Adult Fiction Bestsellers 2025: New Books - October 2025

NATIONAL BESTSELLER * LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD * A year in the life of the unforgettable Catalina Ituralde, a wickedly wry and heartbreakingly vulnerable student at an elite college, forced to navigate an opaque past, an uncertain future, tragedies on two continents, and the tantalizing possibilities of love and freedom "[A] sparkling fiction debut."--The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice) "[A] fresh and unflinching take on the campus novel."--People (Ten Best Books of the Year) "Diabolically charming and magnetic."--Ira Glass FINALIST FOR THE PEN/HEMINGWAY AWARD * A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time, The Washington Post, NPR, The Boston Globe, them When Catalina is admitted to Harvard, it feels like the fulfillment of destiny: a miracle child escapes death in Latin America, moves to Queens to be raised by her undocumented grandparents, and becomes one of the chosen. But nothing is simple for Catalina, least of all her own complicated, contradictory, ruthlessly probing mind. Now a senior, she faces graduation to a world that has no place for the undocumented; her sense of doom intensifies her curiosities and desires. She infiltrates the school's elite subcultures--internships and literary journals, posh parties and secret societies--which she observes with the eye of an anthropologist and an interloper's skepticism: she is both fascinated and repulsed. Craving a great romance, Catalina finds herself drawn to a fellow student, an actual budding anthropologist eager to teach her about the Latin American world she was born into but never knew, even as her life back in Queens begins to unravel. And every day, the clock ticks closer to the abyss of life after graduation. Can she save her family? Can she save herself? What does it mean to be saved? Brash and daring, part campus novel, part hagiography, part pop song, Catalina is unlike any coming-of-age novel you've ever read--and Catalina, bright and tragic, circled by a nimbus of chaotic energy, driven by a wild heart, is a character you will never forget.

For fans of Rebecca Serle and Elizabeth Acevedo, a magically insightful novel about a woman's journey to discover her roots and what it means to carry our ancestors with us. In the span of a year, Dolores Moore has become a thirty-five-year-old orphan. After the funeral of the last living member of her family, Dorrie has never felt more lost and alone. That is, except for a Greek chorus of deceased relatives whose voices follow her around giving unsolicited advice and opinions. And they're only amplifying Dorrie's doubts about keeping the deathbed promise she made to return to her birthplace in Colombia. Fresh off a breakup with her long-term boyfriend, laid off from her job as a cartographer, and facing a daunting inheritance of her mothers' aging Minneapolis Victorian and two orange tabbies, how can she possibly leave the country now? But when an old flame offers to housesit, the chorus agrees that there's no room for excuses. Armed with only a scrap of a handdrawn map, Dorrie sets off to find out where--and who--she came from.

"BerlinAtomized is the world bridged, coupled, and made fast-by the latest lost generation and by Julia Kornberg's border-and-genre-crossing talent, as restless as a flame."-Joshua Cohen, author of the Pulitzer Prize and National Jewish Book Award winning The Netanyahus Akinetic, globetrotting novel following three siblings-Jewish and downwardly mobile-from 2001 to 2034, as they come of age against the major crises of the 21st century. Berlin Atomized begins in Buenos Aires of the early 2000s with the self-baptisms of Nina Goldstein. She bathes too frequently, washing with fervor and repeating- "I am not asleep." She grows up partying and taking undeserved siestas, while her eldest brother Jeremias is drawn into the city's powder keg music scene, and the middle sibling, Mateo, learns of his terminal illness and prepares to join the IDF. Though Argentina faces the worst economic crisis in its history, the Goldsteins are being reared in a newly developed gated community that displaces working class families. Each sibling rehearses their escape from the capitalist Eden of their birth, unaware that the gated community will soon be underwater, and their family scattered all over the earth. The second half of the novel takes place between 2018 and 2035, invoking and imagining possible futures for this existence in migration. Jeremias lives in Paris until an undeclared war destroys the city, and Nina, after tracing Mateo's last steps to his death in Tel Aviv, ends up in Berlin, where the European Union is found in the shambles of its own history. From Punta del Este to Paris, Berlin to Jerusalem, Brussels to Tokyo, the novel progresses into a dire near future of constant flight and fire as the siblings search for one another. Defiant and dexterous, percussive and percolating with violent light, Berlin Atomized is Julia Kornberg's napalm-ic debut-a tale about the end of the world, as told by the clear-eyed youth to which that world had been promised.

