This wrap-up is a curated guide to the books that were loved the most in 2025, the ones you’ll want to read. Let’s dive in.....
COVER STORY
If you are someone who love keep track of the latest books, chances are books are more than just entertainment for you—they’re a way to explore identity, challenge ideas, and escape into worlds that feel both familiar and fantastical. And wow, 2025 delivered.
This wrap-up is a curated guide to the books that were loved the most in 2025, the ones you’ll want to read. Let’s dive in.
Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
Buckeye is the kind of sweeping yet intimate novel that makes you want to call your grandparents and ask about their past. Spanning from World War II to the late 20th century, Ryan weaves together two Midwestern families with piercing observations about love, loss and the human spirit. It’s mesmerizing, heartfelt, and perfect for fans of The Vanishing Half or East of Eden.
Paper Girl by Beth Macy
Beth Macy, acclaimed for her fearless reporting on America’s opioid crisis, turns inward with Paper Girl. This memoir explores her Ohio hometown, her family’s struggles, and the unraveling of small-town America’s social fabric. Raw and empathetic, it’s both a reckoning and a love letter, capturing nostalgia alongside disillusionment. Macy’s journalistic precision meets vulnerability, creating a hybrid of memoir and social commentary. It’s deeply moving, offering readers an intimate look at resilience, belonging, and the costs of decline.
Good Things by Samin Nosrat
Beloved chef Samin Nosrat follows Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat with Good Things, a warm, generous collection of 125 favourite recipes. These are the dishes she cooks for herself and friends, infused with her trademark precision and joy. Nosrat blends cultural influences, personal stories, and approachable techniques, making cooking feel celebratory rather than intimidating. With vibrant illustrations and heartfelt guidance, this book is more than a cookbook—it’s an invitation to share meals, laughter, and connection around the table.
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
Robert Langdon returns after eight years, this time in Prague, where castles, graveyards, and labyrinthine tunnels conceal centuries-old mysteries. Brown blends folklore, history, and suspense as Langdon races to rescue Katherine Solomon from a deadly conspiracy. The city itself becomes a character, steeped in alchemy and Gothic secrets. With puzzles, chases, and revelations, this novel delivers the intellectual thrill ride fans expect, while exploring darker themes of hidden truths and moral ambiguity.
Dead and Alive by Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith’s latest essay collection is a masterclass in wit and clarity. With sharp, humane insight, she dissects the cultural tendencies shaping our troubled times—politics, art, identity, and the everyday contradictions of modern life. Urgent yet deeply empathetic, Smith invites readers to think critically while finding humour and humanity in chaos. It’s a book that feels both timely and timeless, perfect for thoughtful young readers.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Suzanne Collins returns to Panem with Sunrise on the Reaping, a chilling prequel set during the 50th Hunger Games. The story follows Haymitch Abernathy’s brutal journey, revealing how trauma and survival shaped his cynicism. Fast-paced and emotionally haunting, the novel expands the Games’ history with deadly traps, strange creatures, and psychological warfare. Collins explores resilience, sacrifice, and the Capitol’s manipulations, offering fans a gripping character study that deepens the universe while showing the origins of Haymitch’s hardened worldview.
Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca Yarros
In Onyx Storm, Violet Sorrengail’s trials at Basgiath War College reach new heights. Dragons, secrets, and battles collide as trust, love, and survival are tested. Yarros blends romance, political intrigue, and explosive action, keeping readers hooked on Violet’s fight to endure. The novel explores loyalty and betrayal, with dragons symbolizing destiny and power. Emotional intensity meets epic fantasy, making this installment a thrilling continuation of Violet’s journey.
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
Devney Perry blends mystery, romance, and resilience in her latest offering, Shield of Sparrows. The novel tells the tale of a woman who is haunted by her past and must confront long-buried secrets when danger resurfaces in the quiet town she hoped would offer safety. The author balances heartfelt connections with tense, atmospheric suspense as trust, love, and survival intertwine. Themes of strength, healing, and the power of second chances shape a story that is both touching and thrilling, making this novel a compelling addition to Perry’s body of work.
Fearless (The Powerless Trilogy #3) by Lauren Roberts
The trilogy’s finale is nothing short of explosive. Paedyn Gray, once branded a betrayer, now faces the paradox of becoming queen through marriage to Kitt, the king’s son. Roberts layers political intrigue with personal stakes: can vows unite a fractured kingdom, or will betrayal tear it apart? The tension between Paedyn’s heart and her duty makes this installment deeply emotional. Kai Azer’s relentless pursuit of her love adds another dimension, creating a triangle of loyalty, passion, and sacrifice.
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Reid shifts from Hollywood glamour to the cosmos, and the result is dazzling. Atmosphere follows Joan Goodwin, a physics professor who joins NASA’s shuttle program in the 1980s. Reid captures the thrill of training, the camaraderie of astronauts, and the emotional stakes of risking everything for exploration. The novel is steeped in historical detail, from Houston’s Johnson Space Center to the cultural shifts of the era. Joan’s relationships—with fellow candidates, her niece, and a magnetic engineer—add layers of intimacy to the high-stakes narrative.
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
McConaghy, known for her eco-fiction, delivers another haunting tale. Set on Shearwater, a remote island near Antarctica, the novel explores isolation, family bonds, and environmental urgency. Dominic Salt and his children are caretakers of the world’s largest seed bank, but their fragile existence is disrupted when Rowan, a mysterious woman, washes ashore during a storm. Secrets unravel—sabotaged radios, hidden graves—and trust becomes a matter of survival.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
V.E. Schwab crafts a sweeping, genre-bending tale that spans centuries, from 16th-century Spain to modern-day Boston. Themes of hunger, love, rage, and immortality pulse through its lush, layered narrative. Schwab blends historical detail with supernatural intrigue, creating a story that feels both timeless and urgent. It’s a haunting exploration of human desire and endurance, perfect for readers craving depth and atmosphere.
