Meddling mamas and grandmas, an antique at the heart of tragedy, and a fresh start gone wrong — plus new celebrity memoirs — here are PEOPLE’s best books of January 2025.
‘Too Soon’ by Betty Shamieh
This fiercely funny, sexy and culturally resonant saga follows the interwoven threads of three generations of Palestinian women: Zoya, forced to immigrate to Detroit in 1948; Naya, an unhappy Silicon Valley matron; and Arabella, a New York City theater director returning to Ramallah in 2012 to stage a gender-flipped Hamlet. Aziz, a hot guy who happens to be the grandson of Zoya’s first love, is there with Doctors Without Borders too. A drama about displacement, love and freedom. — Marion Winik
‘Good Dirt’ by Charmaine Wilkerson
This multigenerational story of Ebby Freeman and her wealthy family is a rich history of persevering despite trauma, centered on a shocking tragedy and a beloved heirloom. Jumping with ease between varying perspectives, the poetic Good Dirt is both soothing and dynamic. — McKenzie Jean-Phillipe
‘The Family Inside’ by Katie Garner
Widow Iris Blodgett and her daughter Ellory think they’re getting a fresh start when Iris’ boyfriend Hugh takes them in. But after Iris and Hugh get engaged, Ellory runs away, and Iris uncovers Hugh’s dark family secrets. This plot isn’t just twisted — it’s downright gnarled. — Rennie Dyball
‘Onyx Storm’ by Rebecca Yarros
The smash hit third installment in The Empyrean series follows protagonist Violet beyond the walls of Basgiath War College — and into the fight of her life. Enemies are closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, so it’s impossible to know who to trust. As Violet travels beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies willing to stand with Navarre, she’ll need every ounce of strength, wit and a lot of luck to carry her through.
‘Penitence’ by Kristin Koval
When tragedy strikes in Angie and David’s home, the lawyer they ask to help is the mother of Angie’s first love. Everything — and everyone — just gets more deeply entangled from there. A propulsive, deftly woven story of loss and forgiveness.
‘Tartufo’ by Kira Jane Buxton
This hilarious story — which involves a dying Italian village, a zany cast of characters and a truffle that brings the prospect of fame and fortune, not to mention a farcical plot that moves like an out-of-control vespa through cobblestoned streets — has an overflowing heart that will sneak up on you. And much like all of Buxton’s books, the animals steal the show.
‘Sinkhole and Other Inexplicable Voids’ by Leyna Krow
These gripping, magical tales span time travel, portals, menacing butterflies and more. A can’t-miss brooding but ultimately hopeful meditation on families and survival.
‘Going Home’ by Tom Lamont
Téo Erskine has had a thing for Lia Woods from the time they were North London kids. So when Lia, now the single mom of a toddler, asks her old pal to “take him on for me,” Téo agrees, and as a surrogate dad, he embarks on a transformative caretaking journey with his own father, his best friend and Lia’s rabbi. Lamont explores the trade-offs of parenthood, the tidal pull of long-held bonds and the dissonance of joy amid heartbreak in this witty, poignant debut. — Kim Hubbard
‘How to Share an Egg’ by Bonny Reichert
Reichert’s dad yearned for her to write his Holocaust story, but she was too terrified to face the horrors head-on and instead re-created his pleasant memories around food. Those stories didn’t satisfy her until she went to Poland, where she realized that her future was always predicated on his past. Absolutely transformative. — Caroline Leavitt
‘Save Me, Stranger’ by Erika Krouse
After her brilliant memoir Tell Me Everything, Krouse shows she can write, well, anything! A dozen stories on the same theme (in this case, pivotal life moments) have never been so varied, spanning Siberia, Thailand, Tokyo and Omaha. If stories were liquor, these would be 150 proof. — Marion Winik
‘A Gorgeous Excitement’ by Cynthia Weiner
Informed by the author’s real-life acquaintance with “Preppy Killer” Robert Chambers, this 1980s coming-of-age tale is chillingly compelling. Get ready to be transported. — Kim Hubbard
‘Sit, Cinderella, Sit’ by Lisa Cheek
A former advertising executive leaves her life (and her beloved pup) behind in Los Angeles to edit a Cinderella feature film in China in this refreshing memoir about reinvention. — Rennie Dyball
‘Witchcraft for Wayward Girls’ by Grady Hendrix
The grim Wellwood House hides pregnant teens until their babies arrive, but the residents manage to form community despite — or perhaps because of — their dire circumstances. The girls have no agency, until they discover witchcraft. A devilishly good time. Grady Hendrix does it again.
