Some great under-the-radar releases from 2025,  in no particular order:

This made me feel like I was in a time machine back to teenagerhood in the '80's. It has some Squid and the Whale vibes and would also be good for fans of Franny and Zooey and Middlesex. Recommended for fellow Gen X-ers.

Future classic and a time capsule of the now. Also beautifully translated. For some reason it called to mind Evelyn Waugh.

Really enjoyable, incredibly evocative writing. I can't wait to read more by this author!  The Atlantic enthused:

"If Tom Wolfe, Jay McInerney, and Margo Jefferson somehow collaborated, this might have been the delightful result." 

OH MY GOD. Best book of the year? So, so hilarious.

I thought about this darkly funny novel nonstop after reading it. I have never used the term tour de force in my life but that's what Publishers Weekly called it and I have to agree.

This had a strong Don't Look Now/Daphne du Maurier flavor. If you're looking for a Gothic read for the holidays, look no further.  You may also want to check out After Midnight, the new collection of Daphne du Maurier short stories.

I’m surprised this Swedish coming-of-age gem didn’t get more promotion because it’s recommended for fans of Sally Rooney. If you like this, try Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren from a couple of years ago.

“In the morning I searched Stockholm students screaming out of windows why”

I could not have loved this memoir more and hope it starts a revival of interest in her work (if her name sounds familiar but you can’t place her, she is probably best known for The Orchid Thief, which was the basis for the movie Adaptation).  I was also hoping she would include the drunken night on Twitter during covid and she did.  

Long live index cards!

Light and fun, perfect for fans of her radio show A Way with Words. I enjoyed the memoir parts just as much as the word talk and particularly liked seeing an exploration of one of my favorite Southern grammatical constructions: might could.

So smart! The six films profiled are Rosemary's Baby (1968), The Exorcist (1973), The Stepford Wives (1975), The Omen (1976), Alien (1978), and The Shining (1980). The way she weaves cultural and political history (the ERA, reproductive rights, the mainstream acknowledgement of domestic violence, etc.) into her discussion of the films is fascinating.

Here's to more great reading in 2026!