It may only be the first week of the year, but there’s already plenty of discussion about what the biggest best-sellers of 2024 are likely to be.
Romantasy, Second World War anniversary recollections and a celebration of Jane Austen are likely to be among the hot book trends of 2025.
“Romance has been absolutely huge this year, particularly what we call spicy romance,” says Bea Carvalho, head of books at Waterstones.
“Next year, we’ve got books coming from big-name authors including Jojo Moyes, Emily Henry and Taylor Jenkins Reid.”
New publications are also expected to mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth.
Meanwhile, in health and wellbeing, manifesting is still drawing readers, with a new book from self-help guru Paul McKenna.
Here are just a few of the books to look out for in 2025 - according to the experts at Waterstones.
9. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Hutchinson Heinemann, Jun 3)
Carvalho says: “She is one of the biggest popular authors at the moment (Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo), and this one looks at a group of astronauts against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle programme.” It tells a passionate story about the power of love, this time among the stars. | Contributed
10. We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes (Penguin Michael Joseph, Feb 11)
Watch out for this family drama from the bestselling author of Me Before You and The Giver Of Stars, who brings us this follow-up to her novel Someone Else’s Shoes, 30 years after her protagonist Lila Kennedy’s father ran away to Hollywood. Now, he returns to wreck – or save – her life. | Contributed
11. The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore (One More Chapter, Mar 13)
Waterstones is expecting this new small-town romance from the author of TikTok phenomenon The Pumpkin Spice Café to be massive, given its ‘slightly sexy’ content. | Contributed
12. Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (4th Estate, Mar 4)
This one from the award-winning author of We Should All Be Feminists has been 10 years in the making and centres on a Nigerian travel writer living in the US during the pandemic, who recalls her past lovers, choices and regrets and whose story weaves in three other women close to her. | Contributed