The Must-Read Books To Have On Your Radar In 2025

Looking for more titles to add to your reading list this year? From explorations of love in all its forms and haunting thrillers to a necessary dose of reality, the Service95 Book Club shortlists our most-anticipated releases of 2025  

Good Girl by Aria Aber (Out 14 January)

The Book: Nineteen-year-old Nila is the daughter of Afghan refugees, living in Berlin. The book follows her year of finding her place, people and self, as she seeks refuge from the deprivation of home and the trauma of her mother’s death – all set against a backdrop of Berlin’s techno raves.

The Buzz: This book transported us into the underground world of Berlin club culture, on a wild ride of youth, excess and self-discovery.

So Thrilled For You by Holly Bourne (Out 16 January)

The Book: So Thrilled For You follows four friends from university, whose lives have taken them in completely different directions. Now in their thirties, the foursome are reunited at a baby shower, where someone starts a fire – and they’re all a suspect. Let the secrets unravel...

The Buzz: When it comes to writing about navigating the ups and downs of life in as a woman in their thirties, Holly Bourne just gets it. This is another searingly honest, sharp, funny take on the different paths life can put you on.

Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan (Out 23 January)

The Book: Max is 30, successful – a published poet and a legal counsel working in tech – and is seemingly living her best life. When she ends up in hospital after falling down a flight of stairs at a New Year’s party, she’s forced to reflect on her personal life, from years of dysphoria after growing up trans, plus a string of unsuccessful relationships. Then, she meets Vincent: a charming corporate lawyer who seems supportive. But is he as accepting as he looks?

The Buzz: We were deeply moved by Dinan’s first novel, Bellies – a poignant yet witty tale of first love, true friendship and transitioning. Despite the title, we can confirm her second book will do anything but disappoint.

An A-Z Of Chinese Food by Jenny Lau (Out 23 January)

The Book: This is by no means a recipe manifesto, but rather a deliberate “anti-glossary” by writer Jenny Lau – founder of Celestial Peach, a platform exploring a vegan Chinese diet, its health benefits and stories about Chinese food, people and culture. In the book, she uses food as a lens through which to unpack identity, culture, age and history, using her personal experience of Western and Eastern cultures to create an anthology of everything you need to know about Chinese cuisine.

The Buzz: A must for any foodie, this is more than an exploration of food – it’s an insight into how culinary traditions can deepen our understanding of ourselves, and our connection to the world.

We Do Not Part by Han Kang (Out 6 February)

The Book: After an accident, Kyungha’s friend Inseon is left hospitalised. Left at home is her beloved bird – in a tale of friendship, family and enduring memory, Kyungha travels from the bustling city of Seoul to the forests of Jeju Island to care for the pet, fighting through a snowstorm to get there. The result is a stark and poignant exploration of trauma and humanity.

The Buzz: This is the latest novel from the writer of The Vegetarian – a strange yet beautiful story of a woman rejecting societal norms in South Korea, for which Kang won the 2024 Nobel Prize in literature. We were gripped by every page of her last book, so we’re excited for this next offering.

Love In Exile by Shon Faye (Out 6 February)

The Book: This is not just any book about love: it’s a book about life, through the lens of love. “So, necessarily, it’s also about politics and about hatred, abandonment, sex, men, power, (the limits of) queerness, fantasy, motherhood, addiction, and, to my surprise, about God,” says author Shon Faye, as she encourages us to look beyond the narrow ideals we’ve set for ourselves when it comes to love.

The Buzz: Whether it’s her work as a writer, author or podcast host, Faye approaches everything with her signature wit, wisdom and flair for tackling serious topics with heart and clarity.

Deviants by Santanu Bhattacharya (Out 13 February)

The Book: Vivaan is a gay teenager growing up in Bengaluru, India who has found love through his smartphone. His parents might not know exactly what he gets up to online, but they do support his sexuality – which hasn’t been the case for previous generations in his family: Vivaan’s uncle was born 30 years earlier, in a time where homosexuality was illegal, and his uncle was forced to keep his relationship with another man a secret. This story weaves together all three narratives to explore history, legacy and a fight for love.

The Buzz: We were captivated by Bhattacharya’s debut novel, One Small Voice. This follow-up is one of the few queer novels written by a South Asian writer, and Bhattacharya’s most personal to date.

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Out 4 March)

The Book: The author of Half Of A Yellow Sun and We Should All Be Feminists returns to novel-writing after a 10-year hiatus with Dream Count, in which she intertwines the lives of four Nigerian women during the pandemic with her signature lyrical prose. The book is a reflection on love, happiness the choices we make – and the ones made for us.

The Buzz: New. Chimamanda. Ngozi. Adichie... Need we say more? We are counting down the days until this release.

Dark Laboratory by Tao Leigh Goffe (Out 6 March)

The Book: As the climate crisis reaches a peak, writer and theorist Tao Leigh Goffe uses the Caribbean as a case study to investigate a community that has rebuilt itself after environmental destruction – in this case, caused by colonialism. Throughout, she deftly weaves between the islands’ history, the legacy of the Indigenous communities and the continuing debate on stolen artefacts being on display in museums. Expect a warning and a guide – and, above all, a groundbreaking call for urgent change.

