what to read August 2025

August 2025 Fiction Trends: Romance, Climate Collapse, and the Rise of Smut-Lit With Feelings

/ RG Newhouse / Leave a comment
Storybook-style illustration of a cozy reading nook in August, featuring a woman reading with a cat on her lap, surrounded by stacked books, teapots, houseplants, and a calendar marked August 2025.
What better way to dive into August’s fiction trends than with a good book, a purring cat, and enough tea to rival your TBR?

Since we’ve already covered what literary agents wanted for July (and stay tuned for our August MSWL roundup, link coming soon), August is the month where we ask, “Okay, but what are people actually reading right now?” Spoiler: it’s not your half-finished space opera about caffeinated goats (sorry, me). The fiction world is on fire in more ways than one and yes, that includes both cli-fi and books that could set off the office smoke alarm.

We scoured bestseller lists, industry roundups, BookTok buzz, and more to pull together top book recs for each trend in this post. so whether you’re looking to bulk up your TBR pile or just love knowing what’s hot, there’s something here for you. Some links may be affiliate links, but no pressure… they just help fuel my tea stash and cozy sock collection.

So, whether you’re querying, publishing, or just procrastinating on your edits by calling it “research,” here’s your roundup of what’s trending in fiction this August, complete with a dash of snark, a sprinkle of chaos, and a whole lot of bookish love.

What Are the Top Fiction Trends in August 2025?

Romantasy Still Owns the Throne

Storybook-style illustration of a glowing fantasy castle in the clouds with a couple holding hands in the foreground, surrounded by pink mist, sparkles, and flying dragons, romantic fantasy aesthetic.
Romantasy is still ruling hearts in August 2025… magic, longing, and dragon lit castles included.

Lovers. Magic. Betrayal. Monsters. Spicy wingspan content. It’s the genre that refuses to chill and we love her for it. From dragons to dark academia, romantasy remains the blueprint. Especially if it’s queer. Extra points if it started as fanfic.

Trending tropes:

  • Forced proximity in a magical castle
  • Enemies to lovers but with trauma bonding
  • Soft boys with devastating secrets and killer jawlines

Top Romantasy Picks:

From Fanfic to Front Shelf

Storybook-style illustration of a glowing laptop on a cozy bed, transforming into a magical open book with floating hearts and pages, surrounded by fairy lights and shelves of books, symbolizing the journey from fanfic to published novel.
From bedroom fanfic to bestselling romance, these stories are no longer hiding in the drafts folder.

Raise your hand if your favorite book was secretly Dramione with the serial numbers filed off. You’re not alone. Publishers are finally realizing fanfic writers have range, and readers? They’re here for it. These stories are raw, passionate, and not afraid to be messy.

Shoutout to:

Cli-Fi is Hot (Literally)

Storybook-style illustration of a cracked desert landscape with wildflowers growing through the earth, wind turbines in the distance, and two characters holding hands at sunrise—symbolizing hope in a climate fiction setting.
When the world is on fire (literally), cli-fi reminds us there’s still beauty and maybe even love on the horizon.

Turns out the end of the world makes great reading material. Climate fiction is gaining momentum as readers look for escapism with just enough realism to make them uncomfortable in a productive way. Think hopeful dystopia meets eco-witchcore.

Plot moodboards:

  • “The bees are dying and so are we, but there’s a love story”
  • Apocalyptic desert romance with found family and a suspiciously magical cactus

Top Cli-Fi Picks:

Smut-Lit, But Make It Emotional

Storybook-style illustration of two blushing women reading together at a candlelit table, surrounded by hearts, steam, and stacks of books—capturing the warmth, intimacy, and charm of emotional smut-lit fiction.
Spice? Yes. But also feelings, blushes, and candlelit intimacy. Emotional smut-lit is having a moment.

We are officially past the “just spice” era. Now it’s erotica with feelings, prose with depth, and awkward-but-relatable consent convos. Call it what you want, literary erotica, character-driven smut, or just a good time, we’re all reading it. Loudly. On public transit.

What’s working:

  • Queer desire across all identities
  • Messy, unfiltered vulnerability in relationships
  • Aesthetic covers that whisper “yes, it’s steamy but also art”

Top Smut-Lit Picks:

Literary Fiction is Having a Smart Girl Summer

Storybook-style illustration of a woman with glasses reading in a pink chair, surrounded by flying book pages, sunlight streaming through tall windows, stacks of books, and a fluffy cat—evoking the thoughtful, immersive mood of literary fiction.
Literary fiction in August 2025? Big thoughts, cozy chairs, and enough layers to make your English Lit professor proud.

Big feelings, deep thoughts, and a word count that demands snacks. This is the fiction for when you want to feel something and also remind yourself that your English Lit degree wasn’t in vain.

Top shelf names this month:

Books Are Pretty Now

Storybook-style illustration of a shelf filled with colorful collector edition books featuring gold foil embossing, sprayed edges, and twinkling stars—highlighting the aesthetic trend of beautifully designed books.
Books are officially ✨ art ✨ now. Sprayed edges, foiled spines, and collector covers are taking over August 2025 shelves.

Sprayed edges. Foil embossing. Textured spines. Your bookshelf wants to be Instagram-famous and honestly? Same. Collectible editions are everywhere, and you will buy the same book three times. We all do it. It’s tradition.

Top Pretty Editions to Drool Over:

Final Thoughts from a Trend-Watching Gremlin

Storybook-style illustration of a cozy gremlin-like character in a pink sweater sitting among towers of books, holding a “Your turn!” sign with a mug of tea and an open notebook under a starry sky—inviting reader interaction.
The gremlin has spoken. Drop your favorite August reads (or chaos-fueled trend recs) in the comments — your turn!

If you’re trying to stay on top of fiction book trends for August 2025, you’re not alone and there’s so much out there it’s basically a literary theme park.

Listen, I know trends come and go. But August feels like a buffet of everything: romance, angst, heatwaves, and heartbreak. Whether you write, read, or just lovingly pet your TBR pile while crying softly… there’s a place for you here.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a cli-fi romantasy fanfic about cursed librarians and magically induced lust to write. Because someone has to. And it might as well be me.

Agree with my picks? Think I missed a must-read? Drop your favorite August reads (or the best new books August 2025 has to offer) (or trends you’re loving) in the comments… I’d love to hear what’s on your TBR pile too!