In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, a surprising cultural shift has emerged: a renaissance of reading. As digital fatigue and shortened attention spans became hallmarks of pandemic-era life, readers are rediscovering the transformative power of long-form storytelling. #BookTok and Instagram's reading communities have paradoxically reignited a hunger for deep, immersive literary experiences. What began as a survival mechanism during lockdowns—turning to literature for escape and connection—has blossomed into a robust reading culture. This literary revival signals a collective desire to reclaim depth, concentration, and the profound human connection that only a book can provide.
These five debut authors are finding eager audiences hungry for fresh perspectives, while readers seek meaningful narratives that offer more than fleeting digital distractions. Drop the dopamine chase and get back on track in 2025: embark on a literary journey through these five debut novels that promise to captivate, challenge, and redefine storytelling as we know it!
publish date: January 7th
Colette Shade's "Y2K" is a razor-sharp cultural dissection of the early 2000s, exploring how seemingly frivolous elements such as AOL Instant Messenger, bling era rap, low-rise jeans, and body glitter reflected deeper societal shifts in a generation caught between technological optimism and impending economic collapse. The book offers a provocative meditation on a period that promised a bright future but ultimately birthed our complex contemporary moment.
publish date: February 11th
In this poignant English-language debut, a Japanese author explores the unlikely bond between Chizu, a 20-year-old adrift in life, and Ginko, her 71-year-old eccentric relative, as they share a ramshackle Tokyo home punctuated by passing trains and resident cats. Through delicate, deadpan prose, the novel chronicles Chizu's journey from aimless part-time jobs and unsatisfying relationships to a hard-won independence, offering a microscopic examination of loneliness that captures the painful yet transformative process of finding oneself.
publish date: February 18th
AJ Romriell excavates the intricate landscape of his personal metamorphosis, blending mythological allegory with raw personal narrative to explore the profound journey of shedding inherited religious constraints. Navigating the complex terrain between Mormon doctrine and queer identity, Romriell crafts a lyrical meditation on belonging, tracing his path from strict adherence to radical self-acceptance. The book emerges as a powerful testament to reimagining salvation—not as compliance, but as the courageous act of claiming one's authentic self.
publish date: March 18th
Saou Ichikawa's "Hunchback" is a defiant, darkly comic exploration of agency and desire, centered on Shaka, a woman with a congenital muscle disorder living in a care home outside Tokyo. Through her razor-sharp wit and unapologetic inner life—publishing explicit fantasies, trolling social media, and challenging societal expectations—Shaka transforms her physical limitations into a powerful narrative of autonomy. This novel is a fierce, formally inventive testament to the boundless potential of the human spirit.
publish date: June 17th
In this vibrant queer Jewish coming-of-age debut, Hannah and Sam embark on a transformative journey from Long Beach to San Francisco in 1996, navigating love, survival, and identity amid the city's queer landscape. When financial pressures push them into stripping at The Chez Paree, Hannah's encounter with Chris—an older butch lesbian—fractures her relationship with Sam and challenges her understanding of freedom and self-discovery. A tender, piercing exploration of first love, queer possibility, and the complex choices we make while searching for belonging.
Written by Natasha Lynn Baker