10 fresh, entertaining, and original novels for summer 2025

Time to relax, time to rest, and time to read . Here we feature several new releases published this year and some that have been reissued on their own merits. These highly entertaining—some of them almost nerve-wracking—are very fresh, yet also original.

There's no shortage of Stephen King , John Grisham , Toni Hill , or Mark Z. Danielewski's massive hit fifteen years ago with House of Leaves (considered one of the best horror novels of recent times). It's also time for the magic, fantasy, and science fiction offered by writer RF Kuang , one of the biggest stars for fans of this genre.

And other more intimate, comfortable readings that touch the heart, such as Héctor Abad Faciolince 's story about the murder of the Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina , Delphine de Vigan 's act of giving thanks, or Katie Kitamura 's reflection on love and how the people we love see us (don't miss it).

1. 'Don't Be Afraid', by Stephen King (Plaza & Janés)

When the Buckeye City Police Department receives a letter from someone who intends to " kill thirteen innocent people and one guilty person " to atone for a needless death, Detective Izzy Jaynes doesn't know what to think. Are they about to murder fourteen people out of revenge? Worried, she decides to turn to Holly Gibney for help. This summer's big Stephen King novel.

2. 'Now and in the Hour', by Héctor Abad Faciolince (Alfaguara)

In mid-2023, barely recovered from open-heart surgery, Héctor Abad Faciolince accepted an invitation to a book fair in Ukraine. The bookish trip, however, turned into something more: exploring the horrors of the Russian invasion of the Donetsk region , close to the front lines, along with four other people. On the last day, to say goodbye, the group of travelers settled down for dinner at a pizzeria in Kramatorsk. There, "like a bolt from the blue," they suffered an event that would forever transform them: a Russian missile, carrying 600 kilos of explosives, fell right in the center of the city, instantly killing thirteen people and injuring more than sixty. One of the fatalities was the young Ukrainian writer Victoria Amélina, guide and companion on that testimonial trip that ended in tragedy.

3. 'Die Here' by Elizabeth Taylor (Libros del Asteroide)

This charming story about the eccentricities and disappointments of old age is an intelligent exploration of loneliness and the possibilities of friendship. Its entertaining characters, accurate observations of everyday life, and a fine sense of irony and compassion make this a memorable book. Obviously, the author is not the actress.

4. 'Gratitudes', by Delphine de Vigan (Anagrama)

Written in a restrained, almost austere style , this two-part narrative speaks to memory, the past, aging , words, kindness, and gratitude toward those who were important in our lives. It is their respective gratitudes that unite the three unforgettable characters whose stories intertwine in this moving and dazzling novel.

5. 'The Swift Grave', by Robert Galbraith (Salamandra)

When elderly Sir Colin Edensor enlists the help of private detectives Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott to rescue his son Will, who has decided to join a religious cult in the heart of the Norfolk countryside, they both agree without hesitation. Led by a charismatic but mysterious leader known as Dad J, the Universal Humanitarian Church is, on the surface, a peaceful organization campaigning for a better world. However, Strike discovers that beneath the surface lurk deeply sinister undertones and unexplained deaths . The new novel by JK Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith .

6. 'The Innocents', by John Grisham (Plaza & Janés)

Many people spend years in prison without having committed a crime . This injustice, which serves as the premise of so many novels, becomes real in this book in which John Grisham has decided to tell ten heartbreaking cases of innocent people who were forced to sacrifice friends, families, partners, and decades of their lives in prison while the guilty parties remained free. In each of these dramatic stories, the police investigations that led to convictions and the tough legal battles that achieved exoneration are skillfully and rigorously recounted.

7. 'The White Death', by Toni Hill (Grijalbo)

The disturbing disappearance of a girl in Barcelona leads criminologist Lena Mayoral once again to confront evil in its purest form. That evil also defines Charlie Bodman, the psychopath who rose to fame for killing his victims with a garrote. Now, hiding under another identity, he has become a latent threat in Lena's life. The conclusion of the Executioner Trilogy arrives.

8. 'Audition', by Katie Kitamura (Sixth Floor)

A woman and a man meet at a restaurant in Manhattan's financial district . She, an established actress, is immersed in rehearsals for her next play; he, a handsome and somewhat clumsy twenty-something, is determined to make a good impression on the elegant and respectable lady who could be his mother. Aside from a few awkward moments and the disapproving glances of several diners, the encounter, from which it is difficult to determine what each person hopes to achieve, proceeds relatively normally , until the restaurant door opens and, from the table at the back, the woman spots her husband. A fascinating novel in the form of a Mobius strip that makes us wonder how the people we love see us.

9. 'Babel', by RF Kuang (Hydra)

1828. The Royal Institute of Translation at Oxford, also known as Babel, is the world's foremost magical institution . The silver magic practiced there, capable of revealing hidden meanings lost in translation, has granted the British Empire unparalleled power. For Robin, a Cantonese orphan who ends up as a student at Babel, he has come to realize that serving Babel means betraying his homeland. As his studies progress, he finds himself caught between Babel and the mysterious Society of Hermes, an organization dedicated to preventing imperial expansion. Kuang is currently one of the most widely read authors in the fantasy and science fiction genres .

10. 'House of Leaves', by Mark Z. Danielewski (Duomo)

Returning home one night, the Navidsons—Will, Karen, and their two children, who have just moved to Virginia—notice a new room has appeared , as if it had always been there. A simple oversight? An elaborate hoax? Will discovers that the house has a singular anomaly: its interior seems slightly larger than it should be based on its exterior dimensions. Thus begins The Navidson File, a fascinating document that narrates the events that took place in the house on Ash Tree Lane, the house of leaves. The novel that caused a sensation 15 years ago returns with a major reissue.