch. Living with her family in their crowded home in the remote village of Banathel, Alice's symptoms are increasingly disturbing, and money is tight. Taking this job will give Mina some experience; Sam will get the scoop of a lifetime; and Alice will get better, Mina is sure of it.
But instead of improving, Alice's behavior becomes increasingly inexplicable and intense. The town of Banathel has a deep history of superstition and witchcraft. They believe there is evil in the world. They believe there are ways of...dealing with it. And they don't expect outsiders to understand.
As Mina races to uncover the truth behind Alice's condition, the dark cracks of Banathel begin to show. Mina is desperate to understand how deep their sinister traditions go-and how her own past may be the biggest threat of all.
"Unexpected, mesmerizing, and totally original...will keep you guessing until its wild end." -#1 International Bestselling author Darby Kane
"Harrowing and moving...Pearce has written something magical. There are scenes in this book I'll never forget." -Kristi DeMeester, author ofSuch a Pretty Smile
Source Citation
Bookshop.org 2025, Something in the Walls, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/something-in-the-walls-daisy-pearce/21356964?ean=9781250334381>.
-Short Fiction Collection-
Waiting For the Long Night Moon by Amanda Peters
Expected Release: February 11, 2025
Description
From the bestselling author of The Berry Pickers
In her debut collection of short fiction, Amanda Peters describes the Indigenous experience from an astonishingly wide spectrum in time and place--from contact with the first European settlers, to the forced removal of Indigenous children, to the present-day fight for the right to clean water
In this intimate collection, Amanda Peters melds traditional storytelling with beautiful, spare prose to describe the dignity of the traditional way of life, the humiliations of systemic racism and the resilient power to endure. A young man returns from residential school only to realize he can no longer communicate with his own parents. A grieving mother finds purpose and healing on the front lines as a water protector. And a nervous child dances in her first Mawi'omi. The collection also includes the Indigenous Voices Award-winning and title story "Waiting for the Long Night Moon."
At times sad, sometimes disturbing but always redemptive, the stories in Waiting for the Long Night Moon will remind you that where there is grief there is also joy, where there is trauma there is resilience and, most importantly, there is power.
Source Citation
Bookshop.org 2025, Waiting for the Long Night Moon, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/waiting-for-the-long-night-moon-stories-amanda-peters/21475184?ean=9781646222599>.
-Women's Mystery-
A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall
Expected Release: February 4, 2025
Description
A woman invited to her wealthy fiancé's family retreat realizes they are hiding a terrible secret--and that she's been there before, by the bestselling author of What Lies in the Woods.
A whirlwind romance.
When Theodora Scott met Connor--wealthy, charming, and a member of the powerful Dalton family--she fell in love in an instant. Six months later, he's brought her to Idlewood, his family's isolated winter retreat, to win over his skeptical relatives.
Stay away from Connor Dalton.
Theo has tried to ignore the threatening messages on her phone, but she can't ignore the footprints in the snow outside the cabin window or the strange sense of familiarity she has about this place. Then, in a disused cabin, Theo finds something impossible: a photo of herself as a child. A photo taken at Idlewood.
I've been here before.
Theo has almost no recollection of her earliest years, but now she begins to piece together the fragments of her memories. Someone here has a shocking secret that they will do anything to keep hidden, and Theo is in terrible danger. Because the Daltons do not lose, and discovering what happened at Idlewood may cost Theo everything.
Source Citation
Bookshop.org 2025, A Killing Cold, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 11 January 2025,<https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-killing-cold-kate-alice-marshall/21357004?ean=9781250343055>.
-Literary Fiction-
People of Means by Nancy Johnson
Expected Release: February 11, 2025
Description
From the acclaimed author of The Kindest Lie, a propulsive novel about a mother and daughter each seeking justice and following their dreams during moments of social reckoning--1960s Nashville and 1992 Chicago; perfect for readers of Brit Bennett and Tayari Jones.
"People of Means left me breathless! A beautifully crafted story...profound and sharp."--Sadeqa Johnson New York Times bestselling author of The House of Eve
Two women. Two pivotal moments. One dream for justice and equality.
In the fall of 1959, Freda Gilroy arrives on the campus of Fisk University full of hope, carrying a suitcase and the voice of her father telling her she's part of a family legacy of greatness. Soon, the ugliness of the Jim Crow South intrudes, and she's thrust into a movement for social change. Freda is reluctant to get involved, torn between a soon-to-be doctor her parents approve of and an audacious young man willing to risk it all in the name of justice. Freda finds herself caught between two worlds, and two loves, and must decide how much she's willing to sacrifice for the advancement of her people.
