Amazon Just Unveiled Its List of Best Books of 2025 (So Far)

In Wild Dark Shore, readers are transported to a remote island in Antartica. There is where you meet the Salt family, the group that takes care of the place. Dominic Salt and his three kids experience troubling storms that has sea levels rise, eventually seeing a helpless woman (alive, but unwell) wash up to shore. Here is where the mystery begins: because, is this incident an accident or designed with purpose?

“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, and in awe of the extraordinary power of fiction. 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 things people will do—or won’t do—for the people and things they care about.”—Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor

Roman Carruthers finds his life turned upside down after he hears of his father's car accident. When he rushes to his aid, he finds that his younger brother owes the most dangerous criminals a debt, while his sister is left looking drained after keeping the family and business afloat. They’ve got to work together to make things right, if that’s even possible at this point.

“In King of Ashes, S.A. Cosby conjures up a prodigal son tale with a little of The Godfather in its DNA, but this is S.A. Cosby we’re talking about, so it’s both business and personal, with all the family secrets, hubris, conflicts, brotherly love, lethal betrayals, and retribution that involves. He’s firing on all cylinders here and we couldn’t be happier to be along for another great ride.”—Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor

Gardiner Harris takes his readers down a path of some serious journalism that has unveiled what really went down with Johnson & Johnson, AKA one of the biggest baby product brands and healthcare companies out there. Anyone who reads will be left in awe at just how much there is to be known about large corporations.

“This exposé into one of America’s most trusted companies is mind-blowing. Just as you’ll be appalled by the villains, you’ll also be inspired by the brave whistleblowers who put their careers, and possibly lives, on the line to bring truth to light. A must-read.”—Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor

Meet Hai, a 19-year-old who has dropped out of his university and becomes the caretaker of a dementia-ridden elderly woman named Grazina. Hai unexpectedly learns a lot of heartfelt lessons in this role, while also exploring the meaning of community working alongside a small diner in an even more minuscule Connecticut town.

“‘Life is good when we do good things for each other.’ This Dostoyevsky quote provides a powerful refrain for Vuong’s moving sophomore novel. If he weren’t already referred to as ’the patron saint of the lonely,’ this story would earn him that moniker.”—Erin Kodicek, Amazon Editor

The anticipated prequel to The Hunger Games series centers around Haymitch Abernathy as a teen in District 12. As we previously knew, Haymitch was picked at the reaping for the 50th annual Hunger Games, the second known Quarter Quell. In this “special edition” games, each district was forced to submit two members of each gender at the reaping, which makes four total from each district. Learning about Haymitch in this capacity will open the reader's eyes to how he became the man we knew him to be in the original series.

“Sunrise on the Reaping took me back to the thrill of reading The Hunger Games years ago. With the backstory of Haymitch Abernathy and the 50th Hunger Games, this action-packed popcorn read also has a dark kernel you’ll chew on long after the shocking end.”—Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor

Adela enters teenage motherhood and thinks her life is over. Her parents make her leave her town in Indiana, relocating her to an even smaller neighborhood in Florida with her grandma. She finds communities with young girls just like her, all facing motherhood at an early age. Together, these school girls find strength and hope and learn that there is more in store for them than they initially thought.

“This beautifully told novel about three teen moms in the Florida Panhandle is a banner example of what the best fiction can do: put us in other people’s shoes, challenge our thinking, and expand our empathy.”—Erin Kodicek, Amazon Editor

Grief is a tough pill to swallow, and Geraldine Brooks grapples with that in her memoir, Memorial Days. She recounts what her journey looked like after experiencing the death of her husband on Memorial Day in 2019. This life-altering event led her to travel to a quiet location in Australia, where she was able to process the situation most effectively.

“Emotional, pragmatic, and filled with the keen observations of a literary luminary’s broken heart, Geraldine Brooks’ memoir is a euphoric love story, and a meditation on grief and curiosity…Incandescent and necessary.”—Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor

A murder has just taken place, and everyone is talking about it. Why? Well, because the victim was the CEO of popular tech start up. Now, billions of dollars are left behind, given that his will didn't make anything too clear. Mackenzie, who is the company's chief investor, must figure out what to do (and what to say to police) in order to make sure this grand fortune is left in good hands.

“So much fun. Set among Silicon Valley’s tech bros, this twisty closed-door mystery follows Mackenzie as she races to solve a CEO’s murder. Is she in over her head, or does she know more than she lets on? This is a one-sitting read that’s slick, cynical, and surprising, with an absolutely delicious last line.”—Abby Abell, Amazon Editor

Read about Joan Goodwin, a Taylor Jenkins Reid-created character who works as an astronomer in the 1980s. She’s one of the first women accepted into NASA's Space Shuttle program. Here, she finds new friendships and love, but also faces an onslaught of challenges.

“This heart-wrenching and exhilarating journey to the cosmos masterfully captures 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

Even Queen Bey bows down to someone, that person obviously being her mother, Tina Knowles. In her memoir, the mother of the international superstar delves into the details of her childhood in Texas during the 1950s and 1960s. As a woman of color growing up in a conservative era during a revolutionary time, she’s no stranger to adversity and prejudices She’s an inspiring woman to say the least, and has achieved so much before raising her two daughters, Beyoncé and Solange. Read about how she navigates womanhood and what it means to be a trailblazer while raising some of your own.

“Come for Beyoncé, but—trust me—you’ll stay for Tina. Tina Knowles is a force of nature, which is why we devoured this memoir in one sitting, and discovered why it was almost inevitable that this driven, creative, and savvy businesswoman would raise two girls who would reshape American music—and culture.”—Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor