2025 is going to be packed with exciting new releases, and we can’t wait to get them on our shelves. From jaw-dropping thrillers to satisfying self-help titles, there’s something new for everyone to enjoy.
Here’s a list of some reads we are most excited about this new year - coming soon to the Barrie Public Library. Be sure to place a hold on your favourites now so you’re first in line to enjoy them.
Fiction
The Crash by Freida McFadden
Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. So she hits the road, planning to stay with her brother until she can figure out her next move. But she doesn't realize she's heading straight into a blizzard. She never arrives at her destination. Stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and broken ankle, Tegan worries she's made a terrible mistake. Then a miracle occurs: she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their warm cabin until the snow clears. But something isn't right. Tegan believed she was waiting out the storm, but as time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn't what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet.
Holmes is Missing by James Patterson
In Holmes is Missing, PI Brendan Holmes has committed the perfect crime--he's made himself disappear. Success has come quickly to Holmes, Marple & Poe Investigations.
The New York City agency led by three detectives - Brendan Holmes, "the brain," Margaret Marple, "the eyes," and Auguste Poe, the "muscle" - with famous names and mysterious pasts is one major case away from cementing its professional reputation. But as a series of child abductions tests the PIs' legendary skills, the cerebral Holmes's absence leaves a gaping hole in the agency roster. Only by closing ranks and solving the mystery within can they recover all that's been lost.
Bonded in Death by J.D. Robb
Giovanni Rossi, once part of a secret group called The Twelve during the Urban Wars, dies shortly after arriving in New York.
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is left with few clues: an untraceable weapon, no facial recognition matches, and a cryptic connection to the wars of the 2020s.
When Summerset, her husband’s loyal but gruff confidant, learns of the murder, his shock reveals a hidden truth—he was also a member of The Twelve. Now, with more members being targeted and a killer on a deadly mission, Summerset must confront his buried past to help Eve stop the murders before it’s too late.
Beach Vibes by Susan Mallery
What would you do if you caught your brother cheating on your best friend?
While Beth is proud of her Malibu beach shop, Surf Sandwiches, she's even prouder of her charismatic brother Rick, who rose from foster care through surgical residency. She makes subs, he saves lives. Life takes a turn for the happy after she finds out Rick is dating her new best friend, Jana. Then Jana's handsome brother adds even more sparkle to Beth's days...and nights.
But when she catches Rick with another woman--like, with-with--her visions of an idyllic family future disappear in one awful instant. Either she betrays her brother, or she keeps his secret and risks losing the man she loves and her best friend.
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.
Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.
A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can't sleep, and he can't write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible - a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.
Non-Fiction
What If YOU Are the Answer: And 26 Other Questions That Might Just Change Your Life by Rachel Hollis
Good questions make us think, teach us about ourselves, and if we're honest in our replies, they can reveal the answers we've been searching for. In What If YOU Are the Answer?, Rachel Hollis shares the transformative questions that have helped her heal, grow, and thrive, even when life throws its hardest punches.
With her signature blend of vulnerability, tell-it-like-it-is humour, and hard-won wisdom, Rachel challenges and encourages you to: Confront your deepest fears: "What are you afraid to admit?" Change your circumstances: "Would you sign up for this again? Lean into success: "What's working in your life?" Take responsibility for your own growth: "What if YOU are the problem?"
Throughout this dynamic book, as hilarious as it is wise, Rachel's questions - and above all, her raw and all-too-real stories - will give you the clarity, courage, and inspiration to embrace your full potential and become the person you were meant to be.
Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging As a Woman by Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields has spent a lifetime in the public eye. Growing up as a child actor and model, her every feature was scrutinized, her every decision judged. Today Brooke faces a different kind of scrutiny: that of being a "woman of a certain age."
And yet, for Brooke, the passage of time has brought freedom. At fifty-nine, she feels more comfortable in her skin, more empowered and confident than she did decades ago in those famous Calvin Kleins. Now, in Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old, she's changing the narrative about women and aging.
In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some by Josh Gad
A heartfelt and hilarious collection of essays from the comedian and entertainer known for voicing Olaf in the phenomenon Disney franchise of Frozen, and for his award-winning turn as Elder Cunningham in the Broadway smash hit The Book of Mormon.
For the first and possibly last time, Josh Gad dives into a wide array of personal topics: the lasting impact of his parents' divorce; how he struggled with weight and self-image; his first big break; how everyone was sure his most successful ventures (both on the big screen and the stage) would fail; his take on fatherhood, and so much more. This trip down the rabbit hole of overly personal stories will distract readers from climate change, the downward descent of democracy in Western civilization, and the existential threat that AI poses to Drake's music--with never-before-seen photos and few-to-no spelling errors.
All the Little Monsters: How I Learned to Live With Anxiety by David A. Robertson
From the outside, David A. Robertson seems to have it all: a loving family, a successful writing career, and a platform to promote Indigenous perspectives. But beneath the surface, he battles “little monsters” - chronic health anxiety, panic attacks, and periods of depression.
In All the Little Monsters, Robertson reveals what it's like to live inside his mind and his body and describes the toll his mental health challenges have taken on him and his family, and how he has learned to put one foot in front of the other as well as to get back up when he stumbles. He also writes about the tools that have helped him carry on, including community, therapy, medication and the simple question he asks himself on repeat: what if everything will be okay?
Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause by Naomi Watts
At thirty-six, Naomi Watts had just finished filming King Kong and was shocked to learn she was on the brink of menopause. With millions of women experiencing symptoms like night sweats, mood swings, and skin changes, menopause remains shrouded in stigma and confusion, leaving many feeling unprepared and alone.
In Dare I Say It, Naomi shares the book she wishes she had—an honest, intimate guide blending personal stories, expert advice, and the latest research. Covering topics like hormone therapy, sleep, libido, and aging skin, this book tackles menopause head-on, offering support, answers, and a sense of connection.