There’s something quietly comforting about a good book – the way it can carry you across continents, through time, or deep into someone else’s thoughts. In a year where screens seem ever louder, Australians still found solace and joy in the written word. From heartfelt Australian stories to international page-turners, 2025’s best-selling books remind us that reading is both personal and communal – shared in book clubs, recommended over coffee and gifted at every holiday table.
Let’s take a look at the 25 books that sold the most copies here in Australia this year – the stories that captured our imaginations, made us think and kept us company. And in the mix of local voices and international names, we might just see a bit of ourselves reflected back at us.
The 25 Best-Selling Books in Australia in 2025
(Note: Ranked not by strict numeric sales but by presence across bestseller lists, including the Better Reading Top 100 and bookseller charts – reflecting what Australians turned to most this year.)
Boy Swallows Universe – Trent Dalton (Australian classic revisited)
Here One Moment – Liane Moriarty (Australian fiction)
The Unquiet Grave – Dervla McTiernan
The White Crow – Michael Robotham
Lyrebird – Jane Caro (Australian nonfiction/fiction blend)
The Strength of the Few – James Islington
Sunrise on the Reaping – Suzanne Collins
The Women – Kristin Hannah
Fourth Wing – Rebecca Yarros
The Housemaid – Freida McFadden
The Impossible Fortune – Richard Osman
Gravity Let Me Go – Trent Dalton
Katabasis – R.F. Kuang
Last One Out – Jane Harper
Nobody’s Girl – Virginia Roberts Giuffre
Exit Strategy – Lee Child & Andrew Child
Alchemised – SenLinYu
Australia: A History – Tony Abbott
Simple Dinners Every Day – Nicole Maguire
Cozy Corner – Coco Wyo
Unsettled – Kate Grenville
Orbital – Samantha Harvey
Fearless – Lauren Roberts
Bluey: Where’s Bluey? – Bluey series (children’s classic)
The Let Them Theory – Mel Robbins & Sawyer Robbins
What Australians Are Reading (and Why It Matters)
Look at this list and you’ll see the story of 2025: we didn’t read just one kind of book. We reached for familiar favourites, discovered new sagas and savoured comfort reads and practical guides, too.
Homegrown voices shone brightly. Aussie authors like Trent Dalton and Liane Moriarty drew massive readership — Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe topping the Better Reading list reflects a deep affection for storytelling rooted right here.
Fantasy and escapism are bigger than ever. Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing and James Islington’s fantasy epic The Strength of the Few show that readers are craving expansive worlds and imaginative journeys — perhaps a balm in uncertain times. Better Reading
International names still have huge pull. Stories like Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins and The Housemaid by Freida McFadden remind us that global hits still dominate bestseller lists, offering page-turning drama and familiar quality.
Cookbooks and lifestyle titles continue strong. With titles like Nicole Maguire’s Simple Dinners Every Day and the perennial Bluey children’s books, Australians are reading across generations — from home cooks to families with young readers.
In short: Australians read diversely in 2025. We looked inward for stories that reflect our landscapes and lives, outward for thrilling escape and universal themes, and sideways into cookbooks and comforting children’s reads that bring people together.