Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this latest Top Ten Tuesday the official topic involved listing modern books that have the potential to be classics in the future. However, I am going to do something a little different and instead I am going to list the top ten novels I want to read before the end of 2025.
We are once again nearing the end of another interesting and chaotic year, with only around 50 days left in it. While I am rather keen to see what’s going to happen in 2026, I am very mindful of the big pile of novels from this year currently sitting on my table (and a couple of bookshelves, and the floor). So, with that in mind, I thought I would pull together a list to inspire me to read these books and knock them out before this year comes to an end.
For this list I have had a look through my many book piles and reading lists to work out which novels I really need to read before the year ends. To focus this on the books that are cluttering up my house or my audiobook storage, I decided to exclude novels that I do not currently have copies of (such King Sorrow by Joe Hill), books featured in my latest Book Haul post, and novels that have not yet been released. I also decided to exclude novels that I am definitely going to read before the end of the year, as I have plans to review them for some Canberra Weekly holiday columns. Using these parameters, I was able to come up with a list of 10 books (with some honourable mentions), that I would really like to read before the year ends. This list includes an interesting range of novels, including some big 2025 releases and some other novels that came in under the radar. All 10 sound like outstanding reads and I desperately hope I have time to read them all.
Honourable Mentions:
Murder on North Terrace by Lainie Anderson
An exciting Australian historic murder mystery that serves as a sequel to Anderson’s 2024 novel, The Death of Dora Black.
The Devil’s Knight by P. W. Finch
Historical carnage as a brutal knight attempts to escort a potential saint from the Holy Lands to England.
A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde
An intriguing fantasy debut that I have been hoping to read all year.
The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence
The final book in Mark Lawrences compelling and complex Library trilogy.
Top Ten List:
One of the main books I want to read by the end of 2025 is the captivating historical epic, Circle of Days by the always impressive Ken Follett. An elaborate story set around the construction of Stonehenge, Circle of Days looks set to be a detailed and expansive read, and I am hoping to get to it soon.
The Blackfire Blade by James Logan
Another major release from the second half of 2025 I need to check out is the outstanding new fantasy novel, The Blackfire Blade by James Logan. The sequel to Logan’s debut, The Silverblood Promise, The Blackfire Blade will follow the determined series protagonist and his friends to a new fantasy city, only to encounter more plots and corruption. I have no doubt that The Blackfire Blade is going to be an incredible read, and I am so excited to check it out.
Warhammer 40,000: Voidscarred by Mike Brooks
There is an impressive multitude of Warhammer 40,000 novels that have been released at the end of 2025, including several from some top authors of the franchise. However, I particularly want to read the intriguing novel Voidscarred by Mike Brooks, which sounds really fun. Following aeldari pirates and freebooter orks as they clash in the dark of space, Voidscarred sounds pretty damn amazing, and I’m very keen to read it, especially after the author touched on similar themes in the previous novel, Da Big Dakka.
The Detective by Matthew Reilly
I’m keen to try and read the new Matthew Reilly novel, The Detective before the year comes to an end. A dark and twisty mystery set in the American south, The Detective sounds like a complex novel, and it’s one I’m very interested in unwinding. I’ve had this book for a while now, and it would be good to get it off my bookshelf, especially as it sounds like an incredible read.
Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky
One of the main science fiction books that came out earlier in the year that I’m still very interested in reading is the dark and claustrophobic novel, Shroud by the legendary Adrian Tchaikovsky. Following two humans who are forced to take an accidental road trip on a particularly hostile planet, Shroud had one of the more unique plot premises of 2025, and I really want to see how it comes together.
Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon
The always reliable Harlan Coben teams up with actress Reese Witherspoon to create a thriller collaboration with Gone Before Goodbye. Following a skilled surgeon whose life is put in risk after a mysterious patient disappears, Gone Before Goodbye sounds like a ball of fun, and I’m very curious to see what sort of book this unique writing partnership has come up with.
Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland
One of the books I’m most keen to read before the end of 2025 is Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland, especially as it finishes the Broken Blades trilogy that I have been really enjoying. Finishing the story started in Five Broken Blades and expertly continued in Four Ruined Realms, Three Shattered Souls will see the damaged and deadly protagonists attempt to save the world from dangerous enemies and dark magic. I know this final book is going to be incredible and I can’t wait to finish this series off.
Warhammer 40,000: The Relentless Dead by Steve Lyons
Another recent major Warhammer 40,000 release I want read this year is The Relentless Dead by Steve Lyons. The fourth Warhammer 40,000 book from Lyons that follows members of the relentless and dutiful Death Korps of Krieg, The Relentless Dead will follow a group of these faceless soldiers as they journey to a cursed planet and face enemies even more unstoppable than them. I’ve had an amazing time with Lyons’ previous novels, including Dead Men Walking, Krieg and The Siege of Vraks, and The Relentless Dead looks set to be another outstanding read.
How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps by Andrew Rowe
A great fantasy novel with a fun LitRPG twist, How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps by Andrew Rowe has been high on my to-read list for a while, and I will be very happy if I can get to this book by the end of the year.
Valour by Richard Cullen
The final book I want to highlight in this post is the recently released historical fiction novel, Valour by Richard Cullen. The third book in the author’s Chronicle of the Black Lion series (which previously featured the excellent novels Rebellion and Crusade), Valour will pit the series’ knight protagonist on another compelling adventure, this time in the Carpathian Mountains. I really love the sound of this new novel from Cullen, and it is sure to be an amazing book to finish off 2025 with.
That’s the end of this week’s Top Ten list. I am happy with how this list turned out as I am extremely keen to read every one of the novels listed above. All of them have an amazing amount of potential and I think several could end up being some of my favourite books of 2025. Make sure to check back in a few weeks to see if I have managed to get around to reading any of them yet. In the meantime, let me know which books you really want to read before the end of 2025 and best of luck getting through them.
The Unseen Library 