From page-turners to prizewinners: The best 27 books of 2025 so far

Whether you’re after escapism, insight or sheer page‑turning pleasure, our round‑up of the year’s top books offers an ultimate guide to reading this year.

Get ready to discover your next obsession, with something for everyone on this list.

Best fiction books of 2025

• A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kay
• Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
• The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovits
• What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
• The Artist by Lucy Steeds
• Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan
• Stag Dance by Torrey Peters
• Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory
• Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
• The Murder at World’s End by Ross Montgomery
• Katabasis by R.F.Kuang
• Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
• Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
• Who Wants to Live Forever by Hanna Thomas Uose
• Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab

1. A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kay

Former doctor turned bestselling author Adam Kay makes a striking fiction debut with this medical mystery full of heart and dark humour. At its centre is Eitan Rose, a gifted doctor whose mental health struggles often hold him back. Still reeling from a breakup and haunted by the loss of his sister during his training, Eitan is just about keeping afloat when his boss dies suddenly. Convinced it’s more than natural causes, he sets out to uncover the truth. With sharp insights into medicine, an undercurrent of grief, and plenty of wit, A Particularly Nasty Case is a particularly good book to curl up with on a Sunday afternoon.

2. Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

Rich with insight into the human spirit and sharp observations of American life, Buckeye is a generational tale of secrets and consequences. In Bonhomie, Ohio, a fleeting moment of passion in the wake of Allied victory binds together Cal Jenkins—a man scarred not by battle but by his failure to serve—and Margaret Salt, a woman determined to conceal her past. As their town flourishes during the postwar boom, long-buried secrets come to light. Spanning some of the most transformative decades in modern America, the novel traces how one encounter reverberates across generations, forcing two families to confront who they really are and what kind of future they can claim.

3. The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovits

Empty nest syndrome hits differently these days—though with the current housing market, some might welcome it. This novel puts a witty spin on the dilemma. Twelve years ago, Tom Layward made a pact with himself: as soon as his youngest daughter turned 18, he’d finally leave his unfaithful wife. Now, dropping that daughter off at university in Pittsburgh, Tom remembers his promise, and just keeps driving west. What follows is a modern riff on the great American road novel, full of nuance, wit, and the messy beauty of late-life choices.

4. What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

In 2014, a single great poem is read aloud... and then lost forever. For generations, its message lingers in speculation, though no copy is ever found. By 2119, the lowlands of the UK are drowned by rising seas, and those who remain are haunted by memories of the world that vanished. When an academic uncovers a clue to the poem’s existence, he unravels a story of entwined loves and a devastating crime—one that upends everything he thought he knew about those closest to him. At its heart, this is a love letter to art, to the written word, and to the fragile beauty of humanity in the shadow of catastrophe.

5. The Artist by Lucy Steeds

If your perfect Sunday includes an art gallery, add this novel by Lucy Steeds to your cart immediately. Set in 1920, it follows reclusive painter Edouard Tartuffe and his niece, Ettie, living in a remote farmhouse in Provence. When young journalist Joseph arrives to write about Tartuffe, he soon discovers that the greatest mystery of the cottage lies not in the painter but in a woman living under the same roof. Richly sensory, the novel lets you smell the lavender of Provençal summer, see the vivid paintings, taste the ripe food, and participate with the characters’ most profound emotions.

6. Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan

An electrifying tale of love, betrayal, and the complicated allure of bougie domesticity from the author of Bellies. Thirty-year-old Max, weighed down by a lifetime of dysphoria and irritating exes, is plagued by deep dissatisfaction. She decides to seek answers in good old-fashioned heteronormativity—namely, Vincent. Though his corporate colleagues, traditional friends, and Chinese parents never imagined him dating a trans woman, Vincent cares for Max in a way she once dismissed as a foolish fantasy. But he carries his own baggage. When the fallout from a decades-old entanglement resurfaces, Max must confront what forgiveness truly means. Prepare for an emotional labyrinth, to say the least.

