From magical ramen shops to murderous detectives, this month’s lineup is chaos—and you’re going to love every page.
Ah, January. The time of year when we all make resolutions we have no intention of keeping (gym memberships, we’re looking at you) and swear to “read more” before promptly adding 47 new releases to our TBR piles. If your idea of “new year, new you” involves binge-reading until 2 a.m., you’re in luck—this month’s book drop has everything from sci-fi heists and haunted libraries to rom-coms in the wilderness.
So, before you delude yourself into thinking you’ll have any spare time for productivity, check out these January must-reads. Warning: Side effects include sleepless nights, emotional devastation, and a sudden urge to pre-order everything.
Beautiful Ugly
Alice Feeney’s Beautiful Ugly is a mind-bending whirlwind that’ll have you second-guessing everything—and everyone. Meet Grady Green: bestselling author turned disaster after his wife, Abby, vanishes. Her car? Found near a cliff. Her phone? Ditched. Clues? Nada.
A year later, Grady’s drowning in whiskey and writer’s block. His solution? Hide out on a remote Scottish island—where he spots a woman who looks exactly like Abby. Coincidence? Breakdown? Or is Feeney about to drop the ultimate twist?
If you’re addicted to stories where trust is a trap and nothing’s what it seems, Beautiful Ugly is your next all-nighter.
Blood and the Badge
When NYPD detectives start moonlighting as hitmen for the mob, things get dark fast. In Blood and the Badge, Michael Cannell unpacks the jaw-dropping saga of Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa—the cops who turned “partners in crime” literal. Forget bending the rules—these two were leaking secrets, collecting bribes, and stacking bodies like they were in a Scorsese film.
It’s Goodfellas meets The Departed, but scarier—because it all really happened. If true crime that’s wilder than fiction is your thing, this needs to be on your list.
Lightfall
Imagine if Game of Thrones and Underworld had a magic-fueled love child—that’s Lightfall by Ed Crocker. In this vampire dystopia, the elite sip gourmet blood, the poor settle for knockoff plasma, and stepping outside the city? Basically suicide.
Enter Sam, a palace maid tired of scrubbing floors in silence. When a clue to a royal murder lands in her lap, it’s game on. With a rebel maid squad, a geeky sorcerer, and a werewolf assassin by her side, she’s out for truth—and maybe some overdue freedom (plus better blood).
Love dark fantasy with rebellion, political chaos, and characters who throw shade and punches? Lightfall is your next obsession.
Hammajang Luck
Strap in—Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto throws you into the neon-soaked chaos of Kepler Space Station, where sky-high stakes meet a crew as wild as the galaxy.
Meet Edie, freshly out of prison after being betrayed by their old partner, Angel. Now Angel’s back with a deal: one last job targeting the trillionaire tech mogul they failed to take down before. The twist? Edie has to trust Angel again—a gamble riskier than navigating a meteor shower blindfolded.
Think Ocean’s 8 meets Blade Runner, but with a Hawaiian twist that’s equal parts grit and aloha. If high-stakes heists, complex characters, and LGBTQ+ rep are your jam, Hammajang Luck is calling your name.
Death of the Author
Zelu’s having a week straight out of a disaster novel—fired from her university job, her latest manuscript rejected, and stuck at her sister’s over-the-top Caribbean wedding. In a defiant move, she writes Rusted Robots, a post-apocalyptic saga where androids and AI battle it out in the ruins of humanity. Shockingly, it becomes a bestseller, turning Zelu into a literary star.
But as her fame explodes, the line between her life and her story starts to blur. Is she shaping the narrative—or is it shaping her?
Nnedi Okorafor’s Death of the Author is an Africanfuturist masterpiece that fuses social commentary, emotional grit, and sci-fi thrills.
Water Moon
Ever found a ramen shop that doubles as a pawnshop for regrets? Welcome to Hana Ishikawa’s world in Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao—a hidden Tokyo backstreet where reality folds like origami.
On Hana’s first day as owner, disaster strikes: the shop is ransacked, her father’s missing, and their most valuable item is gone. Enter a mysterious stranger with an offer to help. Their quest? Chasing clues through rain-soaked alleys, flying on paper cranes, and wandering night markets in the sky.
With Studio Ghibli vibes and echoes of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this story is a soul-searching adventure wrapped in magic.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
In 1970s Florida, “wayward” girls are sent to Wellwood House to scrub their families’ reputations clean. Fern, 15, pregnant, and over the whole thing, lands there under Miss Wellwood’s ruthless control. Rules dictate everything—until a rebellious librarian slips Fern a book on witchcraft.
Suddenly, things at Wellwood start to change. Mysteriously.
Think The Craft meets The Handmaid’s Tale with a ‘70s twist. Grady Hendrix’s Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is darkly funny, eerily relevant, and impossible to put down. If you’re into stories about rebellion, resilience, and a little chaos magic, this one’s for you.
We Do Not Part
Kyungha thought pet-sitting her friend’s bird on Jeju Island would be easy. Then a snowstorm hits, her friend vanishes, and she’s pulled into a mystery tangled with Korea’s untold history. What started as a favor turns into a life-changing quest.
Think Eat Pray Love meets Snowpiercer, but with more unexpected twists and fewer train cars. Han Kang’s We Do Not Part is a spellbinding blend of friendship, loss, and “Wait, what just happened?” moments.
