Vol. 87: My 2025 Preorders

Between competing hobbies and different altitudes of engagement in the bookternet world, I’ve felt disconnected from new releases and publishing industry chatter over the past couple years. It’s never been the same as 2018 Bookstagram when we were all reading An American Marriage together and fiercely debating Team Roy vs. Team Celestial. 

Here’s the thing: I think I’m out of the loop in terms of reading with the times, but when I look at the numbers, 16 of the 35 books I read last year were published in 2024. They ranged in quality - some I adored, like Adam Higginbotham’s Challenger and Glory Edim’s memoir Gather Me; some fun celebrity memoirs, like JoJo’s Over the Influence and Britney Griner’s Coming Home; and some extremely meh that I can’t even believe I read the whole thing like Ministry of Time (I’m sorry, Leonor!!!)  I’ve heard chatter that 2024 wasn’t a particularly remarkable book year, so maybe that’s it. The thing is, as much as I love being involved in publishing gossip and book community connections where we’re all bonding over a shared read, I love reading a really, really delicious book the most. I also read at a different pace than I used to, though admittedly even when I was my deepest in the Book World, I’d preorder and eagerly anticipate new releases that I have since… still not read. LOL.

Maybe it’s the cozy, snowy start to the new year, but I’m feeling optimistic about my reading life this year - both tackling the neverending backlist that lines my shelves and is readily accessible through my library, but also the long list of preorders that I’ve placed at my local indie Loyalty.

Today, I’m sharing some of the 2025 releases I’m excited about. Will I read these books in 2025? TBD. Preordering gives future me a gift to look forward to, and supports my local bookstore and authors I admire. It’s a win-win-win. 

January 28: Imani Perry’s Back in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People. I can’t wait to read more from Imani Perry! Breathe: A Letter to My Sons and Looking for Lorraine are both up there on the list of my all-time favorite books.

February 11: Eve Ewing’s Original Sins: The (Mis)Education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism. Ewing is both a poet and an academic. I will forever love reading poet’s work across genres. Ewing’s Ghosts in the Schoolyard showcase her skill as a brilliant writer and thinker, so I know this will be good.

March 18: Giaae Kwon’s I’ll Love You Forever: Notes from a K-Pop Fan. Do I listen to K-Pop? No, but Kwon and I have been internet mutuals forever and I love all the writing of hers I’ve been able to get my eyes on. I’m very excited for her debut!

April 22: Suleika Jauoad’s The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life. I LOVED Suleika’s first novel, I LOVE her newsletter The Isolation Journals, and I even purchased a journal she designed that I use for my personal journal! I’m feeling motivated about reading more craft and creativity books this year, so this is high on the list.

July 1: Susie Dumond’s Bed and Breakup. I’m slightly impatient that I have to wait until July for this. In addition to being a fabulous romance writer, Susie is a local book person. I love that she places her novels in locations that as a Michigan-bred, East Coast gay, I don’t think typically as epicenters of queer culture - but she continuously proves me wrong and provides excellent representation of queer people thriving in unexpected (to me) locations.

I’m sure there are MANY good books by amazing writers coming out this year that I missed. I’d love to hear your anticipated 2025 releases - respond and let me know what they are!

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