Time to update your TBR for 2025.
2025 is right around the corner, and that means another year of great books ahead.
While we can’t share every exciting release of 2025, there are a few that already have quite a bit of buzz around them, especially in the first half of the year. Whether you’re a fan of spine-chilling thrillers, sweet romances or thought-provoking non-fiction, there’s something for every type of reader on this list.
Add these to your ‘to be read’ list – and keep an eye out for more exciting announcements in the coming year.
The Favourites Layne Fargo
The Favourites by Layne Fargo is an excitingly unique read, an epic love story that reimagines the tempestuous romance of Wuthering Heights in the sparkling, savage world of elite figure skating.
Alternating the protagonist's own account of her dramatic rise and devastating fall with scandalous snippets from the tell-all film, and capturing the can’t-look-away intensity of Emily Bronte’s classic novel, it is an exhilarating dance between passion, ambition, and what it truly means to win.
A must-read contemporary fiction novel.
Out 14 January 2025.
The Bad Bridesmaid Rachael Johns
Start the year off right The Bad Bridesmaid, with a delightful romantic comedy from the bestselling author of The Other Bridget.
Serial dater Fred has sworn off true love, so when she's asked to be the maid of honour at her mother's sixth wedding, she joins forces with the groom's son Leo to stop the wedding. But as she gets to know Leo, she begins to rethink her own rigid rules about love.
A heartwarming and entertaining friends-to-lovers you must add to your TBR.
Out 28 January 2025.
Half Truth Nadia Mahjouri
A moving drama charting families, motherhood and loss, identity and belonging, Nadia Mahjouri's Half Truth is a powerful and emotional novel our early next year.
A daughter searches for her father; a mother for her son. From isolated Tasmania to vibrant Morocco, two women seek the truth about what happened to the same man. As their stories collide, they gain the courage to embrace their past and move forward with their lives.
Out 4 February 2025.
When the Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole Geoff Parkes
If you're in the market for an unputdownable crime thriller, Geoff Parkes' When the Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole is for you.
A missing woman and a town full of suspects, this haunting debut crime novel transports the reader back to the 1980s, set in a small picturesque rural town in New Zealand.
An engrossing murder mystery that will send shivers down your spine.
Out 4 February 2025.
Wild Dark Shore Charlotte McConaghy
From the New York Times bestselling author Charlotte McConaghy, Wild Dark Shore is a novel about a family living alone on a remote island, when a mysterious woman washes up on shore.
A novel of heartstopping twists, dizzying beauty and ferocious love, it is a story about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us is ending.
Out 4 March 2025.
The Next Conversation Jefferson Fisher
From communication expert Jefferson Fisher, The Next Conversation is the definitive book on making your next conversation the one that changes everything.
No matter who you’re talking to, it will give you immediately actionable strategies and phrases that will forever change how you communicate, with down-to-earth teachings that have already helped countless people navigate life’s toughest situations.
Everything you want to say, and how you want to say it, can be found in The Next Conversation.
Out 25 March 2025.
The Bookshop Detectives 2: Tea and Cake and Death Gareth and Louise Ward
After the huge popularity of the first Bookshop Detectives novel this year, the second instalment is here next year, with even more mysteries, twists and fun.
In this rollicking new adventure, Garth and Eloise (and Stevie) must sniff out a prolific poisoner ahead of a vital fundraising event, all the while keeping their small town and beloved bookshop safe.
A must-read for fans of cosy crime and quirky mystery.
Out 1 April 2025.
Great Big Beautiful Life Emily Henry
Whether you're a devout Emily Henry fan, a lover of butterfly-inducing romantic comedy, or simply in the market for beautifully-crafted love story, Great Big Beautiful Life is going to be an absolute must.
Alice and Hayden are both invited to the island home of a reclusive heiress, and are given the task of unearthing the truth behind one of the most scandalous families of the century. But as the mysteries deepen, so does the unquestionable chemistry between the two . . . could the tale be one of mystery, tragedy or love?
Out 23 April 2025.
Rytual Chloe Elisabeth Wilson
Both a darkly funny deconstruction of the beauty industry and a gripping examination of identity, beauty and desire, Chloe Elisabeth Wilson's Rytual asks the question: what if your favourite cult beauty brand … was actually a cult?
It follows Marnie, who lands a job at the mysterious beauty brand rytual cosmetica, where not is all as it seems and the engimatic CEO holds a cult-like power over her employees.
This is a must-read book of contemporary fiction in 2025.
Out 6 May 2025.
The Book of Guilt Catherine Chidgey
Catheine Chidgey's The Book of Guilt is a creepy, compelling upcoming novel that will shock you with each new revelation.
Set in 1979 England, the book follows the last remaining residents of a home controlled by a government scheme, as cracks start to appear and they begin to question their monotonous lives.
This is a profoundly unnerving exploration of belonging in a world where some lives are valued less than others.
Out 6 May 2025.
Count My Lies Sophie Stava
A clever, original and twisty crime thriller, Sophie Stava's Count My Lies is sure to be a big hit in 2025.
A compulsive liar, Sloane finds herself becoming the nanny for a picture-perfect family after a chance encounter with them. But as her lies grow, she soon finds out that she isn't the only one lying, and her employers hide a much more dangerous truth.
An addictive and expertly-plotted thriller for any fans of suspense.
Out 20 May 2025.
Australia's Agricultural Identity - an Aboriginal yarn Joshua Gilbert
Putting culture back in Agriculture, a young, entrepreneurial Worimi man leaps into the discussion of agriculture on this land on which we live, its past, but more importantly, its future.
Joshua Gilbert's Australia's Agricultural Identity is a groundbreaking book that explores a new approach to Indigenous culture and farming, combining ancient knowledge and practices with new technology and insights.
A brilliant and informative guide on how we can create a truly Australian agricultural yarn that we build together.
Out 27 May 2025.
Atmosphere Taylor Jenkins Reid
You will not want to miss Atmosphere, the next novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, one of the most talked-about and bestselling fiction authors in recent years.
An epic novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle progra, this is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best, transporting readers to iconic times and places, with complex protagonists and a passionate story about the transformative power of love.
Out 3 June 2025.
Check out the long weekend reads Penguin employees are loving.
Our 2025 Penguin Noir events have wrapped up for another year – featuring four cities, four days, seven authors and a whole lot of crime!
Layne Fargo shares how she ended up writing a book that combines the spectacle of elite figure skating with the tempestuous romance of Wuthering Heights.
A creepy, compelling novel to read with your book club.
Plus, learn about the real-world inspiration behind the darkly funny novel.
Learn how Nadia Majhouri's personal journey and cultural heritage inspired her debut novel, Half Truth.
Plus, find out his #1 tip for aspiring authors.
A moving drama about family, loss and belonging to read with your book club.
Check out some of the hottest YA books in stores now, from epic romantasy to sweet, unexpected romance.
Everything you need to throw the perfect Bluey birthday party!
Check out some of the Penguin Random House authors who will be at upcoming writers’ festivals.
Food shopping on a budget? These tips from Money-Saving Meal Plans With Chelsea will help you spend less on food.