The genre continues to expand its reign, both in book sales and in the pop-culture landscape, with book-to-screen adaptations such as Heated Rivalry capturing widespread viewership. ELLE editors found particular appreciation for memoirs (and memoir hybrids) that took unorthodox approaches; topical histories that laid bare the violence deeply entrenched within American life; biographies of beloved figures, such as James Baldwin and Lorne Michaels; and essays vegas casino apk that contextualized our modern moment. (If you’d like to read a full list, just click on the article linked in each section.) Furthermore, we’ve gathered other standout titles that might not have made the best-of cut, but are nevertheless worthy of praise. Collectively, these lists cover dozens of books, some of them bestselling hits and others hidden gems.
Held in Motion – New Yukon Permanent Art Collection
#144; Irvine Welsh; 288pp; Fiction; November 5 (I haven’t read a Welsh book for almost 10 years and didn’t know he’d written two more follow-ons to Trainspotting, this one centered on Begbie. Fabulous stuff – he’s one of my favorite authors – highly recommended for Welsh fans!) For the record, I mostly read ‘real’ books – i.e. not in electronic form – I really don’t like reading off a screen. Back in 2009 I started posting a summary at the end of the year of what I read during the year and people enjoy it so I did it every year afterward until 2019 and then restarted for 2023 (see 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023 , 2024– a ton of amazing books in those posts to tempt you!). Crime fiction, mysteries, and thrillers also had a dominant 2025, with several of our favorite reads coming from genre stalwarts such as Richard Osman (whose Thursday Murder Club was adapted into a Netflix film this year), Lisa Jewell, Karin Slaughter, S.A. Cosby, and Mick Herron.
I am so excited to have three pieces of my art installation Disco Highway become a part of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection. We are grateful and proud to have them become part of an enduring legacy of artistic development in the Yukon. These works expand the diversity of voices represented in the collection and reflect the richness of our shared experiences.
- The exhibition is now open to the public in the Yukon Energy Community Gallery at the Yukon Arts Centre.
- But alongside those mega-hits were tons of titles we loved just as much (if not even more), from historical romances to second-chance love affairs to ideal vacation reads.
- Works from the collection can be seen on display in over 30 government buildings across the territory, while some are also part of special curated exhibitions and can be lent out to other institutions.
- #144; Irvine Welsh; 288pp; Fiction; November 5 (I haven’t read a Welsh book for almost 10 years and didn’t know he’d written two more follow-ons to Trainspotting, this one centered on Begbie. Fabulous stuff – he’s one of my favorite authors – highly recommended for Welsh fans!)
- The truth is, the best book of the year is deeply personal to every reader.
We’ve narrowed down our favorite reads of 2025 to a list that has a little something for everyone, from sweeping family sagas to touching memoirs, gory horror novels to romances that guarantee a happily ever after. Still, some titles transcended genre to unite us in spectacular storytelling. We read the nail-biting new installments of beloved series and gasped over dishy celebrity memoirs. Get inspired with fresh tips on smart ways to manage, spend and earn. Find the right card for you, anytime.
Out in the Open En Plein Art
In an attempt to give readers the widest-possible glimpse at these recommendations, we’ve collected them here as, simply, ELLE’s best books of the year. The Friends of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection are excited about this year’s acquisitions, a diverse selection of traditional and innovative techniques from both seasoned and emerging artists. It is a joy to share these important new works and we extend our warmest congratulations to each of these immensely talented artists on this achievement.
When best-of season comes around, literary fiction tends to gobble up much of the attention—and with books as remarkable as these, it’s no challenge to understand why. “The Girls Who Grew Big” can be heartbreaking at times, but it’s ultimately a powerfully hopeful story. So, after all that reading, which books are we still thinking about now? Thank you to the artists for stepping forward and to the Yukon government for having the foresight to fund such a worthwhile endeavour. “The Government of Yukon congratulates all these talented artists,” Minister of Tourism and Culture John Strieker said in a government statement. I usually have anywhere from books on the go at any one time so I can dip into whatever my mood is for that day.
Author Interviews Featured in ELLE
Having said that, I do listen to a lot of books using Audible as I drive or when doing low-concentration jobs at Camp Savage – more than 1/3 of this year’s total were audio books. Yes, I’ve seen electronic readers – we both have iPads – but I don’t like reading electronically. Suzanne Collins published her highly anticipated new installment in the Hunger Games series, Sunrise on the Reaping; On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous author Ocean Vuong made a splash with his sophomore novel, The Emperor of Gladness; and Katie Kitamura released the beguiling Booker Prize nominee Audition. 2025 kicked off with a strong showing in the spring, which—for ELLE’s purposes—we defined as books published within the months of March, April, and May. ELLE contributor Keely Weiss compiled this list of outstanding 2025 books by queer authors. Romance authors Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood both enjoyed a hugely successful year—and two of their books made the list of ELLE’s favorites.
Bookmarks
#100; Margaret Mitchell; 960pp; Fiction; August 23 (Just finished listening to book #100 this year! Third time ever (100 in 2009, 101 in 2018) and I’m less than 3/4 through the year! The genre breakdown is pretty similar to previous years, with more hard history, especially around the Cold War and WWII. I hope you get inspired to try some of these books – push yourself with new authors and very often you’ll be surprisingly pleased. I thought picking my top book of the year would be easy – Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – an absolutely fabulous book that I can’t believe I hadn’t read before.
- It’s quite amazing that I’ve never read this or seen the movie, so I had only the barest notion of what it was about (not having been educated in the US).
- For the record, I mostly read ‘real’ books – i.e. not in electronic form – I really don’t like reading off a screen.
- Get inspired with fresh tips on smart ways to manage, spend and earn.
- We read the nail-biting new installments of beloved series and gasped over dishy celebrity memoirs.
