Don’t Complicate Your #ToBeRead’25

Few things can ignite a personal reinvention like finding the right books to read at the right time. As we kick off the new year in earnest, many of us feel a newfound sense of courage to reimagine who we could be — how we think, how we act, how we create—and the right book can nudge us in our desired direction. But do you find yourself setting an unrealistic reading goal on Goodreads or StoryGraph and looking at it disappointment every December when it isn’t achieved (that might’ve been our own experience)? Well, this year let's keep it realistic. Whether its new launches or books we missed reading the last few years, here are 12 books (one for each month) that can act as your 2025 #TBR.

January: Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux

With the month ending in a matter of days, tick off your January book with this 80-pager that you will literally devour (and not because of its concise size). Blurring the lines between fact and fiction, the story revolves around the two-year relationship of the narrator with a married foreigner. She knows that the affair isn’t meant to last an eternity and yet she willingly makes him the centre of her universe. The book, very simply put, conveys that the very essence of being human is desire but it can’t help but make you toy with the idea that when it comes to matters of passion and desire, everyone’s moral compass turns to a different angle.

February: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Varghese

A sweeping saga that begins with a girl’s marriage in the tranquil backwaters of pre-independence Kerala, The Covenant of Water takes readers through generations of a family grappling with an enigmatic condition that keeps them from the life-sustaining waters around them. Verghese’s intricate narrative explores themes of love, faith, colonialism and medical discovery, all set against Kerala’s lush, evocative landscape.

March: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

In Intermezzo, we follow two brothers, 22-year-old Ivan and 32-year-old Peter, as they navigate life after their father’s death. Ivan, a chess champion, begins a relationship with 36-year-old Margaret while grieving. Meanwhile, Peter, a lawyer, juggles two relationships: one with a 23-year-old college student and the other with his ex-girlfriend and longtime love. Ivan and Peter couldn’t be more different, and through their contrasting approaches to women, the world, and each other, Rooney explores themes of loss, regret, and self-reflection.

April: The East Indian by Brinda Charry

Based on actual historical records The East Indian tells the story of migrations, that began in the early 1600s with the East India Company's first ships docking on the Andhra Coast, and which then explores the first stories of indentured labour, and the cruelty and racism of the Virginia farms, as the building of the New World that will become "The United States of America" begins. Centred around Tony, an orphaned boy, Brinda Charry’s three-continent-spanning novel does not shy away from tackling the big questions of race and identity.

May: Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

June Hayward is a struggling writer whose debut book did not sell enough to even get a paperback release. Celebrating her frenemy Athena Liu’s yet another success, things take a violent turn as she witnesses the latter choking to death before help arrives.Visibly shaken, she returns to her apartment but not without Athena’s recently finished manuscript she swiped without anyone detecting. At its heart, Yellowface is a story about plagiarism. But it is a lot more than that. It is a dark satire about the publishing industry, racism, white privilege, social media takedowns, and the cancel culture. It also questions reverse racism. And if there is a place for a straight, non-diverse woman writer.

June: Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

Though Big Swiss delves into dark humour and tragic comedy, its true brilliance lies in its poignant exploration of self-identity and the perils of wallowing in victimhood. Following the chaotic life of a woman named Greta, the book navigates the complexities of trauma, guilt and emotional healing. Beagin’s exploration of how we can either break free from—or succumb to—our past is a powerful reminder to confront our own issues with responsibility and resilience.

July: Too Much and Not the Mood: Essays by Durga Chew-Bose

This lyrical and piercingly insightful collection of essays will hold you in ways you didn’t know you needed to be held. Durga Chew-Bose’s writing is a meditation on identity and culture, capturing the complexity of being a first-generation, creative young woman. Each essay resonates with a deep, quiet understanding of the inner restlessness that comes with navigating life as a young woman of colour. Her words are thoughtful and mindful, shedding light on the universal experience of feeling seen and unseen, of searching for belonging while grappling with personal history and cultural expectations.

August: Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

A memoir of love, loss and growing up in your twenties, Everything I Know About Love is both funny and deeply relatable. This book is for anyone seeking an honest, heartwarming guide through the complexities of friendship, relationships and self-discovery. Alderton’s candid reflections on the messiness of adulthood, love and friendship make this a comforting and humorous read for those ready to embrace the chaos of life in their twenties.

September: Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy

Everyone agrees that when Arundhati Roy writes a book, it is bound to be captivating. Roy’s latest—and one of the most awaited Indian books of 2025 (releasing in September)—is a memoir that pays tribute to her mother, Mary, who passed away in 2022. This memoir, to be published by Penguin Random House India, is equal parts disturbing, fascinating, moving and funny, and is Roy’s ode to the closest but most complex relationship of her life.

October: Mudritha by Jissa Jose (translated by Jayasree Kalathil)

While Jissa Jose is one of the most exciting voices in Malayalam literature today, Jayasree Kalathil has won several awards for her translations. So it’s a given that we can’t wait to get our hands on Mudritha, an interconnected story of ten women and one man. Exploring themes of love, marriage and family bonds, the book unfolds as both a detective novel and a look into the intricacies and intimacies of the relationships that bind us all.

November: Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

Susan Abulhawa’s Against the Loveless World offers an inspiring story of strength, survival and transformation. The novel follows Nahr, a Palestinian refugee whose journey through hardship and displacement becomes a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit. As Nahr reflects on her experiences—from personal betrayal to finding love and belonging amidst conflict—Abulhawa weaves a narrative of self-discovery and the possibility of new beginnings.

December: The Overstory by Richard Powers

Richard Powers’s The Overstory is a lyrical and profound exploration of humanity’s deep, often overlooked, connection to trees and the natural world. This sweeping novel tells the stories of several characters whose lives intertwine with the fate of forests. It’s a sobering reminder that we are all part of a long, generational history, urging us to pause, reflect and reconnect with the slow, powerful rhythms of the natural world.