The Best Books of 2025, According to ELLE Editors
Back in 2009 I started posting a summary at the end of the year of what I read during the year and people enjoy it #114; Kim Stanley Robinson; 615pp; Science Fiction; September 17 (Robinson’s Mars trilogy (Red/Green/Blue Mars) is one of my favorite near-future sci-fi sets, and this is the third time I’ve read Red Mars (last time was 2013) – this time I’ll read #2 and #3 for the second time. #110; Doris Kearns Goodwin; 944pp; History; September 8 (I bought this in 2012 and decided to listen to it instead after listening to Gone With the Wind (set in the same time).
The Complete List
Over the past 12 months, ELLE published nine best-of lists—not including this one—with each directing readers to our picks within a particular season, subject matter, or genre. 2025 brought with it a slew of both expected and unexpected bestsellers; “mostly stable” print book sales; hundreds of new brick-and-mortar bookstores; and a fresh slate of titles competing for your sustained attention—no easy feat in this era. Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading.
Some were major book-club picks and prize winners; others gained an audience largely through word of mouth. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change. This is a book that makes you feel like everything is going to be OK. Even in the shadow of the story’s darker moments, “My Friends” has the sheen of a dewy summer morning, full of possibility. It’s punchy and gory, and Baker’s mouth-watering prose puts you into Cora’s claustrophobic subconscious like it’s your own. “A Language of Limbs” makes a similarly compelling duology, heartbreaking and not to be forgotten.
#100; Margaret Mitchell; 960pp; Fiction; August 23 (Just finished listening to book #100 this year! Third time ever (100 in 2009, 101 in 2018) and I’m less than 3/4 through the year! The genre breakdown is pretty similar to previous years, with more hard history, especially around the Cold War and WWII. I hope you get inspired to try some of these books – push yourself with new authors and very often you’ll be surprisingly pleased. I thought picking my top book of the year would be easy – Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – an absolutely fabulous book that I can’t believe I hadn’t read before.
#155; Umberto Papparlardo; 320pp; Art History; December 19 (I absolutely love ancient mosaics, for their clever intricacy and classical subjects, and I’ve been working through this fabulous coffee-table book over the last few years. Of particular interest to me are the mosaics in Pompeii, some of which I saw in person when I was there in July 1996. Excellent!) Sansom; 443pp; Historical Fiction; June 26 (One evening while I was at hospice in St Andrews I stepped out for a while and hit up the only open bookshop in the evening, Turns out it specializes in detective novels, which is the genre I’m into this year. Picked up the first two books in the Shardlake series, set in the 1540s in England, so combining ‘police’ procedurals with historical fiction. Wonderful stuff! Now have the whole set to take back to the US with me. Highly recommended!) It’s impossible to put them into a priority order so I’ve listed them in the order I read them, along with the short Facebook review I wrote at the time.
Their unique perspectives and styles further enrich our growing Yukon collection, showcasing the incredible artistic talent thriving in our territory. The Government of Yukon congratulates all these talented artists. These are the works of Yukon artists Kaylyn Baker, Elizabeth Blair, Alice Buyck, Eldria Christiansen, Ava P Christl, Ernest Chua, Heather Dickson, Koshon Fred Edzerza, Anick Fernandez, Dorothy Profeit, Phoebe Gonzales Rohrbacher, Leslie Leong, Ed Smarch, Jean Taylor and Shadunjen van Kampen.
- Fernandez says her first few months here after moving from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., were spent in awestruck admiration of the Yukon’s natural beauty, even going as far as to say she felt “artistically paralyzed”.
- “Their unique perspectives and styles further enrich our growing Yukon collection, showcasing the incredible artistic talent thriving in our territory.
- Pride is abundant in these pieces and showcased in them are intricate knowledges passed down and across generations, uniquely captured via artistry and a deep care for place, tradition and kin – both human and non-human.
“Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil” is a historical saga that takes its time building character backstory, but the payoff is oh-so satisfying. The truth is, the best book of the year is deeply personal to every reader. In 2025, we celebrated new romantasy novels at midnight release parties and traveled to see our favorite authors talk about breathing life into the page. Living in a remote community makes you appreciate the lifeline that our highways create for us.
“Their unique perspectives and styles further enrich our growing Yukon collection, showcasing the incredible artistic talent thriving in our territory. Begun in 1981, the Yukon Permanent Art Collection is currently home to 550 works by over 290 artists. Heather Dickson has been a professional, full-time working artist for nearly a decade. All Yukon, Canadian and international artists, at varying career stages and practising a wide array of styles are considered for inclusion. Fernandez has since connected with a few other artists through Arts Underground, and is grateful to be welcomed into the Yukon’s vibrant artistic community. “It’s really an honour for me to have one of my works be part of that collection.
The Best Literary Fiction of 2025
Having said that, I do listen to a lot of books using Audible as I drive or when doing low-concentration jobs at Camp Savage – more than 1/3 of this year’s total were audio books. Yes, I’ve seen electronic readers – we both have iPads – but I don’t like reading electronically. Suzanne Collins published her highly anticipated new installment in the Hunger Games series, Sunrise on the Reaping; On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous author Ocean Vuong made a splash with his sophomore novel, The Emperor of Gladness; and Katie Kitamura released the beguiling Booker Prize nominee Audition. 2025 kicked off with a strong showing in the spring, which—for ELLE’s purposes—we defined as books published within the months of March, April, and May. ELLE contributor Keely Weiss compiled this list of outstanding 2025 books by queer authors. Romance authors Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood both enjoyed a hugely successful year—and two of their books made the list of ELLE’s favorites.
- The genre breakdown is pretty similar to previous years, with more hard history, especially around the Cold War and WWII.
- Thank you to the Friends of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection for all their work in making this exhibition possible.
- Fernandez has since connected with a few other artists through Arts Underground, and is grateful to be welcomed into the Yukon’s vibrant artistic community.
- Crime fiction, mysteries, and thrillers also had a dominant 2025, with several of our favorite reads coming from genre stalwarts such as Richard Osman (whose Thursday Murder Club was adapted into a Netflix film this year), Lisa Jewell, Karin Slaughter, S.A. Cosby, and Mick Herron.
Yukon Talent
#144; Irvine Welsh; 288pp; Fiction; November 5 (I haven’t read a Welsh book for almost 10 years and didn’t know he’d written two more follow-ons to Trainspotting, this one centered on Begbie. Fabulous stuff – he’s one of my favorite authors – highly recommended for Welsh fans!) For the record, I mostly read ‘real’ books – i.e. not in electronic form – I really don’t like reading off a screen. Back in 2009 I started posting a summary at the end of the year of what I read during the year and people enjoy it so I did it every year afterward until 2019 and then restarted for 2023 (see 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023 , 2024– a ton of amazing books in those posts to tempt you!). Crime fiction, mysteries, and thrillers also had a dominant 2025, with several of our favorite reads coming from genre stalwarts such as Richard Osman (whose Thursday Murder Club was adapted into a Netflix film this year), Lisa Jewell, Karin Slaughter, S.A. Cosby, and Mick Herron.
Exhibition of Yukon Permanent Art Collection’s nine newest acquisitions opens at Yukon Arts Centre
I am so excited to have three pieces of my art installation Disco Highway become a part of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection. We are grateful and proud to have them become part of an enduring legacy of artistic development in the Yukon. These works expand the diversity of voices represented in the collection and reflect the richness of our shared experiences.
The Best Books of Summer 2025
The genre continues to expand its reign, both in book sales and in the pop-culture landscape, with book-to-screen adaptations such as Heated Rivalry capturing widespread viewership. ELLE editors found particular appreciation for memoirs (and memoir hybrids) that took unorthodox approaches; topical histories that laid bare the violence deeply entrenched within American life; biographies of beloved figures, such as James Baldwin and Lorne Michaels; and essays that contextualized our modern moment. (If you’d like to read a full list, just click on the article linked in each section.) Furthermore, we’ve gathered other standout titles that might not have made the best-of cut, but are nevertheless worthy of praise. Collectively, these lists cover dozens of books, some of them bestselling hits and others hidden gems.
