Award season is one of the best times of the year for book lovers. It’s when critics, readers, and literary organizations come together to recognize the best books published that year. And in 2025, there were some incredible winners that deserve a spot on your reading list. That’s why we’re taking a closer look at the award-winning books from 2025 that you need to read!

Over the past year, I’ve made it a goal to read more critically acclaimed novels—and it has paid off in a big way. Some of the best books I’ve ever read came from award lists. And the truth is, even the books that were only nominated are often just as impressive and absolutely worth checking out.

With 2025 coming to a close, it’s the perfect time to look back at the standout award-winning books of the year. There are dozens of literary awards out there, which can make things a little overwhelming. To make things easier, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite award-winning books of 2025. Check out the full list below!

Top Award-Winning Books of 2025

James

If you haven’t read James by now, then you need to correct this might as soon as possible. It won the National Book Award for Fiction, and the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction award. Those are the two biggest awards in literature and few novels have accomplished this feat.

the novel is a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and gives James the voice he has always deserved. Everett tells us of James’ story from his point of view, giving the classic novel a new take.

James by Percival Everett historical fiction books
James by Percival Everett

James is a slave in Hannibal, Missouri and tries to take care of all the slaves at the plantation. But one day, James discovers that he is going to be sold soon and separated from his family. He has no plans to go along with this and instead runs away. But he is discovered by Huckleberry Finn who is also planning to run away.

I really loved this book and it is one of the best books I read this year. Anyone who does end up reading it will agree that is deserved all the awards.

Flesh

The Booker Prize is also a big one and that went to Flesh by David Szalay. The novel is about a Hungarian man’s journey from being poor to rich in Europe, spanning over a decade. Szalay is the first  Hungarian-British author to win the Booker Prize.

One reason why I love award season is that a big that didn’t come across your newsfeed ends up winning. And now, you have to check it out. Flesh deserves all the accolades and it is a book that everyone should check out.

The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)

The National Book Award sticker is iconic and one that many people recognize from their childhood. This year’s winner was The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine. The book tells the story of a son and his mother and their complicated relationship over the course of six decades.

How many books can you say that you have read that are set in Lebanon? Over hundreds of books are considered for the award so you know that it has to be a good novel. Most people have a complicated relationship with their parents and this novel touches on many themes that will make you think about your relationships with your loved ones.

The Slip

2025 award winning books
The Slip by Lucas Schaefer

The winner of the 2025 Kirkus Prize was The Slip by Lucas Schaefer, a debut novel. Anytime a debut novel wins, you know the author is overwhelmed by all the attention their novel is getting. Being a first time author is not easy and moments like these reaffirm that they were meant to write.

The novel is about the disappearance of 16-year-old named Nathaniel Rothstein. His uncle decides to look into his disappearance years a decade later after receiving a shocking tip. With a great cast of characters and tackling themes such as race, identity, and gender, it is no surprise that this novel won the Kirkus Prize.

Conclusion

That is all for this article about 2025 award winning books to check out. I will be the first person to say that while awards are great, they aren’t the only way to judge a novel. With so many books and so little awards to go around, books deserving of them never receive it.

The reason why I love sharing award winning books is that it is a decision that is not made lightly. There is usually a voting system and a board that ultimately decides the winner. So you know a book that wins the award has been heavily audited.

These are some of the standout award winning books of 2025 that I wanted to share. If you need a book to get you back into reading, then look no further. And in a few months, we will see books awarded that were released in 2025. Until then, happy reading!

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