The 10 Books You Should Be Reading This January 2025

A new year brings with it new books, and the first month of 2025 has plenty of notable titles to offer. If you’re after thought-provoking examinations of the technology many of us use every day, we have you covered; if you’d rather explore your favorite musician’s literary side, you’ll see some example of that on here as well. Throw in fascinating forays into history and an inside look at Bob Dylan on Broadway and you have book recommendations to whet many a literary appetite.

Liz Pelly, Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist (Jan. 5)

As Spotify becomes a larger and larger element of the way the world listens to music, so too has the streaming service come under criticism for its business practices and its effect on the ability of musicians to earn a living. Liz Pelly has been doing some of the most essential reporting on these issues, and Mood Machine is a detailed look at the company’s trajectory and its impact on the music industry.

Stuart Murdoch, Nobody’s Empire (Jan. 21)

It should surprise no one familiar with their music that Belle & Sebastian have a literary side. Nobody’s Empire is the first novel by the group’s founder Stuart Murdoch; his onetime bandmate Stuart David has also written several acclaimed books, including a memoir of the band’s early days. Murdoch’s foray into fiction centers around a trio of friends in 1990s Glasgow, a subject he knows very well.

Pagan Kennedy, The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story (Jan. 14)

Over the course of her impressive bibliography, journalist Pagan Kennedy has chronicled everything from 1990s zine culture to a groundbreaking Black explorer in the 19th century. Her latest book explores another part of history that’s been underchronicled over the years: the origin of the rape kits used by law enforcement and medical professionals. The result is a gripping and illuminating look at forensic history.

Manuel Betancourt, Hello Stranger: Musings on Modern Intimacies (Jan. 14)

Intimacy can mean many things, and the idea can turn up in a host of contexts, from sexual to intellectual. Manuel Betancourt’s writing has explored questions of desire and intimacy before; with this new collection, he explores both moments from his own life and notable pop-culture examples that have reckoned with questions of intimacy. It’s a candid and expansive look at a complicated concept.

Adam Ross, Playworld (Jan. 7)

Over the years, Adam Ross’s forays into fiction — including the novel Mr. Peanut — have earned him plenty of critical acclaim. His latest novel Playworld, about a teenage actor experiencing personal and professional crises in New York circa 1980, has been getting similarly rave advance reviews, with the Los Angeles Times’ Leigh Haber calling it “extraordinary.”

Neko Case, The Harder I Fight the More I Love You: A Memoir (Jan. 28)

There are few things musician Neko Case hasn’t accomplished in her career. She’s made a host of critically acclaimed solo albums, as well as helping to revitalize power-pop through her work in the band New Pornographers. Lately, she’s also been writing more and more, so it’s not entirely surprising to see her making a foray into the world of memoir. The Harder I Fight the More I Love You — a Casean title if ever there was one — traces her life from her childhood through her evolution as a touring musician.

Amy Gamerman, The Crazies: The Cattleman, the Wind Prospector, and a War Out West (Jan. 7)

Writer Amy Gamerman has a long history of writing about the business of real estate for the Wall Street Journal, which makes her an ideal candidate to cover a sprawling conflict in Montana over how best to use a prominent piece of land. Wind power, Olympic athletes and billionaires all play a role in the true story Gamerman tells in The Crazies, making for a memorable chronicle of a changing landscape.

My Year of Reading “Faerie Smut”

Why are young women entranced by “romantasy” novels stuffed with dragons, magic and passionate sex? It all made sense once I joined the club.

Todd Almond, Slow Train Coming: Bob Dylan’s Girl from the North Country and Broadway’s Rebirth (Jan. 23)

In more than half a century, there has never really been a time when Bob Dylan wasn’t in the spotlight. Right now, he’s the subject of an acclaimed biopic — but that isn’t the only narrative work featuring his music to debut in recent years. Todd Almond’s Slow Train Coming explores the genesis of the critically acclaimed musical Girl From the North Country, which evoked both Dylan’s songwriting and his Minnesota roots.

Mike Pepi, Against Platforms: Surviving Digital Utopia (Jan. 7)

There was a moment not too long ago when digital technology seemed like it could reinvent the way we lived, created and interacted with one another. Now, the reality on the ground involves online trolls, AI scams and digital misinformation. In his new book Against Platforms, art and culture writer Mike Pepi surveys the evolution of these technologies and ponders where we might go from here.

Claire Bubb, How to Eat: An Ancient Guide for Healthy Living (Jan. 28)

For many people looking to eat healthier, there’s a growing interest in looking to the past for food choices. Everything from the concept of ancient grains to the appeal of keto diets can be seen as a reflection of this. But what did ancient thinkers actually believe about eating? Claire Bubb has written extensively about medicine in ancient Greece and Rome, and this new volume collects writings from that period on the subjects of food and health.