The Greatest Books of 2025

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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 759 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page.

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  1. 101. Gifted & Talented by Olivie Blake

    When tech magnate Thayer Wren dies, his three telepathically and electrokinetically gifted children—Meredith, Arthur, and Eilidh—are drawn into a bitter contest over his fortune and the company he built. As their dangerous abilities, personal secrets, and long‑running rivalries surface, they must confront questions of power, identity, and family without ever knowing who will come out on top.

    The 11018th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  2. 102. Empire Of Ai by Karen Hao

    An investigative look by Karen Hao into OpenAI and the broader AI industry, examining how the race to build large models concentrates power and requires enormous compute, data, energy, and human labor. Drawing on reporting from inside the company and around the world, the book explores the technological, social, and ethical consequences of rapid AI development without revealing insider plot details.

    The 11035th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  3. 103. First Time Caller by B.K. Borison

    In this heartwarming tale, a late-night radio show becomes the unlikely bridge between two souls searching for connection. A reclusive radio host, known for his soothing voice and insightful advice, finds his world turned upside down when a mysterious caller begins to share her life story on air. As their conversations unfold, both the host and the caller confront their pasts, revealing hidden truths and vulnerabilities. Through the power of words and shared experiences, they embark on a journey of self-discovery, healing, and unexpected romance, proving that sometimes the most profound connections are forged in the most unexpected ways.

    The 11039th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org
  4. 104. Who Is Government? by Michael M. Lewis

    A collection of character-driven essays in which writers profile everyday federal employees and the work they do. Through vivid, behind-the-scenes stories—from a mining safety engineer to tax investigators to managers improving public services—the book shows how often-unseen government workers solve problems and affect people’s lives.

    The 11040th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org
  5. 105. Woodworking by Emily St. James

    Erica Skyberg, a 35-year-old closeted trans woman who teaches high school in a small South Dakota town, develops an unexpected friendship with Abigail Hawkes, a 17-year-old student and the town’s only openly trans girl. As they support each other through questions of identity, isolation, and community expectations, their bond helps both women confront what it means to be seen. The novel is a tender, character-driven story about friendship, self-discovery, and the courage to live authentically.

    The 11198th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org
  6. 106. Vera, Or Faith by Gary Shteyngart

    Ten-year-old Vera Bradford-Shmulkin narrates a tender, often funny portrait of her mixed-heritage family as they cope with personal strains and a country in flux. Observant and hopeful, Vera wants a friend at school, for her parents to stay together, and to meet her birth mother, while her cash-strapped father, overburdened mother, and confident older brother navigate shifting loyalties and identities. Told through Vera’s clear perspective, the novel examines family, belonging, and the search for stability.

    The 11237th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  7. 107. The Book Of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey

    In an alternate 1979 England shaped by a different outcome to WWII, 13-year-old triplets Vincent, Lawrence and William are the last boys left at the Captain Scott Home for Boys, where they must take medicine to protect them from a mysterious illness. Nearby, 13-year-old Nancy lives under strict, isolated care. When the children’s lives begin to intersect, hidden facts about the boys’ origins emerge and they must find a way to escape and survive.

    The 11238th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org
  8. 108. The Peepshow by Kate Summerscale

    A Journey into the World of Victorian Obsession

    In 1953 London, police uncover multiple bodies hidden at 10 Rillington Place, prompting a hunt for tenant Reg Christie and renewed questions about an earlier murder conviction. Kate Summerscale reconstructs the investigation, the lives of the victims, and the media frenzy that surrounded the case to examine how the killings and a possible miscarriage of justice unfolded.

    The 11245th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  9. 109. Run For The Hills by Kevin Wilson

    In this gripping tale, a young protagonist finds themselves thrust into a world of unexpected challenges and thrilling adventures as they navigate the rugged terrain of the Appalachian Mountains. With a blend of humor and heart, the story explores themes of resilience, self-discovery, and the power of friendship. As the protagonist encounters a cast of quirky characters and faces both natural and personal obstacles, they learn valuable lessons about courage and the importance of embracing the journey, no matter how daunting the path may seem.

    The 11302nd Greatest Book of All Time
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  10. 110. Atavists by Lydia Millet

    Atavists is a linked collection of short stories set in a near post‑pandemic America, following families, couples, and loners as their lives intersect across suburban lawns, beauty salons, tech‑bro mansions, assisted‑living facilities, college campuses and medieval role‑playing festivals. Populated by various “-ists” (futurists, insurrectionists, cosmetologists, and more), the stories examine obsessions, surveillance, class and generational tensions through vivid, character‑driven scenes—kept spoiler‑free and focused on mood and relationships rather than plot resolution.

    The 11310th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org
  11. 111. Homeseeking by Karissa Chen

    Homeseeking follows Haiwen and Suchi, childhood friends from Shanghai whose lives are pulled apart in 1940s China. Over six decades, war, migration, and new circumstances carry them separately to Hong Kong, Taiwan, New York, and California. Alternating between Haiwen’s present-day reflections and Suchi’s memories, the novel examines how choices, memory, and longing shape their search for home and belonging.

    The 11312th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  12. 112. The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

    Una Everlasting is a nation’s legendary lady-knight whose true life has been lost to myth. Centuries later, historian Owen Mallory becomes obsessed with her story and is sent back through time, where he and Una become bound together by a repeating narrative. As they confront the realities behind the legend, they must decide whether to preserve the familiar story or risk everything to change it.

    The 12074th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  13. 113. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

    Two writers — optimistic Alice Scott and brooding, well-known Hayden Anderson — travel to Little Crescent Island to compete for the chance to write the biography of Margaret Ives, a reclusive, larger-than-life woman. Margaret invites them for a one-month trial during which she shares only selective memories under an NDA, so they can’t compare notes. As they work to piece together her story, professional rivalry, growing attraction, and the uncertainty of whose version of events to trust complicate the project.

