There’s nothing quite like settling down with a good book after a long day. However, with an endless array of choices, picking the next read after finishing one can be a challenge.

While I endeavour to make time for classic literature and books from previous years, I invariably find myself drawn towards new releases, always on the hunt for a fresh favourite that I’ll revisit time and again. If you’re seeking some inspiration for your summer reading list, here are my top 10 new reads of 2025 so far, featuring a variety of genres. For more book recommendations, reviews and news, click here to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter, The Bookish Drop, on Substack. 

It’s officially Love Island season, with both the UK and US versions currently airing. Although I no longer watch dating shows religiously, I’m still attracted to any fiction inspired by or based on the world of reality TV.

The Compound features 20 contestants confined in a remote desert compound, filmed round-the-clock as they vie for luxury prizes and basic necessities, all while attempting to find love.

Without giving too much away, this is a fantastic debut, filled with unexpected twists, a lingering sense of unease, and an ending that has stayed with me since I finished it. It’s due out on July 3, and I would highly recommend adding it to your summer reading list.

You can buy The Compound here.

Certain books demand to be devoured in one go, and Make Me Famous is such a book. The narrative centres on Cléo, an ambitious singer with a burning desire for fame.

We witness her ascent to stardom, as well as her present-day life, where she escapes to a secluded island to concentrate on penning her fourth album in tranquillity.

Cléo is among the most unlikable main characters I’ve ever encountered, which can often spell disaster, but not here. The book is utterly engrossing, compelling and twisted. Extra points for an ending that literally made me gasp aloud.

You can buy Make Me Famous here.

A book’s quality is evident when it spans over 500 pages yet you breeze through it in just a few days. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil narrates the tale of María, Charlotte and Alice, three distinct women from vastly different worlds.

V. E. Schwab’s characteristic atmospheric, lyrical prose whisks you across time, blending obsession, longing and Sapphic love perfectly. It’s another gripping read, and once it gets its hooks into you, you won’t be able to put it down.

You can buy Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil here.

Park Avenue draws readers into the exclusive world of Jia Song, a junior partner in a high-powered law firm, as she tackles a top-secret case for one of the most famous Korean families in the world. As she jets off across the globe to uncover answers, navigates sibling rivalries and stumbles upon dark family secrets, Jia unexpectedly starts falling for the intriguing family.

Described as “Crazy Rich Asians meets Succession”, Park Avenue completely captivated me; it is a fabulous entanglement of mystery, romance, and thriller all rolled into one – and an ideal companion for travellers.

I lost track of time while reading this on a weekend away, feeling like I was watching a film play out in my mind.

You can pre-order Park Avenue, out July 17, here.

There are books that have your heart even before you’ve turned the first page, and then there are hidden gems that take you by surprise with their brilliance.

As someone who usually avoids anything remotely scary, I didn’t expect Vanessa Santos’ Make a Home of Me to leave such an impression on me. This anthology, full of stories set within the deceptive safety of homes turning against their occupants, is richly disquieting yet peculiarly welcoming.

The collection begins with a dinner party featuring a macabre twist, followed by stories of individuals driven to desperation by a neighbour’s incessantly crying baby, a family ripped apart by peculiar notes, and a woman’s relationship with her new partner’s unusually introverted daughter. I devoured every single story and would recommend this book to anyone, whether they’re a horror enthusiast or not.

You can buy Make a Home of Me here.

Had you told me last year that some of my top reads of 2025 would be young adult novels, I would have been sceptical. However, after becoming enamoured with Rebecca Ross’ Divine Rivals duology, I moved on to Immortal Consequences, the inaugural book in a new YA dark academia series centred around students at a boarding school on the outskirts of the afterlife.

In Immortal Consequences, the students are required to participate in the Decennial – a set of magical trials held every ten years. We follow six different students, each with their own motivations and covert plans.

With so many characters’ viewpoints represented in the chapters, I was initially concerned they wouldn’t be adequately developed, but my fears were unfounded. I became deeply invested in each character and am eagerly anticipating the next instalment in the series.

You can pre-order Immortal Consequences, out July 31, here.

My Other Heart, another novel that alternates between various perspectives, is another of my favourite reads this year. The story begins in 1998 when Mimi and her infant daughter Ngan are travelling from Philadelphia to Vietnam, only for Ngan to mysteriously disappear.

Fast forward seventeen years, best friends Kit and Sabrina plan journeys to Tokyo and China respectively, seeking to understand their identities.

This is a poignant coming-of-age tale that traverses time and continents. With universal themes such as identity, friendship, love, and motherhood, readers will undoubtedly find aspects of themselves reflected in the characters.

You can pre-order My Other Heart, out July 17, here.

Sunstruck tells the story of a working-class Black man navigating the opulent world of his university friend Lily’s wealthy family. During a summer holiday in the south of France, he finds himself attracted to Lily’s charismatic brother Felix.

However, upon their return to London, the facade of the Blake family starts to crumble.

As the victor of the #Merky Books’ 2022 New Writers’ Prize, I anticipated it to be impressive, but it exceeded all expectations and I’m eager to see what the author produces next. Sunstruck is a captivating read, one that I devoured over a sunny weekend earlier this year.

But don’t just rely on my opinion; it’s also one of the shortlisted titles for Waterstones’ 2025 Debut Fiction Prize and would be a deserving winner.

You can buy Sunstruck here.

Saraswati is another standout read that has also been nominated for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize. Gurnaik Johal’s first novel depicts the transformation of seven individuals’ lives as an ancient sacred river revives.

Part political satire, part ecological allegory, this is an excellent novel to delve into if you’re after something both entertaining and thought-provoking.

As a fan of short stories, I greatly valued the structure and rhythm of Saraswati; each chapter introduces us to a new character, with each of the seven strangers having their own moment in the limelight before everything converges. I was captivated, and will certainly be reading We Move, the author’s collection of short stories, soon.

You can buy Saraswati here.

Atmosphere is a captivating love story set against the intriguing backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle programme. The narrative follows Joan Goodwin, an astrophysics professor who experiences love, camaraderie and rivalry whilst training to become an astronaut. However, during a mission in December 1984, things takes an unexpected turn.

As a big fan of both romance and science fiction, I had lofty expectations for this book. Fortunately, it did not let me down.

Joan’s relationships are intricate, and the supporting characters are so well-developed they genuinely feel like real individuals. I’m not typically one for crying while reading, but this book moved me to tears on several occasions, and the ending stayed in my thoughts for weeks.

You can buy Atmosphere here.