New York Public Library Picks the Best Books of 2025

The New York Public Library (NYPL) has announced its Best Books of 2025, a list of 225 titles curated by NYPL staff.

More than 80 librarians work on the Best Books lists each year, reading thousands of titles to develop each list. They look for literary excellence and originality, as well as titles they believe will appeal to patrons. The Best Books of 2025 list includes more than 200 titles for all ages, and many are available in multiple formats, including print, ebooks, audiobooks, and accessible editions.

The Best Books of 2025 are arranged into four categories: Best Books for Adults (50 titles), Best Books for Teens (50 titles), Best Books for Kids (100 titles), and Mejores libros para pequeños/Best Books for Kids in Spanish (25 titles)

The Best Books for Adults list includes:

• “Audition” by Katie Kitamura (literary fiction)
• “Black Arms to Hold You Up: A History of Black Resistance” by Ben Passmore (comics)
• “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones (horror)
• “Dead Girl Cameo: A Love Song in Poems” by m. mick powell (poetry)
• “Death of the Author” by Nnedi Okorafor (sci-fi/fantasy)
• “Heartwood” by Amity Gaige (mystery/suspense)
• “King of Ashes” by S.A. Cosby (mystery/suspense)
• “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This” by Omar El Akkad (nonfiction), which won the National Book Award in non-fiction on November 19.
• “A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke” by Adriana Herrera (romance)
• “Stone Yard Devotional” by Charlotte Wood (literary fiction)
• “Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing” by Lili Taylor (science and nature)

And for the first time, NYPL is offering unlimited e-book access to 26 of the Best Books— eliminating wait times on these titles for patrons. The available titles include the 11 books for adults listed above, 5 for teens, 5 for kids, and 5 for Mejores Libros (Best Books for Kids in Spanish). NYPL cardholders can access these books using the Libby app through December 31.

“It’s a holiday tradition for the Library to announce its most recommended titles of the year. But often, there is a rush on the top books — so we introduced unlimited e-book access and book giveaways to ensure New Yorkers can actually read the books we’re recommending,” a NYPL spokesperson said in a statement shared with People.

For a limited time, NYPL is also giving away physical copies of select books of the year at three branches throughout New York City: Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library in Midtown Manhattan, the Bronx Library Center, and the St. George Library Center in Staten Island.  

The Best Books list embodies NYPL’s commitment to its patrons and providing diverse literature, said Brian Bannon, NYPL Chief Librarian and Merryl and James Tisch Director of Branch Libraries and Education.

“I’m thrilled to announce the launch of our Best Books of 2025—a reflection of our commitment to representing the incredible diversity and creativity in literature today,” Bannon said in a statement. “This year, we are building on our mission of expanding access to knowledge by making some of the most in-demand books immediately available for free download for all card holders, as well as offering book giveaways in branches. I can’t wait for New Yorkers to get their hands on these books, and hope they return to the Library time and again for their next book too.” 

You can learn more about the Best Books program and the featured books at NYPL online.

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