We may only be a few months into 2025, but the literary world isn’t holding back when it comes to some impressive fiction. From International Booker Prize nominees to some long-awaited releases from Sons & Daughters Books readers, we’ve had our noses in the pages quite a bit.
Whether you’re looking to add to your reading list for spring and summer (or just want to know what’s hot in fiction right now), we’ve put together the list of our top fiction books of 2025 so far!
Did you miss our top books for Women’s History Month? Check out our list and add these to your 2025 reading list as well!
Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa
Already longlisted for the International Booker Prize, Hunchback makes its US debut after becoming a literary phenomenon in Japan. This defiant and darkly funny work introduces us to Shaka, a young woman with a congenital muscle disorder who spends her days in a care home outside Tokyo, relying on an electric wheelchair and ventilator.
We absolutely love how this novel refuses to play into expected narratives about disability. If Shaka's physical life has limitations, her quick-wit certainly doesn’t!
Hunchback packs an emotional punch far beyond its slim profile. Ichikawa has crafted a feminist manifesto about dignity and autonomy that reminds us all of life's full potential, regardless of limitations
Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Ten years after her bestselling Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is back with the even more anticipated Dream Count. This searing novel follows four Nigerian women on their path to understanding love, longing, and desire.
You likely already know the emotions that Adichie brings to her works, and this fictional study on a very non-fictional experience asks us: Is true happiness really something we can find?
Dream Count cements Adichie as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary literature, and it’s on our list as one of our top works of the year so far. Don’t miss it!
Homeseeking by Karissa Chen
We’ve become big fans of Karissa Chen’s debut novel, Homeseeking. The book follows one couple across sixty years as world events pull them together and apart.
Their story starts in Shanghai, where seven-year-old Suchi was drawn to the sound of Haiwen's violin – and a childhood friendship blossoms into soul-deep love. But when Haiwen secretly enlists in the Nationalist army in 1947, he leaves Suchi with only his violin and a heart-wrenching note: Forgive me.
Chen takes readers through decades of Chinese history from Hong Kong to Taiwan to New York to California. It's the perfect read for anyone who believes in the enduring power of love across distance and time (and honestly, don't we all?).
Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett
We may be a bit biased by the name, but Mothers and Sons deserves to be on the top list of fiction in 2025. Haslett’s work brings the emotional gut punch we've come to expect from "one of the country's most talented writers" (Wall Street Journal).
The story follows Peter, a forty-year-old asylum lawyer in NYC who's overworked, isolated, and emotionally numb. But when a young gay client's case breaks through his carefully constructed walls, Peter is forced to face his past – and the moment that estranged him from his mother.
What we love most about this book is how Haslett shows us the cost of looking away from our past – and, most importantly, our potential for healing when we finally face it. This one's a keeper!
Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico
Need a quick but devastating read? At just 136 pages, Perfection might be compact, but it packs a punch! This is Latronico's English-language debut, and the New Yorker has already called it "the great Berlin novel we've all been waiting for."
Meet Anna and Tom, an expat couple living the dream in Berlin as digital "creatives." They've got it all: cool freelance jobs, a curated apartment, and finely crafted social media personas. But as the years pass, their friends move on, their work loses its spark, and life… happens.
We can't stop laughing (and wincing) at how perfectly Latronico captures millennial burnout. If you’re in it too, then you’ll want to make sure and grab this one.
Gliff by Ali Smith
One of our favorite authors, Ali Smith, has done it again with Gliff! This genre-bending story about our search for meaning is set in an uncertain near-future where new boundaries are drawn between people daily. Add two children and a horse, and you've got something pretty unique!
When algorithms try to reduce us to predictable data points, Smith shows us why our messy, complex humanity matters more than ever. The title comes from a Scottish word meaning "a transient moment, a shock, a faint glimpse," and that's exactly what reading this novel feels like. Add this fun (if not urgently needed) one to your list.
Expand Your 2025 Reading List with Sons & Daughters
These are just the beginning of what looks to be an impressive year in fiction. We love how each of these books acts as a window into the human experience, showing us the highs and lows of real life through fantastic characters.
At Sons and Daughters Books, we're passionate about bringing you the best works that challenge you, comfort you, and everything in between. Check them out, and make sure to explore our full collection of 2025 fiction releases to discover even more!
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