GLAMOUR’s Digital Content Producer shares her top 5 books of 2025

This year, my reading wasn’t about escaping reality, it was about searching. Looking for meaning, for mirrors, for stories that hold up life in all its complexity and remind us why community, love and hope matter. When I look back at the books that stayed with me in 2025, I’m proud to say my top five are all written by African authors, four by South African writers and one by a Nigerian writer. Even more surprising (and exciting for me) is the balance: three by women and two by men, a first for my year-end list, which is usually dominated entirely by women.

Choosing this list was refreshingly easy. Each of these books offered a reflective lens into the world, into my own life, and into the quiet and loud battles people carry. While their themes differ, at the heart of them all is a shared language of community, love, hope, starting over, and choosing life, even in the most difficult circumstances. From the Ntoi women to Norma, these stories felt intimate, grounding and deeply human.

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Exclusive Q&A with the author of Book People, Paige Nick

It was truly an incredible year of reading and these are the five books of 2025 I highly recommend.

Book People by Paige Nick

Boy oh Boy how I enjoyed this one, Full of wit and sharp self-awareness. Book People is clever, funny and deeply familiar, especially if you love books and the communities that form around them. The satire feels light but intentional, offering commentary on cancel culture, online outrage and creative egos, while still celebrating the joy of reading. It reminded me why book lovers are passionate, messy and endlessly interesting.

Life Is Like That Sometimes by Khaya Dlanga

Life is like that sometimes felt like a conversation with someone who truly understands life’s unpredictability. I loved how Khaya Dlanga balances humour with vulnerability, making even the hardest truths feel approachable. It’s reflective without being heavy, honest without being preachy, and deeply comforting. A reminder that life doesn’t always make sense, and that sometimes, that’s okay.

Bitter Honey by Lolá Akinmade Åkerström

Bitter Honey stayed with me for its emotional depth and layered storytelling. I was drawn to the way sweetness and pain coexist throughout the narrative, especially in the complex mother-daughter relationship at its centre. It’s a story about ambition, love, inheritance and healing, and how the past has a way of shaping who we become, whether we acknowledge it or not.

Fabrics of Love by Lebo Mazibuko

Fabrics of Love spoke to me through its exploration of family, generational trauma and the quiet ways love shows up even when things are broken. I loved how the story honours heritage and emotional complexity, especially in women relationships. It’s tender, reflective and deeply human, a reminder that love is often imperfect, but enduring.

Journey Kwantu by Vusumzi Ngxande

What resonated most for me in Journey Kwantu was its grounding. This book invites you to slow down and reflect on identity, spirituality and belonging through an African lens. It felt less like reading and more like remembering, reconnecting with ancestry, culture and purpose. A powerful read for anyone searching for meaning beyond the surface.