A "hilarious, suspense-filled" dark comedy about a struggling writer who wakes up to find his date from the night before dead--and must then decide how far he's willing to go to use this as inspiration for his next book (Entertainment Weekly). A few years ago, David Alvarez had it all: a six-figure book deal, a loving boyfriend, and an exciting writing career. His debut novel was a resounding success, which made the publication of his second book--a total flop--all the more devastating. Now, David is single, lonely, and desperately trying to come up with the next great idea for his third manuscript, one that will redeem him in the eyes of readers, reviewers, the entire publishing world...and maybe even his ex-boyfriend. But good ideas are hard to come by, and the mounting pressure of a near-empty bank account isn't helping. When David connects with a sexy stranger on a dating app, he figures a wild night out in New York City may be just what he needs to find inspiration. But after one of the best nights of his life, David wakes up hungover but giddy--only to find prince charming dead next to him in bed. Suddenly faced with the implausible idea that he may have actually killed his date, David calls the only person he can trust in a moment of crisis: his literary agent, Stacey. Together, David and Stacey must untangle the events of the previous night, cover their tracks, and spin the entire misadventure into David's career-defining novel--if only they can figure out what to do with the body first. AN INDIE NEXT PICK AND A LIBRARYREADS SELECTION 

From PEN Award-winning author Sergio de la Pava comes a "roiling, noirish, existential explosion of a novel" (Vanity Fair) about a private investigator who escapes New York City for Colombia, where he finds himself entangled in the mystery of a young woman's disappearance--which may be connected to one of the world's most ruthless criminal organizations. Riv--poet, philosopher, private eye--arrives in Cali, Colombia, hoping to find reprieve. Running away from an unspeakable event surrounding his ex Jane, Riv accidentally connects with his cousin Mauro and family friend Carlotta, who asks him to find her daughter Angelica Alfa-Ochoa. No sooner is Riv on the trail when it becomes clear that not only are the cops not looking for Angelica, but they are actively preventing him from finding her. This could be a good thing because the police are clearly in the pocket of one Exeter Mondragon, a name best never uttered in public if one wants to stay alive. But Riv is not one to leave things incomplete. When his investigation leads him straight into the heart of Mondragon's criminal empire, he is forced to face unimaginable horrors and plunge into the deepest and most perplexing conundrums of the human condition. Lighting fast on the page and steeped in the cultural history of Colombia, Every Arc Bends Its Radian is a novel only Sergio de la Pava could write. As incredibly funny as it is ridiculously smart, it poses large existential questions while keeping you laughing. A novel idea about the biggest idea of them all--what in God's name are we even put on earth for--this book is a singular philosophical exploration of the human psyche.

"Luis Jaramillo weaves a captivating tale of family, tradition, and the enduring power of love." --Reyna Grande, author of A Ballad of Love and Glory A lawyer and her elderly great-aunt use their supernatural gifts to find a lost child in this "wild, wondrous novel about the magic that is singing all around us" (Julia Phillips, author of Disappearing Earth)--in the vein of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina and La Hacienda. If you call to the witches, they will come. 1943, El Paso, Texas: teenager Nena spends her days caring for the small children of her older sisters and longing for a life of adventure. The premonitions and fainting spells she has endured since childhood are getting worse, and Nena worries she'll end up like the scary old curandera down the street. Nena prays for help, and when the mysterious Sister Benedicta arrives late one night, Nena follows her across the borders of space and time. In colonial Mexico, Nena grows into her power, finding love and learning that magic always comes with a price. In the present day, Nena's grandniece, Marta, balances a struggling legal aid practice with motherhood and the care of the now ninety-three-year-old Nena. When Marta agrees to help search for a daughter Nena left in the past, the two forge a fierce connection. Marta's own supernatural powers emerge, awakening her to new possibilities that threaten the life she has constructed. "Sexy, smart, and soulful, Luis Jaramillo's The Witches of El Paso pulls us across borders and time to get to the essence of what it means for families to survive this beautiful, fractured world" (Mira Jacob, author of Good Talk).

