Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside of work, much of her free time is spent looking for her next great read and planning her next snack.
Find her on Twitter at @Erica_Eze_.
Throughout the year, my colleague Kelly Jensen does several roundups of the best book covers. I have always judged books at least a little by their covers, so I always find the books on her list very intriguing. It’s interesting to see the latest trends in book cover art (like the blob trend that had us in a chokehold a few years ago) and even how covers may differ by region.
With all of that said, the importance of book covers when it comes to attracting readers to books is clear, but book titles are another aspect of book marketing that are pretty important. Often, the two work in tandem to get the attention of their book’s intended audience. But sometimes, a book title is so good, it doesn’t need help from the cover. You could see it listed in a pictureless roundup and still be intrigued. Now, sometimes what makes a good book title is really just the book’s premise. If it’s novel or wacky or interesting enough, finding the few words to describe it are all you need. But book titles can also have great synergy with a book’s premise and plot. They set the tone for a story, and may even have readers asking vital questions before they turn the first page. Below, I’ve got some of the most intriguing book titles of 2025. Some expertly advertise a very exciting premise, while others tempt you to find out more.
Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen
I will be honest and say that I would read anything by Bob the Drag Queen, but this being titled as it is makes me move to get it all the faster. It does actually involve the Harriet Tubman, and she is live in concert. If that doesn’t intrigue you, I don’t know what to say.
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad
The first time I read this title, I had a good idea what it was referring to. And I was right. If you’re thinking Omar El Akkad’s title is referencing Gaza, you’re also right. You’re also probably hoping we could skip to the time when we are all already against what’s already happened and is currently happening.
Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside of work, much of her free time is spent looking for her next great read and planning her next snack.
Find her on Twitter at @Erica_Eze_.
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
For the longest time, I thought this just said “The Buffalo Hunter,” but once I looked at the cover again and saw the second “Hunter” written in cursive, the whole vibe changed. And, yes, it is literal. What’s more, Jones’s hunter is a never-dying Blackfeet man named Good Stab who has bloody revenge on his mind.
Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray
I fully acknowledge that this title largely attracts people like me, who love everything Harlem Renaissance. It helps that this Jazz Age-set historical fiction novel is about the not-spoken-about-enough “Midwife” of the Harlem Renaissance, Jessie Redmon Fauset, and starts off with a scene in Harlem that feels like music.
Blob: A Love Story by Maggie Su
This is one of those books that have an A++ title and cover. The blob mentioned here is as amorphous as blobs get, but its sentience allows a girl to turn it into her idea of the perfect boyfriend.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
Here’s another title that may attract a very specific group (Me. I am group), but it does it very well. Witchcraft is fun enough by itself, but the presence of the wayward girls adds a little somethin’. And when you register that the witchcraft is specific to the wayward girls—that is, pregnant teenage girls sent away to a home in 1970s Florida—it hits a little different.
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
Who among us hasn’t had a problematic summer romance? Romance novels are well-known for having some great, punny titles, and while this title isn’t a cute and clever play on words, it is really intriguing. I, messy being that I am, immediately want to know what makes this Italy-set romance problematic. Just looking at the age gap, though, I’d say quite a bit.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
There’s so much going on here. This title is very extra and dramatic in how gothic it is. But also, that totally appeals to me. I want to know what the midnight soil does, and why anyone would willingly be buried in it. Of course, there is always the question of whether a title like this is literal, but considering I’ve seen this time-jumping novel described as “toxic lesbian vampires,” I’d say it’s probably on the nose. On the tooth? (I’m sorry).
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker
The “oh no, baby what is you doing” meme comes to mind when I read this title. Then I read the official blurb, and see that the protagonist, the titular Ms. Zeng, is a crime scene cleaner who witnesses her sister being pushed in front of a train by a person who said “bat eater” to Cora right before they fled the scene. Then she starts finding bat carcasses at crime scenes…
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