Last year at this time, I wrote that we live in very dark times and 2025 has been a year in which many of us have followed world news with dismay and horror, often turning to fiction for respite.
For me it all brought W. B. Yeats' The Second Coming to mind:
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
...
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity."
That being said, there are glimmers of possibility for a better 2026, so let's strengthen our conviction and hold onto hope for the better that is always possible - we are in the season of It's a Wonderful Life, after all.
So, here are BookLoons' picks from 2025's reading relief. These are mainly hardcovers - find engaging reads most likely published in paperback in 2025 in our Recommended Reads 2024.
| 
