The Best Books of 2025

We spoke to Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, the novelist and judge on this year’s Booker Prize panel, about their 2025 shortlist: a varied line-up of six novels, from a work of historical fiction set in a frozen rural England to an experimental ‘Rorschach blot’ of a novel told in two conflicting parts.

Every year, the judges of the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction highlight the very best new books published in that genre over the past twelve months. In 2025, the six book shortlist features historical novels set as widely apart as ancient Sicily, 16th-century England, and 20th century Holland. Here, judge Katharine Grant talks us through their selection.

The Wolfson History Prize is awarded annually for historical writing that is both brilliantly researched and a great read. Professor Helen King, one of this year's judges, talks us through the 2025 shortlist and explains why each book stood out.

The economic challenges we face today aren't the result of temporary shocks but structural changes that we need to grapple with, argues Jason Furman, a professor at Harvard and formerly the chief economic adviser to Barack Obama. He recommends five books to get us started—including the future of the dollar, China’s growth model, falling fertility, household financial fragility, and the enduring insights of Adam Smith.

This year's crop of sci fi award-winners encompasses sentient AI, lost species revival, and genetic mutations, with novels, graphic novels and novellas all scooping prizes. Our fantasy and sci fi editor Sylvia Bishop introduces the prize-winning page-turners that have taken this year's top spots.

From the terrorists who came up with the idea of hijacking planes to get attention to a biography of the Scottish novelist Muriel Spark, the books in the running for this year's Baillie Gifford Prize, as always, display a wonderful breadth. Robbie Millen, literary editor of the Times and chair of the 2025 judging panel, talks us through the shortlist of the UK's most prestigious nonfiction book prize.

Picking out quality audiobooks is important. With an accomplished narrator, a good novel can be transformed into an even more moving or enjoyable experience—while a lackluster performance can ruin it. Fortunately, there's AudioFile magazine, whose editors pick out standout audiobooks throughout the year. These are their picks for the best novels of 2025.

The Hugo Awards are an annual celebration of fantasy and sci fi work, chosen by fans. Our fantasy editor Sylvia Bishop introduces this year’s winners, with something for everyone to escape into – from the short story winner for a busy day, to the epic series for long winter evenings.

When you're listening to a 'multi-voice' audiobook, it can feel as if you're right there, in the middle of the action, like a movie. Here are five of the best multi-voice audiobooks of 2025, recommended by audiobook experts AudioFile magazine.

Every year, the judges of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction draw up a shortlist of books that made them laugh out loud. We asked the novelist Stephanie Merritt, one of the 2025 judges, to talk us through the eight books in the running for the title of the funniest book of the year.