‘I’m a writer – here are 12 books everybody should read in 2025’

Around this time of year, many people will be thinking about any resolutions they want to make for 2025 in order to live a more fulfilled, happier life.

And when it comes to rewarding and relaxing hobbies, you really can’t get much better than reading.

Spending some time before you go to bed getting lost in a book can do wonders for your sleep and mental health, especially when it comes to cutting down on screen time.

But with so many books out there, you might be finding it tricky to know where to start or what you’d like to read.

So one writer has shared his 12 top picks – one for each month of 2025 – that everybody should be adding to their reading lists for next year.

Writer Nic Marna, also known as @bookbinch on TikTok, shared his top recommendations in a video which has racked up more than 700k views to date.

Instead of focusing on the hot new releases comng up, he’s instead decided to delve into some ‘hidden gems’ that you may have missed from years gone by.

Here’s his list of must-read books that everybody should consider picking up in 2025.

Open Water – Caleb Azumah Nelson 

Described as a ‘beautiful, touching and intimate’ love story, this book follows the story of a blooming love affair between a photographer and a dancer.

It also weaves in important themes about identity, class and race – making it a very important read.

Nic said it’s the perfect book to start the year with since it’s quite short at just 145 pages, so it shouldn’t feel like a struggle, allowing you to smash your first goal quickly.

If Beale Street Could Talk – James Baldwin

If you’re keen to read something with a ‘gripping narrative’ that will ‘pull you right in’ then this is the story for you.

Set in Harlem in the 70’s, this is a story about ‘love in the face of brutal injustice’ and the importance of family and friendship.

Nic said: “It talks about being black in the 1970s in America, but it’s also relevant today. It’s such a good book.”

Minor Detail – Adania Shibli

This ‘haunting meditation’ on war, violence and memory evolves around a brutal crime committed in during the 1948 Nabka war in Palestine and the urge to put things right now.

Nic urged: “If you haven’t read this book, you have to read it. It sticks with you.”

The Great Believers – Rebecca Makai 

This book, released in 2018, still gets a lot of hype now – which is ‘deserved’ in Nic’s opinion.

Split into two parts, one is set in 1980s Chicago during the height of the AIDS epidemic, with the latter set in modern-day Paris where a woman is trying to find her estranged daughter.

Nic said: “It’s an angle to the AIDS epidemic in the media that I have never experienced or read, and I’m so thankful that I have, because I really loved it.”

There, There – Tommy Orange 

According to Nic, this is the book you should reach for if you want to avoid that ‘reading slump’ halfway through the year.

He said: “It’s a ton of little vignettes. They’re all short stories, you’re doing an investigation in your mind because you’re trying to find out how all these characters are related.”

All the characters are from Native American communities struggling to make sense of their identity. Nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 2019, it’s definitely one to add to your list.

Bad Habit – Alana S. Portero 

This story of a trans woman growing up in Madrid in 1980s was also loved by Dua Lipa, and was featured as her Book Club Pick for September last year.

Described as ‘beautiful and deeply moving’, the book focuses on how community and chosen family can be so powerful when you’re feeling lost in yourself.

Nic said: “The precision in the writing is so delicious and juicy. It’s so good.”

Evenings and Weekends – Oisin McKenna 

This is the ‘perfect summer read’ – so worth saving until you’re chilling on the beach or by the pool one afternoon.

Released earlier this year, this book features the lives of interconnected characters that are ‘super messy’, all taking place against the backdrop of one swelteringly hot weekend in London.

During this time, secrets are revealed and simmering tensions come to a head – making for the perfect beach read that you won’t be able to put down.

Kindred – Octavia E. Butler 

This has become known as a real modern classic, published in the late 70s – so if you haven’t read it yet, now’s the time to do so.

It follows the story of a woman who travels back in time to the antebellum South during a time when slavery was rife, meeting her ancestors and becoming entangled in the plantation community.

Nic said: “It’s gripping, it’s really powerful and it’s just such a great book that everybody should read.”

Real Life – Brandon Taylor 

This coming-of-age tale is best enjoyed in the autumn, since it’s set on a university campus and follows the story of a research student struggling to fit in due to his race and sexuality.

Nic said: “It’s really intimate and interesting the way we get into his head – it’s so good.”

Monstrilio – Gerardo Sámano Córdova

This work of literary horror isn’t necessarily scary – but it’ll certainly make you think.

Nic said: “It’s about grief taking corporeal form as this little monster and how grief can ripple through a family. It’s devastating, it’s touching, it’s so beautiful.”

Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier 

This classic Gothic novel is perfect for reading around Halloween, so if you’re doing these in order, this is the perfect time to pick this up.

Nic said: “It’s a classic from the 30s but it reads really easily. It’s the perfect winter read because it’s like this weird mystery set in this big manor – it’s super gothic and it keeps changing in shifting.”

We follow the story of a woman married to a man who has a widow, and she’s being haunted by her presence everywhere in the house.

Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi 

The final recommendation is the ‘perfect way to end the year’, according to Nic. He said: “It gives you a lot to chew on, but it’s also really good. It tracks the rich history of a family over the course of eight generations, starting with two sisters in Ghana in the 18th century.”

Described as ‘perfectly executed’, it’s the ideal way to round off your year of reading.