Goodreads always has a ton of lists and I love looking at them. They recently came out with their Big Books of 2025. So of course I had a look at the books they mentioned and added a couple to my want to read shelf. I thought it would be fun to show you all which books I added, I didn’t include books I already had on my TBR. So let’s jump in!
The Stolen Queen – Fiona Davis
I didn’t think I would add anything from the contemporary & historical fiction section, but I actually managed to add 3 books from there haha. This part of the description convinced me; jumps from Egypt’s Valley of the Kings circa 1936 to NYC’s Met Gala in 1978. It seems an artifact is missing from the Met and an immortal female pharaoh may be, well, mad about that. An aging scholar and the new intern are about to discover the lethal side of Egyptology.
The Listeners – Maggie Stiefvater
I love Maggie Stiefvater but was surprised to see her here, she used to mostly write YA books so I’m so curious to dive into this one. It sounds like something I would highly enjoy so I have good hopes. In the early days of World War II, detained Nazi diplomats are shipped off to an elegant West Virginia resort. Why this place? What’s up with the “sweetwater” natural springs? And who’s the FBI agent? Who could resist this?! And also; Maggie Stiefvater folds myth, class conflict, and slippery mountain magic into a new kind of spy story. Sign me up!
Atmosphere: a Love Story – Taylor Jenkins Reid
These are the kind of Taylor Jenkins Reid stories I personally love and this one sounds so so good; Set in the ambitious days of the 1980s space shuttle program, this novel promises adventure, romance, intrigue, and a physics professor determined to be one of the first female scientists in space. I love this setting and I just know Taylor Jenkins Reid is going to write some gut wrenching twist.
Famous Last Words – Gillian McAllister
Imagine you’ve just dropped off your daughter at the nursery when you discover that your husband is part of a hostage situation in the city. Then imagine your surprise when you discover your husband isn’t a hostage. He’s the gunman. Do I have to add anything else? A mystery/thriller with a synopsis like this sounds so so good. I might have to pick up Gillian McAllister’s previous book as well.
Katabasis – R.F. Kuang
Two rival Ph.D. students at Cambridge descend into hell to rescue the soul of their academic adviser. They really need those recommendation letters, apparently. Oh, and it’s a love story, too. Bonus trivia: Katabasis is the Greek term for the classic descent-into-the-underworld narrative. I have to say, Goodreads is doing a good job selling these books on me! The R.F. Kuang books I have read so far are amazing so I have high hopes for this one.
Hammajang Luck – Makana Yamamoto
Finishing up an eight-year stint on an icy prison planet, Edie is determined to leave her criminal career behind. That’s when former girlfriend Angel shows up again with One Last Job. Sounds good already, but it also; promises heist-movie action with queer romance and throwback cyberpunk style. I want to read more sci-fi books, so this might be one I’ll pick up this year.
I feel like I usually add more books, but I have been pretty critical and try to only add books I know I really plan on reading. So hopefully I will get to all 6 of these! Had you heard of them yet? Are you excited about these releases? Let me know down below!
