10 Unputdownable Books Of 2025 You Need To Clear Your Reading List For

The literary world is already buzzing. As of this current date, December 12, 2025, the lineup of upcoming releases for the year is shaping up to be one of the most compelling in recent memory, packed with high-stakes fantasy, mind-bending thrillers, and long-awaited returns from literary giants. Forget your planned reading challenge; these are the books that will derail your schedule and keep you up until 3 AM.

The term "unputdownable" is often overused, but for 2025, it applies to a special class of novels and non-fiction that are generating massive pre-publication buzz on platforms like BookTok and Goodreads. From a high-concept dark academia fantasy that involves a trip to Hell to a psychological thriller that will make you question everything about marriage, here are the essential, must-read books of 2025 you absolutely cannot put down.

The Most Anticipated Literary & Genre Blockbusters of 2025

The biggest names in publishing are dropping their most ambitious projects in 2025. These titles represent peak genre fiction and literary heavyweights, promising instant classics and cultural phenomena.

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1. Katabasis by R.F. Kuang (Dark Academia Fantasy)

R.F. Kuang, the author known for the dark, critical fantasy of The Poppy War and the smash-hit success of Yellowface, returns to the magical realism genre with Katabasis.

• The Hook: The novel follows two rival Cambridge PhD students in analytic magick, Alice Law and Peter Murdoch. When their controversial academic advisor, Jacob Grimes, dies, Alice and Peter must put their animosity aside and venture into the depths of Hell itself to retrieve him.
• Why You Can’t Put It Down: This is a high-concept, high-stakes story set in 1980s England. Kuang is a master of blending academic rigor with brutal, visceral fantasy, making this a perfect storm of intellectual puzzle and adrenaline-fueled quest. The tension between the academic rivals is as compelling as the journey to the underworld.
• Key Entities: R.F. Kuang, Alice Law, Peter Murdoch, Jacob Grimes, Cambridge, Analytic Magick, Dark Academia, Magical Realism, Harper Voyager.

2. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab (Literary Fantasy)

V.E. Schwab, a perennial favorite whose works consistently top "must-read" lists, delivers a lush, haunting literary fantasy that spans centuries and continents.

• The Hook: This is a story about hunger—for love, for freedom, and for a life of one's own making. The narrative interweaves the lives of three young women across different eras, starting in 1532 in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Their lives are linked by a mysterious, twisting thread through history.
• Why You Can’t Put It Down: Schwab is celebrated for her gorgeous prose and deeply emotional character work. This novel promises a blood-soaked romance with toxic, existential undertones, exploring what it truly costs to gain autonomy. It’s a beautifully written, atmospheric novel that demands to be devoured in one sitting.
• Key Entities: V.E. Schwab, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Blood-soaked romance, Toxic vampires, Literary Fantasy, Character-driven narrative, Three young women, Freedom, Autonomy.

3. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (Dystopian/YA)

The return to Panem is arguably the biggest publishing event of 2025, even if the movie adaptation is slated for 2026. The book’s release itself is expected to dominate the literary conversation.

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• The Hook: This highly anticipated prequel to The Hunger Games series focuses on the 50th annual Hunger Games—the infamous Second Quarter Quell. It tells the story of a young Haymitch Abernathy, Katniss Everdeen's future mentor, and the trauma that shaped him into the cynical, yet heroic, figure we know.
• Why You Can’t Put It Down: The Quarter Quell rules meant twice as many tributes, guaranteeing a brutal, emotionally devastating narrative. Readers are desperate to see how Haymitch, a fan-favorite, survived the arena. Suzanne Collins's masterful pacing and world-building ensure this will be a breathless, emotional read that will be impossible to pause.
• Key Entities: Suzanne Collins, Haymitch Abernathy, The Hunger Games, Panem, Second Quarter Quell, Dystopian Fiction, Katniss Everdeen, Prequel, Trauma.

The Best Thrillers and Literary Fiction for Instant Obsession

If you prefer your "unputdownable" reads to be grounded in reality—or a terrifying version of it—these psychological thrillers and literary works from iconic authors will keep you chained to your sofa.

4. Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney (Psychological Thriller)

Alice Feeney, often called the "Queen of Twists," returns with a deliciously dark and gripping thriller about marriage and revenge, a genre she has perfected with her previous bestsellers.

• The Hook: Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life, a day that quickly spirals into a nightmare when his wife mysteriously disappears while driving home to share in his exciting news. The story centers on the disappearance and the dark secrets lurking beneath a seemingly successful marriage.
• Why You Can’t Put It Down: Feeney’s signature style is a fast-paced narrative packed with unreliable narrators and shocking, last-page reveals. Beautiful Ugly promises a creepy, confusing, and utterly addictive exploration of domestic suspense, where every character is a suspect and every chapter ends on a cliffhanger.
• Key Entities: Alice Feeney, Grady Green, Psychological Thriller, Marriage and revenge, Domestic Suspense, Queen of Twists, Mysterious disappearance, Unreliable Narrator.

5. Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret Atwood (Literary Non-Fiction)

While not a novel, a memoir from Margaret Atwood is a major literary event, and this one is designed to be as absorbing and unconventional as her fiction.

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• The Hook: Instead of a traditional, linear autobiography, Atwood presents a collection of reflective stories that span her life, from her childhood spent in the wild forests of northern Quebec to the writing of classics like The Handmaid's Tale. It links key life moments to the books that shaped her and the literary landscape.
• Why You Can’t Put It Down: Atwood's prose is legendary. This memoir offers a rare, intimate look into the mind of one of the world's greatest living writers. Its non-linear, reflective structure means every chapter is a self-contained, fascinating essay, making it a perfect "dip-in and you're hooked" read that provides incredible insight into creativity and literature.
• Key Entities: Margaret Atwood, Book of Lives, Memoir of Sorts, Literary Non-Fiction, Chatto & Windus, Northern Quebec, The Handmaid's Tale, Literary Landscape, Unconventional narrative.

More Buzz-Worthy 2025 Titles to Watch

The depth of the 2025 release schedule extends far beyond the blockbusters, offering compelling reads across every genre that are already garnering high ratings on NetGalley and pre-release lists.

The Best of the Rest: Genre Highlights

• The Tenant by Freida McFadden: From the author who has become the queen of "popcorn thrillers," this new novel promises the same breakneck pace, shocking twists, and high-energy suspense that makes her books impossible to stop reading.
• Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry: For fans of contemporary romance and witty, emotional fiction, Emily Henry’s new release is a guaranteed summer hit. Her books are known for their charming characters and dialogue that makes them fly off the page.
• Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson: Following her acclaimed debut, Wilkerson returns with a story about the daughter of an affluent Black family who must piece together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a current-day mystery. Expect a complex, multigenerational narrative that is both moving and deeply engaging.
• Cross My Heart by Megan Collins: Another highly anticipated psychological thriller, this title is generating buzz for its twisty plot and intense exploration of secrets and betrayal, solidifying 2025 as the year of the domestic thriller.

To truly stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on debut authors in the Sci-Fi and Fantasy space as well. Titles like Grave Empire have already received strong acclaim and are generating significant social-buzz traction on platforms like BookTok for their dark-fantasy elements.

Ultimately, 2025 is shaping up to be a phenomenal year for readers. Whether you are drawn to the intellectual darkness of R.F. Kuang's new world, the historical weight of a Margaret Atwood memoir, or the sheer adrenaline of an Alice Feeney thriller, your "To Be Read" pile is about to get a whole lot more exciting—and a whole lot harder to ignore.