It’s just over a week until Christmas and the AU Books Team have been busy making their lists, rating their books, and agonising over their choices for their favourite books of 2025. It’s never an easy task and it’s practically impossible to pick just one, so we let them pick a few.
Of course this list is not all encompassing and by no means covers everything we’ve loved this year. But, these are some of the books that have stayed with us the longest; that have made us laugh the loudest; or in some cases may have scared us the most. Hopefully it’ll give you a flavour of the team’s year in books.
Fierceland – Omar Musa
Simon: Omar Musa is a multi-threat, working across multiple genres and disciplines. He’s a rapper, a poet, a visual artist, and an author; and in 2025 he made his return to long form writing with Fierceland – his first novel since the Miles Franklin long-listed Here Come the Dogs in 2014. It was well worth the wait!
Set between Malaysian Borneo and Australia, Fierceland follows two siblings, Roz and Harun, as they come to terms with the death and complicated legacy of their father, a palm-oil baron. Fierceland was probably my favourite read this year; the one which stayed with me the longest, and the one that made me want to eek out the experience for as long as possible.
I enjoy a messy family saga, and Fierceland delivered that, but it also delivered so much more. Through the lens of that family’s story explores ideas around colonialism, myth making, identity, language, migration and conservation with remarkable deftness and poise. (Penguin Australia)
Buy a copy HERE.
Daughters of Batavia – Stefanie Koens
Emily: West Australian debut novellst, Stefanie Koens, won the Banjo Prize for the manuscript that would become Daughters of Batavia and it’s clear to see why.
Koens writes about the maritime tragedy of the shipwreck of the Dutch East India Company ship, Batavia which occurred in 1629 on WA’s shipwreck coast, blending the sharp observations of a researcher with the emotional touch of a true storyteller.
The historical timelines of the piece are woven with a more modern point of view which looks at why we continue to be fascinated with the story of the wreck, and the ethics of uncovering the past, such as when the tragic deaths stopped being murder and started being history. A wonderful read for fans of historical and contemporary fiction alike. (HarperCollins AU)
Buy a copy HERE.
Black River – Ruby Jean Cottle
Jodie: A fierce contender for one of my favourites of the year!
An atmospheric and imaginative take on vampire mythology, YA novel Black River absolutely swept me away with its gorgeous writing, rising tension, and immersive feel. Bury me in the world of this book. (Atria Australia)
Buy a copy HERE.
Of Monsters and Mainframes – Barbara Truelove
Jess: This may be a book about sentient AI and monsters but it’s full of human heart.
Clever, bizarre and downright fun, Truelove’s writing is a tribute to classic sci-fi and horror with its own fresh and enthusiastic energy.
I’ve been raving about this book ever since I read it and I’m not going to stop! (Bindery Books)
Read our review HERE.
Buy a copy HERE.
Orpheus Nine – Chris Flynn
Simon: This is the third time Chris Flynn has appeared on one of our end of year lists since 2020. This time there’s a distinct lack of snarky grizzly bears or disgruntled sentient mammoth skeletons; instead the cast of characters are distinctly human and Australian. Flynn’s latest novel, Orpheus Nine, set in a rural Australian town, recounts the fallout from a mysterious and deadly global event.
It’s a really enjoyable genre romp, full of Flynn’s trademark humour and style, and has all the hallmarks of classic science fiction horror. Think War of the Worlds, but set it in a small Australian country town. There’s global disruption, there’s conspiracy theories, violence and chaos; and that’s even without all the small town drama. I really enjoyed the subtlety of the world building, with a few minor exceptions, it felt all too believable and grounded in reality (which is kind of scary when you think about it). I also liked that there wasn’t some great and fancy resolution to it – but you’ll need to read it yourself to find out more. (Hachette Australia)
Buy a copy HERE.
The Butterfly Women – Madeleine Cleary
Emily: Madeleine Cleary’s novel brings a Jack the Ripper-esque serial killer to the streets of Melbourne in the 1860s, following three women from different walks of life as the city closes in on itself out of fear.
