It’s Book Week, which means if you’re a parent, you’re possibly scrabbling around frantically for a Frozen costume, Harry Potter wand or Cat in the Hat outfit.
But it’s important to remember amidst the mad costume dash that what Book Week is really about is fostering a love of reading and literacy.
This year, Book Week is celebrating 80 years as part of a fixture of Aussie life.
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To mark the occasion, we’ve handpicked six of the best books in 2025 that deserve a spot on your reading list.
Happy reading!
1. What A Way To Go by Bella Mackie
From the best-selling author of How to Kill Your Family, Bella Mackie is back with another “wonderfully wicked” novel. Centred around a wealthy family with a dead patriarch, multiple suspects, and a true crime obsessed outsider — you’ll lap this up in a couple of sittings.
2. The Golden Sister by Suzanne Do
Arguably the most highly-anticipated book launch of 2025, Suzanne Do’s debut fiction novel is “achingly funny and heartbreakingly sad”. Set in a costal town exploring the death of a twin, the complexities of families and the search for truth, it’s a deeply moving read.
3. The Names by Florence Knapp
Dubbed the “best debut novel in years”, this British book sees three alternative narratives unfold, showing how the choice of a name influences a life. Addictive, original and thought-provoking, this book is highly unique and unlike anything you’ll have read before. Think Sliding Doors in book form. A must-read.
4. Gwyneth: The Biography by Amy Odell
We’re a sucker for a good biography here at Best Picks, and this one really is one to get to grips with. Bestselling author Amy Odell takes readers inside the world of one of the most influential, aspirational and polarising celebrities of the last thirty years. Based on in-depth conversations with more than 215 sources, including close current and former friends and colleagues, this deeply researched biography provides insight and behind-the-scene details of her relationships, family, friendships, films and tenure as the CEO of Goop. You’ll gobble it up.
5. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
I picked up Lessons in Chemistry thinking it would be a light read, and instead found myself laughing, crying, and fist-pumping for Elizabeth Zott like she was my own personal hero. She’s brilliant, stubborn, and so unapologetically herself that you can’t help but root for her. The mix of science, feminism and a very cheeky dog made it feel both sharp and heartwarming at the same time. Honestly, it’s the kind of book that leaves you feeling braver about taking up space in your own life.
was $22.99, now $12 at Amazon Australia
6. How to Murder Your Life: A Memoir by Cat Marnell
Reading How to Murder Your Life felt like being dragged into a glittery, chaotic, late-night confession booth that I never wanted to leave. Cat Marnell writes about addiction, fashion magazines, and self-destruction with such brutal honesty that it’s both horrifying and hilarious. I couldn’t stop turning the pages because it’s messy, glamorous, and painfully real all at once. If you’ve ever wanted a memoir that reads like a wild night out and a therapy session rolled into one, this is it.
