Patrick Ryan's Buckeye Tops Amazon's Best Books of 2025 List
The Amazon Editors reveal 100 standout selections from thousands of new books, marking 25 years of helping customers discover their next favorite read
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.
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Amazon's Best Books of 2025
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.
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Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
"With the family unit as its beating heart, Buckeye is a triumphant and timeless novel that you won't want to end. As these beautifully drawn characters evolve over the years, you'll root for their happiness, cry out for their pain, and forget that this is just a novel." — Al Woodworth, Amazon editor
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The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
"The Correspondent is a novel you read and then immediately buy for one, or five, of your friends. Told over the course of many years via correspondences between retired lawyer Sybil Van Antwerp and the various people she writes to, it's a story about the bonds we form and heal through words. This book is a gem, and a much-needed reminder of the beauty of humanity." — Abby Abell, Amazon editor
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The Boys in the Light by Nina Willner
"The Boys in the Light is a sweeping, yet intimate, narrative of World War II—proof that people can be good and that hope can shine in the darkest places; it's a meditation on courage, resilience, and the heavy expectations we put on an entire generation. Each page reads like a novel, but this story is all-the-more gripping because it's true; it's a story that took place decades ago but could not be more relevant today." — Lindsay Powers, Amazon editor
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The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
"Ocean Vuong's moving sophomore novel brings the unseen in society to the fore—people with nothing, who owe each other nothing, and yet they inherently understand something that so many of us do not in this increasingly divisive world: that we should take care of one another. The Emperor of Gladness oozes compassion and grace. — Erin Kodicek, Amazon editor
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Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
"McConaghy's exquisite gift is that she creates characters that you know you shouldn't trust with your whole heart, but you do anyway. It's a gutting, magnificent story of family, a warming planet, betrayal, and sacrifice that will leave you breathless and in awe of the extraordinary power of fiction. — Al Woodworth, Amazon editor
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The Intruder by Freida McFadden
"Casey is trying to hit reset on her life, moving to a remote cabin and keeping to herself. But a terrifying storm brings a girl with a knife, and a night that seems like it will never end. For the reader this is a good thing, because as the narrative shifts between past and present the suspense just keeps building. The Intruder is a sneaky psychological thriller that delves into lost innocence and revenge (or is it justice?), before hurling a shocking curveball across home plate." — Seira Wilson, Amazon editor
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Awake by Jen Hatmaker
"In the middle of the night, Jen Hatmaker—famous for her charming and best-selling books; an HGTV host; a pastor's wife; and mother-of-five—is shaken awake when she hears her husband of 26 years voice-texting his girlfriend. What follows is an awakening of a different sort. These page-turning chapters will hold readers rapt as Hatmaker begins to interrogate her life. This is an incredible memoir of resolve, resilience, and laughter for anyone who has ever probed their past and present, and opened their arms wide to the future." — Lindsay Powers, Amazon editor
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Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
"This is an exhilarating journey, masterfully capturing both the thrill of space exploration and the complexities of human connection. Atmosphere is a testament to resilience, and how far we'll go to chase our dreams, even when those dreams seem as distant as the stars." — Kami Tei, Amazon editor
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Replaceable You by Mary Roach
"Mary Roach's deep dive into replaceable body parts will have even those who don't think they like nonfiction singing another tune. From the false teeth of yesteryear to fake hearts and butt implants, this is science with a sense of humor and a wild read you don't want to miss." — Seira Wilson, Amazon editor
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The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
"Crossing continents and generations and taking aim at issues of the heart and family, Kiran Desai's follow-up to her Booker Prize-winning The Inheritance of Loss is a richly layered and rewarding read." — Al Woodworth, Amazon editor
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.
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