PBS Best Books of 2025: The Must-Read Books Everyone Is Talking About

End-of-year book lists are still coming in strong, and today we are looking at one of the most interesting lists released this year: PBS’s Best Books of 2025. There is no shortage of “best books of the year” lists floating around every December. Every major publication seems to release one. We see lists from newspapers, magazines, book websites, celebrities, and even online communities. While they are always fun to browse through, many of them tend to follow a familiar pattern.

PBS decided to do things a little differently.

Instead of simply having editors compile a list behind the scenes, PBS brought together two well-known voices from the literary world to share their personal favorite books of the year. The result feels much more personal and much more interesting than a standard ranking.

The two names behind the selections are Maureen Corrigan and Ann Patchett.

Corrigan has been a longtime literary critic and is instantly recognizable to many readers through her work on NPR’s Fresh Air. She has spent years reviewing books and introducing readers to stories they might otherwise miss.

Patchett, meanwhile, is one of the most respected authors writing today. From Bel Canto to The Dutch House, she has built a reputation for thoughtful storytelling and a genuine passion for books and reading.

Together, they did more than simply recommend books. They explained why these books mattered to them. That extra context makes a huge difference. Instead of scrolling through another random list of titles, readers get insight into what makes these books memorable.

And honestly, those explanations are often what send books straight onto my ever-growing TBR pile.

Let’s take a look at PBS’s Best Books of 2025 and some of the titles that immediately caught my attention.

PBS’s Best Books of 2025

• The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
• The Antidote by Karen Russell
• Heart the Lover by Lily King
• Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
• A Long Game: Notes on Writing Fiction by Elizabeth McCracken
• Last Seen by Judith Ann Giesberg
• Bread of Angels by Patti Smith
• If We Were Dogs by Sophie Blackall 
• The Norendy Tales Trilogy by Kate DiCamillo
• Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife by Francesca Wade
• Christmas on Jane Street: A True Story by Billy Romp and Wanda Urbanska
• Dog Show by Billy Collins
• Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
• Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service by Michael Lewis

There is a little bit of everything here. Literary fiction, memoirs, essays, poetry, children’s books, and nonfiction all found a place on the list.

That variety is one reason this list stands out. Some yearly lists focus heavily on bestselling novels or books with the biggest marketing campaigns behind them. PBS went in a different direction and highlighted books from several genres and categories.

That means there is a good chance every reader will find something interesting.

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai

One book that instantly grabbed my attention was The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai.

If the title looks familiar, that might be because this novel has already appeared on several major year-end lists. It even earned a place on Barack Obama’s list of favorite books of the year, which immediately made me curious.

Sometimes seeing a book repeatedly appear across multiple lists can make me skeptical. But other times it makes me think there might actually be something special there.

This novel follows two people whose lives become intertwined as they navigate complicated histories, uncertain futures, and the emotional baggage they carry with them. They are trying to move forward while also struggling to escape the shadows of the past.

Stories about relationships can sometimes feel repetitive because so many books tackle similar themes. But the strongest ones are always about more than romance. They become stories about identity, family, expectations, and the things we carry with us through life.

I have heard enough praise about this one that I definitely want to see whether it lives up to the hype.

The Antidote by Karen Russell

Another title I am eager to pick up is The Antidote by Karen Russell.

Karen Russell has built a strong reputation for writing stories that blend literary fiction with unusual ideas and memorable characters. Her books often feel unique, and readers frequently describe them as unlike anything else they have read.

The Antidote follows multiple residents living in the fictional town of Uz, Nebraska.

The town itself is struggling under the weight of multiple pressures. The Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and generations of painful history have left lasting scars. Through a variety of perspectives, Russell explores the people who live there and the burdens they inherit.

What interests me most about this novel is the idea of what gets passed down from one generation to another.

Families inherit many things beyond money or possessions. They inherit stories, secrets, trauma, traditions, and expectations. Those invisible inheritances often shape people’s lives in ways they do not even realize.

That premise alone makes me want to pick this one up.

The fact that it also landed on several year-end lists only makes me more curious.

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

The third book on this list that immediately jumped out at me was Buckeye by Patrick Ryan.

I feel like I have been seeing this book everywhere recently.

Whenever the same title starts showing up repeatedly across social media, book communities, and recommendation lists, it becomes difficult not to notice it.

I already bought a copy because curiosity finally got the better of me.

Buckeye tells the story of two families living in Bonhomie, Ohio, whose lives become linked by one pivotal moment and a secret that refuses to stay buried.

A hidden affair creates a connection between the families and changes the way they understand both their past and future.

Secrets are one of those storytelling devices that almost always pull me in. There is something compelling about watching characters deal with truths that have remained hidden for years.

The best family dramas are not really about the secret itself. They are about the consequences that follow once those secrets finally come into the light.

I have high expectations for this one and I am hoping it lives up to everything I have heard.

Why Lists Like This Matter

One thing I appreciate about year-end book lists is that they often introduce me to books I would have otherwise overlooked.

Most readers naturally gravitate toward bestselling titles because those are the books everyone is talking about. There is nothing wrong with that at all. Some bestsellers become huge hits for a reason.

But sometimes the best reading experiences come from books you were not even planning to read.

A random recommendation becomes your favorite novel of the year.

A book from a genre you rarely read ends up surprising you.

Or a title you barely noticed suddenly becomes impossible to put down.

Lists like this are great reminders that there are always incredible stories waiting to be discovered.

Conclusion

If you have been stuck in a reading slump recently, this list might be exactly what you need.

Sometimes all it takes is finding one great book to completely pull you back into reading again. One story can remind you why you fell in love with books in the first place.

PBS delivered a genuinely interesting list this year by bringing together two respected voices who clearly love books and love talking about them.

Rather than creating another predictable ranking, they offered readers recommendations that feel personal and thoughtful.

And after looking through the list, I already have several new additions to my TBR.

Now I want to know your thoughts. Which books were you excited to see on PBS’s Best Books of 2025? Have you read any of them already, or are any heading straight to your reading list?

Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading!

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