Best books of 2025
‘Tis the season of wrapping. Literally! And holiday gifts aren’t the only thing being wrapped up this December. Before stepping into 2026, it only feels right to round up the top borrowed ebooks and audiobooks in Libby.
Think of this as a personalized reading year-in-review from readers all over the United Kingdom. And if you didn’t get the chance to dive into some of these titles, there’s always next year. After all, good reads don’t have an expiration date.
Daydream
by Hannah Grace
There is always a little room for distractions. Right? Henry, a chronic procrastinator, and Halle, the enthusiastic scholar, certainly might say so as their lives intertwine in unexpected ways.
Dream Count
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Adichie reaches inside the lives of four interconnected women as they navigate societal expectations, resilience, and the pursuit of their dreams.
Faebound
by Saara El-Arifi
In this immersive romantasy tale, danger and love complement each other ever so gracefully within an intoxicating fae realm that’ll pull you in from the very beginning.
Flesh
by David Szalay
Flesh tells a deeply complex and propulsive story that explores modern masculinity and vulnerability.
Is a River Alive?
by Robert Macfarlane
Macfarlane urges readers to explore the concept of the vitality of rivers, drawing on ancient beliefs and our evolving relationship with the natural world.
James
by Percival Everett
This novel follows Jim, an enslaved man, as he flees down the Mississippi River in pursuit of freedom, reclaiming his story along the way.
Raising Hare
by Chloe Dalton
Raising Hare chronicles a uniquely challenging relationship between a rescued wild baby hare and the human preparing to return the animal to the wild.
Service Model
by Adrian Tchaikovsky
A witty and unforgettable story of robots and murder, making it the perfect mix for sci-fi fans looking for something exciting and unexpected.
The Book of Alchemy
by Suleika Jaouad
Featuring enlightening essays and prompts, this book offers encouragement and tools for readers to peel back their many layers and uncover their truest selves.
The Grammar of Angels
by Edward Wilson-Lee
Wilson-Lee explores Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s ideas about unlocking divine truth and allowing mortals to transcend their limitations.
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny
by Kiran Desai
An epic story of love and identity, where two young people’s fates intersect across generations in ways that feel both intimate and far-reaching.
Dungeon Crawler Carl
by Matt Dinniman
Action. Monsters. Fights. More action! Join Carl as he navigates a deadly dungeon filled with danger, chaos, and relentless adventure.
The Maiden and Her Monster
by Maddie Martinez
Drawing from ancient folklore and fairytales, this story explores sacrifice and love in one of the most unusual forms imaginable.
Water Moon
by Samantha Sotto Yambao
A blend of dreamlike worlds and cosy fantasy elements, where lost souls can pawn their deepest regrets for magical items. When Hana’s father goes missing, she must journey to a parallel world to find him.
FYI: if you needed more of a reason to pick up a couple new titles, next year has been officially dubbed the National Year of Reading. There’s something here for every kind of reader, so consider this your invitation to add to your TBR list!
*Title availability varies by library
Published Dec 17, 2025
Kiki Faison
Kiki Faison has dreamed of being a writer for as long as she can remember, and today she’s living that dream. When she's not working or volunteering locally, she enjoys exploring nature with her daughter and pup, getting lost in suspense novels, and hunting for treasures while thrifting.