Books I read in 2025 that are Worth Your Time

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The internet is full of people’s best books of 2025. I’ve been thinking about what I can contribute to the conversation rather than just a list of my favourites. I’ve become less interested in the kinds of stats that are meant to prove to the world that I’m worthy (look at me, I’m smart, I read lots). Maybe I’m growing.

And so, I bring you the books I think are worth your time if you haven’t read them yet. I take ages to read a book, and I’m very careful with what I choose to read because I don’t often abandon books in the middle. As an example, I’ve finished Zadie Smith’s NW, even though that book annoyed the hell out of me, because she does write beautifully. In sum, when I recommend a book, that means I read it easily or that it was so good it was worth the time I’ve invested in it (often hours and hours). I grouped the books based on what I got from each, so you know which to reach for depending on your mood.

Just a note, I’ve been using affiliate links in this post. That means that if you buy a book (from Bookshop.org, supporting independent bookshops while you’re at it) through any of the links here, I will get a small incentive from Bookshop.org. I can assure you I will use this income to buy and read more books.

Beautiful Language and Themes of Belonging:

I’ve read both of these books through my amazing Book Club, run by the tireless Abigail. And while I was probably going to get to the first at some point, I wouldn’t have picked up the second without them. I love our book club discussions, and I look forward to another year of those.

• There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak - a story that weaves together ancient Mesopotamia, Dickensian London, and modern Syria/Iraq/Turkey along with modern London, through the stories of three characters. Arthur is an exceptional boy living in very tough circumstances in 1850s London. He catches some breaks and becomes a scholar of cuneiform—the language of ancient Mesopotamia. Narin is a Yazidi girl living with her grandmother, and going deaf. Zaleekhah is a hydrologist living in modern London whose life comes apart at the seams.

• Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers - Helen is having an affair with Gill, a married man she’s working with. Both treat William—a 37-year-old man who hasn’t left his home since he was thirteen—in a mental asylum. Set in the 1960s in Corydon, this novel explores the choices we make and their resonances throughout life.

  
  

Sharp Social Novels:

I think I discovered the term Social Novel this year. A novel that explores a societal theme, making an explicit connection between the personal and the universal. These two are top of my list.

• The L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks - I’ve written a more detailed review here. This book was written in the 1960s but it’s still poignant. A masterpiece social novel, it tells the story of Jane who becomes pregnant and thus “falls” from middle class to working class lodging, renting the L-shaped room in London.

• Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty - I know I’m behind and everyone has already read this or watched the series. Madeleine, Jane, and Celeste all deal with modern motherhood and the difficulties it brings in a coastal town in Australia. Two of the friends carry a trauma they would need to deal with before the novel is done.

Finding Your Self:

Even though I’m becoming more interested in how societal systems work, my lens has always been psychological—how society shapes the individual.

• What Others Think in Me by Yoav Blum - a sci-fi novel exploring what would it be like to read other people’s minds, but being unable to distinguish between their thoughts and your own. (Note: this book will be available in English May 2026)

• Bad Friend by Tiffany Watt Smith - a memoir/non-fiction about female friendship. The author explores the history of female friendship and her own friendships, and how she grew as a friend.

• Falling Back in Love with Being Human by Kai Cheng Thom - in this collection of letters to herself and others, Kai takes us through a healing process. Warning: this book will change you if you let it.

Philosophical Novels:

My absolute favourite is a novel that makes me think. I don’t know if “philosophical novel” is a category, but these two explore philosophical questions in the best way: through a story.

• A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers - a lovely little sci-fi novel about Dex, who decides to become a tea monk, and his meeting with Mosscap who is a sentient robot.

• The Unswitchable by Yoav Blum - what would happen if we could switch bodies with anyone else? How does society look and what happens when you’re the only one who can’t switch? It’s a well-written murder mystery wrapping some philosophical questions about the separation of mind and body.

When You Need a Brain Break:

While I love reading something that makes me think during the day, I also always read in bed. Sometimes all I can manage is two pages, sometimes two paragraphs. I can’t read a book talking about complex issues that way, so I often opt for the “Brain Break” books. Don’t get me wrong, I love those, too.

• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - fantasy heist. Fast pace and flawed characters in a world where some societies worship the God of trade, and some have magic powers.

• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - How to Train Your Dragon meets Romeo and Juliet, but brutal and with sex. A LOT of sex.