The books Penguin employees loved in 2025

What’s one of the biggest perks of working in publishing? Access to books, of course!

It’s no surprise that employees at Penguin Random House Australia are extremely well read, making our team a veritable source of book recommendations.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of the recommendations our team has shared on Facebook this year. Read on to discover some our team’s favourite picks of 2025 and follow us on Facebook for more reviews in 2026.

Taryn, Senior Group Product Manager:
Flesh by David Szalay

I was lucky enough to read the 2025 Booker Prize–winning Flesh by David Szalay as a manuscript way back in 2024 (perks of working in publishing!). It completely altered the way I think about the reading experience – how full a story can feel when the language is as lean and distilled as it is in Flesh.

Szalay’s skill lies in the utter spareness and simplicity of his writing, and yet the depths to which you come to understand his characters – especially our protagonist, István – know no bounds. Through the lens of István’s life, which we follow from his youth into later adulthood, you’re given space to ponder your own life: the choices you’ve made, the regrets you might hold, the joy you have felt.

As a boy, István is forced to leave home after a series of escalating events leads to a life-altering incident. Set adrift in the world, he eventually winds up in London among wealth and affluence, finding love and family, yet always carrying within him a profound sense of isolation and aloneness – if not outright loneliness.

This novel is the story of one man, and yet it is also the story of A LIFE. It is an intensely human story – of searching and yearning, of disquiet, and of the quiet stoicism of not always finding what you seek. For that reason, what David Szalay has achieved in Flesh is nothing short of miraculous.

Flesh is exquisite and profoundly beautiful, and it is an absolute must-read.

Ashwin, Commissioning Editor:
How They Get You by Chris Kohler

I am delighted yet somewhat fearful about this book that I had the privilege of helping bring to life. Delighted because it is brilliant and funny; fearful because it is completely, undeniably and brutally true.

Chris Kohler is known for his laugh-out-loud yet informative skits online @chriskohlernews and as the Finance Editor for Channel 9 News; now he is also the author of the relatable and hilarious How They Get You. With a comedian’s wit and a journo’s argumentative drive, he lifts the curtain on how our modern economic systems work to pilfer more and more money from us. From supermarkets and superannuation companies to car loan lenders and subscription-based streamers, Chris has written this book for anybody who for too long has felt that something was awry but couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

He also helps you out with simple and practical advice, and here are just three gems that really hit home with me:

• Loyalty programs: Don’t stay loyal for the sake of points, but rather review and close old accounts once a year.
• Fast food delivery: To avoid those high ‘hidden’ fees, try ordering takeaway direct from the restaurant once in a while.
• Microtransactions and in-game purchases: If you are a parent, look at the settings on your kids’ devices and turn off auto-purchases, and always set spending limits and approval requirements.

The writing pings and zings, and is coupled with cutting but rib-tickling sketches by Chaz Hutton at the start of each of the 24 chapters. And if you’re anything like me, after reading this you will be able to finally make sense of that economic headscratcher that was bugging you for way too long and, crucially, do something about it to save your hard-earned cash.

Catherine, Head of Adult Editorial:
The Underworld by Sofie Laguna

I’m lucky enough to have been the editor of Sofie Laguna’s wonderful novel The Underworld.

As many of you will know, Sofie is one of the most thoughtful, creative and brilliant writers of fiction, and The Underworld for me is one of those novels that you fall head over heels with and are compelled to recommend to all your friends. On each read I have found more nuance, more to savour: this is a truly multi-layered novel with wonderfully explored recurring themes and motifs.

Martha Mullins is fourteen and lives with her parents; her grandmother, the ascerbic, acute Babs (prone to outbreaks of droll French when the mood takes her); and Babs’s languid Pomeranian Shih tzu cross, Tutu.

Martha is, surely, so many of us aged fourteen. Sometimes lonely, navigating the confusing world of peers and family (‘A family was a mystery. You could never pin down its problem, only sense it was you.’), she finds her place with her group of friends at school, in particular with Valerie, who is exuberant and unselfconscious where Martha is reserved and unsure – they become close. Martha also adores the Greek and Roman world, and Latin; and she is drawn to many different facets of the idea of the mythical underworld: a place where she can find sanctuary and a symbolic peace.