In 1992 Chicago, Freda's daughter Tulip is an ambitious PR professional on track for an exciting career, if workplace politics and racial micro aggressions don't get in her way. But with the ruling in the Rodney King trial weighing heavily on her, Tulip feels called to action. When she makes an irreversible professional misstep as she seeks to uplift her community, she must decide, just like her mother had three decades prior, what she's willing to risk in the name of justice and equality.
Insightful, evocative, and richly imagined with stories of hidden history, People of Means is an emotional tour de force that offers a glimpse into the quest for racial equality, the pursuit of personal and communal success, and the power of love and family ties.
"A memorable story of mothers and daughters, family dynamics, the complicated meaning of success, the pull of love, and the fight for racial equality, People of Means is a timely look at who we are as a nation--and who we can become, if only we have the courage to follow our hearts." --Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Daughter
Source Citation
Bookshop.org 2025, People of Means, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/people-of-means-nancy-johnson/21543334?ean=9780063157514>.
-Women's Historical Fiction-
The Sable Cloak by Gail Milissa Grant
Expected Release: February 4, 2025
Description
In this atmospheric novel set in the Jim Crow South, a powerful Black family fights to protect their empire--for readers of Tayari Jones.
Jordan Sable, a prosperous undertaker turned political boss, has controlled the Black vote in St. Louis for decades. Sara, his equally formidable wife, runs the renowned funeral establishment that put the Sable name on the map. Together they have pushed through obstacles in order to create a legacy for their children. When tragedy bursts their carefully constructed empire of dignity and safety, the family rallies around an unconventional solution. But at what cost?
Set in the Midwest in the 1940s, The Sable Cloak is a rarely seen portrait of an upper middle class, African American family in the pre-Civil Rights era. This deeply personal novel inspired by the author's own family history delves into legacy and the stories we tell ourselves, and celebrates a largely self-sustaining, culturally rich Missouri community that most Americans may not be aware of.
Source Citation
Bookshop.org 2025, The Sable Cloak, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-sable-cloak-gail-milissa-grant/21529508?ean=9781538742006>.
-Science Fiction Fantasy-
But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo
Expected Release: February 11, 2025
Description
The Shape of Water meets Mexican Gothic in this sapphic monster romance novella wrapped in gothic fantasy trappings
The old keeper of the keys is dead, and the creature who ate her is the volatile Lady of the Capricious House--Anatema, an enormous humanoid spider with a taste for laudanum and human brides.
Dália, the old keeper's protégée, must take up her duties, locking and unlocking the little drawers in which Anatema keeps her memories. And if she can unravel the crime that led to her predecessor's execution, Dália might just be able to survive long enough to grow into her new role.
But there's a gaping hole in Dália's plan that she refuses to see: Anatema cannot resist a beautiful woman, and she eventually devours every single bride that crosses her path.
Source Citation
Bookshop.org 2025, But Not Too Bold, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/but-not-too-bold-hache-pueyo/21421741?ean=9781250376633>.
-Women's Fiction-
The Talent by Daniel D'Addario
Expected Release: February 25, 2025
Description
Hollywood Wives meets A Visit from the Goon Squad in this emotional debut novel from Variety chief correspondent and a moderator of the Actors on Actors series about a group of actresses confronting their careers, their secrets, and each other throughout one turbulent awards season.
As Hollywood prepares for its most glamorous evening, five actresses compete to see who will claim the top prize.
Adria, a dignified and highly regarded grand dame of the movie industry, is intent on cementing her legacy as one of the greatest thespians of all time, even as the younger generation creeps up quickly behind her. Bitty must keep a nervous breakdown--and an increasingly debilitating alcohol addiction--at bay, as she searches for genuine closeness in an unforgiving landscape. Contessa, a former child star, is determined to make the world, and her leading man, take her seriously. Davina attempts to find her footing in superficial Los Angeles, a far cry from her roots as a serious London stage actress. And Jenny--always the underdog to her rival, Adria--sees this awards season as her personal redemption, a chance to atone for past mistakes and make up for missed opportunities.
With humor, wit, and an insider's insight, The Talent peels back the layers of women who are in the business of being perceived. And while they work to push their careers forward and maintain the public's goodwill, all five are forced to confront truths about themselves that they would rather ignore: Could Adria and Jenny have been a team all these years, rather than bitter enemies? Is it their responsibility to offer a lifeline to poor Bitty, who is clearly teetering on the edge? Should Contessa and Davina dim their own rising stars to make those around them more comfortable? What do women in the spotlight owe each other, and themselves.
