Every year, the list of the year’s best Indie books is a thrill, full of smart mysteries with spooky settings, nature-based poetry collections, true stories of exploration and survival, immersive story collections, and more. This year, Indie editors saw all of the above, but the books that most stood out in 2025 captured how everyday people, and, in one case, a parakeet, left indelible marks on the world.
Meg Groff had no intention of becoming an attorney. She was a mom living in the Pennsylvania countryside working odd jobs (taxi driver, sock-factory worker), but witnessing the local police department’s tepid response to domestic violence galvanized her interest in fixing, in whatever way she could, a broken system. In her warm, funny memoir, Not If I Can Help It: A Family Lawyer’s Battles for Justice for Victims of Domestic Violence and the Poor, Groff recounts her career in family law and “remains relatable until the end, never shying away from describing her own self-doubt,” in the words of our reviewer. “An inspiring, intelligent memoir focused on the challenges of advocacy.”
In their book, Chrissy Boylan, the parent of a transgender young adult, and Heather H. Kirby, a therapist working with gender-diverse teens, present personal testimonies by transgender youth—on creating identity, dealing with family disapproval, crushes—accompanied by definitions of key terms, parenting tips from a therapist, and workbook-like prompts. Trans Anthology Project: Reflections of Self-Discovery & Acceptance depicts multiple experiences and gender expressions, teaching readers how to understand and provide gender-affirming care to trans kids. Our review says, “With an extensive list of resources, as well as intimate anecdotes, this anthology could prove to be a true lifeline for trans youth and adults. An emotional, engaging, and informative look at the real-life struggles and triumphs of trans people.”
Bill Konstant, a wildlife biologist, made such a significant impact that he has two books on Indie’s Best of 2025 list, Wrestles With Wolves: Saving the World One Species at a Time and Jewel of the Wissahickon: Rewilding the Dixon Meadow, which Konstant co-wrote with Glenn Mason. Both books recount Konstant’s lifelong commitment to conservation—from global campaigns to save crocodiles, sharks, and gorillas, etc., to local efforts to rewild a 14-acre island outside Philadelphia with native plants, sustaining pollinators, mink, and fox. You know you’re on the side of the angels when Jane Goodall said you’re “dedicated to saving animals and the natural world.”
Lastly, Gus, a 1.4-ounce yellow parakeet, forever changed his owners’ lives. Gus wasn’t originally wanted by David Bellows, until Bellows’ spouse, Barbara Held, convinced him. They adopted the bird and were amazed by a very rara avis, whom they write about in Gus: A Bird’s Life, in His Own Words. Our reviewer notes, “While the book’s humor is uniformly winning, its most memorable element is the underlying pathos of genuine interspecies communication; long before the halfway point, Gus no longer seems like any kind of pet but rather a smart, mischievous person in the mix. When Bellows declares, ‘I was fascinated by what was in his little birdy mind and wanted to learn more–much more,’ there’s hardly a reader who won’t agree.”
Chaya Schechner is the president of Kirkus Indie.
