The 35 Best Books of 2025

For a writer, one of the underappreciated perks of publishing a book in mid-December is that you have a built-in excuse for not appearing on best-of-the-year lists, which now begin appearing as early as September. But there are no such excuses at Esquire, as we update our Best Books of 2025 list for the third and final time as we approach the holidays. This list includes must-read titles from celebrated authors Jason Diamond, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Ada Limón, Daniel Kraus, and so many more.