Archive · 26 Dec 2025
Top Books of 2025: Critics' Picks
In 2025, critics picked their favorite books of the year.
These include memoirs, novels, and non-fiction works.
'Fly, Wild Swans' by Jung Chang is a sequel to her famous memoir, describing her life in England and her relationship with China.
Ian McEwan's 'What We Can Know' is a dystopian novel set in a flooded England.
Kiran Desai's 'The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny' is a love story about two characters from wealthy families in India.
Sarah Wynn-Williams' 'Careless People' is a critical memoir about her time at Facebook.
'Get In' by Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund explores how the Labour Party won the election in the UK.
'Perfection' by Vincenzo Latronico is a satire on millennial life.
'The Boundless Deep' by Richard Holmes is a biography of young Alfred Tennyson.
'Flesh' by David Szalay won the Booker Prize and tells the story of a Hungarian man's life.
Jung Chang's 'Fly, Wild Swans' is a sequel to her memoir, describing her life in England and her deteriorating relationship with China.
Ian McEwan's 'What We Can Know' is a dystopian novel set in a flooded England in 2119, blending campus satire and thriller elements.
Kiran Desai's 'The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny' is a love story spanning decades, exploring themes of exile and alienation.
Sarah Wynn-Williams' 'Careless People' is a critical memoir about her time at Facebook, depicting the company's unethical practices.
Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund's 'Get In' explores how Labour won the election, highlighting the role of Keir Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.
Vincenzo Latronico's 'Perfection' is a satire on millennial hipsterdom, inspired by Georges Perec's 'Things'.
Richard Holmes' 'The Boundless Deep' focuses on the early years of poet Alfred Tennyson, depicting his childhood and intellectual awakening.
David Szalay's 'Flesh' won the Booker Prize, telling the story of a Hungarian man's life with sparse, pared-back prose.
- Who
- Critics and authors of notable books in 2025
- What
- A list of the top books of 2025 as chosen by critics
- When
- Published in 2025
- Where
- Various national newspapers and literary reviews
- Why
- To highlight the best books of the year based on critical acclaim
- Fly, Wild Swans
- Jung Chang's sequel to 'Wild Swans'
- What We Can Know
- Ian McEwan's dystopian novel set in 2119
- The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny
- Kiran Desai's love story spanning decades
- Careless People
- Sarah Wynn-Williams' memoir about Facebook
- Get In
- Exploration of Labour's rise to power in the UK
- Perfection
- Vincenzo Latronico's satire on millennial hipsterdom
- The Boundless Deep
- Richard Holmes' biography of young Alfred Tennyson
- Flesh
- David Szalay's Booker Prize-winning novel