Best of Book Riot

Here Are the Big Horror Novels of 2025

Rebecca Joines Schinsky

Chief of Staff

Rebecca Joines Schinsky is the Chief of Staff for Riot New Media Group and a co-host of the Book Riot Podcast. She can be reached at rebecca@riotnewmedia.com.

Welcome to The Best of Book Riot, our daily round-up of what’s on offer across our site, newsletters, podcasts, and social channels. Not everything is for everyone, but there is something for everyone.

These Are the Horror Novels That Will Be Big in 2025

Horror has always been popular. But this year horror is the genre everyone is talking about. In 2025, I think it’s safe to say we’re all a little on edge, and horror speaks to our fears and anxieties most directly. Horror fans everywhere are noticing that the once-subversive stories they reach for are also the stories all their coworkers, family members, and friends are gravitating toward. With horror really having a moment in 2025, here are the horror novels you can expect everyone to be talking about this year. Prepare your shelves now!

To Defend Religious Freedom From the Trump Administration, We Need to Fight Book Bans

We don’t solve book bans by banning books, but we also don’t court the allyship of people of faith who want to ensure democratic institutions like libraries and public schools survive…Faith is not what’s at the center of book censorship. It’s extremism and authoritarianism. Book censorship and the dismantling of public goods threaten religious freedom, not protect it.


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Sample These Delicious Cookbooks

Whenever the world and all its worries become too much, I reach for cookbooks. There’s something soothing about flipping through their pages and learning new cooking techniques and poring over new-to-me recipes. Of late, I’ve had a stack of them beside me on the couch, always within arm’s reach.

A Sparkling Historical Fiction Novel About Queer Life in Gilded Age New York

Those who fight hardest against LGBTQ+ rights would have us believe that queerness is a modern phenomenon. In truth, queer people have always existed and will continue to exist, regardless of what laws or executive orders are used to limit our freedoms and visibility. As queer and trans people yet again find themselves at the center of the political battleground, queer historical fiction is a powerful reminder that we’ve always been here, and our stories matter.

8 of the Best Cold Case Mystery Books

Cold case plots are compelling because they stretch a mystery into the realm of folklore and ghosts. Over time, the truth can start to blur as stories morph. Moreover, people continue to be haunted by victims, typically the missing and murdered. The lack of closure in the cases will drive loved ones and investigators to the brink of madness. Their desperation to solve a cold case creates a tense, high-stakes environment.