The Best Books of 2025, According to Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Amazon Editors
November 17, 2025
As a regular at my local Barnes & Noble on New York City’s Upper West Side—based on the mega-store that Meg Ryan was up against in You’ve Got Mail—and a card-carrying member of the library, I believe there’s no greater enjoyment than picking up a hot new novel or nonfiction book at the end of a long day and digging in. I may not be able to keep up with Love Island or have the first clue about who should win the Grammy for Album of the Year, but I know my books.
Still, my time is limited, and my standards are high. So I appreciate that Amazon and Barnes & Noble point me to the cream of the crop when they announce their annual picks for the best books of the year. Not surprisingly, the newly released lists are chock-full of interesting and insightful reads.
The best books of the year—curated by both editors (Amazon) and booksellers (Barnes & Noble)—come from first-time authors and fan favorites alike. They also encompass a range of book genres, from biography and history to fiction, mystery and romantasy. And, ahem, a few Reader’s Digest Book Club picks are in the mix too. (Excuse us while we take a moment to metaphorically pat ourselves on the back.) So which ones made the (book) mark? Here are all the details.
Join the free Reader’s Digest Book Club for great reads, monthly discussions, author Q&As and a community of book lovers.
What is Amazon’s No. 1 book of 2025?
The winner is Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. Set in the fictional town of Bonhomie, Ohio, this tender and captivating historical novel focuses on two couples whose paths first cross on the homefront during World War II. The families remain intertwined for generations as they learn to cope with a damaging secret that causes deep emotional turmoil.
Sarah Gelman, the editorial director for Amazon Books, raved that amid a slew of entertaining, challenging and moving options, she and her team were particularly drawn to Ryan’s epic debut. “This compelling saga explores family dynamics and societal expectations across decades in small-town Ohio with richly developed characters you won’t forget,” she said in a press release. “It is truly a Great American Novel. As we celebrate 25 years of our Best Books of the Year lists, Buckeye exemplifies why we’re so passionate about connecting readers with exceptional stories.”
What are Amazon’s top 20 books of 2025?
In addition to its No. 1 pick, Amazon announced a list of 20 favorites. Here are Amazon’s best books of 2025:
- Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
- The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (Reader’s Digest Book Club’s October 2025 selection!)
- The Boys in the Light by Nina Willner
- The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
- Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (Reader’s Digest Book Club’s March 2025 selection!)
- The Intruder by Freida McFadden
- Awake by Jen Hatmaker
- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Replaceable You by Mary Roach
- The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
- Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
- Paper Girl by Beth Macy
- Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
- Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite
- Next of Kin by Gabrielle Hamilton
- King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby
- The Beast in the Clouds by Nathalia Hoult
- Heart the Lover by Lily King
- The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey
- Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs
Looking for your next great book? Read four of today’s most compelling novels in the time it takes to read one with Fiction Favorites. And be sure to join the community!
What is Barnes & Noble’s Book of the Year?
Barnes & Noble bestowed its top honor on the internationally bestselling novel Mona’s Eyes by Thomas Schlesser. Originally published in French, it’s the story of 10-year-old Mona, who fears permanent blindness after temporarily losing her vision. In response, her grandfather commits to filling her days with beauty. Together, they visit the most famous works in Paris museums over the course of a year and study the works intensely—highlighted by the prized “Mona Lisa” in the Louvre. The pair’s conversations are both charming and poignant.
Mona’s Eyes was chosen by booksellers from more than 700 stores across the country. “Beautiful inside and out, with its 52 featured masterpieces showcased inside the fold-out dust jacket and leaping off the page, this moving novel about a brave young girl’s Paris museum adventures with her grandfather celebrates imagination and the bonds between generations,” Barnes & Noble said in a press release. “The touching tale of courage, love and family is sure to capture readers’ hearts for generations to come.”
What is Barnes & Noble’s Gift Book of the Year?
The booksellers also chose the gorgeous cookbook Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love by Samin Nosrat as the Gift Book of the Year. From the author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, this is a joyful guide to both cooking and living, featuring go-to recipes and tips for every kind of cook.
What are Barnes & Noble’s children’s books of the year?
Two works share the title of Children’s Book of the Year in 2025. I Am Rebel by Ross Montgomery chronicles a brave dog’s heartwarming journey across battlefields in search of his beloved human companion. The extraordinary adventure teaches about the bonds between people and their pets and inspires hope against all odds. And fear not, dog lovers: Rebel lives to tell the tale!
The second children’s book winner also shines the spotlight on lovable animal friends. Growing Home, written by Beth Ferry and illustrated by the Fan Brothers, is a whimsical look at the importance of friendship and family in the face of adversity. The warm and engaging illustrated story features endearing chatty houseplants, magical pets (including a curious spider and grumpy goldfish) and a pesky man in purple shoes all trying to live together at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive.
What are Barnes & Noble’s best books of 2025?
In addition to its four winners, the bookstore announced a list of 10 finalists. Here are all of the Barnes & Noble Book of the Year picks and runners-up:
- Mona’s Eyes by Thomas Schlesser
- Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love by Samin Nosrat
- Growing Home by Beth Ferry
- I Am Rebel by Ross Montgomery
- The Artist and the Feast by Lucy Steeds
- Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
- Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
- King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby
- The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
- Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
- Puzzle Mania! by The New York Times Games and Joel Fagliano
- Sunrise of the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
- There Are No Silly Questions by Mike Rampton
- This Way Up by Map Men
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more books, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.
RELATED:
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite books for over 100 years. We’ve worked with bestselling authors including Susan Orlean, Janet Evanovich and Alex Haley, whose Pulitzer Prize–winning Roots grew out of a project funded by and originally published in the magazine. Through Fiction Favorites (formerly Select Editions and Condensed Books), Reader’s Digest has been publishing anthologies of abridged novels for decades. We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in fiction, including James Patterson, Ruth Ware, Kristin Hannah and more. The Reader’s Digest Book Club, helmed by Books Editor Tracey Neithercott, introduces readers to even more of today’s best fiction by upcoming, bestselling and award-winning authors. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Amazon: “The best books of 2025, according to the Amazon Editors”
- Amazon: “Patrick Ryan’s Buckeye Tops Amazon’s Best Books of 2025 List”
- Barnes & Noble: “Announcing Our 2025 Book of the Year”
- Barnes & Noble: “The Barnes & Noble Book of the Year”
Search
RECENT PRESS RELEASES
