Fiction Staff Picks 2025Unpublished

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\"What is it you think you're protecting in that brain of yours? The war is over. Holdfast is dead. The Eternal Flame extinguished. There's no one left for you to save.\" Once a promising alchemist, Helena Marino is now a prisoner-of war and of her own mind. Her...

Finalist for the 2025 Locus Awards, Best Science Fiction Novel Finalist for the 2025 Hugo Awards, Best Novel Nominated for the 2025 Philip K. Dick Award A thrilling, page-turning standalone adventure, set in the distant future, from master sci-fi author and Arthur C....

" The New York Times bestselling author returns with an irreverently sexy, tender, hilarious and surprising novel about a woman upending her life A semi-famous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country, from LA to NY. Thirty minutes after...

Named one of the best NZ books of 2024 by The Spinoff and Newsroom In the Bookety Book Books Reader's Choice Top 10 This is Aotearoa, New Zealand. This is a novel about who we are now. Past, present and future. All that we have<...

A missing persons mystery, a serial killer thriller, and an epic love story - with a unique twist on each...* * * * *Late one summer, the town of Monta Clare is shattered by the abduction of local teenager Joseph 'Patch' Macauley. Nobody more so than Saint Brown, who is broken...

***THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER*** 'Tipped to be this summer's biggest read' SUNDAY TIMES 'A richly drawn page-turner' OBSERVER 'Quite possibly our favourite TJR novel yet' COSMOPOLITAN 'I absolutely adored this' BRYONY GORDON 'A...

An eventful summer forever changes the lives of a family in the most engrossing debut you'll read this year.

Birnam Wood is on the move ...A landslide has closed the Korowai Pass in the South Island of New Zealand, cutting off the town of Thorndike, leaving a sizable farm abandoned. This land offers an opportunity to Birnam Wood, a guerrilla gardening collective that plants crops wherever no one will...

The second captivating novel featuring intrepid heroine Tatty Crowe and the fascinating world of Sydney's Victorian funeral business, from bestselling historical fiction author Deborah Challinor. Sydney, 1871. Twenty-five-year-old widow Tatty Crowe is the owner of busy undertaking...

In a sinisterly skewed version of England in 1979, thirteen-year-old triplets Vincent, Lawrence and William are the last remaining residents of a New Forest home, part of the government's Sycamore Scheme. Each day the boys must take medicine to protect themselves from a mysterious illness to which...

" A love triangle unearths dangerous, deadly secrets from the past in this thrilling tale perfect for fans of The Paper Palace and Where the Crawdads Sing. "The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him."<...

THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING SENSATION WINNER OF WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS DEBUT NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2025 SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA CRIME FICTION IN TRANSLATION DAGGER AWARD 2025 A BBC BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB...

REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK "This story left me thinking about the ways we overcome setbacks and redefine what truly matters." - Reese Witherspoon (Reese's Book Club December '24 Pick) A once-famous ballerina faces a final choice--to return to the world of Russian dance that nearly broke...

OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK * INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * SUBJECT OF A SIX-PART SUPER SOUL PODCAST SERIES HOSTED BY OPRAH WINFREY From the New York Times-bestselling author of Cutting for Stone comes a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in...

FALL IN LOVE WITH THE ULTIMATE ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS ROMANTASY 'Enchanting and deeply romantic' REBECCA ROSS CRIMSON MOTH is published as HEARTLESS HUNTER in North America. The only thing more treacherous than being a witch is falling in love... A HUNTED...

Forged in blood, this is how legends begin. . . From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr brings the worlds of special operations and CIA paramilitary units into direct collision in the jungles of Vietnam with his explosive new thriller introducing young...

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'This one has it all' GEORGE R. R. MARTIN 'As delicious as it is disorienting' ZAKIYA DALILA HARRIS 'Beautifully evoked' THE GUARDIAN 'Suspenseful, timely, and heartfelt' PEOPLE<...

" A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis. Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a...

The instant New York Times bestseller * Oprah's Book Club Pick * Named a Best Book of 2025 by TIME, The New Yorker, Harper's Bazaar, USA Today, NPR, People, Christian Science Monitor, Scientific American, and Kirkus Reviews * A 2026...

The epic standalone dystopian romance from the Sunday Time bestselling author of A Study in Drowning and Lady Macbeth. Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and The Last of Us SURVIVAL SACRIFICE A LOVE THAT RISKS EVERYTHING ...

