The Best Books of 2025: Staff Picks You Need to Read From This Year
To round out our dive into best of the year for 2025 after delving into film and music, we have rounded up the books that captured our imaginations, challenged our thinking, and stayed with us long after the final page. From thrilling mysteries to deeply personal journeys and boundary-pushing fiction, these are our favourite reads of the year!
Shaolin Spirit: The Way to Self-Mastery by Shi Heng Yi
Shaolin Spirit re‑introduces ancient Shaolin philosophy for modern life. Shi Heng Yi-head of Shaolin Temple Europe- lays out twelve core Zen/Taoist practices combining centuries-old Eastern tradition with contemporary challenges. The mind and body training contained helps improve discipline, resilience, sleep, relationships and decision‑making.
Additionally, Heng Yi is German-born and so offers a viewpoint that is in touch with Western life as well as Eastern, making this a rare bridge between cultures.
Originally released in October 2024 but with the paperback hitting shelves almost a year later, Swordcrossed is a queer‑fantasy romance by Hugo-nominee Freya Marske. It follows an heir facing financial ruin who hires a mysterious swordsman and con artist to stand as his best man at his arranged wedding to shield him from deadly sword‑challenges.
Their chemistry is rich and heartfelt, making this story as much about love and identity as it is about survival and honour.
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code) returns after an almost decade-long hiatus with high‑stakes thriller The Secret of Secrets. The novel revisits the world of his famous symbologist and Harvard professor Robert Langdon (also protagonist of The Da Vinci Code and other works), as he searches for his love interest, who disappears with her groundbreaking manuscript on human consciousness and the afterlife. Langdon must navigate ancient city secrets, secret societies, and a deadly assailant to uncover a global conspiracy.
Grappling with themes of power, mystery, and the nature of consciousness, The Secret of Secrets delivers a fast‑paced, idea‑driven adventure that keeps you guessing until the very end.
(Image: Cheryl Senter / For The Times)
Eurotrash is a semi-autobiographical novel about a middle-aged man who embarks on a chaotic road trip through Switzerland with his elderly, mentally unstable mother as they attempt to give away their dysfunctional family’s ill-gotten fortune. Acting in part as a sequel to his 1995 debut novel Faserland, Eurotrash can be described as an absurdist tragicomedy, reflecting Kracht’s matured voice. It combines satire and sharp social critique whilst tackling traumatic themes such as childhood sexual abuse, unrepentant Nazi ancestors, and sadomasochism.
(Image: The Booker Prizes)
When the Museum Is Closed by Emi Yagi
This surreal novella follows by Emi Yagi- coming off of international acclaim for her 2022 debut Diary of a Void- follows a lonely museum worker whose new job is to converse- in Latin- with a statue of Venus every Monday when the museum is closed. Over time, the statue springs to life in her imagination and companionship blossoms into romance.
Yagi uses this strange setup to explore themes of loneliness, identity, beauty, and the longing to be seen, resulting in a deeply original, emotional and dream‑like narrative.
Whether you’re seeking adventure, insight, or a fresh perspective, there’s something here for every reader. We hope these titles inspire your next great read- whether to close 2025 or start 2026, and to remind you why we love books so much!
Read about our (and your) favourite movies and music of the year:
- 2025’s Must-Watch Movies: The Ultimate List of This Year’s Biggest Hits As Chosen by You
- 2025 in Music: The Year’s Best Albums According to Our Team and You
Check this out for more books:
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