Looking to finish the year strong with some incredible reads that will transform your TBR? We’ve curated twelve absolutely noteworthy books that range from spine-chilling supernatural horror to swoon-worthy holiday romance, each one bringing fresh perspectives and storytelling magic you won’t find anywhere else. These carefully selected gems showcase the very best of contemporary literature, spanning genres and voices that will challenge, delight, and surprise you. Trust me, these are the perfect additions to your end-of-year reading bucket list.
Trigger Warning: This article and the recommended books contain triggering topics such as racism, murder, and slavery. Please exercise personal care while reading and review the list of trigger warnings before purchasing books.
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Trigger Warning: This book contains mentions of body horror, racism, and police brutality. Please review the full list of TWs before purchasing.
Four Native American men are haunted by a past hunting trip that violated sacred traditions, and years later, something from that day returns to exact revenge. Jones weaves together themes of guilt, tradition, and the consequences of disrespecting nature in a narrative that’s both terrifying and deeply respectful of Indigenous beliefs. This isn’t just horror for shock value — it’s a story about accountability and the weight of ancestral wisdom that will leave you questioning the true cost of breaking sacred bonds.
“It’s soft at the end. Not just the pain, but the world.”
— Steven Graham Jones, The Only Good Indians
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
Trigger Warning: This book contains mentions of body horror, racism, and violence. Please read the full list of TWs before purchasing.
Set in a 1920s America where the Ku Klux Klan summons literal monsters from another dimension, the story follows Maryse Boudreaux, a young Black woman with a magical sword who fights these creatures alongside a secret resistance. Clark’s genius lies in making the subtext text — the real-world horrors of American racism become actual demons to be slayed. It’s a cathartic and empowering take on horror that gives marginalized communities agency in their own liberation story.
“But like I said already, I hunt monsters. And I got a sword that sings.”
— P. Djèlí Clark, Ring Shout
The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
It’s been a quiet year for the Thursday Murder Club. Joyce is busy with table plans and first dances. Elizabeth is grieving. Ron is dealing with family troubles, and Ibrahim is still providing therapy to his favorite criminal. But when Elizabeth meets Nick, a wedding guest asking for her help, she finds the thrill of the chase is ignited once again. When Nick disappears without a trace and his business partner mentions an uncrackable code worth killing for, the beloved quartet finds themselves plunged into their most explosive investigation yet. Joyce’s daughter, Joanna, jumps into the fray to help the gang as they seek answers in this delightful fifth installment that proves Osman’s septuagenarian sleuths still have plenty of mystery-solving left in them.
“Who’s got time to think about murder when there’s a wedding to plan?”
— Richard Osman, The Impossible Fortune
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
Trigger Warning: This book contains mentions of torture, suicide, gambling addiction, and murder. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Photographer Maali Almeida wakes up dead in a celestial waiting room during the country’s civil war, with seven moons to contact the living and expose the truth behind his murder. Karunatilaka navigates bureaucratic afterlife systems with wit while delivering pointed political commentary about corruption, violence, and the cost of speaking truth to power. It’s a unique blend of magical realism and political satire that makes heavy subject matter surprisingly accessible.
“Your life is over. Anyone who tells you otherwise is taking you for a ride.”
— Shehan Karunatilaka, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
Trigger Warning: This book contains mentions of eating disorders, suicidal ideation, and racism. Please read the full list of TWs before purchasing.
Jessamine Chan’s dystopian debut is a chilling examination of surveillance culture and society’s impossible expectations of mothers. After one bad day leads to a momentary lapse in judgment, Frida Liu is forced into a government program to prove her parenting worthiness, complete with robot children and constant monitoring. Chan crafts a nightmare scenario that feels uncomfortably plausible, exploring how women — particularly women of color — are policed and judged in their most vulnerable moments. The novel serves as both gripping speculative fiction and searing social commentary on parenthood, perfectionism, and systemic control.
“A mother is a shark. You’re always moving. Always learning. Always trying to better yourself. A mother shouldn’t have to ask questions. She should intuit.”
— Jessamine Chan, The School for Good Mothers
There There by Tommy Orange
Trigger Warnings: This book contains mentions of rape, suicide, and body horror. Please read the full list of TWs before purchasing.
Tommy Orange’s powerful debut novel weaves together multiple storylines that converge at an Oakland powwow, following urban Native Americans grappling with identity, addiction, and historical trauma. Rather than focusing on reservation life, Orange illuminates the complex experience of Indigenous people living in cities, dealing with questions of authenticity and belonging. Each character’s journey reveals how historical violence echoes through generations while celebrating the resilience and richness of contemporary Native culture. It’s a masterful ensemble piece that gives voice to an often-overlooked community with both heartbreak and hope.
