I read more books than I ever have in a year in 2025 – 70 in all, instead of my usual around 50. Having said that I don’t have the strength of feeling on stand-out favourites that I have some years, but nevertheless I had some very enjoyable reading this year, so here goes with my books of the year.
Best newly discovered author – I hugely enjoyed reading Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan and have since read the rest of the series. Khan is a massive new favourite author and one I would highly recommend.
Most likely to change the world – Orbital by Samatha Harvey gives a very different perspective on our existence on earth that should make us want to take more care of our precious planet.
Learned most from – The Arvon Book of Crime and Thriller Writing by Michelle Spring and Laurie R King was a great read when wanting to learn more about how to write crime fiction.
Most captivating – I absolutely loved the dream-like, meditative quality of A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam – a beautifully written journey through Sri Lanka and its troubled past.
Most changed my everyday life – I read barely any non-fiction this year so this category is on pause until 2026.
Most enjoyment from – I really enjoyed listening to The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman whilst cooking all my Christmas side dishes in the quiet days off work in the run up to Christmas Eve. Osman really is a very funny and astute writer and deserves his enormous success.
Most able to make a complex subject easy to understand – The Seven Moons of Maalia Almeida is a great novel about the Sri Lanka civil war which brought me an understanding of the warring factions through following some deeply human stories.
Most un-put-downable – The A303: Highway to the Sun by Tom Fort wasn’t un put downable but I blame it for sucking me into the vortex of the A303, having read it a couple of days before my October journey to Cornwall, before I then broke down on the A303 on the way back and took 36 hours to get home on a journey that should have taken an hour and 45 minutes. However, a fascinating book about a road I plan to spend less time on in future.
Most surprised by, in a good way – I read Great Granny Webster by Caroline Blackwood on my commute as one of the short novels I bought to not carry so much weight around and was delighted by it. Highly autobiographical it tells the story of an eccentric aristocratic family and is a window into a crazy world.
Least enjoyment from – I just didn’t get Treacle Walker by Alan Garner. Definitely my fault, not his, but I didn’t have time or inclination to read it the multiple times that other reviews suggested might be necessary, short as it was.
Would most recommend for holidays – The Proof of my Innocence by Jonathan Coe is a delightful romp through the weeks of the Queen’s death and Liz Truss’ doomed prime ministership. A great read.
Talked most obsessively about – I have definitely recommended Edith and Kim by Charlotte Philby to a few people and bought it as a gift for a family member for Christmas. A gripping take on the great spy story, through a very different perspective.
Best audiobook – I loved listening to Murder at Gull’s Nest by Jess Kidd, which was recommended by my friend Pam and was beautifully read. I totally found myself in the place and time for the duration of the narration as the crime was solved.
Here’s to some more great reading in 2026.