- #114; Kim Stanley Robinson; 615pp; Science Fiction; September 17 (Robinson’s Mars trilogy (Red/Green/Blue Mars) is one of my favorite near-future sci-fi sets, and this is the third time I’ve read Red Mars (last time was 2013) – this time I’ll read #2 and #3 for the second time.
(not a typo!): the year in books
Over the past 12 months, ELLE published nine best-of lists—not including this one—with each directing readers to our picks within a particular season, subject matter, or genre. 2025 brought with it a slew of both expected and unexpected bestsellers; “mostly stable” print book sales; hundreds of new brick-and-mortar bookstores; and a fresh slate of titles competing for your sustained attention—no easy feat in this era. Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading.
#96; Fredrik Backman; 448pp; Fiction; August 15 (Kimberly bought it after a friend posted about it and I noticed it sitting unfulfilled, so I stole it to quickly read first. And I’m glad I took a chance on it – it’s excellent – one of my favorite books this year – highly recommended!) Works from the collection can be seen on display in over 30 government buildings across the territory, while some are also part of special curated exhibitions and can be lent out to other institutions. Some books I read start to finish without picking up another one and some books take me over a year. One thing to bear in mind, the dates I finished reading the book don’t mean that I started, for instance, book #2 after finishing book #1.
© COPYRIGHT 2022: WHATS UP YUKON
PS I’ve already picked up The Bully Pulpit on Audible to listen to as well.) Fantastically interesting book about Lincoln, his nomination, his cabinet, and his prosecution of the Civil War. #2; Abraham Verghese; 736pp; Fiction; January 5 (I bought this in 2012 and decided to listen to it instead after listening to Gone With the Wind (set in the same time). If you don’t read much, at least consider looking at some of these in 2025. I read 52,009 pages, which is an average of 142.5 pages a day, and 20,000+ more than almost every other year. It’s impossible to give every deserving book the slot it merits on a best-of list—though we certainly endeavor to try!
The Government of Yukon is proud to support this exhibition and to celebrate the newest additions to the Yukon’s Permanent Art Collection. Works from the YPAC exhibition can also be viewed at foypac.ca The exhibition will be on display until November 14. An exhibition featuring the nine new works added to the Yukon Permanent Art Collection (YPAC) is now open in the Yukon Energy Community Gallery at the Yukon Arts Centre. This year’s call for submissions to the Yukon Permanent Art Collection was welcomed by me, as it was an opportunity to create a partner piece to Working With Grandmothers.
Pride is abundant in these pieces and showcased in them are intricate knowledges passed down and across generations, uniquely captured via artistry and a deep care for place, tradition and kin – both human and non-human. Thank you to the Friends of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection for all their work in making this exhibition possible. Works from the YPAC exhibition can also be viewed online at foypac.ca. The exhibitions will be on display until November 15, 2024. The public is welcome to attend the opening reception for both exhibitions on September 12 at 5 pm at the Yukon Arts Centre in Whitehorse.
The Government of Yukon is proud to announce the opening of Abundance, the new art exhibition featuring the 14 most recent works added to the Yukon Permanent Art Collection (YPAC). The Friends of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection is of vital importance to the continuing development of the arts in the Yukon through the growth of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection. The Yukon Permanent Art Collection represents Yukon artists’ practices and pieces significant to the legacy of Yukon art. At Anto’s new location on Main Street, Kym Rempel offers products by a diverse range of artists and her own brand of soap and bath…
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“Their unique perspectives and styles further enrich our growing Yukon collection, showcasing the incredible artistic talent thriving in our territory. Begun in 1981, the Yukon Permanent Art Collection is currently home to 550 works by over 290 artists. Heather Dickson has been a professional, full-time working artist for nearly a decade. All Yukon, Canadian and international artists, at varying career stages and practising a wide array of styles are considered for inclusion. Fernandez has since connected with a few other artists through Arts Underground, and is grateful to be welcomed into the Yukon’s vibrant artistic community. “It’s really an honour for me to have one of my works be part of that collection.
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Among them, viewers can enjoy the newest additions, shown with insights from each artist. An extensive selection of pivotal works from the past four decades showcases the depth and diversity of the collection. This exhibition, Collective Memory, celebrates this milestone.
The Glorious Diversity of Life by Benoit Godin
I read a lot of excellent books this year and once again I couldn’t whittle it down to a top-10, especially as I read 157, so here is my top 16. The average book length was 331 pages, which is below average for me, because I read 38 of the mini-books from the Penguin Little Black Classics boxed set (you can see the trend line at around 55 pages that continues until just after book #100). The chart below shows the number of pages (y-axis) in each book I read (x-axis). I’ve been a fantasy and science-fiction reader all my life, and what never fails to delight me about these genres is how often I encounter new, fresh, exciting ideas—even with so many obvious tropes to choose from! Dozens of excellent nonfiction books hit shelves in 2025. We hope 2026 brings you ample reading time—and that, perhaps, you choose to spend it with some of ELLE’s recommendations.
Join head curator Garnet Muething as she shares a review of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection’s 40th anniversary exhibition. Discover the magic of play at Sandra Storey’s newest art exhibit where Tinkertoys inspire artistic expression and nostalgia. This holiday season at the Yukon Artists @ Work Gallery, it’s true that good things come in small packages. I encourage all Yukoners and visitors to come explore the Yukon Arts Centre and enjoy the outstanding talent our territory has to offer.”To learn more about the YPAC and view its collections, visit foypac.ca. As a practical and wearable art piece, it helps show the diversity in styles and media in the YPAC and in Abundance. It also includes 24-kt gold beads, porcupine quills, home tan moose hide, semi-precious gemstones, wool and synthetic yarn, vintage finishes, satin ribbon, nylon and polyester thread, iron-on interfacing.