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 Song of Achilles

Michael Poeltl ❤️ loved this book because...

After having read and loved Circe, I finally got to this one. Happy I did too. Brilliant writing and engaging stories. Wonderful work. I look forward to the next!

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Writing 🥈 Immersion
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Madeline Miller ,

Why should I read it?

45 authors picked The Song of Achilles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**OVER 1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD**
**A 10th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION, FEATURING A NEW FOREWORD BY THE AUTHOR**

WINNER OF THE ORANGE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION
THE INTERNATIONAL SENSATION
A SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

'Captivating' DONNA TARTT
'I loved it' J K ROWLING
'Ravishingly vivid' EMMA DONOGHUE

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms…


When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

My 2nd favorite read in 2025

Book cover of Upgrade

Michael Poeltl 👍 liked this book because...

This was a quick read with plenty of science to keep the hard science fiction fan’s satiated and loads of action for those looking for a thriller. Lots of fun and well researched. Looking forward to my next Blake crouch novel!

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Character(s) 🥈 Teach
  • Writing style

    👍 Liked it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Blake Crouch ,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Upgrade as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Upgrade is the mind-bending thriller from Blake Crouch, author of the bestselling Dark Matter and Recursion.

'You are the next step in human evolution . . .'

What if you were capable of more?

Your concentration was better, you could multitask quicker, read faster, memorize more, sleep deeper.

For Logan Ramsay, it's happening. He's beginning to see the world around him, even those he loves the most, in whole new ways.

He knows that it's not natural, that his genes have been hacked. He has been targeted for an upgrade.

Logan's family legacy is one he has been trying to…


My 3rd favorite read in 2025

Book cover of Leaving Time

Michael Poeltl 👍 liked this book because...

I learned a lot about elephants and I’m glad I did! The human story was also complicated, captivating and the twist was unexpected.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Teach 🥈 Writing
  • Writing style

    👍 Liked it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Jodi Picoult ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Leaving Time as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Alice Metcalf was a devoted mother, loving wife and accomplished scientist who studied grief among elephants. Yet it's been a decade since she disappeared under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind her small daughter, husband, and the animals to which she devoted her life. All signs point to abandonment - or worse.Still Jenna - now thirteen years old and truly orphaned by a father maddened by grief - steadfastly refuses to believe in her mother's desertion. So she decides to approach the two people who might still be able to help her find Alice: a disgraced psychic named Serenity Jones, and Virgil…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Cleo McCarthy Time Travel and Other Impossible Things

By Michael Poeltl ,

Book cover of Cleo McCarthy Time Travel and Other Impossible Things

What is my book about?

Part time-travel romance, part mystery thriller, this captivating novel takes readers on a culinary journey through the world's most delectable cities, all while delving into the cutting-edge science of time travel. Perfect for fans of gripping suspense, friends to lovers love stories, and the tantalizing flavors of global cuisine, this book is an unforgettable exploration of what it means to transcend time and space in the pursuit of love, truth, and discovery.

The first time Cleo feared for her life was when she was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s at 23. The second time is when she discovered she could travel back in time at 24.

While offered guidance by fellow time traveler Franklin, she is plagued by a fragmented message that is transmitted through white noise. Cleo’s best friend Bobby, a physicist, is recruited to help her and Franklin make sense of what’s happening, but despite their successes, Cleo’s constant jumping backward in time delays their progress.

Once the message is received in its entirety – and more than one harsh realization is discovered - the three friends race against time to right the wrongs disclosed in the cryptic message. However, one of these friends is not like the others, offering an additional obstacle to an already impossible situation.

Burdened with an unlimited number of do-overs, Cleo McCarthy finds herself asking, how much time is enough?

My book recommendation list

Book cover of The Song of Achilles
Book cover of Upgrade
Book cover of Leaving Time

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,210

readers submitted
so far, will you?