Silent Book Club’s Top Books of 2025
Another year of reading is in the books! And this was an epic one for Silent Book Club. We celebrated our 10th anniversary, had a sit-down chat with Oprah, made our morning talk show debut on the TODAY Show, hosted our first Silent Book Club Reading Retreat in Costa Rica, and surpassed 2,000 chapters around the world! Not sure how we’re going to top that in ‘26, but we can’t wait to keep the momentum going.
As we close out 2025, we asked our global community to share their literary highlights, from the novels they couldn’t put down to the snacks they ate while reading them. The results paint a picture of a passionate, diverse, and deeply engaged group of book lovers.
Silent Book Club’s 2025 Favorites
In a year packed with great releases, two titles rose to the top. Fredrik Backman was the favorite author of 2025, with his novel My Friends appearing most frequently as the book SBC members loved most.
Close behind was The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, a charming debut that struck a chord with readers. We had the absolute pleasure of working with Crown Publishing to launch this gem, so we are thrilled by its success!
Atmosphere, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 1980s space odyssey, came in next, followed by Broken Country, a love story/murder mystery by Clare Leslie Hall, and Sunrise on the Reaping, Suzanne Collins’ highly anticipated return to Panem.
Dozens more received honorable mentions, but here are SBC’s Top 10 for 2025:
- My Friends, Fredrik Backman
- The Correspondent, Virginia Evans
- Atmosphere, Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Broken Country, Clare Leslie Hall
- Sunrise on the Reaping, Suzanne Collins
- Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, V.E. Schwab
- Heart the Lover, Lily King
- The Frozen River, Ariel Lawhon
- James, Percival Everett
- The God of the Woods, Liz Moore
What we read
Contemporary and historical fiction remain the dominant genres for our members year over year, but our collective reading palette is wide. From gothic lesbian vampire fantasies like Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil to award-winning non-fiction like One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, SBC members read across every genre and format. While paperbacks remain a staple, most members seamlessly switch between e-books, hardcovers, and audiobooks depending on where they are.
It goes without saying, but SBC readers are voracious. 71% of our community finished more than 25 books this year, half read more than 50, and a strong contingent (17%!) of power readers crushed more than 100 titles in 2025. We are seriously impressed.
Find the full list of 2025’s reader-recommended favorites on Bookshop.org.
Why we read
When we talk about Silent Book Club to some who are new to the concept (trying hard not to say “haters” but read between the lines…), we often get this question: Why leave your comfortable couch to go read in public? The survey results made it clear: People want connection without stress. The number one reason members reported for why they attend SBC is for low-pressure socializing. We love being around like-minded people without the exhaustion of forced conversation or the pressure to be “on.” It creates a sense of belonging while allowing us to take time for ourselves.
Venues play a huge role in this, and Silent Book Club wouldn’t exist without the local businesses, bookstores, and libraries that host SBC meetups every week. The coffee shop vibe proves most popular, followed closely by breweries and pubs—as we know, both caffeine and wine pair perfectly with a good read.
If 2025 proved anything, it’s that there is no “right” way to be a reader. Whether you read 10 books or 100, listen to audiobooks while knitting, or read hardcovers at a brewery, you are part of a thriving community. You are one of us.
Thank you for reading with us this year. We can’t wait to see what you pick up in 2026!
Happy holidays and happy reading,
Guinevere & Laura