How to read more books in 2025
Plus: 10 novels to make you feel hopeful in challenging times; the books that changed our readers' worldview; and the best books for book clubs to kick-start the new year
The Booker Prize judges on how to read more this new year
For some, breezing through stacks of books is all in a day’s work – like the Booker Prize judges. That’s why we asked our most recent panel to reveal their top tips for making their way through multiple books each month.
Their expert advice will help you conquer your own TBR pile in the new year and, most importantly, enjoy the process along the way.
10 Booker-nominated books to make you hopeful for the future
The start of a new year brings with it a natural pause: it’s a time to reflect on the months that have passed and to anticipate what lies ahead. It’s in these moments of stillness that fiction can offer something profound – a powerful way to imagine a better future. In a world increasingly marked by uncertainty and challenge, books can remind us that we’re not alone, and that hope can emerge even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Drawn from five decades of Booker Prizes winners and nominees, this list explores themes of struggle, resilience, and perseverance, while touching on prescient topics such as environmentalism, war, and societal upheaval. These 10 illuminating books offer a slice of literary comfort and invite you to embrace the idea that, no matter how hard the journey, a new beginning is always within reach.
14 Booker-nominated books that will change your worldview, as chosen by our readers
In a speech broadcast at the Booker Prize ceremony in 2020, former US President Barack Obama said, ‘At their best, Booker Prize listed books remind me of fiction’s power to help us put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, understand their struggles and imagine new ways to tackle complex problems – and effect change.’
With those words in mind, and with the start of a new year providing the chance for us all to see things differently, we asked our readers to tell us about the Booker-nominated books that have changed their worldview, sparking new ideas and shifting opinions. Whether prompting a career change or helping individuals to process an emotional experience, these books provide the strength and inspiration to overcome a variety of challenges, and offer lessons and insights that our readers have taken to heart.
10 Booker-nominated novels that are perfect for book clubs
While reading on one’s own is always deeply pleasurable and rewarding, it can be even more enriching to read as part of a group. And as any hardened reader knows, picking the right book to read together is essential.
That’s why we’ve selected ten novels from the Booker Library to kick-start your book club’s new year reading list – and some accompanying questions to get the conversation warmed up, too.
Which books will you be picking up in 2025? Let us know what’s on your new year TBR pile in the comments below!
You have misquoted Obama. It should be “effect” change, not “affect change.” They mean very different things.
Booklovers Paradise 💎💕📚💕💎 Must read! Must have!! Thank you for suggesting these microcosms 🙏📚🙏