Book reviews, October 2025

42 books reviewed by the critics in October 2025, most-reviewed first.

Cover of The Eleventh Hour by Salman Rushdie

The Eleventh Hour

Salman Rushdie

5 of 10 critics positive · 11 reviews

Cover of Big Kiss, Bye-Bye by Claire-Louise Bennett

Big Kiss, Bye-Bye

Claire-Louise Bennett

5 of 5 critics positive · 9 reviews

Cover of Dead and Alive by Zadie Smith

Dead and Alive

Zadie Smith

3 of 8 critics positive · 9 reviews

Cover of The Rose Field by Philip Pullman

The Rose Field

Philip Pullman

7 of 9 critics positive · 9 reviews

Cover of After Oscar by Merlin Holland

After Oscar

Merlin Holland

3 of 3 critics positive · 8 reviews

The Land of Sweet Forever

The Land of Sweet Forever

Harper Lee

1 of 8 critics positive · 8 reviews

Cover of The Revolutionists by Jason Burke

The Revolutionists

Jason Burke

2 of 2 critics positive · 8 reviews

Cover of Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah

Theft

Abdulrazak Gurnah

4 of 5 critics positive · 8 reviews

Cover of Motherland by Julia Ioffe

Motherland

Julia Ioffe

3 of 3 critics positive · 7 reviews

The Boundless Deep

The Boundless Deep

Richard Holmes

3 of 3 critics positive · 7 reviews

Cover of I Regret Almost Everything by Keith McNally

I Regret Almost Everything

Keith McNally

2 of 3 critics positive · 6 reviews

Cover of Nobody's Girl by Virginia Roberts Giuffre

Nobody's Girl

Virginia Roberts Giuffre

3 of 3 critics positive · 6 reviews

Cover of The Poems of Seamus Heaney by Seamus Heaney

The Poems of Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney

5 of 6 critics positive · 6 reviews

Cover of On Friendship by Andrew O'Hagan

On Friendship

Andrew O'Hagan

3 of 3 critics positive · 5 reviews

Cover of The Four Spent the Day Together by Chris Kraus

The Four Spent the Day Together

Chris Kraus

2 of 4 critics positive · 5 reviews

Cover of Attention by Anne Enright

Attention

Anne Enright

3 of 3 critics positive · 4 reviews

Cover of Heart the Lover by Lily King

Heart the Lover

Lily King

2 of 2 critics positive · 4 reviews

Cover of One of Us by Elizabeth Day

One of Us

Elizabeth Day

3 of 4 critics positive · 4 reviews

Cover of Pick a Colour by Souvankham Thammavongsa

Pick a Colour

Souvankham Thammavongsa

3 of 3 critics positive · 4 reviews

Cover of The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet

The Finest Hotel in Kabul

Lyse Doucet

1 of 1 critics positive · 4 reviews

Cover of Australia: A History by Tony Abbott

Australia: A History

Tony Abbott

1 of 3 critics positive · 3 reviews

Midnight Timetable

Midnight Timetable

Bora Chung

1 of 1 critics positive · 3 reviews

Saltwash

Andrew Michael Hurley

3 of 3 critics positive · 3 reviews

Cover of The Elements by John Boyne

The Elements

John Boyne

0 of 2 critics positive · 3 reviews

Cover of The Immortalists by Aleks Krotoski

The Immortalists

Aleks Krotoski

1 of 1 critics positive · 3 reviews

Cover of The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovits

The Rest of Our Lives

Benjamin Markovits

2 of 2 critics positive · 3 reviews

Cover of Gravity Let Me Go by Trent Dalton

Gravity Let Me Go

Trent Dalton

0 of 1 critics positive · 2 reviews

Cover of Mona's Eyes by Thomas Schlesser

Mona's Eyes

Thomas Schlesser

1 of 2 critics positive · 2 reviews

Rumours of My Demise

Rumours of My Demise

Evan Dando

2 of 2 critics positive · 2 reviews

Cover of Seed by Bri Lee

Seed

Bri Lee

1 of 1 critics positive · 2 reviews

Cover of The Anthony Bourdain Reader by Anthony Bourdain

The Anthony Bourdain Reader

Anthony Bourdain

0 of 2 critics positive · 2 reviews

Cover of The Devil Book by Asta Olivia Nordenhof

The Devil Book

Asta Olivia Nordenhof

2 of 2 critics positive · 2 reviews

Cover of A Great Act of Love by Heather Rose

A Great Act of Love

Heather Rose

1 of 1 critics positive · 1 review

Cover of Finding My Way by Malala Yousafzai

Finding My Way

Malala Yousafzai

1 of 1 critics positive · 1 review

Hekate

Nikita Gill

1 of 1 critics positive · 1 review

Cover of Humanish by Justin Gregg

Humanish

Justin Gregg

1 review, verdicts not stated · 1 review

Cover of Last One Out by Jane Harper

Last One Out

Jane Harper

0 of 1 critics positive · 1 review

Cover of Raise Your Soul by Yanis Varoufakis

Raise Your Soul

Yanis Varoufakis

1 of 1 critics positive · 1 review

Teenage Daydream

Teenage Daydream

Debsey Wykes

1 review, verdicts not stated · 1 review

Cover of The Captive by Kit Burgoyne

The Captive

Kit Burgoyne

1 of 1 critics positive · 1 review

Cover of The Decadence by Leon Craig

The Decadence

Leon Craig

0 of 1 critics positive · 1 review

Cover of The Future of Truth by Werner Herzog

The Future of Truth

Werner Herzog

0 of 1 critics positive · 1 review

← November 2025 · September 2025 →