A new year is not only about hangovers and personal fitness resolutions that you’ll burn out on in 3 weeks. It also means a chance to add even more books to your ever-growing pile of to-be-read books on your side table. From literary masterworks and thought-pieces to guilty pleasures, here are a few of the books that we at Story Street are excited about adding to piles:
Michael Stubblefield Recommends:
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
I’m an unapologetic fan of meta-fictional elements–something that blurs the line between the reader and the reading–and Nnedi Okorafor’s upcoming Death of the Author promises just that. Her latest upcoming work is a book within a book that ‘blends the line between writing and being written’.
Margaret Speck Ogawa Recommends:
The Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman
So many books, so little time… Like most avid readers, I have a backlog several books long that I am carrying over into 2025. I read across genres and enjoy both literary and commercial fiction as well as non-fiction. In fact, putting my backlog aside for a moment, my most anticipated book for 2025 is a second edition of a book by Jane Friedman due out in the spring. The Business of Being a Writer first published in 2018, provides practical, up-to-date advice on how to manage the business of a writing career version including legal and business issues writers commonly face. I was about to order the first edition when I saw that it was being updated and pre-ordered the new version. A big fan of Jane, I subscribe to her newsletter “Electric Speed” (free) and “The Hot Sheet” (paid) to stay current on the publishing industry and receive tips for writers.
How to Align the Stars by Amy Dressler
Back to the back-log. Other books I’m hoping to read in the first quarter of 2025: Having just finished The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl, a dreamy, engaging story about a young woman’s journey of self-discovery in the City of Lights (recommended to me by fellow Story Street writer Michele Alouf as a potential comp for a novel I am getting ready to pitch), I jumped into a romantic comedy I’ve been wanting to read since its June 2024 publication: How to Align the Stars by Amy Dressler—a fellow writer from the Pacific Northwest. Set in a college town in Eastern Washington’s wine country, this sweet, hopeful story is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
In January, my ABC&D book group will be meeting to discuss Real Americans by Rachel Khong a multi-generational story that examines family, identity, race, and visibility and includes a young man’s search for his biological father. Lori Coe, from ABC&D, just finished it and had this to say: “It speaks to so many things that we have talked about over the years regarding being Asian or part-Asian. How you are treated, white privilege, what it means to be mixed race—it’s in the small references and observances that the characters make. I could see myself and lots of things I have felt through the years in so much of the book. Part of the story takes place in the Pacific NW so familiarity and Washington references make it even more relatable.”
O Beautiful: A Novel by Jun Yung
From Lori’s description, I’m excited to dive into it as soon as I finish O Beautiful: A Novel by Jung Yun— a story about a woman journalist attempting to come to terms with the ghosts of her past and the bitter realities of the present as she is forced to confront them while working on a career-enhancing investigative piece, near her North Dakota hometown, for a prestigious magazine. This novel was recommended to me by Emilie Sommer from East City Book Bookshop, through The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast’s November Bonus Episode: Comps Title Segment, as a potential comp for my soon-to-be-pitched novel. (I’d asked about a novel with a mixed-race protagonist with identity issues reinventing herself.) Thanks, Emilie.
Roman Year by André Acimen
Also on my list to enjoy in the near future is Roman Year. In November, I was thrilled to meet a favorite author of mine, André Acimen, when he visited Seattle to discuss his new memoir. I love his evocative writing and can’t wait to read this depiction of his adolescent life during the period he spent in Rome following his family’s exile from Egypt.
The Intuitive Author by Tiffany Martin Yates
Lastly, although I’ve been focused on the “feedback” chapters of this “survival manual for authors,” The Intuitive Author by Tiffany Yates Martin which was released this past fall, I really want to read it cover to cover before spring arrives. This “how to” guide for navigating a writer’s life, contains much wisdom, empathy, and inspiration and carries an overall message of the need to and benefit for authors to embrace resiliency.
Alex Przybyla recommends:
Wind & Truth by Brandon Sanderson
Bookshop.org link here
Book Five of the Stormlight Archive, the gem-series of Brandon Sanderson’s shared fantasy universe. While I maaay technically finish this before 1 Jan (I’m halfway through this staggering stack of 1300 pages), any book that follows in 2025 is going to find itself in a girthy shadow. Wind & Truth concludes the first arc of the Stormlight Archive (the first book is Way of Kings). From a craft perspective, even if you’re not usually into genre fiction, Sanderson has several masterful gifts you may find inspirational: his worldbuilding is detailed without being overwhelming; his character development brings you into the heart of his character’s struggles; his pacing — especially in the final acts of his books, the Sanderlanche — will force you to clear your schedule.
Jozzie Stuchell Velesig recommends:
I am excited about the new releases for 2025 and struggled to narrow down the books I am most looking forward to reading, so I decided to recommend two books for each month of Q1:
January:
Elephant Herd by Zhang Guixing, translated by Carlos Rojas
I love reading translated works and cannot wait to start the year with Elephant Herd, a historical fiction novel to be published by Columbia University Press on January 14th. Set in the Sarawak rainforest, this book promises to blend the natural and human worlds while examining the effects of communism and the complex relations of the ethnic Chinese, local Malays, and indigenous peoples.
The Vanishing Point by Paul Theroux
Short stories are an art form I can’t get enough of. Paul Theroux is well known for his talent with short stories. This new collection, focusing on “life’s vanishing points,” will be published by Mariner Books on January 28.
February:
The Edge of Water by Olufunke Grace Bankole
The Edge of Water tells the story of a young woman searching to reconnect with her family in Nigeria and find answers about the mother she barely knew. I can’t wait for this novel, which centers on three generations of women, to come out on February 4 from Tin House.
Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey
I have heard so much about Eowyn Ivey’s writing that I immediately added this to my TBR list. (Her previous novel, The Snow Child, is on my TBR for January.) Black Woods, Blue Sky promises to be a dark fairy tale set in Alaska with life-and-death stakes and a focus on the love between a mother and daughter. You can look for it in stores on February 4 from Random House.
March:
Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of my favorite authors. I have complete trust in her writing and fully expect Dream Count to live up to the hype. Set to publish on March 4 with Knopf, it focuses on the stories of four women, their choices, their loves, and the nature of love.
The Antidote by Karen Russell
Karen Russell is another fantastic author whose new book, The Antidote, will be released on March 11 by Knopf. It is set in a fictional town in Nebraska during the Dust Bowl and promises a time-traveling camera and a “Prairie Witch” who hosts peoples’ memories and secrets.
- Submission Opportunities November 2025 - November 3, 2025
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- Submission Opportunities October 2025 - September 30, 2025
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