Let’s Talk Bookish: Recapping Anticipated Reads

Hello, happy Friday!
Finally, a day where I am not working or at uni! I am celebrating by writing this post on the morning I am publishing it for once. Also fair warning, I am planning to change up my blog theme!

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish discussion meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and co-hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits and Dini @DiniPandaReads. Each Friday, bloggers will write posts about a particular topic and share on their blog.

With two months left in the year following October, let’s recap your anticipated releases so far. How have you fared with your most anticipated releases in 2025:
have they mostly met with your expectations or have you been let down? Were you surprised by 2025 releases you weren’t anticipating but ended up being more enjoyable than expected?

I am not typically one who makes lists of anticipated books for the year, so can I remember what books I was excited for? Nope. Did I ever post about them? Also nope. I tend to have books floating around the distant edges of my brain that have caught my interest, but I don’t really do anything about them. I will occasionally pre-order some books, and those are the ones I am really buzzing about. This year I pre-ordered a grand total of 2 books, Dissolution by Nicholas Binge and The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar, and I enjoyed both of them!

There are others that I do know I am and was excited for, but I wanted to wait for paperbacks, so I never pre-ordered; however, I have been lucky enough to receive most of them as ARCs, for which I will forever be grateful, and I’ll talk about them in a bit.

I haven’t been disappointed by any releases so far this year, which is great because it tells me that I have a real handle on what I am currently enjoying! Most of the new releases I have read I’ve either really enjoyed, or they met the expectation of ‘this is a good book, and I had a good time, but won’t reread’, which to me equals a great reading year thus far.

Are there any 2025 releases you’re still waiting on?

I briefly touched on this in my last post, so I’ll mention the one I am most looking forward to, and then I’ll detour off to talk about one that I’ve read which is unreleased, and some that are out but I haven’t got to reading yet.

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer is a witchy murder mystery that is released in November. I am always in the mood for a witchy book, and I love a murder mystery, so I’ve joined the library waitlist for this one!

The Salt Oracle by Lorraine Wilson. This one is also released in November and is a ghosty, atmospheric tale set on a research ship floating in the sea. The main character is Auli and she is part of the team that studies The Oracle, a young girl who can channel the dangerous ghosts. I loved it, and I’ll have a review out soon.

The Enduring Universe by Kritika H. Rao. This one is out now, and I am so antsy to read it! I was super lucky to be sent a copy from Tor, and now that I am on reading week, I am planning to pick it up and conclude one of my recent favourite series!

Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon by Mizuki Tsujimura. I loved her previous book, Lonely Castle in the Mirror, the writing was so lovely and the story quite whimsical while still being poignant, so I am expecting great things from this one – a story about connecting people to those they have lost.

Bog Queen by Anna North. Look, it’s a fiction book with moss. I’m sold.

If you like, share your top 2025 releases so far!

Falling in a Sea of Stars by Kristen Britain. Green Rider 8, of course, the only one I *know* I was excited for. It was everything I wanted, aside from more book. I mean, it was over 600 pages but I still wanted more!

When There Are Wolves Again by E. J. Swift. A hopeful climate fiction. Swift is firmly a favourite author now. I adored this book.

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst. I really enjoyed The Spellshop so I was really looking forward to this one, and it exceeded my expectations and I enjoyed it so much more than book 1!

Ragwort by Sam K. Horton. I’m only 10% into it right now but I know it’s going to be as amazing as Gorse, so it’s going on the list. Atmospheric, witchy and set in Cornwall. Perfection.