December 15, 2025
Cover Story
Kirkus’ annual Best Books coverage concludes with the 100 best Indie books of the year, plus our favorite audiobooks, book-to-screen adaptations, and book news of 2025.Featured In This Issue
This Issue's Starred Reviews
FICTION
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THIS HERE IS LOVE
By Princess Joy L. Perry
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WOLF HOUR
By Jo Nesbø Robert Ferguson
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ROBBIE MCNEIL'S HIT LIST
By Brianna Heath
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CRY HAVOC
By Jack Carr
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THE MAGIC OF UNTAMED HEARTS
By Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
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ONE & ONLY
By Maurene Goo
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ASHLAND
By Dan Simon
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ERADICATION
By Jonathan Miles
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ONE SUN ONLY
By Camille Bordas
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HOW TO KILL A GUY IN TEN DATES
By Shailee Thompson
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THE ROOF BENEATH THEIR FEET
By Geetanjali Shree Rahul Soni
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LAKE EFFECT
By Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
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ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE BOURNE REVENGE
By Brian Freeman
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HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
By Rebecca Philipson
NONFICTION
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FINDING MY WAY
By Malala Yousafzai
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SMALL TOWN GIRLS
By Jayne Anne Phillips
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THE MIXED MARRIAGE PROJECT
By Dorothy Roberts
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THE ATLAS OF WORLD EMBROIDERY
By Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood
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THE BEGINNING COMES AFTER THE END
By Rebecca Solnit
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NOBODY'S GIRL
By Virginia Roberts Giuffre
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TIME'S SECOND ARROW
By Robert M. Hazen Michael L. Wong
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EVERYBODY'S FLY
By Fred Brathwaite Mark Rozzo
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FLY, WILD SWANS
By Jung Chang
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THE BOUNDLESS DEEP
By Richard Holmes
TEEN
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POSTSCRIPT
By Cory McCarthy
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ACCORDING TO PLAN
By Christen Randall
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FEW BLUE SKIES
By Carolina Ixta
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NO BRAINER
By Lea Beddia
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WAKE NOW IN THE FIRE
By Jarrett Dapier AJ Dungo Angie Kang
CHILDREN'S
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WHAT'S FOR DINNER?
By Larysa Maliush
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FLOWERS FOR MAMA
By Deborah Freedman
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HOW A BEAR BECAME A BOOK
By Annette Bay Pimentel Faith Pray
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THE MYSTERIOUS MAGIC OF LIGHTHOUSE LANE
By Erin Stewart
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ANGRY GIRLS WILL GET US THROUGH
By Rebecca Traister Ruby Shamir
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THE OCEAN'S HEART
By Jilanne Hoffmann Khoa Le
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SOME OF US ARE BRAVE
By Saadia Faruqi Chaaya Prabhat
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SEVEN MILLION STEPS
By Derrick Barnes Christian Gregory Frank Morrison
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HERE COME THE AUNTIES!
By Cynthia Leitich Smith Aphelandra
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IS IT SPRING?
By Kevin Henkes
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THE WEEDY GARDEN
By Margaret Renkl Billy Renkl
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MAKING IT UP AS YOU GO ALONG
By Patricia Forde Mary Murphy
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THIS HAIR BELONGS
By JaNay Brown-Wood Erin K. Robinson
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MONARCH AND MOURNING CLOAK
By Melissa Stewart Sarah S. Brannen
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THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
By Clement C. Moore Lauren Semmer
INDIE
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THE UNOFFICIAL BATMAN: THE ANIMATED INTERVIEWS, VOL. 5
By W.R. Miller
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BAILING OUT
By Leonard Ruhl
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CHIKASA 1889
By Lokosk Juliet Morgan Samantha Cornelius Kimberly Johnson
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OMNIOCRACY
By Charlotte Laws
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AMAZING HUMMINGBIRDS YOU CAN FIND IN ARIZONA
By Kelly Isley