    The 12075th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  14. 114. The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers

    When Cora and Sam, both happily married young parents, connect at a baby group, their unexpected chemistry splits their story into two parallel timelines — one where they pursue their feelings and one where they resist. The novel alternates between these possibilities, using Cora’s everyday life and relationships to examine marriage, temptation, and the roads not taken without revealing what actually happens.

    The 12080th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  15. 115. Perfect Victims by Mohammed El-Kurd

    Perfect Victims is a lyrical, urgent collection of reportage, personal testimony, and historical reflection that bears witness to Palestinian life under occupation. Mohammed El-Kurd combines candid memoir and on-the-ground reporting to insist on Palestinian dignity, resistance, and the demand to be seen as human without requiring a performance of ‘‘perfect’’ victimhood.

    The 12082nd Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  16. 116. Vantage Point by Sara Sligar

    On a remote Maine island, Clara returns to the family mansion with her brother Teddy and his wife, years after their parents’ mysterious deaths. When intimate videos of Clara surface online — videos she doesn’t remember making — the family’s reputation, a political campaign, and long-buried secrets collide. Tense and atmospheric, the novel follows Clara as she confronts betrayal, possible manipulation, and the uncertain line between public image and private truth.

    The 12102nd Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  17. 117. Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone

    After her best friend Lou dies, Lenny is adrift until she takes a babysitting job for single mom Reese and her daughter Ainsley. The household’s brooding uncle, Miles, offers a deal: he’ll help her tackle a list of things meant to get her living again if she helps him connect with Ainsley and with Reese. As they spend time together, Lenny begins to heal and discovers unexpected connection and the possibility of love.

    The 12104th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  18. 118. Good And Evil And Other Stories by Samanta Schweblin

    Good and Evil and Other Stories is a collection of six unsettling short tales that probe family bonds, guilt, grief, and the uncanny. Using elements of magical realism and psychological fiction, Samanta Schweblin depicts ordinary lives disrupted by strange, ambiguous events, leaving characters to confront loss, longing, and moral uncertainty. The stories are compact, atmospheric, and quietly disturbing without revealing plot details.

    The 12107th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org
  19. 119. Dwelling by Emily Hunt Kivel

    Evie, newly orphaned and evicted as New York falls apart, sets out for a distant cousin’s town called Gulluck — a surreal Texas place where reality bends. In a landscape of albino cicadas, eccentric residents, and strange happenings, she searches for a house and a sense of belonging. The novel blends magical realism and dark humor to explore housing, family, and what “home” means.

    The 12105th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  20. 120. American Kings by Seth Wickersham

    American Kings examines the cultural power of the quarterback, tracing the journey from childhood dreams to professional stardom. Drawing on reporting and interviews with iconic figures and rising talents, it explores the pressures, sacrifices, mythology, and costs of ambition tied to that singular position in American life.

    The 12108th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org
  21. 121. Valley Of Forgetting by Jennie Erin Smith

    Alzheimer's Families and the Search for a Cure

    In the 1980s neurologist Francisco Lopera identified a hereditary mutation behind an early‑onset form of Alzheimer’s affecting families in villages near Medellín. Over decades, those families and researchers have taken part in clinical studies and trials to understand how the mutation causes dementia and whether it can be prevented. The book follows the patients, caregivers, and scientists and explores the human and ethical challenges of that research.

    The 12109th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  22. 122. Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin

    Set against the backdrop of a racially divided America, this compelling narrative follows the journey of a young African American boxer who rises from the gritty streets to the dazzling lights of the boxing ring. As he battles formidable opponents, both inside and outside the ring, he becomes a symbol of hope and resilience for his community. Through trials of personal sacrifice, societal pressures, and the pursuit of justice, the story delves into themes of identity, ambition, and the relentless fight for equality, painting a vivid picture of the struggles and triumphs that define the human spirit.

    The 12114th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  23. 123. North Sun by Ethan Rutherford

    North Sun follows the whaleship Esther’s 1878 voyage from New Bedford toward the Chukchi Sea. As Captain Arnold Lovejoy and his crew hunt northern waters, their journey grows increasingly brutal, uncanny, and mythic. Part sea‑voyage adventure and part allegory, the novel explores endurance and the human and environmental costs of industrial whaling.

    The 12110th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  24. 124. Joyride by Susan Orlean

    In Joyride, Susan Orlean reflects on her life and career as a journalist, following the curious threads that lead her from a profile of a ten‑year‑old to a woman who keeps twenty‑seven tigers, a Saturday night scene, and even a climb up Mt. Fuji. Part memoir, part craft guide, it pairs personal anecdotes with practical observations about finding ideas, reporting, meeting deadlines, and coping with writer’s block and self‑doubt.

    The 12115th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon
  25. 125. Glitz, Glam, And A Damn Good Time by Jennifer Wright

    Mamie “Mamie” Fish, the self-styled theme-party queen of the Gilded Age, staged extravagant, theatrical gatherings—elephants in ballrooms, dogs in diamonds, guests dressed as dolls—that were equal parts spectacle and strategy. This book traces how her wit, showmanship, and social networks turned parties into a form of power, shaping business, politics, and society at a time when women had little formal authority. A lively, spoiler-free portrait of how leisure and excess became tools of influence.

    The 12117th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org or Amazon

Reading Statistics

Click the button below to see how many of these books you've read!

Download

If you're interested in downloading this list as a CSV file for use in a spreadsheet application, you can easily do so by clicking the button below. Please note that to ensure a manageable file size and faster download, the CSV will include details for only the first 500 books.

Download

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