It Girl by Marisa Meltzer review – how Jane Birkin became an icon
The unlikely story of an English girl catapulted to French fame – and a relationship with Serge Gainsbourg that resembled a piece of deranged performance art
On the Calculation of Volume III by Solvej Balle review – how to make a timeloop endlessly interesting
The hypnotic third novel in the hit Danish series grapples with the philosophical realities of being stuck on repeat in 18 November
The Dead of Winter by Sarah Clegg audiobook review – haunting Christmas tales
From horse skulls and Yule cats to Icelandic ogres, a celebration of the dark side of Christmas
The Effingers by Gabriele Tergit review – a vivid portrait of Berlin before the Nazis
Written in 1951 and now translated into English for the first time, this family saga by the acclaimed German author recaptures a golden age for Jewish life
The Curious Case of Mike Lynch by Katie Prescott review – the extraordinary story behind the Bayesian tragedy
A meticulously researched account of the controversial businessman’s rise and shocking demise
The best fiction of 2025
The Guardian’s fiction editor picks the best of the year, from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Dream Count to Thomas Pynchon’s return, David Szalay’s Booker winner and a remarkable collection of short stories
Five of the best music books of 2025
From an enraging indictment of Spotify to Del Amitri frontman Justin Currie’s account of Parkinson’s and a compelling biography of Tupac Shakur, here are five titles that strike a chord
Five of the best science fiction books of 2025
An eco-masterpiece, icy intrigue, cyberpunkish cyborgs, memory-eating aliens and super-fast travel sends the world spinning out of control
The best poetry books of 2025
From Seamus Heaney’s collected poems and Simon Armitage’s animal spirits, to prizewinners Karen Solie and Vidyan Ravinthiran
All My Precious Madness by Mark Bowles review – a deliciously sweary, prize-winning monologue
The actor Paul Hilton brilliantly inhabits the character of a ranting working-class academic in this debut novel
Chosen Family by Madeleine Gray review – a vibrant ode to best friends and queer loves
The author of Green Dot returns with a masterful tale of unconventional friendship and family
The best memoirs and biographies of 2025
Anthony Hopkins and Kathy Burke on acting, Jacinda Ardern and Nicola Sturgeon on politics, plus Margaret Atwood on a life well lived
Five of the best young adult books of 2025
LGBTQ+ activism, online alter egos, feminist trailblazers and more
The five best romance books of 2025
A tricky age gap, a dose of wedding day drama, literary love affairs, office rivals and the sexy side of Brexit
Alice: Return to Wonderland review – a wonderfully eccentric new rabbit hole to go down
Alice is a boring grownup at the start of this intelligent and catchy Christmas musical – then she’s whisked off to Wonderland again