Breaking News: Announcing the 2025 Better Reading Top 100

Breaking News: Announcing the 2025 Better Reading Top 100

We are thrilled to announce the 2025 Better Reading Top 100

Each year, Australians have their say about which books and authors they love to read in the Better Reading Top 100. It has become a well-loved annual event that readers vote for, celebrate and discuss. It is a true reflection of what Australians read, featuring a mix of crime, women’s general fiction, literary fiction and classics. We’re thrilled with this year’s list and look forward to sharing it with our readers.

The number one spot in the 2025 Better Reading Top 100 goes to… drumroll, please… Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton! In a remarkable achievement, Dalton has made Better Reading history, becoming the first author to take out the top spot two years in a row with two different books. It’s clear Australians have embraced Boy Swallows Universe as a modern Aussie classic, a story that continues to resonate deeply with readers of all ages. Dalton’s Lola in the Mirror also earned a well-deserved place on the list, coming in strong at #15.

Some other noteworthy observations from the 2025 list:

  • Australian readers love female authors.
  • In total, a whopping 74 of the Top 100 books were written by women.
  • There are seven great reads by female authors in the Top 10.
  • Aussie authors once again dominate.
  • 42% of books are written by Australians.
  • Classics endure, like Pride and Prejudice, proving that Australian readers embrace both the new and the timeless.
  • Several new authors have made the list for the first time.

Better Reading Director Cheryl Akle states:

“The Top 100 list continues to provide an unparalleled insight into the Australian book industry.

This year, Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe has achieved something extraordinary by returning to the #1 spot after first winning it in 2020. And with Lola in the Mirror crowned #1 in 2024 and still appearing again this year, Dalton becomes the only author in Top 100 history to achieve consecutive #1s with two different books. His continued presence shows just how profoundly his storytelling resonates with readers.

Once again, women authors have claimed a huge share of the list, while Australian voices remain at the heart of our reading culture. With classics sitting comfortably alongside new debuts, the 2025 list proves that Australians continue to love both familiar favourites and fresh new stories.

Congratulations to Trent Dalton, and to every author who made the list this year.”

Once again, debut authors make their mark, appearing alongside beloved names who have held their place on the list for years. Australian crime continues to shine, with Chris Hammer, Dervla McTiernan and Jane Harper all featured. Romantasy’s rise shows no signs of slowing, with Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros leading a global wave of readers. Women’s fiction also remains at the heart of the list, with Liane Moriarty, Holly Ringland and Sally Hepworth among those delivering powerful, relatable stories that our community continues to embrace year after year.

This year’s list celebrates a number of standout authors with multiple entries on the list. Liane Moriarty and Sarah J. Maas both appear with three different books each, a clear sign of their continued popularity with readers. Several other beloved authors, including Australians Trent Dalton, Chris Hammer, Holly Ringland, and Jane Harper, as well as international favourites like Kristin Hannah, feature with two titles each.

Along with the Top 100 displays in Big W stores nationwide, more libraries are now creating Top 100 shelves. All over the country, readers use the Top 100 as their annual book list, counting down their reads alone, with friends, in libraries, book clubs and on the Better Reading Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages using the hashtag #BRTop100.

For the full list of Better Reading’s 2025 Top 100, click here.

Click here for a downloadable 2025 Top 100 poster.

Click here for a printable PDF list of the 2025 Top 100 books.

The Top 10 reads are:

  1. Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
  2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  3. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
  4. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
  5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  6. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  7. Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
  8. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
  9. The Venice Hotel by Tess Woods
  10. The Valley by Chris Hammer

Thank you to all who voted, and a huge congratulations to our Top 100 winners who will be receiving a copy of each title on the 2025 Top 100 list. The winners are:

  • Michelle N, ACT
  • Courtney S, NSW
  • Catriona M, QLD
  • Doris G, SA
  • Kasia M, TAS
  • Geraldine K, VIC
  • Nathan L, WA

All winners have been contacted via email.

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