Source Citation
Bookshop.org 2025, The Talent, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-talent-daniel-d-addario/21580588?ean=9781668075470>.
-Historical Fiction-
The Riveter by Jack Wang
Expected Release: February 11, 2025
Description
In the vein of All the Light We Cannot See, a cross-cultural love story set against the dramatic backdrop of the Allied invasion of Europe during WWII.
Vancouver, 1942. Josiah Chang arrives in the bustling city ready to make a new life for himself. The Second World War is in full swing, and Josiah, like so many Canadians, wants to prove his loyalty by serving his country. But Chinese Canadians are barred from joining the army out of fear they might expect citizenship in return. So, Josiah heads to the shipyard where he finds work as a riveter, fastening together the ribs and steel plates of Victory ships.
One night, Josiah spots Poppy singing at a navy club. Despite their different backgrounds, they fall for each other instantly, and soon Josiah is spending his nights at Poppy's small wartime house. Their starry-eyed romance lasts until Poppy's father comes to visit and the harsh reality of their situation is made clear. Determined to prove himself to Poppy, her parents, and the world, Josiah travels to Toronto where he's finally given the chance to enlist. Josiah rises to the occasion, but is the world changing as fast as his dreams...
From the critically acclaimed author of We Two Alone, Jack Wang's gorgeous debut novel explores what one man must sacrifice to belong in the only home he has ever truly known.
Source Citation
Bookshop.org 2025, The Riveter, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-riveters-jack-wang/20847375?ean=9780063081833>.
-LGBTQ+ Romantasy-
The Prince's Heart by Ben Chalfin
Expected Release: February 25, 2025
Description
Red White and Royal Blue meets The Goblin Emperor in this enchanting slow-burn LGBTQIA+ Romantasy set in the mystical realm of Soeria, where a prince must choose between duty and heart.
In the heart of Soeria, where royal bloodlines carve the paths of destiny, Prince Darien Garros, the kingdom's beloved second son, faces the age-old clash between duty and desire. For years, Darien has dodged the court's expectations to find a suitable match, yearning instead for a love that values the man behind the crown. His longing seems answered in Tag Leara, whose charm and genuine affection ignite a hope Darien dared not admit.
Yet, fate is a fickle master. A sudden tragedy propels Darien into a role he never sought, challenging his deepest convictions. As the weight of legacy and the whispers of power threaten to suffocate him, Darien confronts the ultimate test. Torn between the call of his blood and the pull of his heart, he stands at a crossroads that could reshape the future of Soeria itself.
With every choice comes a price, and Darien must decide: Will he follow the stringent demands of royalty, or will he choose the perilous path of love? In a world where allegiance and affection collide, Prince Darien's story is a testament to the enduring battle between the crowns we bear and the hearts we hold dear.
Source Citation
Bookshop.org 2025, The Prince's Heart, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025,<https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-prince-s-heart-ben-chalfin/21599755?ean=9781998076925>.
-Contemporary Romantic Comedy-
The Girl Most Likely to by Julie Tieu
Expected Release: February 18, 2025
Description
A frenemies-to-lovers contemporary romance by Julie Tieu which takes place over the course of one make-or-break evening, almost entirely at a high school reunion....
"For the rom-com fans, you can never go wrong with a Julie Tieu book."-- Buzzfeed
Rachel Dang, once voted "Most Likely to Succeed" in high school, is fun employed for the first time. After years of doing everything her boss asked, it's time to say yes to new opportunities. So when she gets invited to her twentieth high school reunion by none other than her former frenemy, Danny Phan, Rachel agrees despite their unresolved past.
As a teenager, Danny was seen as smart, but unfocused. Teachers often paired him with Rachel, hoping her work ethic would rub off on him. Though Danny and Rachel weren't exactly friends, she had seen a different side of him, one that only existed online over intimate late-night AIM chats that never translated into real life. When they meet again, Rachel discovers their roles have reversed. Danny is thriving in his career while she's the one flailing.
The reunion takes an unexpected turn when a simple errand takes them into town for a night of mishaps and misadventure where they run into a colorful cast of characters from their childhood. Rachel and Danny soon rediscover the feelings they once shared and must decide if this is only a quick trip down memory lane or a second chance for their happily ever after.
Source Citation
Bookshop.org 2025, The Girl Most Likely to, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-girl-most-likely-to-julie-tieu/21470857?ean=9780063245235>.
-Historical Fiction-
Boy by Nicole Galland
Expected Release: February 25, 2025
Description
From critically acclaimed author Nicole Galland comes a vibrant and thought-provoking historical tale of love, political intrigue, and gender-swapping set in the theatre world of Elizabethan London.
