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Ah, 2015. Can you believe it was 10 years ago? I’m absolutely flabbergasted, and I’m also feeling incredibly old. So how appropriate that this year’s Read Harder Challenge includes a challenge to complete one of the reading challenges from Read Harder 2015? We’ve got a whole new year to look forward to with lots of new book releases, so let’s make this a full-circle moment. Here are a few really exciting books coming out in 2025 that you could use to complete 2015’s challenges.
A Short Story Collection:
A Terrifying Brush with Optimism by Brian Leung (Sarabande Books, January 21)
Coming out this month is a new collection of works from Lambda Literary Award and Asian American Literary Award winner Brian Leung. A Terrifying Brush of Optimism includes short stories, an essay, and a novel exploring what it means to keep one’s dignity in a contemporary world that seems so intent on stripping that away from us.
A Romance Novel:
Flirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar (Dell, January 14)
Another new January release worth adding to your TBR and perhaps your Read Harder challenge: this new reimagining of the rom-com classic Sweet Home Alabama. Meena hasn’t seen her husband Nikhil in years. Now Meena is a lawyer on Capitol Hill and she’s hoping to move on, so she returns to her hometown in Texas to finally obtain a divorce. But a quick trip turns a lot more complicated when a hurricane hits the gulf. Suddenly, she’s forced to hunker down with her soon-to-be ex, and now she remembers all the things she really liked about him.
A LGBTQ Book:
We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin (Atria Books, January 28)
This prompt asks readers to choose a book from an LGBTQ author or featuring an LGBTQ character, so why not pick up the latest from Emily Austin? We Could Be Rats follows the story of two sisters. Sigrid is perpetually stuck in childhood. She didn’t graduate high school, and she’s stuck at a dead-end job at Dollar Pal. Her older sister Margit doesn’t understand Sigrid’s resistance to grow up and conform to society’s expectations. But as she works towards understanding her sister’s perspective, Margit reconnects to her own childhood imagination.
A Sci-Fi Novel:
Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang (Dutton, May 13)
Whether you read sci-fi all the time or are new to the genre, Ling Ling Huang’s latest is the perfect blend of sci-fi sensibilities and literary fiction. Enka and Mathilde are two artists who meet in art school and strike up a friendship. Mathilde has a fierce talent that is hard to deny, while Enka struggles to find her voice. As Mathilde finds fame in the art world, Enka finds a different path, marrying a billionaire whose company is funding a new technology that is meant to heighten empathy. Could this new innovation bring Enka even closer to her friend?
A YA Novel:
Nobody in Particular by Sophie Gonzales (Wednesday Books, June 3)
I had so much fun with Sophie Gonzales’ last YA sapphic romance Never Ever Getting Back Together, so I’m so excited for a new one! Princess Rosemary of Henland is recovering from a major scandal that lost her the trust of not only her country but also her best friend. The last thing she needs in her life is a new romance. But then Danni shows up on campus. Danni is a talented pianist attending Bramppath College on a music scholarship, and she quickly becomes close friends with Rose’s ex-best friend. Still, even with rumors flying, Danni can’t help but find herself drawn to Rose.
Are you doing the Read Harder Challenge this year? Make sure you subscribe to the Read Harder Newsletter for all the recs! All Access members get even more recommendations, plus community features. Good luck with your reading goals this year!
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