University of Kwazulu-Natal

Most Recommended Books Updated 2025 Good Books

Bonisiwe Shabane
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most recommended books updated 2025 good books

Receive giveaways, book announcements and curated reading lists directly in your inbox. Written more than 70 years ago, 1984 was George Orwell’s chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, his dystopian vision of a government that will do anything to control the narrative is timelier than ever... “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” Winston Smith toes the Party line, rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth.

With each lie he writes, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thoughtcrimes. But as he starts to think for himself, Winston can’t escape the fact that Big Brother is always watching... A startling and haunting novel, 1984 creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the novel’s hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions—a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time. Each week, our editors and critics choose the most captivating, notable, brilliant, surprising, absorbing, weird, thought-provoking, and talked-about reads. Check back every Wednesday for new fiction and nonfiction recommendations.

This engaging new introduction to the philosopher Immanuel Kant argues that what made Kant revolutionary was his contention that to understand anything—science, justice, freedom, God—we first have to understand ourselves. Willaschek, one of the world’s leading authorities on Kant and the editor of the standard German edition of the philosopher’s works, writes, “Kant placed the human at the center of his thought like no... His theory presents a serious problem for any kind of religion or philosophy that claims to tell us about ultimate truths and eternal essences, such as God. Is it possible to live a meaningful existence in the absence of God and other absolute truths? This would become the central question for modern Western thought, and it was Kant who first posed it in all its complexity. When you make a purchase using a link on this page, we may receive a commission.

Thank you for supporting The New Yorker. The title of this brilliantly strange, funny, and moving novel refers to many things, among them a journey across the Atlantic, the quasi-psychedelic quality of dying, and a boy by that name. At the novel’s outset, Trip’s mother travels to Nepal to attend a conference “for people who study death.” While there, she dies in a freak accident; at the same time, Trip, who has autism,... As the mother lingers in spirit form, trying to communicate with the living in order to save Trip from calamity—by possessing the body of another conference-goer, for instance—she faces the prospect of losing the... “You’ll forget everything,” she’s told, after lovingly relating a list of details about her son. In the late nineteen-forties, Hollywood was in transition: the blacklist was demolishing careers, the studio system was imploding, and television was emptying movie theatres.

The noir film “Sunset Boulevard,” which came out in 1950, reflected this destabilization. The film focusses on two Hollywood castoffs: an aging former star and a floundering screenwriter who becomes her kept man. This scrupulous account of the making of the film—initially conceived as a comedy starring Mae West—traces how it became “a history of Hollywood” that mocked “an entire industry on the edge of collapse or... Read by Saskia Maarleveld and Ashley Flowers Sign up for news about books, authors, and more from Penguin Random House Sign up for news about books, authors, and more from Penguin Random House

Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network Shirts, totes, socks, and more for book lovers There are books that entertain us, pull at our heartstrings and take us beyond our comfort zones and there are… History buffs unite! This rousing collection of impactful insights from ancient history to modern is chock-full of fascinating tales and… Fire up the grill, grab the baster, whisk the mix – it’s time to get cooking, whatever form that cooking…

Transporting us through emotional storms and introspective stillness, this year catered to an abundance of books that left a profound… The time is always nigh to better yourself. Whether that means reshaping your passions, refocusing your perspective or revisiting your… If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Wondering what to read next? These are the new releases we couldn't put down.

Every year, we select the new novels, memoirs, and short story collections we enjoyed most. Here are the books that moved us, made us think, made us laugh, and reminded us why reading is so good for us. Keep checking this list as we update it throughout the year! You're sure to find something great for your book club—or just a cozy night in. Set in fictional Bonhomie, Ohio, Buckeye by Patrick Ryan introduces us to Cal Jenkins, who lives a quiet life working in his father-in-law’s hardware store. One day a stranger, Margaret Salt, bursts in, demanding he turn on the radio.

They hear that the Allied forces have claimed victory, signaling the end of World War II, and they share a spontaneous kiss. As the novel unfurls over several decades, a secret emerges that will impact Margaret’s and Cal’s families forever, revealing how one small decision can change everything. Remember being young and in love…and maybe not making the best decisions? Heart the Lover by Lily King (Writers & Lovers) is a tender look at that rite of passage. The narrator is nicknamed Jordan by Sam and Yash, two guys she befriends her senior year of college. What begins as friendly banter in their 17th-century literature class turns into more, and she eventually finds herself at the center of a love triangle that will have years-long repercussions.

Keep your tissues handy for this moving story that goes deep. Best Books: 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 Summer... Raise your hand if you could use a pick-me-up. That’s what I thought—it’s been a hell of a year, hasn’t it? Luckily, PW has just what the doctor ordered: our selections for the 150 best books of 2025. Start with the top 10, where you’ll find cover author Vauhini Vara’s deeply humane reckoning with the possibilities and limitations of AI, as well as Helen DeWitt and Ilya Gridneff’s Your Name Here, an...

Now that the cobwebs have cleared and your faith in the brightest and boldest among us has been restored, turn to the longlists in each of the categories we regularly review in, from romance... Top it off with 50 amazing books for children and teens, including the delightful story of a curmudgeonly crow who saves the world. Feel better? I knew you would. —David Adams, adult reviews director Passmore’s breakout book is a daring hybrid of social history, sci-fi, and memoir that spotlights Black resistance movements from the Reformation to the present day.

