Must-Read January 2025 Book Releases

Wondering what to read now? Here are all the hot new January 2025 book releases for you. I’ll let you know what I’ve read, what I can’t wait to read, and what’s getting all the attention this month.

In case you’re new to Booklist Queen, every month I cover all the hottest new book releases. I try to read as many new book releases as I can to give you an honest perspective on what to read and what to skip. 

However, I realize that my to-read list might not exactly match yours. That’s why I’ve also included some of the most popular January 2025 book releases from your favorite authors. 

Enough from me. Let’s get on to the January 2025 book releases so you can fill up your to-read list.

Rebecca Yarros took the book world by storm with her dragon romantasy book, Fourth Wing. In the third book of the Empyrean series, Violet Sorrengail must venture beyond the failing Aretian wards to recruit allies. Violet needs an army and magic to keep her homeland, Xaden, and the dragons safe. But that means keeping a secret that could risk destroying everything.

One of the most anticipated books of the year, Onyx Storm didn’t fully live up to its hype for me. Yarros kept the same tone as the previous books with steamy sex scenes and a constant stream of action sequences. Unfortunately the storyline – particularly the island encounters –  was underwhelming and didn’t quite capture the magic of the first two books. While unlikely to be anyone’s favorite, fans of the series will still enjoy Onyx Storm and I suspect it will serve as a bridge into the second half of the book series.

My Rating:

Publication Date: 21 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

The daughter of a wealthy Black family, Ebby Freeman accidentally turns the headlines to herself during a failed wedding. Now the press is rehashing the death of her brother twenty years earlier in a home invasion. Fleeing to France, Ebby begins looking into her family history and researching a heirloom stoneware jar that was destroyed in that same home invasion. Will Ebby’s family’s past be the thing that sets her free in this multigenerational family drama from the author of Black Cake.

Although I loved Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut, I had mixed feelings about Good Dirt. Much of the book was extremely slow and dragged in a lot of ways. Yet, at times the writing was powerfully beautiful. I loved the connection between the family’s past and the history behind the jar. However, instead of focusing on Ebony’s relationship with her parents and grandparents, Good Dirt spent most of its time on how PTSD affected her romantic relationship. In all, I would say Good Dirt is a beautiful book that’s rough around the edges.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ballantine Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 28 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

When his father has a stroke, Kyle McCray reluctantly returns to his hometown to care for him. Two and half years ago, Kyle abruptly left town abandoning his father, his friends, his employees, and Casey, his wife of sixteen years. When asked to coach the struggling middle school hockey team, Kyle finds an chance for redemption. But to stay in town permanently, he must make peace with Casey as the book slowly reveals what caused a love-filled relationship to collapse so suddenly.

Tearjerker alert. I cried several times while reading Lange’s latest novel which, I should add, I devoured in one day. Tracey Lange knows how to tear my heart and then put it back together in just the right ways and I am loving her family dramas. The complicated intertwining of grief and guilt that destroyed their marriage is painfully realistic and hits you like a truck but the hopeful ending provides the catharsis you need to warm your heart back up.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celadon Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 14 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

From the author of Still Alice, neuroscientist Lisa Genova paints a story about a young woman with bipolar disorder trying to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian. Maddy has always felt like she doesn’t quite belong in her perfect Connecticut family. While a freshman at NYU, a stressed-out Maddy begins swinging from deep depression to wild mania and is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Now Maddy must come to terms with her diagnosis and the complex effects it causes on her relationships. 

Lisa Genova paints an intimate look at bipolar disorder and the effects on a young woman’s relationships. I found myself getting more and more uncomfortable as the book went on, watching Maddy’s mania phases spiral her out of control and then careen her into a deep depression. However, by its very nature, bipolar disorder would be an uncomfortable diagnosis requiring a difficult journey to find the correct balance. Genova humanized bipolar disorder in a way that hit me to the core and will stay with me for a while.

