What's Hot in Books

With spring in full bloom and summer rapidly approaching, the weather is heating up. Luckily, there’s one way to ride the heatwaves of the seasons and make the best out of them: a good book (or two) in your armour for maximum enjoyment. And with this year’s trends in fiction and nonfiction, escapism has never been hotter.

FICTION

Fueled by a growing desire to explore an alternative reality, readers are forgoing books that are relatable to everyday life and instead are reaching for those that take them on a journey through the unknown. Fantasy is the leading genre in fiction, and according to the numbers alone, it’s not close. One of the biggest sources of the latest fantasy craze is the rise of “BookTok,” a passionate subcommunity on TikTok who reviews and shares their reads with an actively engaged audience. 

This surge in exposure has been monumental for authors, particularly self-publishing writers or those who would otherwise struggle to find promotion with traditional book marketing. In just a five-year span (2020–2025), Reedsy reports that sales for fantasy titles have seen a staggering 41.3 percent increase. And this craze is crossing over into other genres, forming subgenres from historical popular genres like romance, mystery and thrillers, and attracting a diverse audience of readers. 

In 2025, romance titles also benefitted from a surge in sales, increasing by 24%, according to a report from NPR. A heartwarming love story is timeless, and readers have always shown a fierce loyalty to romance, but when you add supernatural elements to the narrative, its appeal grows exponentially. ‘Romantasy’ is a hybrid genre that combines a passion for romance and adventure with fantasy, resulting in popular books like the A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas series and From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Print sales alone for Maas in 2024 amounted to a staggering 10 million, illustrating the strong desire for books that challenge realism while staying grounded in humanism with concepts like romance and love.

What one famous literary pioneer said over fifty years ago still rings today–and perhaps has even greater meaning given fantasy’s growing success and relevance. Fantasy, or ‘fairy-story’ as J.R.R Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, called them, “open a door on Other Time, and if we pass through, though only for a moment, we stand outside our own time, outside Time itself, maybe.”

NONFICTION

While many turn to fiction as an escape from the realities of life, an equal number of readers prefer to consume nonfiction as a means for coping and a way to better understand not only the world but themselves. Self-help and personal development books have always resonated with people for this reason, but in the wake of global intense events and societal pressure compounded by high social media usage, their marketability has surged in recent years. Mental health and wellness is being prioritized in ways it hasn’t been before, and the numbers tell the story.

Among all published titles in 2025, Mel Robbins’ self-help book, The Let Them Theory, was the single-most best-selling title of the year across all genres, racking in at over 2.8 million copies. Publishers Weekly reports that self-help was a “standout performer” with sales up 14.7 percent, bolstered by Robbins’ best-seller, which gained significant attention through the #1 globally ranked The Mel Robbins Podcast. The book encourages readers to relinquish the power others have in their life and inspires them to focus their energy on what is in their hands: their own mindset and control. 

Memoirs and biographies are classics in nonfiction literature that never lose their appeal. From historical figures and politicians to celebrities and music artists, people enjoy reading the more intimate or private details of someone’s life because it allows them to feel connected to them and their unique journeys. One of most anticipated nonfiction reads of 2025 was Mark Twain by Ron Chernow, a #1 New York Times Bestseller, offering a look at events that shaped the literary giant’s life and career. Other top sellers included We Did OK, Kid by Anthony Hopkins, 107 Days by Kamala Harris and Bread of Angels by Patti Smith.

The titles and stories will change over the years, but the interest in books that educate, inspire and enthrall will always remain the same no matter which direction the genres are trending. Explore (and write) to your heart’s desire!