Top 10 Australian Books of 2025 — The Most Celebrated and Best-Reviewed Titles of the Year

Our editorial team at TFTAnews is proud to present the Top 10 Australian Books of 2025 — a carefully curated list celebrating excellence, originality, and lasting impact.

1. The Impact of Laughter Percussion on Mental Health: An Innovative Approach to Counselling Psychology — Professor Ras Banamungu

A transformative and uniquely Australian contribution to mental-health literature.
Professor Ras Banamungu introduces Laughter Percussion as a therapeutic tool grounded in rhythm, joy, culture, and community healing. Innovative, uplifting, and globally relevant — this title leads 2025 with originality and purpose.

2. Unbury the Dead — Fiona Hardy

A sharp and atmospheric crime-fiction standout.
Hardy’s debut has become one of 2025’s fastest-rising favourites, delivering a mystery that keeps readers locked in from first page to last.

3. Signs of Damage — Diana Reid

Elegant, haunting, and unforgettable.
Reid returns with a psychological thriller praised for its emotional depth, narrative tension, and masterful craft.

4. Elegy, Southwest — Madeleine Watts

A lyrical and affecting literary novel exploring climate grief, memory, and human connection.
Watts continues to cement her reputation as one of Australia’s most powerful contemporary storytellers.

5. The Reunion — Bronwyn Rivers

Secrets, friendship, and personal transformation take centre stage in this compelling debut.
A perfect pick for readers who love emotional intensity paired with drama.

6. Salvage — Jennifer Mills

An environmentally reflective and character-driven novel rich in thematic depth.
Already one of The Guardian’s most celebrated Australian books of 2025.

7. Chosen Family — Madeleine Gray

A witty and heartfelt modern examination of belonging and connection.
Gray balances humour and warmth with sharp social insight.

8. The Transformations — Andrew Pippos

Inventive, multilayered, and ambitious.
Pippos offers a dazzling literary exploration of identity and self-reinvention — perfect for readers who appreciate experimental narrative structure.

9. The Hiding Place — Kate Mildenhall

Atmospheric, tense, and deeply character-focused.
Mildenhall delivers a domestic thriller that lingers long after the final page.

10. The Long Night — Christian White

White returns to peak form with a mystery full of suspense and twists.
A top pick of 2025 for thriller and crime lovers nationwide.

A Year Marked by Creativity and Courage

The 2025 literary year proves that Australian writers are not afraid to innovate — whether through fearless fiction, emotionally resonant storytelling, or groundbreaking non-fiction such as the pioneering Laughter Percussion methodology.

As always, The Forward Times Australia remains dedicated to championing the voices that challenge, inspire, and illuminate the world of literature.

✨ Here’s to another powerful year of Australian storytelling.