Shot through with caustic wit and time travel shenanigans, the narrative upends sanitized histories of the fight for civil rights, calling out omissions and refusing to pull punches about the hypocrisies of radical heroes. It’s rallying and rollicking. Poet Alkhatib’s cookbook debut is a gorgeous ode to her favorite fruit. In between instructions for mouthwatering meals drawing from her Indian and Palestinian heritage, Alkhatib provides a fascinating culinary history of the date accompanied by her own vibrant illustrations. The result is a sumptuous celebration that is more than the sum of its parts. Smith’s astonishing volume of selected and previously uncollected work reveals memory to be an act of defiance and love in poems that resurrect past voices and rejoice in the spirit of Black joy.

It’s an unforgettable offering from one of the most important voices in poetry. A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. To vote on existing books from the list, beside each book there is a link vote for this book clicking it will add that book to your votes. To vote on books not in the list or books you couldn't find in the list, you can click on the tab add books to this list and then choose from your books, or... Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account.

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links. Here’s how we test products and why you should trust us. Whether you’re looking for a compelling nonfiction mystery, a charming fantasy escape, or a suspenseful science fiction thriller, this year's literary slate has something for everyone. Looking for the best books of 2024? We have you covered here.

Fall is here, which means less time out in the sun and more time huddled by a fireplace (or Netflix’s “Fireplace For Your Home”) with a book in your hands. It’s also the perfect time of year to support your local independent bookstore and get a head start on your Christmas shopping list. Whether you’re looking for yourself or a loved one, our list of the twenty-five best books of 2025 includes suspenseful thrillers, fascinating science fiction and fantasy novels, heartwarming family dramas, and groundbreaking nonfiction books... Penelope Fitzgerald (The Beginning of Spring) is one of my all-time favorite novelists, so I was biased in my initial interest in this book, which fictionalizes the most mysterious part of Fitzgerald’s life: Her... But you don’t need to know anything about Penelope Fitzgerald to be swept away by Kane’s gorgeous prose, dry wit, and strong sense of place. This is a delightful comedy of manners that honors Fitzgerald’s legacy so well, it feels like one of her own novels.

Learn all about Amazon's new lineup of Kindle devices. Conveniently refresh your memory on thousands of best-selling eBook series with the new Recaps feature on Kindle devices and the Kindle app for iOS. Shot from a cannon in the dark, Wild Dark Shore is a novel that hooks you from the start and doesn’t let you go until the last page; it will leave you breathless, wide-eyed,... Charlotte McConaghy first hit the literary scene with her novel Migrations, which we named the best fiction book of 2020—and, just like her debut, her third novel ensnares you in a brilliant vortex of... With taut pacing that ratchets up the tension with every chapter, McConaghy unfurls the mystery of why a father, his three children, and a strange woman battered from a shipwreck find themselves on a... I almost can’t breathe, but staying here is killing us.” By turns haunting and tender, the story is narrated by each of the island’s inhabitants, revealing heart-breaking betrayals, sacrifices, violence, kindnesses, and the madness...

McConaghy’s exquisite gift is that she creates characters that you know you shouldn’t trust with your whole heart, but you do anyway. The result is a gutting, magnificent story of the lengths individuals will go for the people and causes they care about. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor With his typical mix of nail-on-the-head gravitas (“Gangsters are just CEOs who work the streets”) and morally flexible go-getters, S.A. Cosby’s King of Ashes starts out as a Southern riff on The Godfather, but it quickly goes both wider and deeper, both in its tormented family drama and in the even higher stakes that... To fans of Cosby’s four previous novels, this latest masterwork will come as no great surprise.

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Receive Giveaways, Book Announcements And Curated Reading Lists Directly In

Receive giveaways, book announcements and curated reading lists directly in your inbox. Written more than 70 years ago, 1984 was George Orwell’s chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, his dystopian vision of a government that will do anything to control the narrative is timelier than ever... “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was the...

With Each Lie He Writes, Winston Grows To Hate The

With each lie he writes, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thoughtcrimes. But as he starts to think for himself, Winston can’t escape the fact that Big Brother is always watching... A startling and haunting novel, 1984 creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the novel’s ho...

This Engaging New Introduction To The Philosopher Immanuel Kant Argues

This engaging new introduction to the philosopher Immanuel Kant argues that what made Kant revolutionary was his contention that to understand anything—science, justice, freedom, God—we first have to understand ourselves. Willaschek, one of the world’s leading authorities on Kant and the editor of the standard German edition of the philosopher’s works, writes, “Kant placed the human at the center ...

Thank You For Supporting The New Yorker. The Title Of

Thank you for supporting The New Yorker. The title of this brilliantly strange, funny, and moving novel refers to many things, among them a journey across the Atlantic, the quasi-psychedelic quality of dying, and a boy by that name. At the novel’s outset, Trip’s mother travels to Nepal to attend a conference “for people who study death.” While there, she dies in a freak accident; at the same time,...

The Noir Film “Sunset Boulevard,” Which Came Out In 1950,

The noir film “Sunset Boulevard,” which came out in 1950, reflected this destabilization. The film focusses on two Hollywood castoffs: an aging former star and a floundering screenwriter who becomes her kept man. This scrupulous account of the making of the film—initially conceived as a comedy starring Mae West—traces how it became “a history of Hollywood” that mocked “an entire industry on the ed...