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The best thing about reading? Whatever type of book you choose, it will inevitably help you escape from life for a while, while also giving you a sharper insight into your existence. Whether you want to lose or find yourself, books are usually the answer. And our best books of 2025 certainly deliver results.
Below are the titles that we found difficult to put down over the past twelve months. Whether you want to expand your knowledge, shift your perspective, increase your awareness of yourself and others, or simply get yourself out of a rut, here are our recommendations, in no particular order. While not all of them are new, we consider them to be quite timeless.
Best books of 2025
1. My yoga. My city.
By Grant Henry and Erica Chen
It’s easy to talk about diversity and inclusivity in yoga. It is much more difficult to visualize it. Yoga teachers Henry and Chen have accomplished just that with their compilation of more than 108 captivating images and compelling essays that capture the essence of what yoga means to diverse practitioners in New York City. As the authors explain, “The project became a powerful reminder that yoga is for everyone: every background, every story, every body.” Think People of New York but the yoga edition. – Renée Marie Schettler
2. Yoga as Embodied Resistance: A Feminist Lens on Caste, Gender, and Sacred Resilience in Yoga History
By Anajali Rao
The book everyone in the yoga world is talking about, this unflinching exploration of caste, patriarchy, gender, Hinduism, culture, and other not-often-discussed truths that have contributed to our contemporary yoga space. Rao’s goal is not only to bring to light these lesser-known aspects of yoga’s past, but also to urge readers to view the practice as one of liberation and self-discernment, as we reconsider its past, reconsider its present, and determine its future.
3. Yoga and the search for the true self
By Stephen Cope
I’ve already waxed poetic about this book and I’m eager to continue. This memoir blends human stories and yoga philosophy in a way that illustrates the practice’s ability to strip away anything that obscures your true self. The text is also incredibly readable, sometimes taking a compact topic and turning it into a relatable conversation that you won’t want to leave. —Calin Van Parijs
4. The sacrifices of superwomen: natural remedies to restore balance
By Dr. Andrea D. Sullivan
This exploration of “the superwoman persona” is essential reading for anyone who feels her resistance waning in everyday life, especially women of color. The book shares relatable experiences and irrefutable statistics intended to help the reader understand that she is not alone in her exhaustion – and that the problem is not her inability to get it all done, but rather the complexity of today’s society that puts women in the position of having to do it all. —Renee Marie Schettler
5. I hope you remember: poems about loving, longing and living
By Josie Balka
Most of the world describes the author as a ‘viral sensation’. She considers herself “the happiest sad girl you will ever meet.” Her book of poems is essentially the love child of each of these aspects of herself. The New York Times bestseller is written in a way that feels real and raw, like your best friend helping you see the truth about yourself. —Renee Marie Schettler
6. The Science of Yoga: Understand the anatomy and physiology to perfect your practice
By Ann Swanson
Yoga is a spiritual practice, but the asana portion of it is fundamentally physical. Unfortunately, it can be easy to move around the classroom without fully understanding what it takes to move your body through space. This book delves into the anatomy of each pose through illustrations and diagrams that are intricate and beautiful, allowing you to digest both the scientific and spiritual sides of the practice, whether you are a student or a teacher. —Calin Van Parijs
7. Spirit Worlds
By Jessica Hundley
The sixth part in the series The Library of Esoterica, Spiritual worlds explores, both through words and works of art, the wide range of ways in which people throughout history have considered the mystical, the afterlife, and the invisible realms. Its 500 pages span underworlds and celestial realms, rituals and chakras in their quest to define what the sacred means. A coffee table book that will start a conversation if there ever was one. —Renee Marie Schettler
8. Darby, Love (Living Things Mom Said to Me Before She Died)
By Darby Hudson
Another charmer from a series of social media posts that have gone viral: Darby, lawIt consists of a poet’s memory of his mother’s unusual and imaginative way of looking at life. There is no way you won’t be changed by reading these poems. It’s as if there is invisible glitter to the words that flutter around them and cling to those who read. You’ll want that follow the author for more glitter. —Renee Marie Schettler
9. The Little Frog’s Guide to Self-Care
By Maybell Eequay
I came across it for the first time The Little Frog’s Guide to Self-Care at an airport bookstore. A few weeks later my mother gave me a copy, which I took as a sign that Little Frog’s magic was already in full effect. Whimsical illustrations and simple messages about self-care adorn every page of this small hardcover, and Little Frog’s advice ranges from the elusive and poetic (“Little miracles happen every moment”) to the extremely practical (“When household or self-care tasks feel too big, try to do them halfway”). No matter my mood or stress level, I can turn to any page and gain some quick wisdom or experience the humor of Little Frog. —Laura Harold
And if you’re the kind of person who spends their days collecting audiobooks to get you through your non-yoga workouts, join the Everand Move & Listen Challenge on MapMyFitness. When you log 200 minutes of activity between November 18 and December 18, you will receive a free 30 day Everand trial, including three free audiobooks. Additionally, participants who complete the challenge can enter to win a free 12-month Everand standard subscription.
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