There is so much in this novel to adore – a glorious cast, transporting settings (including memorably beautiful chapters on a sheep station in far west NSW), and Martha’s journey through difficult years and encounters as she goes to university and life challenges her hard.

At its heart this is a coming-of-age story filled with shades of dark and joy, a gloriously well-drawn study of family and relationships of many different kinds. Search it out and devour it!

Arianna, Campaign Executive:
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

I have the absolute pleasure of being the marketer for Charlotte McConaghy's Wild Dark Shore as well as her wonderful backlist of books.

This book is a tense, compassionate and beautifully crafted novel about family, climate grief and what it means to keep faith with life when the water is rising. It won't take long to see why it’s so widely acclaimed!

Wild Dark Shore is a compelling climate fiction with the pulse of a survival thriller and the ache of a love story. Charlotte McConaghy captures ecological dread in crisp, unsentimental images and then narrows the focus to one island where every choice has mortal stakes.

What elevates the book is its moral clarity without moralising. We are offered insight into how humans, when pushed to their very limits, respond in desperate and ruthless circumstances. It makes you question, ‘Is this person a villain or have they just reached a frightening endpoint of triage logic in a collapsing world?’ The novel keeps returning to empathy and to the stubborn work of care: refloating whales, digging graves, keeping kids warm and, finally, choosing whom to save.

I fondly remember studying the ‘human experience’ back in high school (mostly in reference to Shakespearean texts) and whether we will ever truly understand the limits and capabilities of humankind. This book reminded me of that through its complex characters and their decisions while also offering a scary look into what our future could look like, because of us.

I’ve never read anything like it, and I wholeheartedly believe everyone should give it a go. It will invigorate you like no other.

Ali, Publisher:
The Lucky Sisters by Rachael Johns

I publish the incredible author Rachael Johns, who you might know as a bestselling writer of romance novels – but did you know that she also publishes general women’s fiction? The Lucky Sisters is a super exciting breakout book for her, which everyone (including me!) is describing as her best book yet. It is high-concept commercial fiction at its finest. This is a really clever, super fun, utterly compelling page-turner that is full of relatable characters you will come to love and cherish. It’s guaranteed to have you smiling from beginning to end – but do have the tissues handy!

In the story, we meet twin sisters Nora and Stevie Lucky, who turn out to be not quite as lucky as their name suggests. When they find out they may not have long to live, they are sent spiralling in very different directions. How will they make the most of the time they have left? Or will their time run out?

Whether you’re an existing Rachael Johns fan or not, I urge you to give this new novel a try. It’s easy and addictive to read but packs an emotional punch – a perfect smart, satisfying summer read that I think will really surprise you. But get in quickly, before someone spoils the big ending!

Beverley, Publisher:
Everyone in this Bank is A Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

I’m the proud publisher of Benjamin Stevenson’s wonderfully entertaining Ernest Cunningham mystery series.

I can still remember Benjamin’s email, back in May 2020, in which he outlined his idea for the first book. My response was simply ‘Oh wow!’ because it was such a clever and enticing premise. Even its title alone, Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, sent a tingle down my spine!

Now – 1.8 million global book sales later – I’m thrilled to tell you about the fourth in the series: Everyone In This Bank Is A Thief.

For those who haven’t read the earlier books (and you’re missing out if you haven’t!), Ernest Cunningham not only stars in and narrates the books but also, as an expert on mystery fiction, often breaks the fourth wall to comment on how events are bending genre rules. The series is both a homage to Golden Age detective novels while also being delightfully modern and original.

This novel is centred around a bank heist in which Ernest and nine other customers are taken hostage. But of course, this is no ordinary bank robbery. Not least because everyone in the bank planned to steal something that day! In one of the best opening scenes I’ve read in a long time, we find Ernest locked in a small bank safe, running out of oxygen, and frantically scribbling down all that has happened in the previous 24 hours – including, of course, a murder or two.