My Rating:

Publication Date: 14 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Author Grady Green calls his wife to share his exciting news. But while on the phone, he can hear her slam on the brakes. Her car is found parked on the edge of a cliff with her phone in the seat but she is gone. A year later, a grieving Grady wracked by insomnia visits a small Scottish island to try to start writing again and bring himself back to life. Except he thinks he sees a woman on the island who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Although I generally enjoy thrillers with unreliable narrators, Beautiful Ugly suffered from an overcomplicated plot without any likable characters. Despite its decent ending twist, the story was completely inconceivable and the characters didn’t draw you in. On the bright side, the audiobook production for Beautiful Ugly was top-notch. With A-list actors Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton narrating, the audiobook incorporated just the right amount of music and sound effects to enhance the story without overpowering it. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 14 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Shari Franke is the oldest child of Ruby Franke, a temperamental mother fickle with her love and affection. After her sixth child, Ruby embraced the influencer lifestyle and created the YouTube channel 8Passengers. Growing up with her childhood mined for content, Shari struggled under a mother wanting to use her more than love her. Just as Shari leaves for college, Ruby falls under the thrall of life coach Jodi Hildebrandt and the two go on to commit heinous acts of child abuse all while Shari pleaded with family services to intercede.

One of the first memoirs by a child of an influencer family, The House of My Mother hits on the legal and moral issues about being raised as content. Shari tells her story well (and narrates the audiobook), giving powerful insights into her childhood and the ramifications of her mother’s actions on her family. The whole situation was horrifying and was too much for someone so young to deal with. To make it worst, you have to watch as Shari, finally seeking therapy and desperately trying to save her siblings, gets punished by her church because an older church leader groomed and abused her. I understand why she wrote her memoir now and I would be fascinated to see how her feelings and insights about how religion was used against her and her siblings evolve as she gets older.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 7 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief, shares a heartfelt memoir of his family’s experience adopting three street-toughened dogs. Reuben is a wolfhound with strong wolf jeans. Archer is as gorgeous as destructive. Frosty is ever-smiling and a thunderstorm on legs. With the three dogs come fights, public shaming, hospital visits, a ton of destruction, and a whole lot of love and joy.

Publication Date: 21 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

At eight months pregnant, Tegan is ready to start over and decides to stay with her brother until she can figure out her life. Hitting the road, Tegan unexpectedly finds herself caught in a blizzard. Stranded by the side of a Maine road with a broken ankle, she gratefully accepts an offer from a couple to stay with them at their cabin until the snow clears. But quickly Tegan realizes that this safe haven might actually be a nightmare.

Publication Date: 28 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Receiving my blue box from Book of the Month Club is a highlight of every month.

Here’s how it works – each month, they pick 5-7books and you get to choose one book or skip until the next month. If you want to add any extra books, then you get them at a discounted price.

Each month is usually a mix of new releases and advance copies of unreleased books. If you are interested in joining, right now you can use my Book of the Month Club affiliate link to get your first book for $5!

The January Book of the Month selections are:

See the Complete List of Upcoming Releases!

In Los Angeles, recently widowed Haiwen looks up at the store and sees his childhood love, Suchi, for the first time in sixty years. Growing up in Shanghai, Suchi was drawn to Haiwen’s violin. But in 1947, Haiwen enlisted in the Nationalist Army to save his brother from the draft. Following Haiwen and Suchi for the next six decades, Homeseeking shows different paths life can take us on while showcasing China’s tumultuous history.

Publication Date: 7 January 2025
Amazon | Goodreads

When she arrives for her first term at the University of Edinburgh, Pen knows that her divorced parents back in Canada are hiding something from her. When her father’s oldest friend, now a famous author, invites her to his estate, Pen jumps at the chance to find her parents’ secret. As Pen gets to know Lord Lennox’s intriguing family, she falls in love and learns something shocking that will change her perception of motherhood.

Publication Date: 7 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Oprah Winfrey loves Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth so much that she has chosen it as an Oprah’s book club pick for the second time. Expanding on his spiritual guide, The Power of Now, Tolle focuses on how transcending our ego is crucial to personal happiness and a better world. Tolle believes that by focusing on the present, you can transform yourself to a better life.

Publication Date: 1 January 2005
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Written as a fictional “memoir”, The Three Lives of Cate Kay tells the life story of Cate Kay, whose bestselling book trilogy turned into the hit movie franchise of the decade. Cate Kay’s identity has been a closely guarded secret for years even from her literary agent. As a teen, Annie and her best friend dreamed of moving to California to be movie stars. After a tragedy, Annie runs away, living under an assumed name for decades. To regain her life, Annie is finally ready to reclaim her name and make all parts of herself whole once again. 

