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 This Is How You Lose the Time War

Christian Hurst ❤️ loved this book because...

Bold, precise prose and a structure that rewards attention, making every page feel like both a puzzle and a love note.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Emotions 🥈 Writing
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Amal El-Mohtar , Max Gladstone ,

Why should I read it?

29 authors picked This Is How You Lose the Time War as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

WINNER OF The Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novella, the Reddit Stabby Award for Best Novella AND The British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novella

SHORTLISTED FOR
2020 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award
The Ray Bradbury Prize
Kitschies Red Tentacle Award
Kitschies Inky Tentacle
Brave New Words Award

'A fireworks display from two very talented storytellers' Madeline Miller, author of Circe

Co-written by two award-winning writers, This Is How You Lose the Time War is an epic love story spanning time and space.

Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2025

Book cover of Illuminae

Christian Hurst ❤️ loved this book because...

Proof that experimental structure can still hit like classic storytelling; sharp, cinematic, and utterly absorbing.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Character(s) 🥈 Writing
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Amie Kaufman , Jay Kristoff ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Illuminae as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

'Never have I read a book so wholly unique and utterly captivating.' Marie Lu

'It certainly filled the Battlestar Galactica-shaped hole in my heart.' Victoria Aveyard

The internationally bestselling first book in a high-octane trilogy

Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the worst thing she'd ever been through. That was before her planet was invaded. Now, with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra are forced to fight their way onto one of the evacuating craft, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But the warship could be the least of their problems. A deadly plague has…


My 3rd favorite read in 2025

Book cover of Star-Spangled Jesus

Christian Hurst ❤️ loved this book because...

Insightful, bold, and unexpectedly tender. A narrative that challenges, comforts, and invites reflection in equal measure.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Teach 🥈 Thoughts
  • Writing style

    👍 Liked it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By April Ajoy ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Star-Spangled Jesus as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander

By Christian Hurst ,

Book cover of Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander

What is my book about?

Lily Starling wakes in a city she barely recognizes, with no memory of her past—only a metal tag bearing her name and an instinct to survive. When a Union starship crew claims she belongs with them, she’s pulled centuries beyond her own time and into a desperate mission against the psionic Krythar.

Aboard the Salamander, Lily finds a found family of misfit officers, warriors, and exiles. Together, they uncover an ancient memory seed carrying the voices of the dead—and a weapon capable of unraveling time itself. Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander is an award-winning, lyrical YA space opera about identity, connection, and courage at the edge of what’s known.

Book cover of This Is How You Lose the Time War
Book cover of Illuminae
Book cover of Star-Spangled Jesus

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