The festive season is officially here! As the year draws to a cosy close, there is no better way to unwind and escape the holiday rush than by getting lost in a brilliant book.
This December, we are shining a spectacular spotlight on the most anticipated new releases from our esteemed British authors. These titles are not just stories; they are perfect, thoughtful Christmas presents for the avid reader in your life (or a well-deserved gift for yourself!).
Forget the stress, grab a blanket, and let’s wrap up 2025 by celebrating the magic of storytelling and the excitement of these brand new reads!
Table of Contents
Ashes of the Imperium (The Scouring)
Ashes of the Imperium by Chris Wraight, a gripping Space Fleet novel, plunges the reader into the immediate, shattered aftermath of the Horus Heresy on Terra. With the Warmaster dead and the Emperor silent, the Traitor Legions flee in disarray, hounded by vengeful Loyalists. Humanity is left searching for answers amid the wreckage.
As new, powerful forces arrive to either redeem or usurp the Imperium, and the scattered survivors of Horus’ Grand Armada face internal dissent, the hope for renewal clashes with the grim reality that the war can never truly end.
This is the perilous new age where the only question remaining is who shall claim the reins of power.
Release date: 18th December
The Hop-Picker Murders
The Hop-Picker Murders by Nathan Dylan Goodwin, the newest chilling instalment in the Morton Farrier genealogical crime mystery series, begins when Molly Moon discovers her aunt’s discarded 1920 journal, revealing a long-buried claim: that four missing hop-pickers, including her uncle, were murdered decades ago in rural Kent.
Forensic genealogist Morton Farrier is hired to investigate the complex cold case, but as he delves into the century-old mystery of disappearance, deception, and murder, his investigation becomes a race against time, complicated by an unknown menace attempting to sabotage his career.
Release date: 20th December
Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives
Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives, authored by Ella Mills (Woodward), is another absolute banger of a read, focused on plant based healthy eating by none other than the superstar herself, Deliciously Ella. Starting with her phenomenally successful blog, deliciouslyella.com, attracted over 110 million hits in just three years. Ella has since gone on to produce recipe books that have made UK history and secured a prestigious spot on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Her next release, Quick Wins, is the essential guide to simplifying healthy eating, offering delicious, plant focused recipes designed to help you effortlessly incorporate more vegetables, legumes, and grains into your diet and supercharge your health. This cookbook cuts through the fuss with 75 simple, balanced recipes that help you reduce ultra processed foods and achieve the goal of enjoying 30 or more different plants each week. Quick Wins offers eight flexible weekly meal plans, complete with shopping lists and practical batch cook tips, proving that eating well can be all goodness and absolutely no stress.
Release date:
Discover More British Authors and Their Books
Thank you for celebrating the best of British publishing with us throughout the year. As the days grow shorter and the festive lights twinkle, we encourage you to step away from the holiday hustle for a moment of peace and quiet, and to allow one of our brilliant authors to transport you to a new place while the world outside waits.
We really do hope that you find the perfect book among our recommended reads to make your final literary adventures of 2025 truly exciting and memorable. Rest assured, we have many more fascinating authors and genres lined up for the new year.
Have a Merry Christmas and a relaxing New Year! We’ll see you in January with more recommended reads to inspire your 2026 reading list.