Here are the Books We Love: 380+ great 2025 reads recommended by NPR

By Beth Novey, Meghan Collins Sullivan, Rose Friedman, Ivy Buck, Brent Jones, Alyson Hurt

Published November 24, 2025 at 4:00 AM PST

NPR's Books We Love returns with 380+ new titles handpicked by NPR staff and trusted critics. Find 13 years of recommendations all in one place — that's more than 4,000 great reads.

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Beth Novey

Beth Novey is a producer for NPR's Arts, Books & Culture desk. She creates and edits web features, plans multimedia projects, and coordinates the web presence for Fresh Air and Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!

Meghan Collins Sullivan

Meghan Collins Sullivan is a senior editor on the Arts & Culture Desk, overseeing non-fiction books coverage at NPR. She has worked at NPR over the last 13 years in various capacities, including as the supervising editor for NPR.org – managing a team of online producers and reporters and editing multi-platform news coverage. She was also lead editor for the 13.7: Cosmos and Culture blog, written by five scientists on topics related to the intersection of science and culture.

Rose Friedman

Rose Friedman is an Associate Editor for NPR's Arts, Books & Culture desk. She edits radio pieces on a range of subjects, including books, pop culture, fine arts, theater, obituaries and the occasional Harry Potter-check-in. She is also co-creator of NPR's annual Book Concierge and the podcast recommendation site Earbud.fm. In addition, Rose has edited commentaries for the network, as well as regular features like This Week's Must Read on All Things Considered.

Ivy Buck

Ivy Buck is the newest Petra Mayer Memorial Fellow. She works in the Arts and Culture Hub with the NPR Books team, helping to produce the Book of the Day podcast and Books We Love, two projects founded by Mayer during her remarkable two-decade career at NPR.

Brent Jones

Alyson Hurt

Here are the Books We Love: 380+ great 2025 reads recommended by NPR

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