"From the lush setting to the evocative prose to the can't-look-away characters, this is one of my most anticipated novels of the year." --NPR "Come for the fantasy; stay for the vengeance, and enjoy the beauty of both." --Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer and Daughter of Smoke & Bone For fans of The Night Circus, this sweeping historical fantasy set in a lush, Puerto Rico-inspired world, uses magical realism to combine Caribbean carnaval culture and the mythology of the Taíno--the Indigenous people of the region--in a gripping exploration of community, reclamation, and healing in defiance of a violent past. When night descends, el Carnaval de Bestias rises.  Within the shores of Isla Bestia, guests from around the world discover a utopia of ever-changing performances, sumptuous feasts and beautiful monsters. Many enter, but few ever leave--the wine is simply too sweet, the music too fine and the revelry endless. Sofía, a freedwoman from a nearby colonized island, cares little for this revelry. Born an enslaved mestiza on a tobacco plantation, she has neither wealth nor title, only a scholarly pragmatism and a hunger for answers. She travels to el Carnaval de Bestias in search of her twin brother, who disappeared five years ago.  There's a world of wonder waiting for her on the shores of this legendary island, one wherein conquerors profit from Sofia's ancestral lands and her people's labor. But surrounded by her former enslavers, she finds something familiar in the performances--whispers of the island's native tongue, music and stories from her Taike'ri ancestors...a culture long hidden in the shadows, thrust into the light. As the nights pass, her mind begins unraveling, drowning in the unnatural, almost sentient thrall of Carnaval. And the sense that someone is watching her grows. To find her brother and break free, Sofia must peel back the glamorous curtain and face those behind Carnaval, before she too loses herself to the island... What you can expect in BEASTS OF CARNVAL: Indigenous Taíno Mythology Themes of Decolonization + Reclamation  Atmospheric Island Setting Carnival Culture & Vejigantes Caribbean + Latine Adult Fantasy Historical Fantasy with Magical Realism The Revelry Never Ends

"An absolutely stunning debut!" --Cynthia Pelayo, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Vanishing Daughters A real-life Latin American haunted mansion. A murky labyrinth of family secrets. A young, aristocratic woman desperate to escape her past. This haunting debut "introduces a powerful new voice in gothic horror" (Ana Reyes, New York Times bestselling author) and is perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic and The Shining. In 1923 Soacha, Colombia, La Casona--an opulent mansion perched above the legendary Salto del Tequendama waterfall--was once home to Antonia and her family, who settle in despite their constant nightmares and the house's malevolent spirit. But tragedy strikes when Antonia's mother takes a fatal fall into El Salto and her father, consumed by grief, attempts to burn the house down with Antonia still inside. Three years later, haunted by disturbing dreams and cryptic journal entries from her late mother, Antonia is drawn back to her childhood home when it is converted into a luxurious hotel. As Antonia confronts her fragmented memories and the dark history of the estate, she wrestles with unsettling questions she can no longer ignore: Was her mother's death by her own hands, or was it by someone else's? In a riveting quest for answers, Antonia must navigate the shadows of La Casona as she unearths its darkest secrets in this "delicately told story of how the past always finds us--and how people can be haunted just as surely as places can" (Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author).

NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Three women in three different eras encounter danger and witchcraft in this eerie multigenerational horror saga from the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic. "In Silvia Moreno-Garcia's sure hands, every uncovered secret is fraught with intrigue and creeping horror."--Tananarive Due, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Reformatory "Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches": That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter Minerva--stories that have stayed with Minerva all her life. Perhaps that's why Minerva has become a graduate student focused on the history of horror literature and is researching the life of Beatrice Tremblay, an obscure author of macabre tales. In the course of assembling her thesis, Minerva uncovers information that reveals that Tremblay's most famous novel, The Vanishing, was inspired by a true story: Decades earlier, during the Great Depression, Tremblay attended the same university where Minerva is now studying and became obsessed with her beautiful and otherworldly roommate, who then disappeared under mysterious circumstances. As Minerva descends ever deeper into Tremblay's manuscript, she begins to sense that the malign force that stalked Tremblay and the missing girl might still walk the halls of the campus. These disturbing events also echo the stories Nana Alba told about her girlhood in 1900s Mexico, where she had a terrifying encounter with a witch. Minerva suspects that the same shadow that darkened the lives of her great-grandmother and Beatrice Tremblay is now threatening her own in 1990s Massachusetts. An academic career can be a punishing pursuit, but it might turn outright deadly when witchcraft is involved.

When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn't trust...from bestselling author Isabel Cañas. In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family's isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.   Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family's legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin's betrothed, is none of his business. Which is of course why he can't help but notice the growing tension between them every time she enters the room...and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon's thirst for blood gets stronger.  In the fight for her life, Alba and Elías become entangled with the occult, the Church, long-kept secrets, and each other... not knowing that one of these things will spell their doom.