The Buzz: Goffe has been described by fellow author Monique Roffey as not “just a scholar of the current climate emergency but a poet and a feminist who joins the dots”. All of this is encapsulated in Dark Laboratory, which feels like a necessary read that’s set to change how we think about the climate crisis.

Madame Sosostris & The Festival For The Broken Hearted by Ben Okri (Out 6 March)

The Book: Much like the title suggests, this is the story of a festival for the broken hearted – held by Viv, who came up with the idea 20 years to the day that her first husband left her. T.S. Eliot fans might recognise the festival’s special guest: Madame Sosostris (a clairvoyant from his famed poem, The Waste Land). Here, Okri brings the character into a new context, across a night of mystery and madness in the grounds of a chateau in the South of France.

The Buzz: Revived literary characters, a Shakespearean-Midsummer-Night’s-Dream-like setting and a forest full of broken hearts? This feels like a classic fable with a thoroughly modern twist.

All The Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman (Out 10 April)

The Book: Florence is single, in her thirties and feeling unfulfilled, reflecting on the end of her ’00s girlband career. The only reason she gets out of bed each day is for her 10-year-old son, Dylan. But when Dylan is accused of being involved in his school bully’s disappearance, Florence needs to investigate the truth to clear her son’s name. Humorous and riddled with suspense, All the Other Mothers Hate Me begs the question: can a bad person be a good mother?

The Buzz: A witty twist on a missing person mystery, that is also somehow genuinely funny – this one is set to put a spring in your step.

Hail Mary by Funmi Fetto (Out 24 April)

The Book: Nine short stories, following nine very different Nigerian woman. “However, what they do share is a questioning of their culture, societal expectations and their faith – religious and otherwise. The stories explore the ways this has shaped their lives and how it will go on to shape their future; for better or for worse,” says the author, Funmi Fetto.

The Buzz: Although this is Fetto’s fiction debut, she is already known for her thoughtful, compelling writing as a journalist – she’s currently an editor at British Vogue – and her first book Palette: A Black Beauty Bible is already a firm-favourite on our shelves.

Read Frame Type Film by MUBI (Out 24 April)

The Book: You might be more familiar with MUBI as a streaming platform and production company – now, it’s dipping its creative toe into the publishing world with MUBI Editions, a new publisher dedicated to cinema and the arts. Its first publication, Read Frame Type Film, explores the underappreciated relationship between cinema and typography – and serves as an ode to the history of reading on screen, from credits to subtitles and beyond.

The Buzz: A true celebration of the arts, produced in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou in Paris and written by film curator Enrico Camporesi, graphic design historian Catherine de Smet and designer Philippe Millot. In short: it’s a cinephile’s dream come true.

Gunk by Saba Sams (Out 8 May)

The Book: Five years after Jules and her husband Leon divorce, she still works at his night club, Gunk. When the enchanting new hire Nim falls pregnant, Jules agrees to help but what emerges is an intimate and complex relationship between two women, in a raw, tender novel exploring family, desire, safety and the destructive nature of love.

The Buzz: We loved Sams’ first book Send Nudes – a powerful collection of short stories exploring the contradictory nature of girlhood that stays with you long after the final page. Gunk feels as though it will be the next talked-about step into Sams’ exploration of womanhood – and we can’t wait to join the discussion.

The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (Out 15 May)

The Book: Nineteen-year-old Hai is stood on the edge of a bridge, ready to jump, when he’s stopped by the voice of Graznia, an elderly widow with dementia. Graced with a second chance of life, he becomes Graznia’s caretaker. What ensures is an exploration of memory and time, love and loneliness, as the two develop a life-altering bond.

The Buzz: Vuong is the author of Dua’s Monthly Read For November 2024, the stunning On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. After hearing their in-depth conversation, we’ve been eagerly awaiting this next release.

Chilco by Daniela Catrileo (Out 15 July)

The Book: Chilco is a story of friendship, love and life in a world that is, quite literally, falling apart. In the book, Chilco is protagonist Pascale’s home island, where they and their partner Marina flee to from the collapsing Capital City, ravaged by the scars of colonialism. However, when they arrive in seeming safety, Marina continues to be plagued by memories of the past. A vivid, haunting tale. 

The Buzz: This is the first novel by an Indigenous Mapuche author to be published in English. We’re already enraptured by the plot – hopefully, this will be the first of many.

Tart by Slutty Cheff (Out 17 July)

The Book: For those who don’t know (so, actually, all of us) Slutty Cheff is the anonymous Instagram account of a woman chef living and working in London – offering a truly candid insight into the restaurant scene through deliciously lengthy captions and chaotic carousels, with a dose of culture and sex thrown in for good measure. Now, she’s bringing the same energy to her first book, a “homage to all chefs, gourmands, gluttons and lovers”, she says.

The Buzz: She’s the woman we’re all desperate to be friends with (or at least, tell us who you are?) – and we’ll take any chance to delve deeper into her world. We’re expecting to devour this in one sitting.

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang (Out 26 August)

The Book: We haven’t been given many details of the plot ahead of this book’s release, but what we do know – “The story of a hero’s descent to the underworld” – is enough to make you want to know more. Katabasis follows to rival academics from Cambridge, who travel to hell to rescue the soul of their advisor in a very unconventional love story.

The Buzz: A thoroughly fantastical read, drawing on Ancient Greek legends with a romantic twist, all pulled together by the New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface – we’re in.