The UK's literary landscape for 2025 has been defined by gripping series, a touch of romance, and an unexpected return to simple, screen-free creativity. Topping the annual bestsellers list is Richard Osman's The Impossible Fortune, the fifth instalment in his beloved Thursday Murder Club series.
Series Dominate as Osman Reigns Supreme
Analysis by NielsenIQ BookData reveals that readers have overwhelmingly favoured ongoing series this year. Osman's latest whodunit, published by Viking, secured the number one spot with an impressive 391,429 hardback sales. His previous 2024 release, We Solve Murders, also performed strongly, landing in fourth place with 323,293 paperback copies sold.
The chart demonstrates a clear appetite for mystery and fantasy sagas. Close behind Osman, the psychological thriller The Housemaid by Freida McFadden took second place, selling 342,899 paperbacks. Its sequel, The Housemaid's Secret, also featured in the top 20. The fantasy romance genre, or 'romantasy', saw huge success with Rebecca Yarros's Onyx Storm (the third Empyrean series book) in fifth, while earlier books in the series, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, also charted. Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, landed in third.
The Surprising Resurgence of Adult Colouring
One of the most notable trends of 2025 is the remarkable comeback of colouring books, which last saw a major peak around 2015. Two titles by Coco Wyo – Cozy Corner and Cozy Cuties – marketed to both adults and children, broke into the top 15, together accounting for nearly 500,000 sales.
Fenella Bates, non-fiction publisher at Penguin Random House Children, commented on the trend, stating the books offer "a little pocket of calm in our hectic world." She noted, "So many people have fallen for these beautiful colouring books because they provide people with a place to relax, unwind and get creative, away from screens." Bates herself has taken up the hobby, describing it as "a great way to destress."
Literary Fiction, Self-Help, and Celebrity Success
The list showcased diversity beyond blockbuster series. In literary fiction, David Nicholls's romance You Are Here and Elif Shafak's There Are Rivers in the Sky earned places in the top 20. The self-help category continued to be led by The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and her daughter Sawyer, which sold 218,919 hardback copies.
Celebrity authors also found significant success. Comedian Bob Mortimer's novel The Hotel Avocado sold 210,116 paperbacks, while chef Jamie Oliver's Eat Yourself Healthy and artist Charlie Mackesy's Always Remember featured prominently. The list was rounded out by established names like Dan Brown, Lee and Andrew Child, Kristin Hannah, and Sarah J. Maas.
Federico Andornino, David Nicholls's editor, attributed the enduring appeal of such stories to a desire for escapism and connection, a sentiment that seems to resonate across the varied titles that captured the nation's imagination in 2025.