“We are the memories we don’t remember, which live in us, which we feel, which make us sing and dance and pray the way we do.”
— Tommy Orange, There There
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Trigger Warning: This book contains mentions of abuse, rape, and slavery. Please read the full list of TWs before purchasing.
Yaa Gyasi’s ambitious debut traces two family lines across centuries and continents, beginning with half-sisters in 18th-century Ghana — one sold into slavery, one who remains. Each generation’s story illuminates how historical wounds travel through time, from the slave castles of the Gold Coast to the coal mines of 20th-century Alabama. Gyasi demonstrates how slavery’s legacy shapes both African and African American experiences in ways that continue to reverberate today. Despite its scope, the novel never loses sight of individual humanity, crafting intimate portraits within its sweeping historical canvas.
“Whose story do we believe, then…We believe the one who has the power. He is the one who gets to write the story.”
— Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing
A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli
Sonya Lalli brings warmth and cultural richness to holiday romance with this charming story about identity, family expectations, and finding love during the festival season. When data analyst Niki Randhawa loses her job, she impulsively flies to Mumbai for a friend’s wedding and meets London musician Sam Mukherji. Set against the backdrop of Diwali celebrations, the romance explores themes of cultural connection and personal growth as Niki rediscovers her roots while falling in love.
“Diwali was the Festival of Lights. The celebration of the goodness in this world over darkness. A holiday that could be whatever anyone wanted it to be.”
— Sonya Lalli, A Holly Jolly Diwali
The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska
Trigger Warning: This book contains mentions of abuse and body horror. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Set in a magical version of 18th-century Poland during Karnawał season, the story follows Zosia and Marynka as they compete for the heart of Prince Józef — literally. Their rivalry transforms into something deeper as they discover their connection to each other might be stronger than their individual ambitions. Jasinska weaves together themes of power, friendship, and identity in a narrative that celebrates Eastern European storytelling traditions while delivering a compelling sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance.
“In that moment, they didn’t need words. Their matching expressions spoke for them. Let me save you. No, you let me save you.”
— Alicia Jasinska, The Midnight Girls
Three Holidays and a Wedding by Marissa Stapley and Uzma Jalaluddin
When turbulence hits their Toronto-bound flight, strangers Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson find themselves confessing their deepest fears to each other — including Maryam’s complicated feelings about Saif, who happens to be sitting two rows behind them. An emergency landing strands this unlikely group at the Snow Falls Inn, where Anna discovers her celebrity crush is filming a holiday movie and Maryam finally gets the chance to open her heart to the man she’s loved from afar. This heartwarming romantic comedy weaves the holiday celebrations of Hanukkah, Ramadan, and Christmas, blending family, faith, and unexpected love amid snowy chaos.
“This year, Christmas and Hanukkah fell at the same time, which brought memories of a childhood long past, when her family celebrated both holidays, no matter where they landed on the calendar.”
— Usma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley, Three Holidays and a Wedding
The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett
When the group puts on a Christmas pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk, petty rivalries and community drama escalate until someone winds up dead. Told entirely through emails, texts, and police transcripts, the story unfolds like a puzzle that readers can solve alongside lawyers Femi and Charlotte. Hallett’s genius lies in capturing the absurdity and genuine heart of community theater while delivering a satisfying murder mystery that proves even holiday cheer can turn deadly.
“Jack and the beanstalk just got really dark. A dead body in a Santa suit.”
— Janice Hallett, The Christmas Appeal
All I Want Is You by Falon Ballard
All Jessica has ever wanted is her own happily ever after, but until that happens, she spends her days as a small-time romance writer, penning satisfying endings to soothe the heartache left by her ex-boyfriend Nick — also a romance writer and now her biggest rival. When their professional obligations bring them to a remote inn a few days before Christmas, they’re more than peeved, especially when they get trapped sharing a room in a snowstorm. But what’s more fitting for two romantic writers in a slump than realizing their friction might be the only cure for their writer’s block? This spicy Hallmark romance will have you in all the right holiday feels!
“Alternative plan: Show up looking incredible and let him know exactly what he’s missing.”
— Falon Ballard, All I Want Is You
There you have it — twelve incredible books that deserve a spot on your literary bucket list for the rest of the year. Each one offers something unique and unforgettable, from horror that will keep you up all night to romance that will warm your heart during the colder months.
Happy reading, and cheers to finishing the year with some absolutely spectacular books!
Which book are you adding to your TBR first? Let us know on Instagram @bookstrofficial — we love seeing your reading progress and hearing about which books are blowing your mind.
To shop for these books and others, check out our Bookstr Team Recommendations shelf on Bookshop.
