9 Books by Female Authors You May Have Missed in 2025

About Laura Gooch

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From groundbreaking debuts to unforgettable new novels, 2025 was an especially good year for readers. In celebration of Women’s History Month, here are nine standout reads by female authors published in 2025. Add a few to your reading list and keep an eye out for them on your next trip to your local bookstore or library.

Whether you’re looking for a thriller, romance, poetry or literary fiction, there’s something for everyone on this list.

1. Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson

A childhood tragedy. A beloved heirloom destroyed. An affluent family unable to escape the media frenzy that descends. Good Dirt explores what it means to lose someone you love, to try to escape your past only to have it follow you and how a piece of family history might help explain your future. Spanning generations, this novel is made for historical fiction fans seeking an evocative new read.

2. We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter

If you love a mystery/thriller that keeps you on your toes, We Are All Guilty Here is a great pick. The first in a new series by New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter, Oprah Daily describes it as “a story that will make you squirm, keep you up at night and leave you desperate for the next installment.” In other words, it's well worth picking up if you’re in the market for something moody, tense and impossible to put down.

3. The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee

Posthumously published, this collection of short stories and essays reminds us why Harper Lee is one of the amazing writers of our time. Made up of Lee’s early fiction and later nonfiction, The Land of Sweet Forever details her evolution as a writer. The collection follows her life from Alabama to New York City and reflects on the questions she’s been considering throughout every step of her journey. Here, we learn what it means to live a meaningful and creative life.

4. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Virginia Evans’ debut novel is one of the standouts of 2025. This deeply human novel tells the story of Sybil Van Antwerp, a snarky woman in her early 70s, who spends her days writing letters to everyone from friends and family to well-loved authors like Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Through these letters, readers come to understand the details of Sybil’s life—from her career and family dynamics to the complicated beauty of aging. Whether you’re in the mood for a hearty laugh or a good cry, The Correspondent might just become a new favorite this year.

5. Becoming Ghost by Cathy Linh Che

A finalist for the National Book Award in Poetry, Becoming Ghost is a subtly powerful collection centered on the poet’s parents, refugees from the Vietnam War, who were later cast as extras in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. Masterfully crafted, the collection brings overlooked lives into focus in a way that feels welcoming for both longtime poetry readers and newcomers alike. As a multidisciplinary artist, Cathy Linh Che also wrote and produced We Were the Scenery, an award-winning documentary short film that accompanies the collection. If you’re looking to get into poetry this year, Becoming Ghost is a wonderful place to start.

6. Heart the Lover by Lily King

A classic coming-of-age story by acclaimed author Lily King, Heart the Lover is a standalone novel that revisits the world of her 2020 book Writers & Lovers. Designed to be enjoyed together or separately, her newest work offers glimpses into the lives of these much-loved characters both before and after the events of the earlier novel. Arguably best of all, the novel is a book lover’s dream, with references ranging from Ovid and Homer to Virginia Woolf and Zora Neale Hurston. It’s a thoughtful read that’s meant to be savored.

7. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

How far would you go for what you love? That’s the question at the heart of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Atmosphere. Set against the backdrop of the 1980s NASA space shuttle program, the novel follows Joan Goodwin as she discovers the lengths she’ll go for her career, her niece and her one true love. Emotional and heartwarming, Atmosphere is really a romance for the ages. But make sure to have your tissues handy—you’re going to need them.

8. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

You can’t go wrong with reading a book about writers. Great for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Great Big Beautiful Life is a fun, atmospheric romance about two rival biographers vying for the chance to publish the story of a reclusive heiress. Described by author B.K. Borison as “thoughtful, moving and deliciously tender,” this Emily Henry book is a must-read.

9. A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck by Sophie Elmhirst

In June of 1972, Maurice and Maralyn set sail. They lived at sea for nearly a year without incident until a breaching whale struck their boat and left it sinking. A Marriage at Sea tells the true story of what happens when love faces an unimaginable test: surviving for months on a rubber raft in the middle of the ocean. This harrowing journey will remind you that you can run from the world, but you can’t run from yourself.

These nine books are just a few examples of the incredible work published by female authors in 2025. Whether you’re discovering a new genre or you’re revisiting a favorite author, there’s no better time to celebrate women’s voices. Consider this your invitation to read widely, support women writers and celebrate great literature all year long. If you’re looking for more book recommendations, read our post about Books You May Have Missed in 2024. Happy reading!