We've rounded up the best books of 2025 you need to read next.

We've read a lot of books this year here at Mamamia, and let us tell you, 2025 has been one for the bibliophiles.

From gripping thrillers that kept us up all night to heart-wrenching dark fantasies that broke us, these are the titles that stayed with us long after the last page.

So, from our bookshelves to yours, we've rounded up the X best books we read in 2025 — the ones we couldn't put down, still can't stop talking about and think you'll love too.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.

Image: Schoolastic.

Genre: Science fiction/dystopian.

We're heading back to Panem for the 50th annual Hunger Games. In honour of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes and sent to the arena. One of them is Haymitch Abernathy (yes, that Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta's future mentor).

Torn from his family and the girl he loves, Haymitch is thrust into the Capitol alongside three other District 12 tributes. But this time, the fight isn't just for survival — it's for something bigger.

Coming in hot, this The Hunger Games prequel was recommended by not one but FOUR of the team.

A word from one of them: "(I'm unashamed about this). If you grew up loving The Hunger Games books and/or movies, this book is so up your alley. It's not just a prequel for the sake of doing a prequel but a thoughtful, interesting take on Haymitch's story. I love ittttt."

Alchemised by SenLinYu.

Image: Penguin Books Australia.

Genre: Dark fantasy.

In a world ravaged by war and necromancy, Helena Marino is both a survivor and a captive.

Once a gifted alchemist, now a prisoner of war, her abilities are suppressed, her friends are long dead and the world she fought so hard to protect lies in ruins.

Haunted by what she's lost and the memories hidden away, Helena finds herself the prisoner of a man tasked with unearthing the secrets of her past.

But the closer he gets, the more she realises he's hiding secrets of his own — ones that could unravel everything she thought she knew about the war and about herself.

This was another title the team absolutely devoured. Be warned, it's not just gut-wrenching, it's also quite dark, so check the trigger warnings before diving into this one.

From the team: "If you want to be emotionally wrecked, then this is the book for you! It is devastating, haunting and harrowing and I think about it on a daily basis. If you want a book that you will constantly think of and feel chest pains when you do, read it!"

The Names by Florence Knapp.

Image: Hatchette Australia.

Genre: Contemporary fiction.

A thought-provoking debut, The Names explores how a single decision can alter everything.

In 1987, Cora Atkin hesitates to name her newborn son after her abusive husband. From that moment, the story splinters into three alternate lives — each tracing the different paths of Cora, her son and her daughter Maia.

What unfolds is a haunting exploration of fate, choice and resilience — and how one name can change the course of a family forever.

From the team: "A five-star read. The Names is easily one of the best books I've read this year. It's a powerful exploration of relationships, domestic abuse and resilience that really stuck with me."

Signs of Damage by Diana Reid.

Image: Ultimo Press.

Genre: Contemporary/Thriller.

The Kelly family's idyllic holiday in the south of France is shattered when 13-year-old Cass goes missing.

When she's found a few hours later with no sign of injury, everyone treats it as a close call and moves on.

But the past always finds a way back.

Sixteen years later, at a funeral for one of the Kellys, Cass collapses. And suddenly, the present and the past start to collide.

Amid sun‑drenched villas and simmering secrets, two questions hang over everything: What really happened to Cass that summer? And what's wrong with her now?

From the team: "Another five-star read for me. I absolutely loved her two previous books and this one did not disappoint!! You will be shook at the ending."

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson.

Image: Hachette.

Genre: Epic fantasy.

In the crumbling empire of Orrun, seven contenders are about to compete for the throne — until one of them is murdered. Suddenly, the succession trials descend into chaos.

Neema Kraa, the emperor's High Scholar, is thrust into the centre of it all, forced to navigate ancient alliances, buried legacies and deadly ambition.

With a sharp-tongued narrator (a literal raven), political intrigue and a touch of dark magic, The Raven Scholar is part murder mystery, part epic fantasy and completely gripping.

If you end up a fan, you'll be glad to know it's the first in The Eternal Path Trilogy.

Skipshock by Caroline O'Donoghue.

Image: Walker Books.

Genre: Science fiction/YA literature.

In this genre‑defying fantasy romance, teenager Margot is on her way to a mysterious boarding school after her father's death, when she meets Moon, a charming salesman with secrets of his own.

They never should have met. But when Margo suddenly appears one day on Moon's train, their fates become inextricably linked.

To survive, Margot must pass as a salesman, too, navigating shifting realities where time is currency, death is common and trust is dangerous.

Because Moon isn't who he seems — and neither is she.

Skipshock is the first in a duology, so keep your eyes peeled for more.

Red Clay by Charles B. Fancher.

Image: Blackstone Publishing.

Genre: Historical fiction/southern fiction.

Set across generations, Red Clay traces the interwoven lives of an enslaved Black family and their white owners as the Civil War ends and Reconstruction begins.

In 1943, an elderly white woman arrives in Red Clay, Alabama, on the morning of a Black man's funeral — a man whose family her ancestors once owned.

She has a story to tell: one of ambition, betrayal, violence and redemption. But she's missing pieces of the truth, and the family she's come to find might be the only ones who can fill them in.

Homecoming by Kate Morton.

Image: Allen & Unwin.

Genre: Mystery/historical fiction.

When journalist Jess returns to Sydney to care for her grandmother, she stumbles upon a decades-old cold case: the Turner Family Tragedy of Christmas Eve, 1959.

As Jess digs into the past, family secrets surface, intertwining her story with the mystery that once shocked a nation.

Atmospheric and emotional, Homecoming is a sweeping story about love, legacy and what we inherit from those before us.

The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings.

Image: Orion Publishing Co.

Genre: Romance/Contemporary.

When London-based professional lie detector Georgia Carter returns home to South Carolina for her estranged father's funeral, she expects closure, not chaos.

Georgia and her brother were always the family outsiders, unlike their older siblings, who stayed close to their parents.

Years earlier, she left town after a traumatic incident; now she's back, confronted by old friends, her brother's AA sponsor Sam Penny and the relationships she tried to leave behind.

When the reading of the will reveals a bequest to a mysterious stranger, secrets rise to the surface.

As old tensions resurface and forbidden feelings grow, Georgia's gift for reading people might be the only thing that can make sense of the truth — or tear the family apart for good.

A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern.

Image: Penguin Books Australia.

Genre: Memoir.

From a small‑town New Zealand upbringing to becoming the world's youngest female prime minister in 2017, Jacinda Ardern reflects on the journey that changed her, and her country, forever

In her first memoir, she shares what it was really like to lead through the Christchurch terror attacks, a global pandemic and new motherhood, all under the world's gaze.

Honest, humble and deeply human, it's a story about choosing compassion over ego, and knowing when to walk away. A reminder that true strength often looks like empathy.

From the team: "A blueprint for navigating power in your own way and an inspiring example of a human at the top of their game displaying both softness and strength."

Feature image: Supplied/Canva.