Best Books of the Year
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Washington Post Best Books of the Year 2025

Washington Post Best Books of the Year 2025 names 110 books across 3 categories. 32 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

10 Best Books

  1. A Flower Traveled in My Blood: The Incredible True Story of the Grandmothers Who Fought to Find a Stolen Generation of Children by Haley Cohen Gillilandsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife by Francesca Wadesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Melting Point: Family, Memory, and the Search for a Promised Land by Rachel Cockerellsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy by Julia Ioffesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Ruth by Kate Rileysource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Woodsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780 by Rick Atkinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Slip by Lucas Schaefersource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Wayfinder by Adam Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Wilderness by Angela Flournoysource (opens in a new tab)

Notable Fiction

  1. A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdarsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Amity by Nathan Harrissource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Are You Happy? Stories by Lori Ostlundsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Audition by Katie Kitamurasource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Bring the House Down by Charlotte Runciesource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Buckeye by Patrick Ryansource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Culpability by Bruce Holsingersource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichiesource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Elita by Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrumsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Endling by Maria Revasource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Flashlight by Susan Choisource (opens in a new tab)
  12. God and Sex by Jon Raymondsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Heart the Lover by Lily Kingsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Heart, Be at Peace by Donal Ryansource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Isola by Allegra Goodmansource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Make Your Way Home: Stories by Carrie R. Mooresource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslettsource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Nova Scotia House by Charlie Portersource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Palaver by Bryan Washingtonsource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Pan by Michael Clunesource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Perspective(s) by Laurent Binetsource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Playworld by Adam Rosssource (opens in a new tab)
  23. Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchonsource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Six Weeks by the Sea by Paula Byrnesource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Sleep by Honor Jonessource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Some Bright Nowhere by Ann Packersource (opens in a new tab)
  27. Stag Dance: A Quartet by Torrey Peterssource (opens in a new tab)
  28. Strange and Perfect Account from the Permafrost by Donald Niedekkersource (opens in a new tab)
  29. Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxtonsource (opens in a new tab)
  30. Terrestrial History by Joe Mungo Reedsource (opens in a new tab)
  31. The Antidote by Karen Russellsource (opens in a new tab)
  32. The Correspondent by Virginia Evanssource (opens in a new tab)
  33. The Director by Daniel Kehlmannsource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalamisource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The Land in Winter by Andrew Millersource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desaisource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Nimbus by Robert P. Bairdsource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Original by Nell Stevenssource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Pelican Child: Stories by Joy Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Satisfaction Café by Kathy Wangsource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The South by Tash Awsource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachmansource (opens in a new tab)
  43. Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnahsource (opens in a new tab)
  44. Theory & Practice by Michelle de Kretsersource (opens in a new tab)
  45. Tom's Crossing by Mark Z. Danielewskisource (opens in a new tab)
  46. UnWorld by Jayson Greenesource (opens in a new tab)
  47. Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngartsource (opens in a new tab)
  48. What We Can Know by Ian McEwansource (opens in a new tab)
  49. Wolf Bells by Leni Zumassource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Your Steps on the Stairs by Antonio Muñoz Molinasource (opens in a new tab)

Notable Nonfiction

  1. A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toewssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company by Patrick McGeesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Articulate: A Deaf Memoir of Voice by Rachel Kolbsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Black Genius: Essays on an American Legacy by Tre Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State by Caleb Gaylesource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Blank Space: A Cultural History of the Twenty-First Century by W. David Marxsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida by Gilbert Kingsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret Atwoodsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America by Sam Tanenhaussource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI by John Cassidysource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Claire McCardell: The Designer Who Set Women Free by Elizabeth Evitts Dickinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life by Dan Nadelsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival by Stephen Greenblattsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Electric Spark: The Enigma of Dame Muriel by Frances Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Fear No Pharaoh: American Jews, the Civil War, and the Fight to End Slavery by Richard Kreitnersource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves by Sophie Gilbertsource (opens in a new tab)
  18. How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir by Molly Jong-Fastsource (opens in a new tab)
  19. I Regret Almost Everything: A Memoir by Keith McNallysource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Indignity: A Life Reimagined by Lea Ypisource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlanesource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend by Rebecca Romneysource (opens in a new tab)
  23. Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in Xi Jinping's China by Emily Fengsource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Libraries of the Mind by William Marxsource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Little Bosses Everywhere: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America by Bridget Readsource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh by Robin Givhansource (opens in a new tab)
  27. Mark Twain by Ron Chernowsource (opens in a new tab)
  28. Memorial Days: A Memoir by Geraldine Brookssource (opens in a new tab)
  29. Mexico: A 500-Year History by Paul Gillinghamsource (opens in a new tab)
  30. Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pellysource (opens in a new tab)
  31. Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Frasersource (opens in a new tab)
  32. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkadsource (opens in a new tab)
  33. Ordinary People Don't Carry Machine Guns: Thoughts on War by Artem Chapeyesource (opens in a new tab)
  34. Paris Undercover: A Wartime Story of Courage, Friendship, and Betrayal by Matthew Goodmansource (opens in a new tab)
  35. Raising Hare: A Memoir by Chloe Daltonsource (opens in a new tab)
  36. Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age by Amanda Hesssource (opens in a new tab)
  37. Storyteller: The Life of Robert Louis Stevenson by Leo Damroschsource (opens in a new tab)
  38. Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America by Michael Luosource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Golden Hour: A Story of Family and Power in Hollywood by Matthew Specktorsource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Harder I Fight the More I Love You: A Memoir by Neko Casesource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Invention of Charlotte Brontë: A New Life by Graham Watsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s by Paul Eliesource (opens in a new tab)
  43. The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century by Tim Weinersource (opens in a new tab)
  44. There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian Goldstonesource (opens in a new tab)
  45. They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals by Mariah Blakesource (opens in a new tab)
  46. Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Lisource (opens in a new tab)
  47. True Nature: The Pilgrimage of Peter Matthiessen by Lance Richardsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  48. We Should All Be Birds: A Memoir by Brian Buckbee and Carol Ann Fitzgeraldsource (opens in a new tab)
  49. We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution by Jill Leporesource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Zbig: The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski, America's Great Power Prophet by Edward Lucesource (opens in a new tab)

About the Washington Post Best Books of the Year

Three lists a year: 10 Best Books, Notable Fiction, and Notable Nonfiction. 2011-2025 notable lists are WaPo's 50 notable works of fiction and nonfiction. 2006-2010 notable lists are Book World's holiday Best Books of the year, whose genre subsections are folded into fiction and nonfiction; 2006 and 2011 top lists are top five fiction plus top five nonfiction. WaPo pages were read through the Wayback Machine because washingtonpost.com blocks direct fetches. Secondary sources where no WaPo copy was readable: the 2008 top 10 and nine of the 2010 top 10 come from Publishers Lunch; the 2025 lists are cut off by the paywall in every archived copy and come from yearendlists.com (item 1 on each WaPo page matches). WaPo's separate genre lists (thrillers, SF, poetry, graphic novels) and critics' personal picks are left out. No list is ranked.

Organization: The Washington Post. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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