PEOPLE’s Best Books of January 2025:Onyx StormArrives, Plus New Novels from Charmaine Wilkerson and More

Mar. 15, 2025

A selection of PEOPLE’s best books of January 2025.

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.

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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-flippedHamlet. 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

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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

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‘Onyx Storm’.Entangled: Red Tower Books

Entangled: Red Tower Books

The smash hit third installment inThe Empyreanseries 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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After her brilliant memoirTell 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

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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

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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.

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Gallery Books

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Amazon

In her latest book, the formerCounting Onstar 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.

source: people.com