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The Book Trends of 2025, According to Goodreads

Here are the biggest book trends of 2025, according to Goodreads, including Appalachian Speculation and Pregnant Protagonists in Peril.

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Danika Ellis

Associate Editor

Danika spends most of her time talking about queer women books at the Lesbrary. Blog: The Lesbrary Twitter: @DanikaEllis

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As the announcements of new book releases out in 2025 roll in, Goodreads has spotted a few trends—things like paint drips on covers. Or novels about multi-level marketing schemes. Or speculative fiction set in Appalachia. Some of these trends are continuations from patterns set in 2024, while others have popped up just now. They have 17 cross-genre trends in total, and here is a selection.

Appalachian Speculation: Sci-fi, fantasy, and horror books set in Appalachia.

Examples: The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister, Smothermoss by Alisa Alering, and Motheater by Linda H. Codega

they bloom at night book cover

Water World: Dystopian novels set in flooded worlds.

Examples: How to Fall in Love in a Time of Unnameable Disaster by Muriel Leung, They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran, and Awake in the Floating City by Susanna Kwan

Mommy Dearest: Novels about children of mommy influencers telling their stories.

Examples: Hate Follow by Erin Quinn-Kong and The Influencers by Anna-Marie McLemore

cover of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

MLMs: Fiction about MLM schemes, especially of the deadly variety.

Examples: The Coin by Yasmin Zaher and Death in the Downline by Maria Abrams

Pregnant Protagonists (in Peril!): Mystery, thriller, and horror novels with a pregnant main character.

Examples: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix, The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes, and The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley

victorian psycho cover

Sympathy for the Devil: Books with serial killer and assassin main characters.

Examples: Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn and I Bet You’d Look Good in a Coffin by Katy Brent

Paint Drips on Book Covers: …This one doesn’t need an explanation.

Examples: Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito and The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

See all 17 trends and the complete list of examples for each on the Goodreads blog.

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