7. Stag Dance by Torrey Peters

Following up a novel as talked-about as Detransition, Baby is no small feat, but Torrey Peters exceeds expectations with Stag Dance. This bold collection—one novel and three stories—is audacious, sharp, and deeply human. In Stag Dance, a group of restless lumberjacks in an illegal winter logging outfit plan a dance, some choosing to attend as women. When the broadest, strongest, plainest axman announces his intention to dance as a woman, he sparks a strange rivalry with a handsome young jack, igniting a cascade of obsession, jealousy, and betrayal that builds toward the dance. The result is a startling, intimate vision of gender, transition, and desire.

8. Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory

The “queen of royal fiction” returns with another dazzling tale of ambition, betrayal and survival in Henry VIII’s court. This time it's Jane Boleyn's turn, as Philippa Gregory follows a woman who lives in the shadows of power, where secrets are currency and a whisper can decide a Queen’s fate.

For Jane, survival means wearing many masks: a loving wife concealing doubt, a devoted sister to Anne Boleyn at the height of her power, and a cunning spy who wields her words like a weapon. In a court ruled by ambition and a tyrant’s sword, one misstep could cost her everything.

As with The Other Boleyn Girl, Gregory masterfully illuminates an untold story of Tudor intrigue and power.

9. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Taylor Jenkins Reid is basically a time traveller of the literary word at this point, renowned for transporting readers to iconic moments, crafting complex protagonists and weaving passionate tales about the transformative power of love. In her latest novel, Atmosphere, she delivers all three once again, setting her story amid Houston’s Johnson Space Centre in the summer of 1980. As new astronauts, Joan and her colleagues forge unexpected friendships, navigate intense relationships, and face the mounting pressures of life at NASA.

10. Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Four women. Four intertwined stories of love, longing, and desire. Chiamaka, a Nigerian travel writer in America, reflects on past lovers and lingering regrets during the isolation of the pandemic. Her best friend Zikora, a successful lawyer, faces betrayal and heartbreak that forces her to turn to the one person she thought she’d never need. Omelogor, Chiamaka’s bold cousin and a financial powerhouse in Nigeria, begins to question how well she truly knows herself. And Kadiatou, Chiamaka’s devoted housekeeper, proudly raises her daughter in America, until an unimaginable hardship threatens everything she’s built. A piercing exploration of choice, fate, family and the bonds that connect us all. It's rare for a writer to make us care about four different protagonists so profoundly, but Adichie makes it seem as easy as breathing.

11. Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

Holly Jackson's A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder took the world by storm, first on the page, then on Netflix. Now, the bestselling author makes her adult debut with Not Quite Dead Yet. We follow Jet, a young woman with her whole life ahead of her — or so she thinks — until a fateful Halloween attack leaves her with a rare brain injury that will kill her within a week.

Faced with her imminent death, Jet seizes a unique opportunity: to solve her own murder before it happens. Racing against the clock, she embarks on a desperate investigation to uncover the truth and leave a legacy for her family. A clever, suspenseful twist on the murder mystery genre, this novel blends urgency, intrigue and heartbreak into an unforgettable read.

12. The Murder at World’s End by Ross Montgomery

Imagine Knives Out meets Downton Abbey, but with an impending apocalypse. Are you still with us? Set on a remote tidal island in Cornwall, 1910, The Viscount of Tithe Hall is consumed by feverish preparations for the end of the world, convinced Halley’s Comet will bring doom. He seals off the hall, but the real danger is already inside. The next morning, the Viscount is found dead.

Now, the murderer walks among them. The only hope lies with an unlikely duo: the newest butler and the family’s formidable matriarch. Together, they must unravel a web of secrets before time runs out.

13. Katabasis by R.F.Kuang

The fervent voice of academia returns with a tale of passion, rivalry, and the ultimate journey. From the hallowed halls of Cambridge to the infernal depths of Hell itself, two graduate students must set aside their differences to save their professor’s soul, perhaps at the cost of their own.

Alice Law has devoted her life to her career, and Professor Jacob Grimes is the key to her ambitions. But his untimely death — and the shadow of her possible involvement — throws everything into jeopardy. Alongside Peter Murdoch, Alice ventures deeper into Hell than any mortal before, navigating its shifting levels and confronting truths that could destroy them both.

14. Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

The third instalment of the wildly successful Empyrean Series landed in 2025, and readers eagerly devoured it. Returning to a world of dragons and their riders, Onyx Storm reunites fans with smart‑mouthed Tairn, brooding Xaden, and over‑eager Andarna. Now, Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies in unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. It's basically a road trip movie but on a dragon's back.

Her path will test every shred of her wit, luck and strength. She will risk everything to protect what she loves: her dragons, her family, her home… and him. Even if it means keeping a secret so devastating, it could destroy them all.

They need an army. They need power. They need magic. But most of all, they need the one thing only Violet can find: the truth.

15. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

We return to Panem, this time for the 50th Hunger Games and the second Quarter Quell. But this is a story we’ve never heard before.

Meet Haymitch Abernathy, before he was the bitter, world‑weary mentor Katniss and Peeta knew. A young boy torn from his home and his lover, thrust into the arena to fight for District 12, Haymitch is determined to survive… and to make his death mean something.

By his side are a girl who is almost like a sister, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most insufferable girl in town. Together, they will face the Games and not let their deaths be in vain. As the film adaptation of Sunrise on the Reaping hurtles toward the big screen, take a moment to meet the vibrant characters who will bring this story to life.

16. Who Wants to Live Forever by Hanna Thomas Uose

We can’t go a day without seeing a headline about weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Mountjauro, or tabloids criticising beloved faces for ageing gracefully. Who Wants to Live Forever offers a rare chance to challenge those expectations and our own perceptions. In this all-too-recognisable world, a drug has been invented that stops ageing for as long as you take it.

Some, like Yuki, campaign against it. Others — including the founder and Sam, Yuki’s husband — eagerly embrace the chance to delay death and decay. But with extended lifespans come a host of ethical dilemmas. And how can two people stay married when one wants to live forever and the other had imagined forever together would be a lot shorter? Bleak yet hopeful, romantic yet lonely, this novel is both ordinary and extraordinary. You'll never look at those headlines the same way.

17. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab

V.E. Schwab is one of those rare talents who refuses to be confined to a single genre, and this time she blends fantasy, horror, historical fiction and more. This queer vampire tale follows three women — María (1532), Charlotte (1827) and Alice (2019) — whose lives become entwined through their shared fate in the midnight soil. Each wrestles with desire for freedom, the weight of societal constraints and a yearning for something more, until they are transformed into immortal beings with a hunger for blood and answers.

Exploring vampirism as both immortality and a dangerous, deeply human craving, this is a story that will leave you starving for just one more page… and just one more touch.

Best non-fiction books of 2025

• The Extinction of Experience by Christine Rosen
• Dare I Say It by Naomi Watts
• You Have a New Memory by Aiden Arata
• Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
• Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret Atwood
• Finding My Way by Malala Yousafzai
• Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
• Source Code: My Beginnings by Bill Gates
• Dead and Alive by Zadie Smith
• The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee

18. The Extinction of Experience by Christine Rosen

In The Extinction of Experience, Christine Rosen examines the cultural and emotional changes brought about by our embrace of technology. She warns that key human experiences are at risk of disappearing; from face-to-face communication and a sense of place to authentic emotion and even boredom itself. Drawing on cultural phenomena such as TikTok challenges and mukbang, alongside unsettling trends like sociometric tracking and online conspiracy culture, Rosen reveals a profound shift in the human condition that risks normalising alienation and control. How can we reclaim humanity? Who are we in a disembodied world?

19. Dare I Say It by Naomi Watts

Dare I Say It blends heartfelt and humorous stories from beloved actress Naomi Watts with expert advice from doctors, hormone specialists and nutritionists, stripping away the secrecy and shame that still surrounds menopause and ageing. Watts shares the latest research on managing menopause symptoms and navigating the physical and emotional changes that come with growing older. This is the book she wishes she’d had when she began menopause at just thirty-six, and the one many of us need right now. Buy it for yourself or gift it to someone else, as this is a bookshelf staple.

20. You Have a New Memory by Aiden Arata

Written by the self-proclaimed “meme queen of depression,” this kaleidoscopic essay collection brilliantly examines what it means to exist online — from fanfic forums to TikTok. Aiden Arata exposes influencer grifts from the inside, explores the strange allure of stay-at-home girlfriend creators and interrogates our online obsession with doom, all while grappling with the real-world apocalypse. With a wry, weary voice, Arata unpacks how we exist as creators, consumers and products in an ever-braver new world. If you’re scared to check your screen time, this could be one of the best books of 2025 for you.

21. Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Are you ready to enter the dark, blue-coded world of Facebook? In this searing memoir, Sarah takes us inside her career at the heart of one of the most powerful companies on the planet. From private jet trips and encounters with world leaders to shocking accounts of misogyny and double standards behind closed doors, she reveals the personal and political fallout of unfettered power and a toxic corporate culture. Along the way, she reflects on the challenges of working motherhood and dishes up irresistible insights into the power-hungry leaders of Facebook. Careless People is equal parts scandalous and eye opening.

22. Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret Atwood

How does one of the greatest storytellers of our time write her own life? Margaret Atwood’s memoir is an extraordinary answer. Unfolding her story through the books that have shaped our literary landscape, Atwood takes us from the cruel year that birthed Cat’s Eye to the Orwellian streets of 1980s Berlin, where she penned The Handmaid’s Tale. Brimming with bohemian gatherings, a magical life with the charismatic writer Graeme Gibson, and moments of political upheaval, her memoir introduces poets, bears, Hollywood actors and larger-than-life figures worthy of her fiction. For fans of her novels, this is essential reading.

23. Finding My Way by Malala Yousafzai

Pretty much everyone knows who Malala is by now, but in this extraordinary memoir, she reintroduces herself to the world. Finding My Way is a deeply personal exploration of how she navigated life when her darkest moments threatened to define her, all while seeking the freedom to discover who she truly is. It’s an intimate story of friendship, first love, anxiety, self-discovery and humanity. Vulnerable yet bold, brimming with authenticity, sharp humour and tenderness, this is a testament to the strength it takes to be unapologetically yourself.

24. Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy

By the author of The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, this powerful and deeply moving memoir traces Arundhati Roy’s complex relationship with her mother, Mary Roy. An intimate and inspirational account of how she became the person—and the writer—she is, shaped by circumstance, but above all by the extraordinary bond with a mother she calls “my shelter and my storm”. Brimming with grief, feminism and the enduring strength of love, Roy bares it all with unflinching honesty.

25. Source Code: My Beginnings by Bill Gates

We all know the story of Bill Gates: the Harvard dropout who co-founded a software company that became an industry giant, transforming the way the world works and lives. The billionaire who later turned his focus to philanthropy, tackling climate change, global health, and education. But this memoir isn’t about Microsoft, the Gates Foundation or even the future of technology. It’s the deeply human story of how Gates became who he is today. From his childhood shaped by a principled grandmother and ambitious parents, to his first friendships and the sudden death of his best friend; from struggling to fit in to discovering coding at the dawn of the digital age. It’s a vivid portrait of a young man whose midnight coding marathons at a local computer centre eventually led to a college dorm-room revolution that changed the world.

26. Dead and Alive by Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith brings her singular gift for insight to a wide-ranging collection of essays on the art, culture and politics that have fascinated her in recent years. She takes us inside the work of artists Toyin Ojih Odutola, Kara Walker and Celia Paul, invites us to the cinema to reflect on Tár, and heads to Glastonbury to witness Stormzy’s rise. Along the way, she strolls Kilburn High Road in her beloved North West London, mourns the loss of literary giants including Joan Didion, Martin Amis, Hilary Mantel, Philip Roth and Toni Morrison, and reflects on political shifts on both sides of the Atlantic. This is Zadie Smith at her most incisive. Dead and Alive is a compassionate and fearless examination of art, life, and what it means to live in these turbulent times.

27. The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee

A rare blend of fiction and nonfiction, The Land of Sweet Forever offers an unprecedented look at one of history’s most esteemed writers. You probably first met Harper Lee through her Pulitzer-winning debut, To Kill a Mockingbird, whether in a classroom or on a particularly ambitious beach holiday.

Tracing her path from the Alabama schoolyards of her youth to the luncheonettes and movie houses of midcentury Manhattan, this book opens up still-vital conversations about politics, equality, art, love, the American South and what it truly means to lead an engaged and creative life. This is one of the best books of 2025 and a chance to revisit a familiar voice.

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