It’s 2025, and Kirkus has celebrated the occasion by compiling a list of the best books published in the last 25 years. In order to create this curated list, Kirkus Reviews first reviewed a large pool of books published in the US between 2000 and 2024. The books were then categorized into broad genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Teen and Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Picture Books. Kirkus Reviews editors then made the final selections, considering both the quality of the book and the potential for reader interest.
For more information, check out the Kirkus Reviews Website
Here are the books that are in the TBP collection.
Fiction AMERICANAH by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (DB 77188, LB 08272, en español DBG 17313, en français DBG 18008, BRG 04956, BRG 04957 ) LIFE AFTER LIFE by Kate Atkinson (DB 76417, LB 10827) ORYX AND CRAKE by Margaret Atwood (DB 56234, BR 14805) ARTHUR AND GEORGE by Julian Barnes (DB 61635, BRG 01754, LB 09687) MANUAL FOR CLEANING WOMEN: SELECTED STORIES by Lucía Berlin (DB 83703, BR 23549, en español DB 83996 ) 2666 by Roberto Bolaño (DB 68418, en español DB 68961 ) WITNESS: STORIES by Jamel Brinkley (DB 116828)
Nonfiction OPEN: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY by Andre Agassi (DB 70076, en español DB 119726) SECONDHAND TIME: THE LAST OF THE SOVIETS: AN ORAL HISTORY by Svetlana Aleksievich (DB 84738) GULAG: A HISTORY by Anne Applebaum (DB 58287) AMERICAN PROMETHEUS: THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin (DB 61087)
Teens and Young Adult CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi (DB 90928, BR 22258) SAINTS AND MISFITS by S. K. Ali (DB 90693, BRG 04091) KIT’S WILDERNESS by David Almond (DB 51741) FEED by M. T. Anderson (DB 55687, BRG 01588) FEVER, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (DB 51967, BR 16484) BLOOD YEARS by Elana K. Arnold (DB 117992, BR 25423)
Middle Grade I LIVED ON BUTTERFLY HILL by Marjorie Agosín (DB 81239) CROSSOVER by Kwame Alexander (DB 79528, BR 24707, BT 13359, LB 11454, en español DB 111942 ) ONE AND ONLY IVAN by Katherine Applegate (DB 75687, BR 19679, LB 11289) NIGHT GARDENER: A SCARY STORY by Jonathan Auxier (DB 79649, BRG 03549, LB 11288) CHASING VERMEER by Blue Balliett (DB 83073, DBC 16811, BRG 00685) GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON by Kelly Regan Barnhill (DB 85739, BR 21836, LB 09158) IVY AND BEAN by Annie Barrows (DB 64440) LUCKY BROKEN GIRL by Ruth Behar (DB 88385, en español DB 110128)
Picture Books UNDEFEATED by Kwame Alexander (DB 118181, BR 22617, LB 14537) TROMBONE SHORTY by Troy Andrews (DB 85566, BR 21098) CROWN: AN ODE TO THE FRESH CUT by Derrick Barnes (DB 90685, BR 22031) HELLO LIGHTHOUSE by Sophie Blackall (BR 22571, LB 14526) RIGHT WORD: ROGET AND HIS THESAURUS by Jen Bryant (DB 80620)