Alex, Eva and Nancy. Three grown-up sisters; each wonderful and messy in their own individual ways. And loved equally by their parents, Vivienne and Patrick. Or so they thought . . . Until on their annual family holiday, Patrick accidentally lets slip that he has a favourite daughter -...

A page-turning, emotional story inspired by little known true events in WWII, this No. 1 bestselling novel is perfect for fans of Kelly Rimmer, Kristin Hannah, Kate Quinn and Natasha Lester. London, 1940. Ruth, a young schoolteacher, helps to evacuate children from war...

Trent Dalton, Australia's #1 bestselling author, returns with the astonishing Gravity Let Me Go - a story you won't ever forget. Longlisted for Best Fiction in the Indie Book Awards 2026 How will you ever know how the story ends, if you let the story go?<...

When Margaret Ives, the famously reclusive heiress, invites eternal optimist Alice Scott to the balmy Little Crescent Island, Alice knows this is it- her big break. And even more rare- a chance to impress her family with a Serious Publication. The catch? Pulitzer-prize winning human...

How do you fight an invisible enemy? An unputdownable and timely new novel from the Ngaio Marsh-winning author of Remember Me.

"A fresh ode to sisterhood and sexual agency that crackles with verve and wit. I couldn't put it down."--Gabriela Garcia, author of the New York Times bestseller and Good Morning America Pick Of Women and Salt "Clarke refuses to turn this story into a morality play. . . [and...

Here are the best short fiction stories, short non-fiction pieces and poetry from the Pikihuia Awards for Māori writers 2023 as judged by Emma Espiner, Carol Hirschfeld, Maiki Sherman, Mike Ross, Hēmi Kelly and Robert Sullivan. This competition, run by the Māori Literature...

From critically acclaimed, prize-winning author Helen Phillips comes an urgent, compelling and deeply human novel that asks: how do we raise our children for a future that is unknown, that we can't see ourselves?

There's someone at your front door - should you let them in? Find out in a riveting new thriller from global sensation and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid, Freida McFadden! Who knows what the storm will blow in... ...

What if your mother knows you better than you know yourself? 'Absolutely blissful... Get both books in the series: I'll eat my hat if you don't love them' India Knight, Sunday Times READERS LOVE ISLAND CALLING: '...

REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * NATIONAL BESTSELLER * "A shocking story, made all the more stunning by the fact that it has its roots in true history."--Jodi Picoult, author of By Any Other Name "A new generation of survival story . . . an extraordinary book that reads like a...

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER * #1 BOSTON GLOBE BESTSELLER * USA TODAY BESTSELLER * In this Civil War love story, inspired by a real-life friendship across enemy lines, the wife of a missing Confederate soldier discovers a wounded Yankee officer and must decide what she's willing to risk...

The international bestselling political thriller from the author of The Day of the Jackal, now a Sky TV series with Eddie Redmayne 'Packs a punch... impossible to put down' Daily Mail 'The plot is as taut and lean as ever' Daily Express

Muru is not revenge. Muru is about balance. You put your hands on one of theirs and they had every right to take from you and yours whatever they meant to take, short of a life. Aotearoa in the 1940s, and the Māori men of Taranaki will not join the Māori battalion...

THE INSTANT IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS NOVEL OF THE YEAR WINNER OF AUTHOR OF THE YEAR AT THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS A BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES, THE IRISH TIMES, RTE, STYLIST MAGAZINE, IRISH INDEPENDENT<...

THE INSTANT IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS NOVEL OF THE YEAR WINNER OF AUTHOR OF THE YEAR AT THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS A BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES, THE IRISH TIMES, RTE, STYLIST MAGAZINE, IRISH INDEPENDENT<...

*Now with an exclusive bonus chapter!* As featured in STYLIST 'best cowboy-inspired romance to get stuck into this summer' 'I am gonna say it Willow Ridge is on the same level as Chestnut Springs!' Reader review ⭐️⭐️⭐️&...

Lyrebirds are brilliant mimics, so if they mimic a woman screaming in terror and begging for her life, they have witnessed a crime. But how does a young, hung over PHD student and a wet behind the ears new detective, convince anyone that a native bird can be a reliable witness to a murder,...

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Soulmate and Darling Girls comes the story of Mad Mabel. They called it murder. She called it justice.In 1959, at just fifteen years of age, Mabel Waller became the youngest Australian in history to be convicted of...

