Amazon's 20 best books of 2025

Amazon has announced its list of the Top 20 best books of 2025, selected by its editorial team after thousands of hours of reading and evaluation, with the novel by Vietnamese-American author Ocean Vuong ranking 4th.

This year's ranking marks the return of many familiar names, while also introducing outstanding new voices - Photo: Amazon

Amazon's list of the best books of 2025 covers a diverse range of genres, including biographies, memoirs, literature and novels, history, mystery, romance, and more.

20 best books of 2025

Taking the top spot, Patrick Ryan's Buckeye is celebrated as the most well-rounded film of the year thanks to its heartwarming story about two Midwestern families and the secret that binds them together across generations.

"With family at its heart, Buckeye is a winning and enduring novel that you won't want to finish. As these beautifully portrayed characters develop over the years, you'll cheer for their happiness, mourn their pain, and forget that this is just a novel," says an Amazon editor. - Photo: Amazon

In second place, Virginia Evans' *The Correspondent* impresses with its structure of correspondence spanning time, showcasing the power of writing in healing people - Photo: Amazon

Told entirely through letters, the novel unfolds the life of Sybil Van Antwerp, a retired lawyer who rediscovers meaning in life through exchanging letters with many strangers and acquaintances.

Each letter contains small stories, sometimes sad, sometimes heartwarming, forming a deeply human picture of communication and the invisible threads that connect people. The work reminds us that writing and being written about can be the most powerful form of healing.

Coming in at number 3, Nina Willner's *The Boys in the Light* recreates real-life scenes from World War II, making the story, though non-fictional, as captivating as a novel. - Photo: Amazon

The author recreates moments of courage, sometimes unfolding in silence and darkness, through intimate storytelling, allowing the reader to clearly feel the fragility yet resilience of hope in war. This serves as a reminder of the value of humanity in the darkest times.

Ocean Vuong holds the 4th position with The Emperor of Gladness , continuing his strength in narrative by presenting a world of marginalized people, written with tenderness and empathy.

Ocean Vuong's second moving novel brings the intangible aspects of society to the forefront, focusing on people who have nothing and owe nothing to each other, yet understand something many of us fail to grasp in this increasingly divided world: We should care for one another. - Photo: Amazon

Charlotte McConaghy's *Wild Dark Shore*, ranked 5th, is a blend of eco-novel and family journey, set against the backdrop of Earth under the pressure of climate change. - Photo: Amazon

Sixth place goes to Freida McFadden's *The Intruder*, a fast-paced thriller revolving around a stormy night and a stranger with a knife, unfolding a prolonged psychological confrontation spanning both the past and present. - Photo: Amazon

Ranked 7th, Jen Hatmaker's Awake is a powerful memoir that begins with the moment the narrator discovers her husband's infidelity, leading to a journey of self-healing. It's a wonderful memoir about determination, resilience, and laughter for anyone who has ever looked back on their past and present, and opened their arms to the future. - Photo: Amazon

Taylor Jenkins Reid's *Atmosphere*, ranked 8th, explores space dreams intertwined with personal heartbreak. The book is a testament to resilience and shows how far we can go in pursuing our dreams, even when those dreams seem as distant as the stars. - Photo: Amazon

Ranked 9th, Mary Roach's Replaceable You offers a humorous and scientific look at replaceable body parts, from dentures to artificial hearts. According to Amazon, it's a fun and engaging science fiction book that shouldn't be missed. - Photo: Amazon

Kiran Desai's *The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny* ranks 10th, telling the story of two migrant lives and the loneliness they face in a foreign land. This is Kiran Desai's next work after her Booker Prize-winning *The Inheritance of Loss*. - Photo: Amazon

In the latter half of the list, Clare Leslie Hall's Broken Country, ranked 11th, is a multifaceted portrayal of a polarized American society. This genre-blending story is a family drama, a love story, and a mystery, with unexpected twists.

Beth Macy's Paper Girl, at number 12, tells the story of America through the eyes of people struggling to live a life of dignity amidst adversity. This book will inspire action with its compassion and hope. - Photo: Amazon

RF Kuang's Katabasis ranked 13th, praised as a highly literary fantasy with a journey into "hell" filled with paradoxes and hope. The work was highly rated by Amazon editors and considered a modern classic. - Photo: Amazon

Oyinkan Braithwaite's *Cursed Daughters* ranks 14th, transporting readers to Nigeria in a family story with supernatural elements. - Photo: Amazon

Ranked 15th, Gabrielle Hamilton's Next of Kin is a poignant yet heart-wrenching memoir about death, dementia, and family breakdowns. Hamilton once again proves she is a talented writer and a skilled chef. - Photo: Amazon

SA Cosby's *King of Ashes*, ranked 16th, tells the story of the underworld and the dark side of society. Darkness, violence, money, truth, ambition, murder, secrets... this novel will resonate with these themes from page to page. - Photo: Amazon

Ranked 17th, Nathalia Holt's *The Beast in the Clouds* is a hilarious and suspenseful adventure to hunt down a historical panda, a thrilling journey through a world that no longer exists. - Photo: Amazon

At number 18, Lily King presents Heart the Lover, a sharp contemporary literary work about love and heartbreak. The book is described as "Witty and insightful, this moving story is further proof that King is one of the queens of contemporary fiction" - Photo: Amazon

Catherine Chidgey's dystopian thriller, The Book of Guilt, ranks 19th, where guilt becomes a tool of control, suffocating and haunting, with a sinister undertone that creeps beneath the skin and sends shivers down the reader's spine until the very last page. - Photo: Amazon

 

Rounding out the list at number 20, Nicholas Boggs' Baldwin: A Love Story is a deeply insightful biography of writer James Baldwin, exploring four relationships that shaped his life (a mentor, a lover, a partner, and a fellow writer), offering a fascinating and profound look at an American icon. - Photo: Amazon

 

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MAI NGUYET

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/20-cuon-sach-hay-nhat-nam-2025-do-amazon-binh-chon-20251210154535072.htm