Pranjal Shah
07-Jul-2025
From innovative fiction to practical self-help to applicable theory, here are 7 must-read books of 2025.
The first half of 2025 has been crammed with releases of some much-awaited books. From creative explorations of the dark side of technology to social justice to intermixed cultural milieu, it is difficult to decide on the next read because of the sheer number of available choices. We have picked out seven titles below which we believe deserve your scrutiny.
Universality by Natasha Brown
Picture Credits: Goodreads
This is a sharp, intricately structured satire on how information is spread, twisted, and reshaped in today’s interconnected world. The plot is centred around an illegal lockdown rave gone wrong. The journalist who first exposes the mystery behind it eventually fades from the limelight as more journalists dig into it without giving her due credit. The narrative then follows other characters connected with the rave, who, with their own eccentricities, make for unreliable narrators, highlighting the theme of the book. Brown’s sharp, witty, and fearless storytelling dissects cancel culture, class anxieties, and the empty rituals of public debate with a precision that feels too true. The book holds up an unflinching mirror to recent times, illustrating how media, social opinion, and personal ambition collide in a world where narratives can be twisted to serve power, prejudice, or profit.
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Picture Credits: Goodreads
It is a nuanced tale that celebrates how unexpected friendships and art can reshape our lives. Told through shifting perspectives between a nostalgic teenage summer and a young artist’s present Backman weaves a moving narrative, replete with his trademark warmth, humour, and empathy. With laughter, tears, and moments of quiet revelation woven throughout, he explores themes of belonging, loyalty, forgiveness, and the power of unexpected friendships to change our lives. Backman is a master at capturing the quiet, often overlooked moments that make us human, and My Friends is no exception. It is a hopeful, emotionally resonant novel that reminds us how much strength we can draw from the people around us.
Equality: What It Means and Why It Matters by Thomas Piketty and Michael Sandel
Picture Credits: Goodreads
This a collective effort by an acclaimed economist and a renowned political philosopher exploring the issue of equality through a multitude of angles. They envision what true equality may look like in a world increasingly shaped by resurgent nationalism and call for a revision of priorities. By combining Piketty’s economic expertise with Sandel’s moral and political insights, the book seeks to offer both a visionary and a practical roadmap for equality. Presented as an engaging, thought-provoking dialogue, this book is an essential read for understanding the future of democracy and social justice.
Nalanda: How it Changed the World by Abhay K
Picture Credits: Goodreads
Drawing on thorough research, Abhay K explores how Nalanda shaped advancements in science, mathematics, philosophy, art, architecture, and poetry. It is a captivating and insightful account that sheds new light on Nalanda’s enduring influence and historical significance. It offers timeless lessons about the value of education, dialogue, and intellectual openness, which are all the more relevant in today’s division-prone and fast-changing world.
Lost in Translation: Words that Shape the World by Hannah Lee
Picture Credits: Amazon India
This book delves into an exploration of language and culture by using untranslatable words from different languages around the world. Lee guides readers on a rich linguistic adventure, uncovering the subtle beauty and profound cultural meaning behind words that resist simple translation. Offering thought-provoking insights into the nuances of the words we use, and those we struggle to translate, it sheds light on how language shapes the way we see and experience the world.
Culpability by Bruce Holsinger
Picture Credits: Goodreads
The novel is centred around an accident involving a self-driving minivan. The family members in the minivan are busy in their own world while their son is in the driver’s seat when the crash kills an elderly couple. Hinted at by the title, the primary question is about accountability. Set against a weeklong family stay, the novel weaves together suspenseful family secrets, a teenage romance with a tech billionaire’s daughter, and intense moral dilemmas spun around cutting-edge AI. Holsinger uses a compelling family drama to explore urgent questions about responsibility, accountability, and how far we can trust technology to make decisions for us.
The Art of Letting Go: Stop Overthinking, Break Negative Cycles, and Embrace Peace by Lucas Hayes
Picture Credits: Amazon India
A self-help book with a side of practical guidance, it delves into the difficult but rewarding process of releasing emotional baggage, breaking free from unhelpful patterns, and embracing meaningful change. With a multi-disciplinary approach employing psychology, philosophy and science, the book seeks to offer clear, actionable tools to help readers cultivate resilience, self-compassion, and a renewed sense of purpose. In a world where stress and uncertainty feel constant, this book provides a refreshing, realistic framework for emotional well-being and personal growth.
Replete with stories and ideas that challenge, inspire, and stay with you long after you finish them, these titles are sure to enrich your bookshelf and your mind for the months ahead.
Cover Credits: Unsplash
By Kratika Agarwal
