Whether you’re looking for an escape, inspiration, or a book that lingers long after the last page, these top 10 picks promise something unforgettable.
1. Katabasis
| Book Details | Katabasis |
| Author | R.F Kuang |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Amazon | Book Link |
R. F. Kuang’s Katabasis (2025) is a striking addition to the dark academia tradition, blending myth, philosophy, and satire. The novel follows Alice Law, a graduate student in “Magick” at Cambridge during the 1980s, who descends into Hell to recover her mentor’s soul. Accompanied by her rival Peter Murdoch, Alice’s journey reflects both the literal horrors of the underworld and the figurative torments of academic life.
Thematically, Katabasis explores ambition, rivalry, and the burden of intellectual pursuit. Drawing on classical myths like Orpheus and Dante’s Inferno, Kuang reimagines Hell as a reflection of academic competition and personal guilt. At its heart lies a critique of the academy itself—its endless demands, moral compromises, and destructive obsessions.
2. Hemlock & Silver
| Book Details | Hemlock and Silver |
| Author | T.Kingfisher |
| Genre | Dark Fantasy |
| Available at | Book Link |
T. Kingfisher’s Hemlock & Silver (2025) is a dark, witty retelling of Snow White. The novel follows Anja, a middle-aged healer skilled in poisons, who is summoned to cure Princess Snow of a mysterious illness. Her investigation leads her to a magical mirror that opens into a dangerous alternate realm, revealing sinister forces behind the princess’s condition.
Blending humor, horror, and fairy-tale magic, Kingfisher creates a story that is at once chilling and playful. Anja’s practical, scientific worldview contrasts with the enchantments she encounters, while a sarcastic talking cat and a loyal bodyguard add both charm and depth.
3. Frankly
| Book Details | Frankly |
| Author | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Genre | Autobiography |
| Available at | Book Link |
Nicola Sturgeon’s memoir Frankly (2025) offers an unusually candid portrait of Scotland’s first female First Minister. Spanning her journey from Ayrshire roots to political prominence, the book reflects on pivotal events—independence debates, Brexit, and COVID-19—while revealing her private struggles with shyness, miscarriage, and the trauma of her 2023 arrest.
Balancing personal vulnerability with political insight, Sturgeon explores the tension between her public role and private self. Critics praise the memoir’s honesty and psychological depth, though some note omissions and defensiveness. Ultimately, Frankly is both confession and reckoning, capturing the costs of leadership with rare emotional candor.
4. Making It Big
| Book Details | Making it Big |
| Author | Femi Otedola |
| Genre | Autobiography |
| Available at | Book Link |
Femi Otedola’s memoir Making It Big (2025) charts his rise from modest beginnings to becoming one of Africa’s most influential businessmen. It traces his ventures in oil, energy, power, and finance, while highlighting resilience through setbacks and reinvention. Beyond business, Otedola emphasizes philanthropy, legacy, and African identity.
Blending autobiography with entrepreneurial lessons, the book inspires readers to embrace risk, persistence, and purpose. Quickly hitting Amazon’s bestseller lists, it has been praised by leaders like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Aliko Dangote for its honesty and relevance. More than a success story, it’s a guide to building impact and character.
5.The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold
| Book Details | The Blond who came in from the Cold |
| Author | Femi Otedola |
| Genre | Spy Thriller |
| Available at | Book Link |
The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold by Ally Carter is a thrilling, second-chance rom-com spy novel. Alex Sterling and Michael “King” Kingsley—rivals turned ex-lovers—wake up handcuffed together in a mysterious shack with no memory of how they got there .
As they fight to survive and discover who’s after them, their past missions and emotional history unfold through alternating timelines. The narrative sparkles with suspense, humor, sharp dialogue, and slow-burn romance, making it a fast-paced, cinematic read full of secrets, banter, and genuine chemistry
6. Automatic noodles
| Book Details | Automatic Noodles |
| Author | Annalee Newtiz |
| Genre | Scifi novel |
| Available at | Book Link |
Annalee Newitz’s Automatic Noodle is a cozy science fiction novella that blends themes of community, resilience, and identity with the comfort of food. Set in a postwar San Francisco, the story follows a group of reactivated robots who open a noodle shop in an abandoned ghost kitchen. Instead of being mere machines, these robots embody creativity, solidarity, and a longing for belonging. Their attempt to serve hand-pulled noodles becomes a metaphor for rebuilding trust and connection in a fractured society.
