Rundown of my best books read in 2025...

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PERSONAL READING LIST OF A LITERARY EDITOR

- WILLIAM TELFORD [e-mail]

IT’S that time again when I look back at the books I read in the past year and give my recommendations.

Actually, I haven’t done this for a few years but there’s never a bad time to revisit a good idea.

Plus, it’s the start of a new year and many of you will, I hope, have resolved to read more in 2026, so here are some books you might want to tackle.

Each year I set myself a target of 50 books and usually hit it. In 2025 I read 54. They were mostly short, some were poetry.

So, if you are thinking of what to read in 2026, here's my selection of the 10 best books I read in 2025.

They are not necessarily the best written, or most famous, but these’re my favourites, in no particular order..

I'm sticking with novels, or books by novelists, or short story collections. So, no poetry, nonfiction, dinosaur picture books, or books about South American football.

Let's get into it, shall we?

This cult classic was probably my favourite read last year. The tale of a Jewish gambler in postwar London. Baron draws a grimy but compelling picture of the capital’s seedy underbelly and central character Harryboy Boas is someone you can really feel for, and like. Every duff choice he makes, every bad bet, you're right there with him. Superb.