2025 was a big year for books, and here are five of the best new releases that you won't want to miss out on
04:30, 01 Jan 2026
As 2025 draws to a close, it's the perfect time to reflect on the year and look forward to everything ahead in 2026. For book lovers - or anyone who has set themselves the goal of reading more next year - there's a lot to be excited about. With new releases from literary heavyweights such as Maggie O'Farrell and Douglas Stuart, along with a long list of hotly anticipated debuts, readers shouldn't have any trouble building their new TBR book stacks.
But before you start piling up your 2026 must-reads into a precarious tower, it's worth taking a moment to reflect on the best releases of 2025. Because it was a rather busy one. From R.F. Kuang to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Margaret Atwood to Ian McEwan, and Dan Brown to Suzanne Collins, readers have had plenty to choose from.
Personally, I read 35 books this year, including several new releases, but I still have a very long list of 2025 books that I'm eager to try, including most of the titles on the Booker Prize shortlist.
However, I do have five personal favourites that I'd love to share - and would recommend to anyone looking for their next read - as I think it would be a real shame to miss out on them, if you didn't get a chance to try these titles this year.
If you enjoy these recommendations, please don't hesitate to share your thoughts and your own favourite books in the comments. For more book recommendations, reviews, and news, consider subscribing to our free weekly newsletter, The Bookish Drop, on Substack.
Finding My Way, Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai's new memoir is hilarious, inspiring, and heartbreaking all at once. It's probably my favourite book of 2025, and it will stay with me for years to come. In this coming-of-age story, the education activist and Nobel laureate reflects on her childhood and the aftermath of the attack that nearly took her life, before bringing us up to date with everything that's been going on behind the scenes in the years since.
From making friends at Oxford University and taking up rooftop climbing, to continuing her work with the Malala Fund, championing education for girls, Malala invites us into all areas of her life. She shares both her relatable stories and the intimate details of her physical and mental recovery in unflinching detail, while holding up a mirror to society, reminding us just how much work remains to be done to protect the rights of girls and women around the world.
Spring by Michael Morpurgo
Another must-read memoir comes from Michael Morpurgo. In his first book of adult non-fiction in forty years, the legendary author records the changing seasons on his rural farm in Devon.
There's no nicer way to spend a quiet morning than walking through the woods with Michael Morpurgo, as he observes nature around him, how it's changing, and what must be protected for the future.
While you might prefer to wait for spring to read the book, it could also make a great pick-me-up for those colder months, when the winter weather has you dreaming of leaping lambs and flowering fields.
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Believe the #Booktok hype. Atmosphere is a stellar read, quite literally. Instead of the movie stars and celebrities found in books like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones, Taylor Jenkins Reid's latest novel immerses readers in the 1980s US space shuttle programme.
This historical fiction has still got all the hallmarks of the author's beloved style, including a gripping love story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. In my opinion, it's her best book yet.
For a different perspective on the story, I'd recommend reading Samantha Harvey's Orbital alongside it. Set on the International Space Station, the 2024 Booker Prize winner makes for a great companion read.
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
While Yael van der Wouden's debut was first published in 2024, it quickly became the book of the summer when the paperback was released earlier this year. It's one of those titles that gets picked up by almost every book club, and for good reason.
Set in rural Netherlands, in the aftermath of the Second World War, this story tells of two opposite women who find themselves thrust together for a summer. It's all about truth, desire, and survival. It was a popular 2025 favourite at my book club, well deserving of its place on this list.
No Friend to This House by Natalie Haynes
If you're counting down the days until Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey, why not get your mythology fix from Natalie Haynes? The writer and broadcaster brings us the story of the Golden Fleece, but as you've never heard it before.
It's a perfect introduction to Jason and Medea, but it's equally thought-provoking to anyone revisiting their story in this new interpretation of the tale. Natalie Haynes translated Euripides' Medea by hand before starting on the book, so you can trust that the attention to detail is impeccable. There's a reason she's been nicknamed a 'rock star mythologist.'