The 2025 "Books About Books" Book Awards

What a crazy, topsy-turvy year it has been. It's been a fun one in the world of books, and I've enjoyed refining my processes for finding and sharing all the books about books being published each month. I hope you'll sign up for the free monthly newsletter, as it is the best way to get all the information for new books.

I had the toughest time pulling together this year's list of winners and was reading right up until the end. This was due in part to the fact that I bought more books to review than ever before (I really am enjoying this project), and that many of the categories had very similar titles, which is fun to see how different authors and publishers tackle a topic from their perspective.

I hope you all have had a good 2025 and can ring in 2026 with a good read in hand. Here are this year's category winners for "books about books". So, just like every year, I have only two rules:

• I am only selecting from books that I have read.
• The book must have been published in the year that is being considered.

Anyway... here we go with the 2025 Best of the "Books About Books" Book Awards:

Best Book About Book Culture and Industry

I wish this book weren't as relevant and needed as Ira Wells' On Book Banning: Or, How the New Censorship Consensus Trivializes Art and Undermines Democracy is, but what a timely read. Wells does a fantastic job at keeping things relevant, actionable, philosophical while staying totally accessible.

Too many books in this space run off into the deep ends of the political pool, but Wells keeps things conversational and compassionate enough that this will help you organize your own thoughts, have a worthwhile conversation in the carpool line, or even speak up at the next public library meeting. 

The size of this one is great too, and slips right into a pocket or small bag. If you're looking for a great "car book" to read to take with you, Wells' On Book Banning is it.

Best Book About Book History

As much turmoil as book banning is causing today, it is hard to realize how things have been in the past if you didn't live through those times. Thank goodness for books like Char Adams' Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore. It is an example of how books really are the best technology for helping us focus, appreciate, and learn from the past experiences of others.

Adams is a news reporter by trade, and the level of research, running from the mid-1800s to modern times, is evident. But where it shines is in each mention of the people. Many of these bookstore owners, activists, politicians, and celebrities could be fictional characters. If I could have one wish, it'd be that there were a full-color photo book to go alongside this (if you wish this too, then you should check out Prose to the People: A Celebration of Black Bookstores by Katie Mitchell, which has wonderful photos of lots of different shops & owners). Black-Owned came out late in the year (November 2025), and I almost didn't pick it up. I am glad I did. The legacy here is important for everyone.

Best Bookish Profile

The winner of Best Bookish Profile is a read that put a smile on my face. Vicki DeArmon's Foghorn: The Nearly True Story of a Small Publishing Empire was so fun that parts absolutely read like a novel. This book is a very real, veryhonest story of how DeArmon started with $0 and a credit card and built a multi-million dollar publishing house in San Francisco. My favorite part of this book is the structure. Each chapter starts with the location, date, number of published titles, number of business partners, number of employees, and the annual sales. These are all numbers important to a publisher and ones that readers can all relate to when looking at how to frame each section. I love how "not stuffy" this book is.

If you've ever wondered about how publishers deal with lawyers, distributors, bookstores, events, authors, etc., Foghorn is a really fun peek behind the curtain. I bet DeArmon would be a fun person to get a drink with.

Best Gift Book

This was a tough category to choose a winner for this year. There were so many beautiful and well-thought-out books about books published in 2025. But I think that The Book Cover: 150 Years of Batsford Design by Paul Dimond is the best choice for a Books About Books Gift Book. The production of this book is wonderful.

The design, colors, and organization are all so fun. After reading all the contenders for the category, this Diamond's book is sure to please any book lover that you know. The Book Cover focuses on the cover and design evolution of Batsford publishing in England. They've been doing books since the mid-1800s, and there are some stunning examples of book design and trends in here. I was unfamiliar with one of their designers and his techniques. Brian Cook is worth looking up if you like bright, beautiful, and unique book covers.

So while not all the authors have name recognition here in the U.S., the look and discussion around the covers is universal and will be appreciated by any reader. This is a wonderful gift to give.