Best Books of 2025

It’s that time of year again… the time of the all-important ‘books of the year’ lists.

And so, we’ve rounded up a festive list of all our titles we’ve spotted recommended in publications.

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Mary at 90 – Mary Berry

Join Britain’s best-loved cook, Mary Berry, as she celebrates her 90th birthday, with a career-spanning collection of iconic, fuss-free recipes for every occasion, alongside stories and memories from a lifetime of cooking.

Shortlisted for Foyles Children's Book of the Year 2025

Otherlands: An Illustrated Journey – Thomas Halliday

Starting with the last ice age and ending when the very first animals started to swim and hunt, this is an illustrated journey back through time

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

How to Kill a Witch – Claire Mitchell & Zoe Venditozzi

WINNER 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards
Blackwell's Scottish Book of the Year

The Worlds of Jane Austen – Helena Kelly

'A treat for fans' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
'Everything you ever wanted to know about Austen - a must' GILL HORNBY
'Kelly brilliantly reconstructs the tumultuous world that influenced Jane Austen's writing' CAROLINE JANE KNIGHT

Sunday Times Best-seller | Waterstones' Book of the Month

The Place of Tides – James Rebanks

'A quietly profound book' SUNDAY TIMES
'A book of stillness, quiet vigilance, and the kind of patience that is measured not in hours but in lifetimes' FT

Out Now in Paperback

Lower Than The Angels – Diarmaid MacCulloch

'A thrilling read' FINANCIAL TIMES
‘A richly entertaining history' OBSERVER

10th Anniversary Edition

The Silk Roads – Peter Frankopan

'A proper historical epic of dazzling range and achievement' WILLIAM DALRYMPLE
'So ambitious, so detailed and so fascinating' SUNDAY TIMES Books of the Decade

Daring to be Free – Sudhir Hazareesingh

'A masterclass in literary archaeology' FINANCIAL TIMES
'A marvel of historical analysis and research’ NEW STATESMAN
'A sweeping history of black resistance... remarkable cache of evidence' THE TIMES
'A powerful corrective to [the] white saviour myth' IRISH TIMES

The Houses of Guinness – Adrian Tinniswood

'An erudite historian' FINANCIAL TIMES
One of the IRISH EXAMINER’s '10 New Books for November’
'We are in the company of a confident and skilled historian who understands the mores of his era and wears his learning lightly' THE TIMES

A LoveReading star book and Liz Robinson's Book Pick of the Month

War Babies – Chris Manby

A collection of interviews with men and women from the Silent Generation – those born between 1928 and 1945 – about their childhood experiences during World War Two

Out Now in Paperback

The Baton and the Cross – Lucy Ash

Shortlisted for the ORWELL PRIZE 2025
shortlisted for the BRITISH ACADEMY BOOK PRIZE 2025
Shortlisted for the PUSHKIN HOUSE BOOK PRIZE 2025

Out Now in Paperback

How to Winter – Kari Leibowitz

'Essential strategies for turning life's challenges into opportunities' CAROL DWECK
'The perfect mix of science, story-telling, and practical advice' KATIE McGONIGAL

Time Lions and the Chrono-loop – Krystal Sutherland & Martin Seneviratne

'Intricate, fantastical worldbuilding' PUBLISHERS WEEKELY
'A brilliant book, exciting and informative' THE SCHOOL READING LIST
'An absolute blast - in this timeline and in the past!' KATIE TSANG

The Lion Cub’s Secret – Lauren St John

Lauren St John's White Giraffe series has become internationally beloved. This is the perfect time to discover - or rediscover - this bestselling series.

Out Now in Paperback | Times Best-Seller

The Proof of My Innocence – Jonathan Coe

'My comfort read' BOB MORTIMER
'Prose of enduring beauty' GUARDIAN
'Coe is on engaging form… satiric and entertaining brio' SUNDAY TIMES

The Appletree Animal Agency 2 – Katya Balen

'A huge heap of fun!' ROSS MONTGOMERY
'Balen has a wonderful gift for blending humour and emotion' DAILY MAIL

Out Now in Paperback

British Vogue – Julie Summers

'A history of 20th century fashion & culture in one glorious book' INDEPENDENT
'Always changing and always fascinating' ALEXANDRA SHULMAN

A Poetry Book Society Recommendation

After Party – Dean Browne

‘Poems that sneak in the side-door then exit through the ceiling’ CAROLINE BIRD
‘Dean Browne is a terrific poet: his language is agile and fresh, his ideas surprising’ NICK LAIRD