If you’re into page-turners packed with heart and history, this one belongs on your shelf. Out January 21, 2025—pre-order now and prepare for a story that’ll sweep you off your feet (and maybe make you Google Jeju Island’s weather).
Mask of the Deer Woman
Carrie Starr’s life fell apart after her daughter’s death. Now, the ex-Chicago detective finds herself back on her father’s reservation, reluctantly stepping into the role of tribal marshal. She’s barely settled in when Chenoa Cloud, a local college student, goes missing.
Haunted by grief and unsettling visions of the Deer Woman—a figure from Native lore—Carrie is drawn into a case that feels eerily familiar. Is this just another missing person case, or something much deeper?
Think True Detective with a Native folklore twist and a redemption arc that hits hard. If you’re into stories where past trauma and ancient legends collide, Mask of the Deer Woman is calling your name.
Onyx Storm
Ready to dive back into the chaos of Basgiath War College? Rebecca Yarros’s Onyx Storm picks up with Violet Sorrengail eighteen months into surviving dragons, battles, and betrayal. But the real fight is just beginning.
With enemies lurking closer than your ex’s social media updates, Violet must push past the crumbling Aretian wards to rally allies she never expected. Think Game of Thrones intrigue meets Hunger Games grit—with a side of Top Gun aerial action (minus the ‘80s soundtrack).
Can Violet uncover the truth before it all falls apart—or will this storm be her last?
Head Cases
Meet the FBI’s quirkiest unit: the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) team—a crew of misfit geniuses led by puzzle-master Agent Gardner Camden. Their latest case? A vigilante taking out serial killers and leaving cryptic clues behind.
With a killer who thinks they’re judge, jury, and executioner, the PAR team is in a race against time to crack the pattern before the body count climbs.
Think Criminal Minds intensity meets The Big Bang Theory brains—minus the laugh track. If you love dark humor and twisty mysteries, Head Cases is your next obsession.
Penitence
Angie and Julian were high school sweethearts—until a tragic ski accident changed everything. Years later, a shocking murder rocks Angie’s family, and Julian—now a hotshot NYC defense attorney—returns to town.
As they dig for answers, buried secrets surface, and old feelings ignite. From Colorado’s snowy slopes to the gritty streets of pre-9/11 New York, Penitence is a whirlwind of courtroom suspense, family drama, and second chances. But the real question? Can you ever truly forgive—or forget?
Kristin Koval’s debut is packed with twists, heartache, and just the right dose of redemption.
The Crash
Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperate for a fresh start. But her road trip to her brother’s house takes a terrifying detour when a blizzard leaves her stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and a broken ankle.
She’s rescued by a kind couple offering shelter in their cozy cabin—but something feels off. As the hours tick by, Tegan realizes this safe haven might be a trap. What began as an escape has turned into a fight for survival.
Freida McFadden’s The Crash is a gut-wrenching tale of motherhood, resilience, and unimaginable danger. If you love edge-of-your-seat suspense, this one’s for you. Out January 28, 2025—pre-order now and prepare to be chilled to the bone.
Realm of Ice and Sky
In Realm of Ice and Sky, Buddy Levy drops you into the perilous world of early 20th-century explorers who dared to conquer the Arctic—by airship. Picture it: soaring over polar bears and glaciers in a gas-filled balloon, chasing glory while the ice below threatens to swallow you whole.
Levy spotlights legends like Walter Wellman, who paved the way for Roald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile, navigating triumphs, disasters, and whispers of cannibalism. It’s Indiana Jones meets Survivor: Arctic Edition, only wilder—and real.
If epic journeys and near-impossible odds fuel your curiosity, this gripping historical thriller will have you hooked. Out January 28, 2025—pre-order now and gear up for a frostbitten adventure you won’t forget.
Spiral
When a ballerina and a hockey player fake-date, what could go wrong? In Spiral, Bal Khabra serves up a slow-burn love story where the ice meets center stage.
Elias Westbrook, rookie sensation for the Toronto Thunder, is stuck in a scoring slump. Sage Beaumont, an ambitious ballerina, needs more online buzz to land her dream role. Their plan? A fake relationship to boost their profiles. But as their “just for show” chemistry intensifies, those “no feelings allowed” rules start to crumble.
Can they stick to the script, or is their fauxmance spiraling into something real?
If you love sports drama, dance dreams, and romance that builds to an epic payoff, Spiral is your next obsession. Pre-order now and get ready to fall head over skates.
Out of the Woods
Sarah and Caleb Linwood were high school sweethearts who thought forever was a sure thing—until 17 years of marriage and a disastrous DIY project tested their limits. Her bid for independence? A hilarious flop. His attempt to “help”? Let’s just say it didn’t help.
Their last-ditch effort? A week-long wilderness couples’ therapy trip. Picture two city slickers trading Wi-Fi for wildlife, navigating emotional baggage while dodging actual snakes. It’s Eat, Pray, Love meets Survivor, but with more missteps and way more mosquito bites.
Can their love survive nature’s toughest reality check? Or will they lose their way—literally?
Hannah Bonam-Young’s Out of the Woods is packed with laughs, heart, and second chances.
And there you have it, January’s lineup of literary chaos, from thrillers that’ll have you triple-checking your locks to romances that’ll make your heart do pirouettes. Whether you’re craving magical realism or a murder mystery that unravels your sanity, this month’s releases are here to ruin your productivity (and we mean that in the best way possible).
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