Guardian Australia critics and staff have compiled their list of the best Australian books of 2025, featuring a diverse range of fiction, nonfiction, memoir and poetry. The selection includes Helen Garner's award-winning diaries, Geraldine Brooks' memoir on loss, and a portrait of the Erin Patterson triple murder trial by three celebrated nonfiction writers.
Among the standout novels is Dominic Amerena's debut, 'I Want Everything', a shrewd tale of literary deception centred on an aspiring writer and a famous author. Vijay Khurana's 'The Passenger Seat' is described as a magnificently unnerving road trip exploring adolescence and masculinity. Sofie Laguna's novel, set in 1974, follows teenager Martha's intellectual and sexual awakening, and has lingered with critics all year.
Helen Garner's diaries, newly released in a single volume, offer unfiltered daily observations from the acclaimed writer. Omar Musa's 'Fierceland' features a lyrical narrative from the perspective of the Malaysian Borneo forest, examining family legacy and environmental destruction. The list also includes fantasy, sex and recipe books for holiday reading.
