Non-Fiction Books Read in 2025

In 2025, I read 29 non-fiction books across a variety of genres, covering history, culture, nature, politics, language and autism. A lot of these books introduced me to new topics or ave me a better understanding of topics I already knew a bit about. It was interesting to read any of these, and Annabel Crabb does a great job of making Australia’s democracy accessible for readers aged ten and over. Non-fiction has so many categories and options for all ages too.

I write roundups that are broad and focused, and split them into men, women, Australian, non-Australian, children’s, young adult, adult, LGBTQIA, Disabled and co-authored books. There is also a post with everything and a summary at the end. So if people want to look at something in particular, they can.

1. Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles by Corey Tutt, art by Ben Williams
2. The Mail Train Murders by Kay Duke
3. Square Me, Round World: Stories of Growing Up in a World Not Built for You by Chelsea Luker and Eliza Fricker
4. Tubowgule: A Sydney Opera House History by Melissa-Jane Fogarty, illustrated by Dylan Finney
5. Missing by Nicole Morris
6. Crimes of the Cross: The Anglican Paedophile Network of Newcastle, its Protectors, and the Man who Fought for Justice by Anne Manne
7. Anzac Girl: The War Diaries of Alice Ross-King by Kate Simpson
8. The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku
9. The Lasting Harm: Witnessing the Trial of Ghislaine Maxwell by Lucia Osborne-Crowley
10. A Loo of One’s Own: A Mostly True Tale of Australia’s First Female Parliamentarians by Eleri Harris
11. Sidney of Sydney by Sue Whiting and Liz Anelli
12. Quoll by Christopher Cheng and Cindy Lane
13. In Bad Faith: Inside Australia’s ultra-Orthodox sect and the brutal betrayal it tried to hide by Dassi Erlich
14. Peculiar Parents by Stephanie Owen Reeder and Ingrid Bartkowiak
15. The Autist’s Guide to the Galaxy: Navigating the World of ‘normal people’ by Clara Törnvall, translated by Alice E. Ossman
16. Hedgehog or Echidna? Animals Who Are the Same but Different by Ashleigh Barton and illustrated by Amandine Thomas
17. My Name is Jemima by Olivia Muscat, illustrated by Allison Colpoys
18. Mango and Hopscotch: The Inspiring Story of a Brave Kangaroo and her Joey Rescued from the Floodwaters by Sophie Cunningham, illustrated by Anil Tortop
19. Raising Readers: How To Nurture a Child’s Love of Books by Megan Daley
20. Animals on Country: Let’s look after the animals with Uncle Kuu by Victor Steffensen and illustrated by Sandra Steffensen
21. Miss Austen by Gill Hornby
22. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
23. Where Would You Go by Alison Lester and Jane Godwin and the children at Yalingu Yirramboi – the Royal Children’s Hospital School
24. The Official Agatha Christie Detectives Club: 50 Mystery Puzzles for Children by Agatha Christie Ltd, Dr Gareth Moore, Laura Jayne Ayres
25. giwang by Belinda Bridge, illustrated by Peta-Joy Williams
26. The Dictionary People: The Unsung Heroes Who Created the Oxford English Dictionary by Sarah Ogilvie
27. Someone Like Me: An Anthology of Non-Fiction by Autistic Writers edited by Clem Bastow and Jo Case
28. There’s a Prawn in Parliament House by Annabel Crabb, illustrated by First Dog on the Moon
29. Growing into Autism by Sandra Thom-Jones