SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 12, 2025--
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) today unveiled its Best Books of 2025 list. Patrick Ryan’s Buckeye claims the No. 1 spot, chosen by the Amazon Editors for its captivating multigenerational storytelling. The top five also include Virginia Evans’ The Correspondent, Nina Willner’s The Boys in the Light, Ocean Vuong’s The Emperor of Gladness, and Charlotte McConaghy’s Wild Dark Shore.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251112715364/en/
For 25 years, the Amazon Editors have read and debated thousands of new releases to create the annual Best Books of the Year list. This year’s lineup offers something for everyone, featuring the Editors’ top 100 titles ranging from acclaimed bestsellers and emerging talents to hidden gems and viral sensations. The list includes the Editors’ top 20 overall picks plus their favorites across popular categories, such as fiction, mystery, romance, romantasy, history, biographies, cookbooks, and children’s literature.
“This year brought so many books that entertained, challenged, and moved us,” said Sarah Gelman, editorial director for Amazon Books. “Our team was particularly drawn to our No. 1 selection—Patrick Ryan’s Buckeye. This compelling saga explores family dynamics and societal expectations across decades in small-town Ohio with richly developed characters you won’t forget. It is truly a Great American Novel. As we celebrate 25 years of our Best Books of the Year lists, Buckeye exemplifies why we’re so passionate about connecting readers with exceptional stories.”
When informed about the selection, Patrick Ryan said, “I spent eight years with these characters and came to care deeply about them, faults and all. As I wrote their story, I saw emerging in it the idea that forgiveness is complicated, and that we’re defined in life not just by our good deeds, but by what we do with our mistakes. These things are important to me, and to have Buckeye chosen as Amazon’s Book of the Year is an incredible honor that tells me that they’re important to readers as well.”
Patrick Ryan’s Buckeye joins previous Best Books of the Year selections from the past 25 years, including Thomas Fuller’s The Boys of Riverside, James McBride's The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, and Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.
Explore the top 10 picks of 2025 below and discover the full Best Books of the Year list on amazon.com/bestbooks. Readers can tune into an Amazon Live conversation with Patrick Ryan on November 12 at 8:00 a.m. PST/11:00 a.m. EST.
About the Amazon Editors
The Amazon Editors are a group of literary experts with extensive experience spanning publishing, journalism, and communications. They read thousands of books every year across genres to help customers discover their next favorite read, and put together the Best Books of the Month, Best Books of the Year So Far, and Best Books of the Year lists on Amazon. To read Editor reviews, discover recommendations of new books in popular categories, and explore author interviews, visit the Amazon Book Review. You can also follow the Amazon Editors’ recommendations and conversations @amazonbooks on Instagram and Facebook.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
Amazon's Best Books of 2025