One woman, the wife of a useless policeman who often takes his place to keep the streets safe; another, the sister of a local magistrate who finds herself spending time in notorious houses of ill-repute and realising that not everything she’s been told about the women there is true; and finally, a woman who through straightened circumstances finds herself making her living on her back, but determined to rise.
Alongside them all is the Madam who holds court in Little Lon, a woman right out of the historical records. Cleary’s novel looks closer at the underbelly of Melbourne history and attempts to give voice to those who might otherwise have just been victims in the tabloids, the details of their deaths sensationalised to sell papers. The novel is a triumph. (Affirm Press)
Read our review HERE.
Buy a copy HERE.
Blood on Her Tongue – Johanna van Veen
Jodie: Black River covered angsty teenage vampires (no, not those ones), but fellow twister of bloodsucker lore Blood on Her Tongue took an entirely different turn.
Dripping with Gothic ephemera, it’s a blood soaked examination of the lengths we will go to for the people we love.
An historical horror filled to the brim with gore, sharp teeth, and a vicious hunger – not for the faint of heart! (Poisoned Pen Press)
Buy a copy HERE.
Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow – Jessica Townsend
Jess: 100% worth the wait. The depiction of the complex emotions of Morrigan’s situation was so well done and I loved that the story didn’t fall into tired old traps of so many stories like this, that would have seen Morrigan completely isolated from the people who love and can help her. I loved that Morrigan’s friends supported her even if they didn’t 100% agree with her and, god, the ending had me in tears. I can’t wait for the next book. (Hachette Australia)
Buy a copy HERE.
First Name Second Name – Steve MinOn
Simon: First Name Second Name from Steve MinOn was one of my surprise finds of the year. It’s also one of those books that’s hard to pin into any one category or genre. There’s elements of horror there, a bit of fantasy, but there’s also elements of historical fiction, and it explores a lot of themes and ideas which are quite common across literary fiction. It was also, like Fierceland, one of those reads I wanted to keep going for as long as I could – rationing my time with the Bolins to just my thirty minute lunch breaks.
First Name Second Name tells the story of Stephen Bolin. On his deathbed he leaves a note for his family to take his body back to his birthplace in Far North Queensland. When they don’t follow through with his request, his corpse takes matters into its own hands (and someone else’s shoes). It’s an interesting, and culturally specific, take on the zombie story; but it also an exploration of family, migration, and identity – both personal and national – delivered in a way that’s inventive, original and occasionally horrifying. (UQP)
Buy a copy HERE.
The Paradise Heights Craft Store Stitch Up – Kate Solly
Emily: I loved Kate Solly’s first novel, Tuesday Evenings with the Copeton Craft Resistance, so when I saw that Kate had another book coming out that had to do with crafting and crochet, needless to say I was excited.
I loved this one even more than the first, and actually ended up buying my own copy before I’d finished reading the one I had out of the library. So I am excited to see we will be returning to Paradise Heights next year when Solly’s next novel is released in March.
It’s difficult to sum up why I enjoyed this so much – was it the charming details of community and the focus on friendship between the characters? The mystery and puzzle aspect? The non-gimicky representation of neurodivergent characters and nuanced conversation about what this actually means? Yes, yes, yes and so much more. (Affirm Press)
Buy a copy HERE.
Unhallowed Halls – Lili Wilkinson
Jodie: Dark academia meets magical realism meets cosmic horror. Cried like a baby at the end. 10/10. (Allen & Unwin)
Read our review HERE.
Buy a copy HERE.
Hekate: The Witch – Nikita Gill
Jess: “I was starting to feel like my entire existence was a threat. Perhaps this was what womanhood was. The dangerous knowledge of who you are, and what you could do with that power if pushed.”
I’ve never really known much about Hekate and this felt like such a great introduction and retelling to her character and her story. Themes of war, found family, women in the patriarchy, and coming of age are perfectly woven into this verse novel.
I was delighted to learn there’ll be more on the series covering other Greek goddesses and now I’m hanging for the next one! (Simon & Schuster)
Read our review HERE.
Buy a copy HERE.
Thanks to Emily Paull, Jess Gately, and Jodie Sloan for their contributions to this list. We’ll be back in 2026 with more book reviews, features and content.