‘Mothers and Sons’ by Adam Haslett
Haslett’s timely novel interweaves the story of a gay immigration lawyer in New York with that of his mother, who left his father for a woman and now runs a retreat center in Vermont. Despite being estranged by a long-buried shame, or perhaps because of it, the pair are alike in their drive to do good in the world. A gripping, gorgeous novel about the healing power of stories. — Marion Winik
‘Homeseeking’ by Karissa Chen
In 1945 a fortune teller in Shanghai tells Suchi and Haiwen that they have yuanfen: destinies bound together for life. Yet they are separated for decades by war and dislocation. Told through glimpses of their lives over the next 60 years, their love story is a sweeping epic. — Marion Winik
‘The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus’ by Emma Knight
Studying abroad in Scotland, Pen tries to unravel a family secret by befriending a famous author, and Alice has an affair with a married tutor. A witty novel about navigating independence and complicated relationships. — Wadzanai Mhute
‘The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom’ by Shari Franke
In August 2023, YouTube vlogger Ruby Franke was arrested for aggravated child abuse, and was later sentenced, along with therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, to four consecutive prison terms of one to 15 years. In her brave new memoir, Ruby’s daughter Shari Franke opens up about the abuse she and her siblings experienced, and her own path toward survival.
“Part of me feels guilty if I don’t forgive,” Franke told PEOPLE of her mother for a recent print story. “But I’ve come to realize that forgiveness for me just means that I don’t let her actions consume my thoughts.”
‘I’ll Come to You’ by Rebecca Kauffman
Kauffman’s intimate, wise and funny novel follows the intertwining lives of an extended family through the course of 1995, bookended by the impending birth of a grandchild and the tumultuous discovery of a patriarch’s dementia. It’s impossible not to fall in love with the characters, including an adult son yearning for his parents to undo their divorce and a school bus driver finding a startling romance. A true gem about life’s changing seasons. — Caroline Leavitt
‘Playworld’ by Adam Ross
In this hilarious, profound novel, lonely teenager Griffin Hurt, disconnected from the dysfunctional adults around him in 1980s New York City, explores the many identities in his life, from child actor to champion wrestler to secret lover of his parents’ 36-year-old friend. — Caroline Leavitt
‘Leave No Trace’ by Jo Callaghan
A U.K. detective must find a killer who’s crucifying young men. Her partner? An AI entity she can summon via a button on her watch. As captivating as the suspense is the provocative exploration of working with a helpful (yet annoying) colleague who’s not quite human. — Robin Micheli
‘The Stolen Queen’ by Fiona Davis
Travel from the glam 1978 Met Gala to a dusty archaeological dig in 1930s Egypt in this masterful historical mystery centering on a cursed ancient artifact. It’s got all of the meticulous detail of Davis’ New York-centric novels, in a bold new setting.
‘A Sea of Unspoken Things’ by Adrienne Young
Twins James and Johnny were inseparable until Johnny’s tragic death. When James goes to settle his affairs, she uncovers ominous secrets in this gripping, atmospheric novel.
‘Immortal’ by Sue Lynn Tan
In this stunning new romantasy, a mortal ruler forges an alliance with the ruthless God of War to protect her people. As sparks ignite between them, she must make a difficult choice.
‘People Pleaser’ by Jinger Duggar
In her latest book, the former Counting On star and author candidly details her struggles with people pleasing, stemming from a belief she wasn’t enough that started in childhood. “I was more of the child who just wanted to get along with everyone,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively for a story in a recent print issue.
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