We’re lucky to receive a large number of books written by women every year on Women’s Agenda.
2025 was no different. In fact, some of the books published this year have shaped the news in unprecedented ways, such as the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s memoir, Nobody’s Girl.
Other books have offered essential accounts of the inner workings of some of the world’s most powerful companies and institutions, such as Careless People, by Sarah Wynn-Williams.
And others have presented unique, beautifully crafted stories that have entertained, inspired and awed us, such as The Theory of Everything, by Yumna Kassab.
Below, our team share their top picks in what was yet another big year in reading.
Check out our list below featuring books all published in Australia in 2025.
FICTION
Flashlight. By Susan Choi
A father’s mysterious disappearance during a seaside walk in Japan reverberates across decades, reshaping the lives of his family. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, this novel explores memory, identity and the long shadow of unresolved love.
The Loneliness of Sonica and Sunny. By Kiran Desai
A sweeping love story between two Indian immigrants whose chance meeting on a train ripples across continents and decades. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, this expansive novel blends romance with rich social insight and generational complexity.
The Theory of Everything. By Yumna Kassab
A genre-defying work that blurs fiction, essay and manifesto to interrogate contemporary life and ideas. Fragmented and intellectually sharp, it boldly challenges narrative convention while probing power, gender and meaning.
We do not part. By Han Kang and translated by Paige Aniyah Morris
This haunting, dreamlike novel by a Nobel Prize-winning author traces one woman’s snowbound journey from Seoul to Jeju Island and the buried history she uncovers along the way. Lyrical and intertwined with themes of deep friendship, it explores the weight of memory and the necessity of remembrance.
Lyrebird. By Jane Caro
A twisty thriller sparked by a lyrebird’s mimicry of a woman’s screams, which drags an old cold case back into the light, forcing an amateur witness and retired detective to confront the buried crime. Taut and socially sharp, it combines gripping mystery with themes of injustice and memory.
Chosen Family. By Madeleine Gray
An intimate, queer, literary novel following two outsiders over eighteen years, exploring love, identity, the wounds of adolescence and the bonds that sustain us. Witty and heartfelt, it examines how chosen family shapes our lives.
Vulture. By Phoebe Greenwood.
Phoebe’s debut novel follows the story of a young freelance journalist, Sara Byrne, who covers the conflict in Gaza in 2012. She’s reporting for a “pretty right-wing” British newspaper, and the author offers a brilliant take on what it means to chase stories in a complex conflict from the perspective of a mostly emotionless journalist.
NON FICTION
Mother Mary Comes to Me. By Arundhati Roy
In this memoir, the Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy reflects on the profound and complicated influence of her mother. Candid and lyrical, it traces how love, loss and rebellion shaped her life and writing.
Nature’s Last Dance. By Natalie Kyriacou OAM
A vivid exploration of life on the brink in an age of extinction, weaving tales of conservation battles, quirky species and high-stakes survival through jungles, oceans and courtrooms across the globe. With curiosity and urgency, it champions the wonder of the natural world while confronting the crisis threatening it.
The Right Hand. By Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks
Missing Perspectives founder Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks gives a behind-the-scenes look at the chiefs of staff shaping world leaders’ decisions and what really happens in the corridors of power. Insightful and revealing, it explores loyalty and pressure at the highest levels of global politics.
Cheng Lei. A Memoir of Freedom. By Cheng Lei
Australian journalist Cheng Lei shares her story of spending three years in prison in Beijing. The account is raw and terrifying, but at times offers surprising moments of honest humour. This is an important story of resilience, as well as the reality of brutal incarceration and wrongful detainment in China.
Careless People. By Sarah Wynn-Williams.
New Zealand lawyer and Former Director of Public Policy at Facebook Sarah Wynn-Williams spills all on the inner workings of her former employer, including her experiences with founder Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg. It really is the “book Meta doesn’t want you to read” and one the company fought hard to keep out of the spotlight, exposing a culture of questionable ethics and power.
Unfinished Revolution. The Feminist Fightback. By Virginia Haussegger
Journalist Virginia Haussegger examines the feminist revolution in Australia, 50 years after the UN declared 1975 International Women’s Year a milestone of progress. The book presents an important historical account of the past five decades in Australia, as well as a warning about the rise of the far right and growing backlash against the women’s movement internationally.
How to End a Story: Collected Diaries 1978 to 1998. By Helen Garner
A candid account of the author’s diaries spanning two decades, revealing her life, relationships and craft with unsparing honesty. Poignant, witty and introspective, it charts personal and creative growth while confronting loss, betrayal and resilience.
Empire of AI. Inside the reckless race for total domination. By Karen Hao.
Karen Hao is a journalist and longtime AI expert who has been covering OpenAI since 2019. She shares an eye-opening account of the sector, including the data amassed, the energy resources required, the humanitarian issues, and the meteoric rise of OpenAI and its founder, Sam Altman.
Nobody’s Girl. A memoir. By Virginia Roberts Giuffre
A powerful and harrowing memoir from the woman whose brave decision to speak out against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell helped bring them to justice. Raw and courageous, it traces Virginia’s survival of abuse and her lifelong fight for justice and change.
Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts. By Margaret Atwood
The acclaimed author of The Handmaid’s Tale reflects on her life, linking personal history with the books and moments that shaped her imagination. Witty and insightful, it offers a vivid portrait, from childhood to fame, of a life lived in and through literature.
The Genius Myth. The Dangerous Allure of Rebels, Monsters and Rule-Breakers. By Helen Lewis.
A takedown of the so-called “genius” idea that has shaped how we think about art and business is long overdue. Helen Lewis delivers one that’s entertaining and informative, one that will forever change your mind about the mostly male geniuses of history, including those tortured poets, rebellious scientists, and how talent and success in one specific area lead us to overlook other destructive and problematic traits.