My first celebrity book club read of the year, and Reese Witherspoon delivered with this riveting character-driven read with a queer love story. Except for the villain, Fagan’s characters were fleshed-out and well-developed and the memoir styling kept the narrative compelling. A thoughtful and endearing read, The Three Lives of Cate Kay highlighted the journey of self-discovery and the harms of always trying to run from your past.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 7 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

In 1936, archaeology student Charlotte Cross got a rare spot studying at the Valley of the King in Egypt until tragedy struck. Forty years later, Charlotte is a curator at the Met in New York City, studying the rare female pharoah, Hathorkare. When a rare artifact goes missing during the Met Gala, Charlotte works with the Vogue editor’s assistant to stop the awakening of an ancient Egyptian curse.

Publication Date: 7 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

A year after being dumped at the altar, Rosie Lachlan is desperate to find “the one.” Using an anonymous service, Rosie, a heart transplant recipient, begins messaging her donor’s husband. Soon Rosie becomes romantically obsessed with Morgan Thorne. But what if Morgan had something to do with his wife’s death?

Publication Date: 14 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

GMA Young Adult Book Club Pick One day after school, Amber rides home on her bicycle to the absolute shock of her mother. For Amber was killed seven years ago riding that bike home from school. Given a second chance at life, Amber must now figure out who she was and who she wants to be. However, coming back isn’t easy as the grief from her death has dramatically changed her family and friends. Gayle Forman (If I Stay, Just One Day) knows how to write emotional young adult fiction so she easily fits on any list of the best January 2025 book releases.

Publication Date: 7 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Katarina Shaw always knew she was destined to be an Olympic ice skater even if she didn’t have the support or pedigree it usually requires. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid in foster care, Katarina finds the perfect partner to make her dreams – and desires – come true. Ten years after a shocking event ends their Olympic careers and relationship, an unauthorized documentary forces Katarina to break her silence about what happened in this sports romance inspired by Wuthering Heights.

I devoured The Favorites in one sitting but I have to admit, it did remind me why I hate Wuthering Heights so much; I absolutely despise the brooding Heathcliff energy. Yet, Fargo captivates with a story of Kat’s Olympic pursuits full of gripping ups and downs that make for an epic tale. I loved how the documentary excerpts really helped keep the anticipation going, dropping tantalizing hints at what might lay ahead and giving you a better feel for the side characters. More contemporary fiction than sports romance, The Favorites sends you on a dramatic roller coast ride of the obsessive passion to win Olympic gold.

My Rating:

Publication Date: 14 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Louis Armstrong once asked, “What did I do to be so Black and blue?” Imani Perry, author of South to America, explores the interconnectedness of the color blue to Blackness. From the dyed West African indigo cloths to the American Blues music, Perry looks at race and the human experience through the lens of one single color.

Publication Date: 28 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

When a shocking murder occurs in their home, Angie and David Sheehan turn to Martine, a small-town lawyer to defend them. Martine is the mother of Angie’s ex-boyfriend Julian who is now a high-powered defense attorney. As Angie and Julie overcome long buried feelings and guilt from a tragic accident, they each must discover the power of true forgiveness.

Publication Date: 28 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

In a sequel to Five Broken Blades, the five thieves are given a chance to save their lives by completing a mission for King of Yusan. King Joon desperately wants his sister’s ring and tasks the five blades to retrieve it. They know the king must not win, but can they beat him at his own game? Their perfect heist didn’t go well for them the first time; can they now learn to set aside their lies and actually trust each other this time?

Publication Date: 7 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

At Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, pregnant teenage girls are hidden away to have their babies and then give them up for adoption. In 1970, fifteen-year-old Fern arrives and finds common ground with the other wayward girls although their life is strictly controlled by the adults. When the librarian gives Fern a book on witchcraft, suddenly the girls decide to take power into their own hands.

Publication Date: 14 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Vampires used to rule the realm until the Grays came and slaughtered half the population. Now the vampires are all gathered in the city of First Light where a rigid social hierarchy is enforced. When the son of the city ruler is murdered, palace maid Sam sees a chance to blackmail her way to a better class. Working with a sorcerer, a werewolf assassin, and a countess, Sam uncovers a vast conspiracy by the ruling elite.

Publication Date: 14 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

What January 2025 Book Releases are You Most Excited to Read?

What books can you not wait to get your hands on this month? Did I miss any January 2025 book releases that you are anticipating? As always, let me know in the comments!

More New Book Releases:

• November & December 2024 Book Releases
• The Best Books of 2024
• Most-Anticipated Upcoming Releases
• Booklist Queen’s 2025 Reading Challenge

Recommended