Alexander "Sander" Cooke is the most celebrated "boy player" in the Chamberlain's Men, William Shakespeare's theatre company. Indeed, Sander's androgynous beauty and deft portrayal of female roles have made him the toast of London, and his companionship is sought by noblewomen and -men alike. And yet, now at the height of his fame, he teeters on the cusp of adulthood, his future uncertain. Often, he wishes he could stop time and remain a boy forever.
Joan Buckler, Sander's best friend, also has a dream. Though unschooled, she is whip-smart and fascinated by the snippets of natural philosophy to which she's been exposed. And while she senses that Sander's admiration for her is more than mere friendship, Joan's true passion is knowledge, something that is nearly impossible for her to attain. As a woman, she has no place in the intellectual salons and cultural community of the day; only in disguise can she learn to her heart's content.
Joan's covert intellectual endeavors, coupled with Sander's theatrical triumphs, attract the attention of none other than Francis Bacon: natural philosopher and trusted adviser to Queen Elizabeth. It is through their connection with Bacon--one of the greatest minds of their time--that their lives will be changed forever as they become embroiled in an intricate game of political intrigue that threatens their very survival.
Brimming with heart, curiosity, and rich historical detail, Boy offers an intimate glimpse of the moral complexities of a singular artistic era, and the roles we all choose to play on the world's stage.
Source Citation
Bookshop.org 2025, Boy, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/boy-nicole-galland/21644005?ean=9780063342859>.
-Social Nonfiction-
You Didn't Hear This from Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip by Kelsey McKinney
Expected Release: February 11, 2025
Description
"Gossip is the only cultural tradition I care about, and Kelsey McKinney has written its Bible" - Samantha Irby, #1 NYT bestselling author
From the host of the Normal Gossip podcast, a delightfully insightful exploration of our obsession with gossip that weaves together journalism, cultural criticism, and memoir.
As the pandemic forced us to socialize at a distance, Kelsey McKinney was mourning the juicy updates and jaw-dropping stories she'd typically collect over drinks with friends--and from her hunger, the blockbuster Normal Gossip podcast was born. With listenership in the millions, Kelsey found herself thinking more critically about gossip as a form, and wanting to better understand the role it plays in our culture.
In You Didn't Hear This From Me, McKinney explores the murkiness of everyday storytelling. Why is gossip considered a sin, and how can we better recognize when it's being weaponized? Why do we think we're entitled to every detail of a celebrity's personal life? And how do we define "gossip," anyway? As much as the book aims to treat gossip as a subject worthy of rigor, it also hopes to capture the heart of gossiping: how enchanting and fun it can be to lean over and whisper something a little salacious into your friend's ear.
With wit and honesty, McKinney unmasks what we're actually searching for when we demand to know the truth--and how much the truth really matters in the first place.
Source Citation
Bookshop.org 2025, You Didn't Hear This from Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip, Bookshop.org website, Accessed 12 January 2025, <https://bookshop.org/p/books/you-didn-t-hear-this-from-me-mostly-true-notes-on-gossip-kelsey-mckinney/21441330?ean=9781538757406>.
I don't know if I'm alone in the notion that this month's new releases look exceptionally good, but I find myself brimming with excitement at the prospect of adding some of these literary gems to my ever-growing TBR (to-be-read) list. The sheer variety and quality of the titles being released this month are truly remarkable, and it feels like a treasure trove of stories is waiting to be explored. As I perused the internet for the upcoming releases, I am struck by the diversity of genres and themes being presented. The selection is nothing short of enticing. There are thought-provoking literary works that delve into complex social issues, as well as imaginative fantasy novels that promise to transport readers to other worlds filled with magic and adventure.
Each title promises to offer something unique, tempting to spark reader curiosity and ignite imagination. I can already envision the cozy evenings spent curled up with a good book, a warm cup of tea in hand, as I lose myself in the pages of these new stories. The anticipation of discovering new characters, embarking on fresh adventures, and experiencing the emotions that come with each narrative fills me with joy. Moreover, I can’t help but feel a sense of community among fellow readers who share this enthusiasm. The conversations surrounding new book releases are vibrant and lively, with book clubs and online forums buzzing with recommendations and discussions. It’s a wonderful feeling to be part of a collective excitement, as we all look forward to diving into these new worlds together. This month's new releases are not just books; they are invitations to experience new perspectives, explore different lives, and embark on unforgettable journeys. I can't wait to sink my teeth into them and enrich my reading experience with these exciting choices. If you missed a link for any of the books above have no fear, you can view all of them by clicking the link below. Enjoy your new reads in February and let me know if you check any of these releases out and what you thought.
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