New year, new reads

A new year brings new possibilities. It’s an odd mix of starting fresh and resuming the tasks you left behind last year. For PPL librarians, the new year means developing new initiatives, new rounds of services and programming and, best of all, new books. In addition to having access to periodicals, newsletters and websites that give us sneak peeks of the books to come each year, our staff also has the privilege of attending in-person publisher preview events. Last fall, we trekked to New York City for the Tri-State Book Buzz, where nearly twenty publishers told us about their 2025 titles. Here are some books I’m most looking forward to in 2025. 

Nonfiction: 

As someone who will find joy in every genre, from true crime to sports history, I’m always looking for a great nonfiction book to sink my teeth into. In 2025, Susan Morrison’s definitive biography of Lorne Michaels, creator of Saturday Night Live, titled “Lorne” will be released (Feb. 18). Also coming this year is Suleika Jaouad’s newest book, “The Book of Alchemy,” a guide to the art of journaling, including essays from dozens of writers and artists (April 22). Award-winning journalist and former New York Times reporter Gardiner Harris will debut an expose of Johnson & Johnson, “No More Tears” (April 8), that encompasses the history of the company and shocking scandals. Finally, we get the newest book from National Book Award winning-scholar and the Harrington Spear Paine Foundation Professor of Religion at Princeton University, Elaine Pagels. “Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus” (April 1) explores the life of Jesus Christ and how, as the publisher puts it, “a poor young man inspired a religion that reshaped the world.”

Fiction

Not to be outdone, there are so many great novels to look forward to in 2025. First is “Onyx Storm,” the latest book in the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros, who has taken “BookTok” by storm. Also being released early this year are books from bestselling authors Anne Tyler, Han Kang and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

As librarians, we are always keeping our eyes out for new and upcoming authors. One debut I’m very excited about for 2025 is “Life Hacks for A Little Alien” by Alice Franklin (Feb.11). This charming, funny and quirky story about a girl who thinks of herself as “Little Alien” is perfect for fans of “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” and “Remarkably Bright Creatures.” 

Backlist: 

What TBR list would be complete without some backlist titles that you just never got around to? This year, I’d like to get to some books that I’ve been meaning to make time for. Liz Moore’s “The God of the Woods,” was a 2024 bestseller with a lengthy hold list. I’m hoping to make time for this gem in 2025. One of my favorite museums is The Morgan Museum and Library. I’m hoping to make my way there before the Franz Kafka exhibit ends in April, but, I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never read a single Kafka book. “The Metamorphosis and Other Stories” is at the top of my list for the new year. Lastly, my husband gave me a copy of Percival Everett’s “The Trees” for Christmas this year. “James” was a National Book Award winner and all-around favorite of 2024, however, according to my colleague, Ellen, who is my favorite person to discuss books with, “The Trees” is his best work. 

Whether you have a long list of titles waiting for you to dive into or you are looking for something new, there is always a good read to be found at the library. If you are browsing the shelves or looking at our online book lists and resources, remember that we are always here to help. Tools like NovelistPlus, our Book List Browser, and periodicals like BookPage and Booklist Reader are great places to start. You can even use our BookMatch service and get a list of suggestions created just for you by our librarians. We’d love to help you start the year on with the perfect book.

Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash.

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