‘My Friends’ by Fredrik Backman
Among them, viewers can enjoy the newest additions, shown with insights from each artist. An extensive selection of pivotal works from the vegas casino apk past four decades showcases the depth and diversity of the collection. This exhibition, Collective Memory, celebrates this milestone.
In the fall—which ELLE defined as the months of September, October, and November—came, naturally, juicy thrillers and horror stories just in time for Halloween. The recommendations are a delightful blend of fiction and nonfiction, touching on nearly every genre, and as Weiss wrote, they each speak to a “queer literary landscape that is flourishing in spite of near-constant threats.” But alongside those mega-hits were tons of titles we loved just as much (if not even more), from historical romances to second-chance love affairs to ideal vacation reads. Although it was a challenging year for nonfiction sales—with only one 2025 release cracking the New York Times list of top-10 bestselling titles in the genre—that should serve as no indication of the quality of the material. All had something significant to articulate about the state of the world—and our confusing, sacred place within it.
Abundance
The Government of Yukon is proud to support this exhibition and to celebrate the newest additions to the Yukon’s Permanent Art Collection. Works from the YPAC exhibition can also be viewed at foypac.ca The exhibition will be on display until November 14. An exhibition featuring the nine new works added to the Yukon Permanent Art Collection (YPAC) is now open in the Yukon Energy Community Gallery at the Yukon Arts Centre. This year’s call for submissions to the Yukon Permanent Art Collection was welcomed by me, as it was an opportunity to create a partner piece to Working With Grandmothers.
“I knew it would be difficult, because so many good artists were presenting these awards,” says Anick Fernandez, whose piece titled Winter is among the YPAC’s newly-acquired works. The exhibition comprises a variety of artistic styles and media, including beadwork, painting, sculpture, textile and traditional hunting tools. (Yes, this is for last year!) Back in 2009 I started posting a summary at the end of the year of what I read during Back in 2009 I started posting a summary at the end of the year of what I read during the year and people have been
The exhibition is now open to the public in the Yukon Energy Community Gallery at the Yukon Arts Centre. The collection is cared for by the Government of Yukon and exhibited in public buildings in communities around the territory for the enjoyment of Yukoners and visitors. Created in 1981, the Yukon Permanent Art Collection is a continually expanding record of Yukon and northern-inspired visual artwork. Revisit past exhibitions of acquisitions to the Yukon Permanent Art Collection.
In an attempt to give readers the widest-possible glimpse at these recommendations, we’ve collected them here as, simply, ELLE’s best books of the year. The Friends of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection are excited about this year’s acquisitions, a diverse selection of traditional and innovative techniques from both seasoned and emerging artists. It is a joy to share these important new works and we extend our warmest congratulations to each of these immensely talented artists on this achievement.
PS I’ve already picked up The Bully Pulpit on Audible to listen to as well.) Fantastically interesting book about Lincoln, his nomination, his cabinet, and his prosecution of the Civil War. #2; Abraham Verghese; 736pp; Fiction; January 5 (I bought this in 2012 and decided to listen to it instead after listening to Gone With the Wind (set in the same time). If you don’t read much, at least consider looking at some of these in 2025. I read 52,009 pages, which is an average of 142.5 pages a day, and 20,000+ more than almost every other year. It’s impossible to give every deserving book the slot it merits on a best-of list—though we certainly endeavor to try!
Held in Motion – New Yukon Permanent Art Collection
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They will place giant satellite mirrors in Martian orbit to reflect light onto its surface. Now a group of one hundred colonists begins a mission whose ultimate goal is to transform Mars into a more Earthlike planet. It’s quite amazing that I’ve never read this or seen the movie, so I had only the barest notion of what it was about (not having been educated in the US).