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It’s been a strange year for books. I’ve recently chatted with booksellers, journalists, and other professionals in the literary world about the lack of big, buzzy bestsellers in 2025. No books have really captured the zeitgeist and broken through to catch the interest of non-bookish folks. The biggest book of the year is arguably Percival Everett’s James, which many have forgotten actually came out in 2024. The most frustrating thing is, there are so many great books published this year! I think what we really have isn’t a crisis of good books, but a crisis of discoverability. With BookTok engagement on the decline, AI slop on the rise, and a news landscape that makes many of us want to hide in a cave, it’s been a tough year for books to get much attention.
Most of the books that have cracked into bestseller territory this year have done so with the help of massive marketing budgets. But as “Best Books of 2025” lists roll out, I find them lacking many of the books I’ve loved this year. It turns out some of the books that have made the biggest impact on me in 2025 have been criminally underappreciated. This list contains ten books that blew me away yet, as of this writing, have fewer than 500 ratings on Goodreads. (Goodreads is a complicated place, but I still find it helpful for gauging books’ popularity and visibility.) All of these books deserve to be on best-of-the-year lists. Some of them came from smaller publishers. Some were released late enough in the year that they got lost in the shuffle. If you’re looking to dig deeper into books that deserved more praise this year, check out these best books of 2025 that you (probably) haven’t read.
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Guatemalan Rhapsody by Jared Lemus
When it comes to short story collections, it’s a rare experience to find one where every single story shines. Debut author Jared Lemus delivers a brilliant collection full of unforgettable stories with Guatemalan Rhapsody. Set across Guatemala and the Guatemalan diaspora, we meet a wide variety of characters, from a medicine man worshiping the saint of drugs and alcohol to two friends in an amateur tattooing competition to a group of boys pulling off literal highway robbery. Intriguing, tense, and darkly funny, Guatemalan Rhapsody will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The White Hot by Quiara Alegría Hudes
Quiara Alegría Hudes is known for her writing for the stage (including In the Heights!) and for her memoir My Broken Language. But her novella The White Hot shows the breadth of her storytelling prowess. It’s written in the form of letters from a former teen mom to her new adult daughter, explaining where the mother disappeared to for a chunk of time in her daughter’s childhood. With gripping tension, complex characters, and reflections on women’s rage, it’s a short read with a massive emotional impact.
Black Salt Queen by Samantha Bansil
This atmospheric fantasy novel is full of political drama, forbidden romance, elemental magic, and Filipino history and culture. The island of Maynara is ruled by a family with the power to control the earth and sky. But their power is finite, and the current queen is running out. Her daughter, next in line for the throne, uses her power frivolously and is hiding a relationship with the son of a rival family. If she takes control too soon, it could put their entire nation at risk. It’s the first in a new series that has me dying for a sequel.
The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery by Clarence A. Haynes
Strange, menacing events keep happening in New York City, particularly to high-profile publicist Gwendolyn Montgomery. When several of her events are ruined by seemingly paranormal happenings, she must confront a past she’d rather stay hidden. She’ll need the help of queer psychic Fonsi, who has a talent for communing with the dead but is distracted by his love triangle with a ghost. Clarence A. Haynes’ haunting fantasy novel is full of surprises, striking characters, and unique ghost lore.
Something Cheeky by Thien-Kim Lam
Thien-Kim Lam gives showmance lovers a peek behind the curtain in Something Cheeky. Derek and Zoe were friends in their college theatre program. It’s been a while, but now Derek is writing and directing a rock musical inspired by Vietnam’s version of Cinderella, and he asks Zoe to come out of costume design retirement and join him. Full of backstage drama and big dreams, it’s a friends-to-lovers romance that (literally and metaphorically) sings.
Play You For It by Samantha Saldivar
This slam-dunk of a sports romance deserves all the applause. Jordan is the first woman coach of a men’s D1 college basketball team, and the media has a lot to say about how that might play out. Journalist Beck has fought her way through the patriarchal world of sports reporting, and she believes she’s the best person to help tell Jordan’s story. But when sparks fly between them, it could put both of their careers at risk. On top of being an incredible writer, Samantha Saldivar also has broadcast experience, and she brings realistic drama and tension to this fantastic romance.
Foreign Fruit: A Personal History of the Orange by Katie Goh
Katie Goh’s fascinating reflection on the history of citrus fruit draws on ecology, international relations, nature and food writing, and the author’s personal memories to tell a story that will change the way you look at fresh produce. Oranges are one of the most internationally popular fruits today, but they were once a rarity treasured by royals from China to Europe. Goh, a writer of Chinese, Malaysian, and Irish descent, looks to the cultivation of oranges to help understand her own roots. It’s a sweeping story that touches on many unexpected moments in history.
TreeNotes: A Year in the Company of Trees by Nalini Nadkarni
Nalini Nadkarni is a forest ecologist whose research and writing help us all understand the powerful role trees play on our planet. Her book TreeNotes is a short but impactful read about all the ways trees touch our lives, from their natural beauty to the fruits and spices that flavor our food to things like chopsticks, drumsticks, and baseball bats that we frequently encounter without considering where they came from. Organized by seasons, it’s a quiet, contemplative read that will make you want to learn more about your favorite trees.
Madame Queen: The Life and Crimes of Harlem’s Underground Racketeer, Stephanie St. Clair by Mary Kay McBrayer
Stephanie St. Clair was one of the most powerful figures in 1930s Harlem’s underground gambling scene. She was also the best at evading law enforcement — until police broke into her home and tried to frame her with fake evidence. St. Clair went public, buying ad space in local newspapers to fight police corruption. Many details of St. Clair’s life have been lost to history, but author Mary Kay McBrayer artfully fills in the gaps with research and some narrative guesses in her creative biography of St. Clair, Madame Queen. It’s a true crime book that puts you right in the middle of the action.
Becoming Ghost by Cathy Linh Che
It’s hard to call a book shortlisted for the National Book Award for Poetry “under the radar”, but I’m stunned by how few people have read this remarkable collection by Cathy Linh Che. Che’s parents were Vietnam War refugees who, shortly after arriving in the U.S., were cast as extras in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now and forced to relive their trauma for the big screen. Che plays with the scenes and script of the film while recentering Vietnamese perspectives to create poetry unlike any you’ve read before.
I hope this list of the most underrated books of 2025 helped you find some under-the-radar books to add to your TBR! Find more of our Best Books of 2025 here.
