The five best-selling books in Italy in 2025: from breathtaking thrillers by Dan Brown and Joël Dicker to stories of resilience, faith and award-winning fiction, with Bajani winner of the Strega.
2025 confirms itself as a surprising year for the Italian publishing panorama. Between highly anticipated new releases and confirmations from great international authors, readers demonstrated a varied taste, ranging from the thrill of thrillers to intimate reflections, from ironic fiction to spiritual essays. In a period in which digital platforms and e-books seem to dominate the scene, the printed paper continues to resist and conquer the public, confirming that reading remains one of the most shared and appreciated pleasures. Here is the ranking of the five best-selling books, with a brief overview of their plots.
The last secret by Dan Brown
It’s no surprise that Dan Brown continues to dominate the charts. The last secret takes readers back to the world of historical intrigue, cryptic symbols, and age-old conspiracies. In this new adventure, Langdon is embroiled in a complex global conspiracy after the mysterious disappearance of his partner, scientist Katherine Solomon, in a Prague shrouded in ancient enigmas and dark forces, while a new mind idea begins to take shape.
The catastrophic visit to the zoo by Joel Dicker
One of the most talked about narrative novelties of the year comes from Joël Dicker, with The catastrophic visit to the zoowhich has established itself as one of the best-selling books of 2025 in Italy. Published in March, the novel tells of a school trip just before Christmas that takes an unexpected turn: a visit to the zoo becomes the starting point for a series of surprising and mysterious events.
The dawn will come, you will be fine by Gianluca Gotto
In the heart of Italian fiction that has achieved great success in 2025 we find The dawn will come, you will be fine by Gianluca Gotto, an intense and thoughtful novel. The story follows Veronica, a woman who, after facing loneliness, stress and deep personal pain, embarks on a journey of transformation that takes her far from home.
Hope. The autobiography of Pope Francis
Spera is Pope Francis’ autobiography published in January 2025, published by Mondadori. It is a unique text in modern history because it is the first autobiography written by a living pontiff. The book spans the entire existence of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, from his family roots to his childhood and youth in Argentina, up to the years of the papacy and the reflections developed during his ministry in the context of the Jubilee of Hope.
The anniversary by Andrea Bajani
The anniversary by Andrea Bajani dominated awards and rankings in 2025, winning the Premio Strega 2025, one of the most prestigious literary awards in Italy. The novel tells the story of a family marked by dynamics of power, control and identity: at the center is the figure of a mother whose life has been profoundly shaped by her authoritarian and conservative husband, and of a son who ultimately chooses to break with the past and with the family relationships that have suffocated him.
