The Most Anticipated Books of 2025

The City Changes Its Face
Eimear McBride (February)

Described by Anne Enright as “the natural heir to Joyce and Beckett”, Eimear McBride has had a notably eclectic career to date. First making a splash in 2013 with the award-winning A Girl Is A Half Formed Thing, she has earned further acclaim for the novels The Lesser Bohemians and Strange Hotel, while also writing forewords for an edition of Edna O’Brien’s The Country Girls Trilogy and a collection of Scott Walker’s lyrics.

Returning to The Lesser Bohemians characters Stephen and Eily, The City Changes Its Face this time finds the lovers attempting to settle down in mid-’90s London – only for their respective pasts to make an uncomfortable intrusion.

Dream Count
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (March)

Celebrated by everyone from Beyoncé to Dior, Nigerian author Adichie became an international literary star thanks to Purple Hibiscus and Half Of A Yellow Sun, as well as her her hugely acclaimed essay collection We Should All Be Feminists. The author’s first novel since 2013’s Americanah, Dream Count is already generating enormous buzz.

The story focuses on four Nigerian women, two of whom live in the US, with each facing moments of profound personal upheaval. Told with Adichie’s trademark power and insight, the novel addresses major themes like love, loss and the attainability of true happiness.

Human Scale
Lawrence Wright (March)

New Yorker journalist Wright is most celebrated as the author of The Looming Tower, one of the true non-fiction masterpieces of the 21st century, which earned him a Pulitzer and was also adapted into an acclaimed TV series starring Jeff Daniels. Elsewhere, Wright’s journalistic work has served as the basis for documentaries by major filmmakers Richard Linklater (God Save Texas) and Alex Gibney (Going Clear).

Wright is also no mean fiction writer, and his latest novel, Human Scale, is a gripping, John Le Carre-style thriller centring on the relationship between half-Irish, half-Arab FBI agent Tony Malik, and hardline Israeli cop Yossi, who work together uneasily as they attempt to solve the murder of the Israeli police chief in Gaza.

When The Going Was Good
Graydon Carter (March)

One of the most influential figures in US journalism over the past 40 years, Carter first pitched up in New York from Canada in the ’80s, and initially made a splash through co-founding satirical magazine Spy, a Stateside take on Private Eye. His next move was to take the editorial hot-seat at Vanity Fair, where he grew the magazine’s international audience through an irresistible mix of investigative reporting, film and music profiles, literary deep dives and political coverage. When The Going Was Good offers Carter’s reflections on an enormously eventful career in the publishing fast lane.

The Paris Express
Emma Donoghue (March)

Inspired by a famous rail disaster, the latest offering from Room author Donoghue is an historical thriller set in fin de siecle Paris. It skilfully inter-weaves the stories of several protagonists aboard the Granville-to-Paris train, including an anarchist determined to make her make on history; a little boy travelling alone for the first time; a wealthy statesman and his invalid wife; and a young woman with a secret. As the train speeds towards the City of Light, it all builds to an epic finale.

Looking For The Perfect Beat
Arthur Baker (March)

A pioneering DJ, producer and remixer, Arthur Baker has worked with a remarkably eclectic array of heavyweights, including The Rolling Stones, New Order, Al Green, Mogwai, Pet Shop Boys, Diana Ross and more. In Looking For The Perfect Beat, Baker reflects on his origins as a club DJ in his native Boston; relocating to New York in 1981 and immersing himself disco and hip-hop; and his sundry musical adventures, encompassing everything from groundbreaking electro productions to late night studio sessions with Bob Dylan.

TWIST
Colum McCann (March)

The latest novel from the hugely acclaimed McCann follows Irish journalist Anthony Fennell, who’s assigned to cover the underwater cables that facilitate the internet. His journey takes him to the west coast of Africa, where he meets fellow Irishman John Conway, a mysterious free diver and engineer.

When Conway’s ship is sent up the coast to repair a series of major underwater breaks, both men are set on-course for some dramatic personal revelations. As Salman Rushdie says of the novel, “The spirit of Joseph Conrad hovers over the text, but here the heart of darkness lies at the bottom of the ocean.”

The Best Of Everything
Kit de Waal (April)

Since coming to prominence with her multi-award winning debut novel, My Name Is Leon, in 2016, de Waal has continued to enjoy huge acclaim for her short stories and flash fiction. For good measure, she also co-wrote episodes of The Third Day, the 2020 folk-horror TV series from Utopia creator Dennis Kelly, starring Jude Law. De Waal’s latest novel focuses on Paulette, whose turbulent personal life seems to have found a measure of peace through the birth of her son Bird – only for Paulette to become entangled in the life of Nellie, a motherless boy who lives a few streets away.

The Gentleman From Peru
Andre Aciman (April)

Famed as the author of Call Me By Your Name, the basis for Luca Guadagnino’s Oscar winning movie, Aciman’s upcoming novels centres on a collection of college friends marooned at a luxurious hotel on the Amalfi coast. When the group invite a mysterious fellow guest to lunch, life-changing consequences ensue.

The Good Mistress
Anne Tiernan (April)

Having enjoyed huge acclaim for her debut novel The Last Days Of Joy, Tiernan’s follow-up focuses on three women who collide at Rory’s funeral. There’s Juliet, who was the other woman in Rory’s life; Maeve, a celebrated novelist who discovers a disturbing secret; and Rory’s wife Erica, who forms an unlikely connection with Juliet, his high school girlfriend. It all makes for rip-roaring drama, told with Tiernan’s customary wit and insight.

Men In Love
Irvine Welsh (July)

While Welsh has occasionally hit gold elsewhere, such as with Marabou Stork Nightmares, there’s no doubt his novels based on the Trainspotting universe – talk about an X-rated alternative to MCU – are his true masterworks. Following on from the immortal original, as well as other instalments like Skagboys, Porno and The Blade Artist, Men In Love follows Renton and the boys as they attempt to kick heroin and settle down. Expect the usual quotient of dark humour, socio-political commentary and nihilistic hijinks.