In a gloriously meta way, Benjamin actually wrote some of this novel while ‘trapped’ in the window of Dymocks’ flagship store in Sydney. For a week he sat in the window typing onto his laptop as his words (what became chapters 3-7) were relayed onto a big screen for passersby to read.

Like the other books in the series, Everyone In This Bank Is A Thief is very funny, smart and deliciously twisty, with plenty of puzzles to tease your brain. Plus, it stars a parrot called Ditto who I know you’ll fall in love with . . .

Heidi, Brand Director and Head of In-Market:
The Soldier’s Daughter by Fiona McIntosh

I have the absolute privilege of working with incredible authors, and Fiona McIntosh is one of the finest!

Her latest novel, The Soldier’s Daughter, is a sweeping historical blockbuster. It continues the story of Charlie Nash from The Champagne War, but it’s Violet, his daughter, who truly shines. I loved seeing how this determined young woman finds her place in a world that doesn’t expect much of her, especially in the male-dominated world of whisky distilling. That was one of my favourite parts of the book: watching Violet carve out her own path with intelligence, grit, and heart.

Readers can expect all the hallmarks of a Fiona McIntosh novel including meticulous research (from whisky in post-WWI Scotland to Nazi-occupied France), unforgettable characters and a story brimming with drama, romance and heartbreak. It’s emotional, tense and completely unputdownable.

Fiona is an internationally bestselling author with more than a million copies sold, and with several of her novels optioned for film and television, it’s the perfect time to discover her work. But it’s The Soldier’s Daughter that shows her at the very top of her game, a novel that blends history, family and courage in the most powerful way.

If you love page-turning historical fiction with strong characters and rich settings, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Kate, Product and DK Director:
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown

Dan Brown's The Secret of Secrets is a total blast! Right from the start, you're hooked. The plot has so many twists and turns, it's like a crazy rollercoaster ride. As ever, Brown's storytelling is super engaging, and symbologist Robert Langdon is back solving the crime – you'll totally care about what happens to him and the ones he loves. The detailed research and vivid descriptions make everything feel so real. If you're into thrillers and mysteries, you've got to read this book. It's an adventure you won't forget!

Meredith, Publisher:
The Occupation by Chloe Adams

This is a beautiful, affecting, historical novel of life-altering moments.

First, a confession. Of course I knew of the atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in August 1945, but I did not know Australian men and women shipped out to Japan to participate in the rebuilding of these regions in the post-war years.

The novel is told from the perspective of Mary, a woman affected by the destruction and damage wrought on a generation of Australian men by the Second World War. Against the wishes of her family, and despite her brother having been detained in a Japanese POW camp, she joins the allied occupation force tasked with the rebuilding of the Hiroshima prefecture and is deeply conflicted by what she finds there. Exquisite freedom from the constrained middle-class life she led in Melbourne and enormous moral ambiguity.

The Occupation presents big issues and conundrums. There are also love stories, humour, parties and adventure. Mary is not a straightforward hero, she makes some enormous decisions that affect the lives of her own and the next generation.

It is a novel that you will want to talk about after you have read it, and I am here for that!

Dot, Marketing and Publicity Director:
An Ill Wind by Margaret Hickey

As dramatic starts go, An Ill Wind by Margaret Hickey surely has one of the best.

Three hundred wind turbines, like a scene from The War of the Worlds, march across the hills, their rotors constantly spinning. But one turbine, number 82, is still. Deadly still.

Because hanging from its huge white blade . . . is a body.

Well, needless to say, I was hooked. Was it suicide? Was it murder? It certainly wasn’t an accident.

Soon, I found myself ensconced in the small-town politics: Who’s for wind farms and who’s against. Who dated who in high school. Who’s rich, who’s poor. Who left, who stayed. Which brings me to Senior Sergeant Belinda Burney, one of the investigators on the case. Heavily pregnant, she has returned to the town to be closer to her father. She’s an absolute star, but what is her back story? It’s all so intriguing.

As usual, Margaret Hickey – who lives in a country town herself – has nailed it.