Each year, Books That Make You brings readers one of the most anticipated lists in the literary world, a curated guide to the standout titles destined for TBR piles everywhere.
Whether you’re a planner who pre-orders early or a browser looking to fill your shelves with unforgettable stories, this is your go-to list for what to read next. From literary fiction and memoir to dystopian thrillers and sci-fi epics, these upcoming and newly released books cover it all.
Some are available now. Others are worth pre-ordering. All are ready to earn a place on your radar and your nightstand.
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
In Depression-era Mississippi, three women, an orphaned girl, a stubborn spinster, and a sharp-tongued wanderer, form an unlikely alliance with a bold plan to change their futures. Set in a town where dignity is hard-won and hypocrisy is everywhere, their story is one of survival, defiance, and the power of unexpected friendship. With grit, wit, and Southern charm, Kathryn Stockett’s long-awaited return is both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving.
Put this one on your TBR if you’re drawn to historical fiction with unforgettable female characters, emotional depth, and just the right amount of mischief.
The Disclosure Paradox: Salvation by Paul G. Vecchiet
Ancient mysteries, interdimensional beings, and a conspiracy centered on one of the most sacred relics on Earth collide in this high-stakes sci-fi thriller. In this second book of The Disclosure Paradox series, a powerful alien race seeks to steal the Holy Shroud, extract the DNA it carries, and unleash a weapon capable of reshaping the universe. Former Army Ranger Robert Ladd arrives in Turin searching for a missing friend and instead uncovers murder, corruption, and a covert plot involving Vatican officials and reptilian otherworlders. With psychic support from trusted allies, Robert races to stop a cosmic catastrophe that blurs the line between faith, science, and survival.
Put this on your TBR if you enjoy action-driven sci-fi, religious mysteries, and stories where ancient relics and alien agendas are woven into one gripping narrative.
Mountains to Cross by Abraham M. George
From the Himalayas to the boardroom, and ultimately to the classrooms of India’s most vulnerable children, Dr. Abraham George’s journey is a study in purpose. After building a successful business career in the United States, he returned to India to confront social injustice and poverty head-on. Through his foundation and the now-renowned Shanti Bhavan school, Dr. George has helped break cycles of inequality and uplift communities through education. This memoir is a moving reminder that success means little if it isn’t shared.
Add this to your TBR if you’re drawn to stories of service, social impact, and the kind of life built not just for achievement, but for meaning.
Dominion: Ascension by D. A. Murray
In a post-apocalyptic world where women rule and men are divided into castes, one investigative reporter risks everything to expose the truth behind Dominion’s carefully controlled society. After a devastating war, the surviving world is led by women, while men are tested, sorted, and assigned roles that rarely include freedom. When Dani Matthews reunites with Robbie, a childhood friend now designated as a Breeder, they flee in search of Haven, a rumored sanctuary for escaped men. What they find challenges not only the system, but the very meaning of love, identity, and survival.
Add this to your TBR if you’re drawn to dystopian fiction with sharp social commentary, immersive world-building, and high-stakes rebellion.
Wrestling Through Adversity by Christine M. Silverstein
In a time when mental health is at the center of national conversation, Dr. Christine Silverstein offers a clear, compassionate guide to building resilience, especially in young people. Drawing from decades of experience as a performance coach and hypnotherapist, she introduces practical, science-backed tools like positive self-talk, visualization, and emotional regulation techniques. With insight from both clinical work and personal experience, this book equips caregivers, educators, and teens with the skills to meet life’s challenges with strength and self-awareness.
Add this to your TBR if you’re invested in youth mental health, personal growth, or learning how mindset can shape the way we overcome adversity.
Threat by Peter Gribble
In a city of pacifist magicians with no army and no weapons, strategy becomes its own kind of magic. When a barbarian invasion looms, the City’s leaders turn to a rare form of telepathy to avoid bloodshed. But as hidden factions, secret agendas, and internal betrayals come to light, the plan unravels. Told through the intertwined lives of a reluctant young messenger, a grieving librarian, and a council strategist, this cerebral fantasy explores power, politics, and what happens when you’re forced to act against everything you believe.
Put this on your TBR if you enjoy complex worldbuilding, layered characters, and fantasy that asks big questions about control, choice, and consequence.
The Trek Continues by Chester L. Richards
Rocket science, baboon ambushes, superfluid physics, Star Trek, and a few deeply beloved cats, this memoir has it all. In the second installment of his Treks Beyond the Great Potato series, Chester Richards blends danger, discovery, and dry humor into a narrative that’s as brainy as it is unpredictable. Whether he’s escaping whitewater chaos, brushing elbows with astronauts, or reflecting on love and loss, Richards proves that curiosity, as well as a little chaos, can make a life well-lived.
Put this one on your TBR if you love real-life adventure, science memoirs, or the kind of storytelling that veers from the hilarious to the heartfelt in a single page.
The Last of Earth by Deepa Anappara
In 1869, Tibet is a forbidden land—and two outsiders are determined to enter. One is Balram, an Indian schoolteacher turned covert surveyor for the British Empire. The other is Katherine, an Englishwoman denied entry into the all-male Royal Geographical Society. Their paths cross in the icy wilderness as they face bandits, blizzards, and their own personal ghosts. As they chase legacy, rescue, and redemption across an unforgiving landscape, the story unfolds into a sweeping meditation on ambition, friendship, and the colonial drive to conquer.
Add this to your TBR if you love richly detailed historical fiction, character-driven storytelling, and novels that explore the high cost of empire and exploration.
Ghost Town by Tom Perrotta
In 1970s suburban New Jersey, tragedy leaves eighth-grader Jimmy Perrini feeling adrift. Then two new older friends enter his life. One is a burnout with a fast car and a head full of dangerous ideas; the other, a strange girl with a Ouija board. Together, they pull him into a summer of grief, mystery, and distraction. Years later, Jimmy is a novelist with the distance and perspective to finally tell the story that shaped him. With razor-sharp nostalgia and emotional weight, Tom Perrotta explores how the past never quite lets go and how the ghosts we carry can define who we become.
Perfect for readers drawn to literary fiction with a coming-of-age core, suburban tension, and the subtle unease of stories told through memory.
Woman Down by Colleen Hoover
Petra Rose had it all, until a viral backlash made her the internet’s favorite villain. Her career stalled, her confidence shattered, she retreats to a secluded cabin to try writing again. When a real detective shows up on her doorstep, Petra’s fictional cop character suddenly feels very real. The creative spark returns, but so does something darker. As the line between story and reality blurs, Petra is forced to confront the muse she’s invited in and what it might cost her to keep writing.
Add this to your TBR if you love psychological suspense with a meta twist, complicated characters, and stories that explore what happens when fiction cuts a little too close to real life.
TBR lists are personal, but the best ones start with a little inspiration. Whether you pick one book or all ten, these titles are poised to spark conversation, curiosity, and that unbeatable feeling of getting lost in a great read this year and every year. Happy reading.
