Five of the best sports books of 2025
From the trauma and triumphs of Olympic cyclist Bradley Wiggins to the secret life of a match fixer
The best science and nature books of 2025
From the threat of superintelligent AI to the dangers of overdiagnosis; plus the evolution of language and the restless genius of Francis Crick
Ms Holmes and Ms Watson – Apt 2B review: mysterious case of the joke-cracking Sherlock
This riff on Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective stories has flashes of promise but its comedy and purpose never land
The best history and politics books of 2025
The revolutionary spirit in politics and architecture; histories of free speech and civil war; plus how the Tories fell apart and Starmer won
The best graphic novels of 2025
Alison Bechdel and Joe Sacco return; plus Black Country cowboys, vengeful gods and an angling classic reimagined
Dreamers review – deep sense of empathy powers emotionally vivid refugees’ drama
A traumatised Nigerian woman seeking asylum in Britain meets a kindred spirit in Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor’s evocative tale
The best crime and thrillers of 2025
Mick Herron’s Slow Horses, Belinda Bauer’s obsessive world of bird egg collectors, Uketsu’s innovative Japanese detective mystery – and more
Five of the best food books of 2025
Sami Tamimi celebrates Palestine’s culinary heritage, Helen Goh uncovers the psychological benefits of baking and Roopa Gulati reveals tricks used in the best Indian kitchens
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? review – have yourself a merry little rumpus
This exuberant adaptation of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen’s picture book moves with the rhythm of a child’s racing imagination
The best children’s books of 2025
A new read-aloud favourite, doughnuts with world-conquering ambitions, high fantasy from Katherine Rundell, and more
Five of the best translated fiction of 2025
The return of Nobel laureate Han Kang; film-making under the Nazis; stuck in a time loop; Scandinavian thrills; and essential stories from postwar Iraq
Paddington: The Musical review – they’ve looked after this bear quite splendiferously
State-of-the-art animatronics, imaginative staging, fabulous performances and some marvellous songs about marmalade make for an evening that will fill you with joy and melt your heart
The best recent translated fiction – review roundup
The Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten; Woman in the Pillory by Brigitte Reimann; Iran+100, edited by various; Sea Now by Eva Meijer
Bog People: A Working-Class Anthology of Folk Horror review – dark tales with a sting
This collection of macabre stories set across England explores class, hierarchy and the enduring nature of inequality
The Rot by Evelyn Araluen review – headlong language and bitter truths imbued with tenderness
Award-winning poet offers seductive beauty, deadly analyses, desolations and joys in the follow-up to her acclaimed debut Dropbear