The novella reflects Newitz’s characteristic hopepunk style, where kindness and collaboration counter despair. Through the robots’ struggle against online review-bombing and social prejudice, the book comments on digital culture, capitalism, and the need for inclusive spaces. Warm, witty, and imaginative, Automatic Noodle affirms that survival after conflict is not only about technology, but also about shared meals, friendship, and care.
7. We Are All Guilty Here
| Book Details | We are All Guilty here |
| Author | Karin Slaughter |
| Genre | Murder Mystery |
| Available at | Book Link |
Karin Slaughter’s We Are All Guilty Here is a gripping crime thriller set in the small town of North Falls, Georgia. The novel follows deputy Emmy Clifton, whose life is haunted by guilt after dismissing a teenager’s plea for help on the night she disappeared. Twelve years later, history seems to repeat itself when another girl vanishes, forcing Emmy to confront past mistakes and a town full of secrets.
Through its dual timeline, the novel explores collective guilt, complicity, and silence in tight-knit communities. Slaughter blends tense police procedural detail with emotional depth, showing how trauma lingers across generations. Dark yet compassionate, the story is both a suspenseful mystery and a reflection on responsibility, truth, and the hidden cost of turning away.
8.Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything
| Book Details | Semi Well Adjusted despite Literally Everything |
| Author | Alyson Stoner |
| Genre | Memoir |
| Available at | Book Link |
Alyson Stoner’s memoir Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything is a raw and courageous account of surviving—and reshaping—the child star experience. Known for roles in Camp Rock, Step Up, and Disney Channel projects, Stoner reveals the unseen struggles behind early fame: exploitation, loss of autonomy, eating disorders, religious trauma, and even stalking and assault.
Drawing on personal journals, the book explores how the entertainment industry rewards obedience while eroding individuality.Yet, the memoir is not only about pain; it is also about reclamation. Stoner writes with honesty and wit, tracing their path toward healing, identity, and queer self-acceptance. Beyond personal reflection, they channel their experiences into advocacy, co-founding wellness initiatives like Movement Genius and speaking out for child performer protections. Both vulnerable and empowering, Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything is a story of survival, resilience, and reform—an inspiring testament to turning hardship into strength and purpose.
9.Forget Me Not
| Book Details | Forget me Not |
| Author | Stacy Willingham |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Available at | Book Link |
Stacy Willingham, bestselling author of A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things, has established herself as a leading voice in Southern psychological thrillers. Her 2025 release, Forget Me Not, deepens her reputation for weaving suspense with emotional resonance.
The novel follows Claire Campbell, a journalist still haunted by the disappearance of her sister Natalie more than two decades earlier. Returning to her childhood home, Claire takes a job at Galloway Farm, where she discovers a mysterious diary that may hold answers to old crimes and her sister’s fate.True to Willingham’s style, the book blends slow-burning tension with richly atmospheric Southern settings, exploring themes of family trauma, memory, and the cost of unresolved grief. Forget Me Not has been praised for its haunting prose and immersive mood, solidifying Willingham’s status as a master storyteller who balances psychological depth with gripping mystery.
10. The Society of Unknowable Objects
| Book Details | The Society of Unkowable Objects |
| Author | Gareth Brown |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Available at | Book Link |
Gareth Brown’s The Society of Unknowable Objects (published August 12, 2025) is a thrilling standalone blend of fantasy, mystery, and globe-trotting adventure that follows a secretive society protecting everyday objects imbued with hidden, magical powers . The narrative centers on Magda Sparks, a novelist-turned-detective, who is dispatched to Hong Kong when a new artifact surfaces. Her mission takes a dangerous turn when she encounters a professional killer, forcing her to use an artifact unknown even to her own society .
Back in London, Magda uncovers layers of secrets—both personal and institutional—as she pursues the truth across continents, from Hong Kong to the American deep South. Critics praise the novel for its fast-paced magic-infused mystery, inventive world-building, and compelling, resilient heroine
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