With the holiday season wrapped up and the new year in progress, we’ve found many people looking ahead. But us? We're preparing for the release of these new books! From romance-filled fantasy to empowering tales of girls discovering witchcraft and so much more, there’s something for everyone as we ring in 2025. This month, keep your eyes peeled as these exciting titles hit Novel’s shelves.
Popular Book Genres this January
This month, find exactly what kind of book genre you're craving, whether it's fiction or non-fiction:
- Romantasy
- Self-help
- Memoir
- Thriller
- Coming of age
New Books to Look Out for in January 2025
January is a month of hope, fresh starts, and, most importantly, new books! We can't wait to stock these novels on our shelves and listen to them on audiobook! Browse these titles to find one that interests you:
Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams
Fans of rivals-to-lovers romances can rejoice with the newest trope-filled title, Beg, Borrow, or Steal, come January 7th. Emily Walker, a second-grade teacher by day and a romance writer by night, hates having her carefully crafted life disrupted by anyone—especially when it comes to her arch nemesis at the school, Jack Bennett, an anonymous mystery writer and teacher. But things start looking up as he leaves their district mid-year with his fiancée—or so she thinks! When news breaks that Jack has called off the wedding and moved back to town, it seems like she's stuck with him as a colleague, neighbor, and number one enemy. Filled with secrets and sabotage, will their chemistry-fueled animosity lead to their demise? Or a steamy plot twist no one ever saw coming?
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
Alice Feeney, also known as the Queen of Twists, is back and better than ever with her latest title, Beautiful Ugly, out January 14th. Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life. When he calls his wife to share some exciting news on her drive home, he hears Abby slam on the brakes and get out of the car, and then… nothing. When he finally tracks her down, he finds the car at the edge of a cliff with the headlights on and her phone still there—but his wife has disappeared. A year later, Grady is still consumed by grief and the need to find out what happened to Abby. Desperate for a reprieve, he travels to a tiny Scottish town to attempt to restart his life—until he sees a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife!
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
When unwed girls in St. Augustine, Florida, learn they're pregnant, there's only one place to send them—the Wellwood House. Here, families hide away their impure, loose, or "wayward" daughters to have the babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most importantly, forget the whole thing happened. Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives in the summer of 1970, terrified, pregnant, and alone, and is quickly placed under the watchful eye of Miss Wellwood—along with a dozen other girls in the same condition, including Rose, a hippie who plans to steal her baby away to a commune, Zinnia, a musician who dreams of marrying the baby's father, and Holly, barely fourteen and mute. Everything they do, say, and eat is controlled by the adults on the premises, but when Fern is given an occult book by the librarian, power shifts to the girl's hands for the first time. But witchcraft always has a price—find out exactly what that is in Witchcraft for Wayward Girls come January 14th.
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
The Empyrean Series has been all the rage on BookTok in the last year—you probably couldn't have Googled "popular fantasy books" without having Fourth Wing pop up! Fans have been on the edge of their seats, desperate for the next installment, and on January 21st, the wait is finally over. Onyx Storm has it all—a massive battle raging, enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their trusted circles, adventures in unfamiliar lands, power, magic, and most importantly for Violet Sorrengail, the truth. Will she be able to save her dragons, friends, family, home, and him? Find out in the next (but certainly not the last) title in this romantasy series by preordering the special edition with sprayed edges ASAP!
Three Wild Dogs (and the Truth) by Markus Zusak
From the author of the beloved, spellbinding tale The Book Thief, comes a uniquely poignant memoir, out January 21st. In Three Wild Dogs (and the Truth), Zusak tells his family’s story of adopting three troublesome rescue dogs: Reuben, who’s closer to a wolf than a hound; Archer, a beautifully blonde and troublesome pup; and Frosty, who walks like a “rolling thunderstorm.” But with these three new fur babies comes trouble. Street fights, public shaming, property damages, hospital visits, injuries, wellness checks, hilarious comedy, saddening tragedy, and unbelievable carnage ensues. Beyond the tale, shockingly honest reckonings of shortcomings, failure, the strength of will, explosive love, and appreciation of family shine through the quick-witted and well-told stories. If you love tender tales about the human need for connection (and the necessity of loving animals along the way), this is a must-have title for your bookshelf.
Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton
Bring the dreamy Italian countryside to you this winter with Buxton’s newest release, Tartufo, out January 28th. After nearly losing the mayoral election to a literal geriatric donkey, Delizia Miccuci can’t help but feel like the rural Italian village of Lazzarini Boscarino may be losing its charm—and tourism. Visitors only stop in to ask for directions, the cherished ristorante is closed, and the town hall is overrun with mouse droppings. Bar Celebrità, a rustic local establishment, is all that’s left. But when local truffle hunter Giovanni Scarpazza happens upon an especially astounding truffle, everything could change—for the better or, scarily enough, for the worse.
5 Tips for Keeping a New Year’s Reading Resolution
If you've ever made an NYE resolution, you know how hard it can be to stick to. Follow these easy tips to accomplish your reading goals in 2025:
- Tip #1: Schedule your reading time into your day-to-day life and calendar.
- Tip #2: Get up earlier—did you know starting your day with reading can transform your life?
- Tip #3: Opt for audiobooks! There's no shame in accomplishing your "reading" by listening through an audiobook service.
- Tip #4: Avoid getting stuck on a book by DNF-ing. If a book isn't keeping your interest, you can put it down and start another.
- Tip #5: If you're getting back into the hobby, set a small and realistic goal for how many books you want to read.
The books you choose in January will help set the tone for your 2025. Do you want to enrich your brain with fascinating non-fiction? Give into not-so-guilty pleasures with spicy romantasy? Check out all of the titles we're looking forward to and pre-order them through Novel today!