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Women comes an incandescent story about the resilience of the human spirit, the triumph of hope, and the meaning of home. In the rugged Pacific Northwest lies the Olympic National Forest--nearly a million acres of...

This Christmas, uncover the secrets that lie beneath Notting Hill...The captivating mystery from Sunday Times bestseller Eve Chase The Richard and Judy Book Club Pick and The #1 eBook Bestseller **The Secret Thread, the new novel by Eve Chase, is available for...

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 OCKHAM NEW ZEALAND BOOK AWARDS A tender and fierce novel that asks what we do when faced with things we don't understand. Is our impulse to destroy or connect? Water will come and you think it will be soft. You...

Accidentally buying a Sicilian villa for just one euro is not the great Eat, Pray, Love game changer that Brian Chapman hopes it would be. Instead, tumbledown buildings, a shortage of plumbers, and resentful locals make Brian's drunken whim look like the biggest mistake of his chequered...

Order now and receive the stunning DELUXE FIRST PRINT RUN while supplies last―featuring gorgeous sprayed edges with stenciled artwork and special cover design features. This breathtaking collectible is only available as part of a LIMITED FIRST PRINT RUN in the US and Canada only, a...

Tomorrow - if morning comes, if the storm stops raging - Cora will register the name of her son. Or perhaps, and this is her real concern, she'll formalise who he will become. It is 1987 and in the aftermath of a great storm, Cora sets out with her nine-year-old daughter to register...

Winner of the 2025 Irish Book Awards, Novel of the Year Longlisted for the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction From an unforgettable new voice in Irish fiction, a heart-pounding, life-affirming story about one woman trying to leave her marriage and start over. For...

A funny and moving family story with an unconventional heroine in a quirky coastal community - Olive Kitteridge or The Shipping News on the edge on the Irish Sea

She captured him once on film. This time, he might just capture her heart... Don't miss summer 2025's hottest read! From the New York Times #1 bestselling author of Every Summer After, comes an unforgettable and sizzling romance ...

THE STORM IS COMING . . .Get ready to fly or die in the breathtaking follow-up to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame from the no. 1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.Pre-order your copy now!OTHER BOOKS IN THE EMPYREAN SERIES:FOURTH WINGIRON FLAME

**WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE** **THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** 'A slim, profound study of intimate human fears set against epic vistas' GUARDIAN 'Stunning... An uplifting book' SUNDAY TIMES Life on our...

'Warm, sexy, and vulnerable... Hannah Bonam-Young needs to be on your romance radar' - Hannah Grace 'Warm, sexy, and vulnerable... Hannah Bonam-Young needs to be on your romance radar' - Hannah Grace 'A beautiful love story, full of joy from beginning to end!' - Sarah...

Meet Fleck Parker: Mother, Crafter and Amateur Detective. Fleck loves a good puzzle. She spends most of her time feeling invisible, caring for three small children, and that's fine, really. But it does make her brain itch occasionally. When Trixie, fellow school-mum and...

A #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life. Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over...

Spring in Paris ... the perfect time to turn over a new leaf   In the heart of a city blooming with flowers, three women face life-changing challenges. Driven by grief over the sudden death of her mother, Corinne, Sydneysider Emma Taylor has taken refuge with...

A stunning tale of secrets and betrayal that questions how well we ever know the people we love... perfect for fans of Lucy Foley, Liane Moriarty, and Jane Harper. Turner Corp, a luxury goods empire, has been rocked by the death of its founder. As his three sons gather at the...

From the beloved author of Kit McBride Gets a Wife and Marrying Off Morgan McBride comes a 'sweet, hilarious and totally delicious' love story (Hannah Grace). Beau McBride wants a wife, and his meddling little sister Junebug is itching to find him a mail-order bride....

The world's climate is in crisis and New Zealand is being divided and reshaped by privileged immigrant wealthugees. Thirty-something Alice has a near-genius IQ and lives at home with her mother with whom she communicates by Morse code. Alice's imaginary friend, Simp, has shown up, with a running...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK * In the first book of a sizzling dystopian romance series, psychic gifts are a death sentence and there are rules to survival: Trust no one. Lie to everyone. And whatever you do, don't fall for your greatest enemy.

An exquisite winter tale of courage - and its cost, set in Catholic Ireland.

