The best books of 2025

This list is part of the best books of 2025.

Join 1,210 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2025

Book cover of The Buried City

Adrian Murdoch ❤️ loved this book because...

The story of Pompeii by the director of the site. I picked up the book as research for my own book Echoes of Ash: The story of Herculaneum which is out next year. It reconstructs the eruption that destroyed the city and gives a sense of the people who lived there.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Originality 🥈 Emotions
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Gabriel Zuchtriegel , Jamie Bulloch (translator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Buried City as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'The best book on Pompeii I've ever read' STEPHEN FRY
'Brilliant' TOM HOLLAND

A vast area of Pompeii is being excavated for the first time, revealing astonishing insights into how people really lived. In this revelatory new history, Director of Pompeii Gabriel Zuchtriegel shares the untold stories that are at last emerging.

Pompeii is a world frozen in time. There are unmade beds, dishes left drying, tools abandoned by workmen, bodies embracing with love and fear. And alongside the remnants of everyday life, there are captivating works of art: lifelike portraits, exquisite frescos and mosaics, and the extraordinary sculpture of…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2025

Book cover of Crypt

Adrian Murdoch ❤️ loved this book because...

Alice Roberts tells the history of the Middle Ages via human remains and burials. It gives a perspective on the period that is different from usual - it is the normal people on the street rather than the great and the good.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Originality 🥈 Immersion
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Alice Roberts ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Crypt as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER
CHOSEN BY WATERSTONES AS ONE OF THEIR BEST HISTORY BOOKS OF 2024

'Compulsive . . . A wonderful display of how modern archaeology can bring hidden histories to life' Daily Telegraph
'Gripping . . . I found it hard to put down' Evening Standard
'Fascinating' Guardian

The history of the Middle Ages is typically the story of the rich and powerful, but archaeology represents another way of interrogating our history. By using cutting-edge science to examine human remains and burials, it is possible to gain a new understanding of the past - one that…


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My 3rd favorite read in 2025

Book cover of Breaking

Adrian Murdoch ❤️ loved this book because...

The perfect guide how the modern media works and how to spot when you are being manipulated.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Outlook 🥈 Writing
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Mic Wright ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Breaking as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Brimming with intelligence, energy, ethics and impeccable research' Samira Ahmed
'An authoritative guide to improving your media literacy' The Big Issue

The modern media is breaking.

Now, more than ever, the media is crucial in shaping what we know about the world around us. So what happens when this vital part of our society fails in its basic role and how can we even begin to understand the mess it's in?

From those who own the news and the battle for balance at the BBC, to the intricacies of political journalism and the trade's ethics, the modern media is as…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Echoes of Ash

By Adrian Murdoch ,

Book cover of Echoes of Ash

What is my book about?

Echoes of Ash tells the fascinating story of Herculaneum and the people who lived there for the first time. Through the eyes of the Weaver, the Slave Girl and the Pregnant Lady, the Soldier, the Fisherman and the Boxer, and by investigating the relevant buildings and the archaeological discoveries of the past twenty years, acclaimed historian Adrian Murdoch makes it possible to build a historical picture that is more colourful, complete and alive than has ever been possible before.

Book cover of The Buried City
Book cover of Crypt
Book cover of Breaking

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