Get ready to be spellbound by the new, fantastical novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of fantasy sensation The Book of Doors. 'A dazzling, globe-trotting thriller with a spectacular dash of magic. Like Michael Crichton at his finest, but with fantasy....

A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything. This is the hugely-anticipated sequel to TJ Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea, a cosy-fantasy triumph and a New York Times bestseller. Arthur Parnassus has built a good life...

As English settlers wage war upon local iwi in colonial Taranaki, two women confront their pasts to survive the present. Frances is an unmarried Londoner newly landed in New Zealand, 1860, at the dawn of the First Taranaki War. Once well-regarded, her family's fall from...

A hypnotic novel about love, guilt and forgiveness. If you loved Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts by Josie Shapiro, you will adore The Stars Are a Million Glittering Worlds.

" The heart-tugging and hilarious story of a professional organizer whose life is a mess, and the summer she gets unstuck with the help of someone unexpected from her past, by the bestselling author of Same Time Next Summer and Nora Goes Off Script. ...

Nabila Yasmeen is in her eighties. She lives alone with over a hundred plants that she keeps in pots because she can't bear to put them in the ground. In June of 1948, as a six-year-old girl, she was expelled with her family from their village in Palestine. Now she carries the weight of that...

Sweeping across centuries, and stretching from Mesopotamia to London, this enchanting new novel by a Booker Prize finalist conjures a trio of characters living in the shadow of one of the greatest epic poems of all time. In the ancient city of Nineveh, on the bank of the River...

"On the remote West Coast of the South Island, vast forests stretch out between mountain ranges and rugged beaches. There, in the small town of Koraha, not a lot happens - until a young girl with blood on her hands walks out of the bush and into the local store, collapsing to the floor. She cant -...

When the lives of four very different women become entangled in a boutique Venice hotel, dark secrets unravel and not everyone who checked into the hotel will check out again. Signora Loretta Bianchi, the world famous cook at Venice's Hotel Il Cuore, is forced to choose between once-in...

'A magical novel, so uplifting, heartwarming, funny . . . This feels as if it was written specifically to give comfort' MARIAN KEYES Set sail for a tropical paradise where secrets don't stay hidden for long... London vet Charlotte Walker has...

A New York Times' best thriller of the year! From the #1 internationally bestselling author of The Murder Rule comes an emotional novel of suspense about two families at war. Nina and Simon are the perfect couple. Young, fun and deeply in love. Until they leave for a weekend at his...

☽ MAGIC. DRAGONS. ROMANCE. THE No.1 BESTSELLING FANTASY PHENOMENON ☽ 'With dragons, doomed lovers and magic, this will be huge' Stylist 'An absolutely stunning fantasy world' Raven Kennedy, author of international bestseller, The Plated Prisoner...

Antonia Scott returns in the explosive climax in this sequel to the international bestselling book and streaming series, Red Queen. Antonia Scott has an unusually gifted forensic mind, whose ability to reconstruct crimes and solve baffling murders is legendary....

Love Lyla Sage? Discover her brand-new small-town romance, Soul Searching - a No. 1 New York Times bestseller which is perfect for Halloween! THE NO. 1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'A must read' - No. 1 New York Times bestselling...

FROM THE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR*, ELSIE SILVER! SET IN THE SAME BELOVED UNIVERSE AS SMASH-HIT SERIES CHESTNUT SPRINGS: SMALL-TOWN, BIG CHARACTERS, FOUR ADDICTIVE LOVE STORIES . . . MEET THE SINGLE DADS OF ROSE HILL. 'Elsie Silver's...

REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK FOR NOVEMBER 2025! 'At once a gripping mystery, an exquisitely written ode to the natural world, and a taut, psychological thriller, Wild Dark Shore is a triumph. Charlotte McConaghy is masterful in her ability to show the...

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Blockbuster bestseller Rebecca Ross returns to the world of international sensation Divine Rivals with her most epic story yet. Before Iris sat at her typewriter and before Enva sang her song, a young goddess wandered dreams...

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A haunted past. A train with no stops. Thirteen hours to reckon with the truth. In 1954, Anna Matheson boards a luxury overnight train bound for Chicago that she's commissioned, along with a list of names and a...

A highlight for 2024 for the Sunday Times, Guardian, Independent, New Statesman, i, Observer, Grazia, GQ, Irish Times, Sunday Independent, Prima, Good Housekeeping'Magnificent' MARIAN KEYES'A beautiful book'...